"The High Republic Adventures #10: Back Together and Away Again III" by Daniel Jose Older

"The High Republic Adventures #10: Back Together and Away Again III" written by Daniel Jose Older, illustrated by Toni Bruno and Rebecca Nalty

Qort revealed!!!...and unleashed!! He is one tough as nails Padawan and quite the powerhouse. I feel like the mask inhibited him a good bit--as is appropriately shown on the cover, the skull helmet is now destroyed. Of course, as we learned from last issue, the Vonduun crab skull is meant to tamp down the Aloxian tendency for violence. But it is clear from his actions in this issue, that Qort is now able to control and hone his violence and he has become a major asset for the fight against the Nihil!

We get one more flashback of little Qort as Sav and Maz set the boy off with Master Yoda. In a perfectly charming Sav way, the Jedi tells Qort before he goes, "I know a thing or two about fancy headgear myself, so I told [Yoda] to let you keep your skull helmet on." D'awww. It's funny, too, because when Sav first greets Yoda she says that she's no good with kids to which he retorts, "Mm, keep saying that, you do, evidence suggests otherwise though, hm?" I love it!

Then we're back in the present as the Padawans recover in the rubble of the Jedi Temple on Takodana (see below)--it's been completely destroyed by the Nihil. In the battle, Qort's skull helmet got smashed to bits (see below) and at first he's distraught as all get out. But then he remembers Sav's words from his younger years when she told him that he would take the helmet off in his own time and would know when he was ready...he then proclaims in the present that he is in fact ready and we finally get to see grown up Qort!! See him ready for battle below!! As Maz and Sav look on, Sav says, "Kid takes after the weird Force-sensitive old lady that found him." To which Maz responds, "Which one?" Ha!! Sav replies, "Both!" I love these two women!!

Once Qort reunites with the other Padawans, they are stunned by his missing skull helmet. Qort responds to their surprise by giving them even more to be shocked by...he speaks to them in Basic!! This whole time he has been speaking a completely different language with letters that aren't even Aurabesh. But apparently he picked up enough to tell them hey and call them "My friends!" So cute!!

And finally we get eyes on Krix who has just gone straight up evil. So incredibly sad. He's ready to rain down hell on the Republic and the Jedi. Guess we'll see what happens...

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Trivia:

-Maz Kanata would go over to the Jedi Temple for caf dates and slumber parties. She and Sav were genuinely close.

-Correction from last issue's review: It was only Sabata Krill who defected from the Nihil under subterfuge. Her sister Bareen genuinely didn't want to be with the Nihil anymore and you can see her still on Takodana with the main characters in the rubble of the Jedi Temple.

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This series is so much fun and the character development is so on point!! Even if you are not keeping up with the other High Republic material, I highly recommend this series. Although by the nature of the High Republic publishing initiative, there is some overlap with other media, it's still contained enough to follow pretty well if you just read this series. And some of the most important moments in the High Republic era occur in this series. It's just so well done!