Comic Review: The High Republic (Phase III) #3

Locked in battle with her nemesis, Keeve Trennis determinedly holds her position against the villainous Lourna Dee. Energy crackles between their blades and Lourna’s lekku are flying with the momentum of her swings, making Noto’s direct cover look like a movie still. Lourna also features on Wu’s variant cover in a striking portrait that brilliantly combines bold colours with dramatic lighting. Finally, Suayan’s connecting variant features one of the twins as they come to Keeve’s aid to face the Nihil threat yet again.

As Lourna Dee tries to escape from the newly allied Hutt’s and Republic Defence Coalition, it’s up to the Jedi to hunt her down once again. Keeve Trennis may have let the treacherous Twi’lek get away in the past, but she refuses to make the same mistake again. With Lourna’s ship equipped with a path drive able to breach the Stormwall, it’s a race against time to stop her plans before she returns to the Occlusion Zone. There’s no room for error…or distractions.  

This isn’t the first time that Keeve Trennis has had to hunt down Lourna Dee, with the two having a tumultuous history throughout the High Republic. What Scott cleverly portrays in The High Republic (Phase III) #3 is the differences between these two characters. Both have pasts that haunt them, yet the ways they have decided to deal with their trauma completely separates them. It’s a really well written juxtaposition, which Scott weaves seamlessly into the action.

Keeve is still struggling as a Jedi Master. She’s haunted by the memories of Sskeer and the lessons she learned at his side. Lessons that have kept her alive while her former Master is gone. Or so it seems. As one of the Nihil alluded to in the previous issue, there’s possibly a Trandoshan Jedi running rampant in the Occlusion Zone. It’s a thread of hope – yet one that Keeve wants to hold tightly to. It is just a rumour and it could easily be a Trandoshan who has simply picked up a lightsaber (they were Jedi hunters in The Clone Wars), so it will be interesting to see where Scott potentially takes this storyline.

In contrast, Lourna is struggling but refuses to admit it. She’s haunted by a long line of betrayers that have left her in a lot of pain, but she doesn’t want to try to heal. Scott wrote her character in such a nuanced way in Tempest Runner, presenting Lourna with so many opportunities to move on from her past and turn a new leaf. Every time she has refused. It’s a cyclical pattern that Lourna is forever stuck in. Instead, she’d rather inflict her pain on those around her.

It’s this emotional conflict that adds to the tension of the chase between the Gios and what was once the Ataraxia.There’s much more at stake than simply losing a Nihil fugitive. Keeve deliberately breaks rank to chase down Lourna herself so that she can board the only ship with the capability of breaching the Stormwall. Path drives are only equipped on Nihil vessels, which the Republic haven’t been able to capture since the destruction of Starlight.

And seeing Keeve go up for a rematch against Lourna is so satisfying. It is a testament to how much this character has grown. As a Padawan she couldn’t take on Lourna, leaving her fate to Avar Kriss. Now, Keeve confidently steps into the fight, trusting in the Force to guide her path. She doesn’t even need her lightsaber to apprehend Lourna, using one of the Twi’lek’s own droids against her. Just another one of Lourna’s allies that has technically betrayed her, even if it was because of the Force.

All of this is beautifully illustrated by Towe and Cresta. There are so many panels that just demand to be stared at to take all the detail in, from the epic double spread of skiffs chasing the Ataraxia to Keeve cutting through its hull to sneak on board. Perhaps the best scenes though are the pages right at the beginning, which are in incredibly touching flashback to Keeve helping Sskeer to save animals in danger. Seeing the burly Trandoshan tenderly carry a little fawn to safety is just heart melting.

Scott’s really putting Keeve through her emotional paces in The High Republic (Phase III) #3, and the stakes he’s introduced in this issue will impact the rest of the series. Breaching the Stormwall is all the Republic and the Jedi have been trying to achieve for months, but it feels right that Keeve should be the one to do it. It’s her love and caring for her former Master, that’s motivating her – using all the lessons she’s learned at his side. What lies within the Occlusion Zone? Next issue will see Keeve break through into Nihil space!