Review: Thrills and Chills Haunt Every Page of The High Republic Adventures: The Nameless Terror #2

Issue #2 of George Mann's Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures - The Nameless Terror makes it official. This is Dark Horse's best since the relaunch of its Star Wars titles. There isn't much to choose from, but if an issue has a reader thinking about Alien and Aliens, two of the best science-fiction horror films of all time, you're doing something right.



In the first issue, Jedi Master Rok Buran and his Pathfinder team's mission to Dalna was interrupted by the Path of the Open Hand. Both parties would soon find themselves stranded on an unidentified planet, with unexpected guests about to join the party. You see, the Path had special cargo aboard their ship, which happened to be a large batch of eggs harboring these Jedi-killing monstrosities called the Nameless. Now, one of those eggs has hatched and threatens the lives of the Jedi and everyone trapped on the planet.



The second chapter of the four-issue miniseries continues Mann's 'Aliens meets Jaws' approach in that he doesn't show the Nameless unless he has to, but when the monster does appear, it's game over man. Can anyone survive?



Spoilers ahead...







This issue revolves around figuring out what kind of threat our protagonists are up against and how to stop it. The onus falls upon Pako and Ambar to devise a plan while the Jedi deal with the effects of the Nameless and the hold it has over them. Elsewhere, Rok and Coron are trying to return power to the ship but are forced into an awkward situation with the Path of the Open Hand.



Every page of this comic is laced with tension: the primary source of which is the Nameless trying to find a way into the ship. Comic lettering is an art form by itself, and some overdo it with their 'bam' and 'crack' word effects, but it's a necessary evil to create an atmosphere and make a scene feel alive. Mann and letterer Studio Ram consciously chose to strip back, mainly using such effects only when the beast 'thuds' against the ship. The quiet atmosphere that the lettering created complimented the again-remarkable art from Eduardo Mello and Ornella Savarese. There's always something so unsettling about horror in the light of day, and facial expressions sold each character's fear superbly.







After the Nameless finishes its initial assault against the Jedi, Sula, Pako, and Ambar make their way through the ship to find a place to treat Xinith, who is still reeling. They deduce that the further away they get from it, the easier the Jedi can return to their usual selves. They find a nice open hangar where they can unwind and find stability. Unfortunately, they don't realize they have found themselves trapped and possibly suspect to what could become the freakiest setpiece in all of Star Wars. Scattered across the hangar, the group happen upon the remaining Nameless eggs. Pako picks one up, thinking it a gemstone, and I just sat there thinking about the immediate potential of that egg breaking.



But because we can't have nice things, the issue sees a massive halt in momentum at this point. Instead of spending more time in that room, we meet back up with Ty Yorrick where she continues to retell the story to Klo. This slight stung my greedy heart. It'd be like if the Nostromo crew in 1979's Alien reached the room with hordes of Xenomorph eggs, and Ridley Scott cut away to a random stranger 300 years later before we got to see Kane attacked. I get Ty's inclusion in this tale isn't an accident, but I'm just a man who wants beautiful chaos.







Thankfully, the momentum isn't frozen for too long thanks to a thrilling conclusion. Pako leaves the hangar to attempt to neutralize the Nameless while Rok and Coron embark on a dangerous mission to the outside. With the comms still down, they must find Sula and the others to warn them about what's coming.



I won't spoil exactly what happens as I'm unable to show it, but as was alluded to earlier, when the Nameless appears, it's stunning. How it's drawn and colored feels unnatural to this world that Mello and Savarese have established. This issue closes with something you don't see the Jedi do often: run away in fear.







The High Republic Adventures: The Nameless Terror #2 continues to deliver the thrills and chills the first issue promised, and ramped it up tenfold. I might be overselling the horror elements of the series as it's still an all-ages comic, but this miniseries still feels like such a breath of fresh air. George Mann has gripped me, and all I want is more. Mercifully, it appears this series is being impacted little by the same delays affecting the other Star Wars offerings from Dark Horse, so the next chapter is right around the corner.


<p style='text-align: center;']RATING: 8/10</p>


Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures - The Nameless Terror #2 is available now wherever comics are sold. Special thanks to Dark Horse Comics for the ARC used in this review.



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