It’s been a year since the fall of Starlight Beacon and the rise of the Stormwall, cutting off the Occlusion Zone from the rest of the galaxy. Zeen and Qort are doing their best not to give up hope of finding their “missing but not confirmed dead” friends. But when Zeen finds a mysterious message that gives her hope, together, she and Qort set out to find the truth, whatever it may be.

Space Jail! Baby Nameless! Jam sessions! And the wishes of a Mikkian!

Daniel José Older and Harvey Tolibao continue to bring their signature magic to the page. The art and writing are both beautiful and brilliant. Nick Brokenshire and Elisa Romboli also add their skills to the pages. In the early issues, the flashbacks are told with Brokenshire’s art, while Tolibao’s art tells the story in the current time. It’s a rad idea I’ve not seen before that works wonderfully.

While this is only the beginning of this series, it’s a return to some favorite characters a year later, and we see immense growth and change as our heroes and friends cope with the events of the ongoing devastation. Zeen Mrala is heartbroken over the loss of her friends and her love. Qort is much the same, but with the typical Jedi resolve and a unique sense of humor. Both characters refuse to stop searching for their friends even as their survival becomes less and less likely with each passing day. Hope is a deeply central tenet of Star Wars, and Older uses it wonderfully in these comics.

Our familiar characters as forge ahead with growth, change, and a newfound maturity. Zeen takes center stage and confronts her loss, love, and loneliness throughout. We catch up with many familiar faces, both lost and found. The new enemies are solid, and their tales span other The High Republic stories as well. There is plenty of action and lots of exciting threads left to follow as the series continues!

This collection is a must-read for fans of the High Republic Adventures characters who keep hope alive through the dark times!