Star Wars: The High Republic: Edge of Balance, Vol. 3

Star Wars: The High Republic

by Mizuki Sakakibara (Illustrator), Shima Shinya, Daniel Older

A massive, interconnected cross-publisher initiative focused on an all-new era of Star Wars storytelling.

Centuries before the Skywalker saga, a new adventure begins…

It is the era of the High Republic and interstellar expansion is at its height. As trusted guardians of peace, the renowned Jedi protect the Republic and shine their light on those exploring the darkest reaches of the galaxy.

© & TM 2021 LUCASFILM LTD
Copyright © 2021 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

Genres: Star Wars, Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 13, 2024

Reviews

[Jim C · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a collection that continues the story that is part of the overall arc of The High Republic series. In this one a group of Jedi and padawans meet something new in the galaxy and might be a bigger threat than the current threat.

My rating is more of a reflection on me than this collection as this had several stepping stones to overcome for me to enjoy it. The first is that this is manga. I am trying to be open minded with this genre but it does not really work for me. I think I like the full impact of the illustrations with colors and what not. That was not the biggest stepping stone though. I am not a big fan of the overall series. I am ahead in the timeline with the novels where I learned about a plot development that was introduced in this collection. The short answer is that I hate this plot development. All this buildup in this series about this particular group and now we are heading down this road. Just no. To quote this universe about this development and the road we about to travel "I have a bad feeling about this".

As you can see this collection had no chance with me. Honestly it is probably a good collection with the advancement of the overall arc. It is just not my cup of tea.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is probably the most fun of the series thus far.

I absolutely loved the sequences of Sav and Shosho on Astenban. Laughed out loud at some of Sav’s lines.

The action was very easy to follow here, and I like the through line for all of the characters involved, particularly Azlin Rell.

The villain here was the strongest of the Edge of Balance villains yet, even if he seemed kind of “villain of the week”.

I’ve said this for literally every volume, but this book is not worth the $15.00 price point. I read it in less than an hour. If the full series is bound together when it’s completed and is only like $20 dollars, then I might feel it is worth it. But as an individual volume? No.

Still, a fun story and the most fun I’ve had with the series yet. 8.5 out of 10.

[☮ morgan ☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To overcome fear... face it you must."

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Reath having a mild panic attack anytime he’s asked to leave Coruscant 😅

[Neil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess this is part of Phase 3 of the High Republic, but that's the difficulty with this publishing initiative. If I wait to read it until I'm in Phase 3 with the other books, then I'll have forgotten the characters in this story. But reading it now, I see characters mentioning plot points that I don't know about yet. I don't know why the High Republic needs to be so confusing.

Anyway, this volume didn't work quite as well for me as the previous two, mostly because Banchii is now being drawn into the larger story in more direct ways. I preferred it when it was its own outpost, remote from all else in the galaxy. The return of Azlin seems problematic to me, but only in ways that the High Republic already has been—that is, if characters alive in Phase 1 had lived through Phase 2, then how could the Nihil and the Nameless be such a mystery to the Jedi? Characters should remember a lot about it!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite main line edge of balance so far, and my second favorite overall. I’m excited to see how the last two wrap it up

[Admiral Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, the edge of balance is just so good! Honestly the most underrated part of the high republic.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to VIZ Media for the review copy of this book.

This dad read Star Wars The High Republic: Edge of Balance Vol. 3 by Shima Shinya and Daniel José Older, the fourth manga offering from the massive, interconnected cross-publisher initiative.

Phase 3 of The High Republic has reunited readers with beloved characters introduced back in 2021, and Edge of Balance Vol. 3 does the same. In the year since the destruction of Starlight Beacon Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi has defied the Jedi Council’s orders to return to Coruscant, she simply can’t bring herself to abandon the planet Banchii amidst the ongoing threat of the Nihil and the expansion of their Stormwall. Lily successfully reestablishes the Jedi Temple but as the threats continue to grow, including the mysterious presence of beings connected to the Drengir, and even with the return of Master Arkoff, can the Jedi fend off the darkness or will they succumb to the ultimate enemy, fear?

It may just be a case of me forgetting where we left off with Lily in the previous volume, but Edge of Balance Vol. 3 seems to be the most interconnected of this title to date. Of course Lily and other characters present in this title have shown up elsewhere, but really this story’s been contained but I’m glad to see that its scope is expanding in phase 3. I was particularly surprised and delighted to see a trio of characters join Lily and crew on Banshii from Coruscant (I won’t say exactly who here for spoilers’ sake), with one of them having a particular skill with facing fear head on. A more lighthearted b-story featuring Sav Malagán and the birdlike Banshiians provides some comic relief amidst all the darkness. Some familiar Nihil faces also make appearances and make for some seriously satisfying interconnectivity with both the main title run from Marvel Comics and the Adventures title from Dark Horse Comics.

An aspect I always enjoy from the Edge of Balance series is the art by Mizuki Sakakibara who we haven’t seen since Vol. 2 back in 2022. Manga, and Sakakibara’s talent specifically, has a special way of expressing emotion on its pages and I’m reminded once again how lucky we are to have such diverse delivery methods of Star Wars stories. High Republic and Manga fans alike will be drawn in by the stunning visuals in Edge of Balance Vol. 3 which I can only describe as the perfect blend of cute, heartbreaking, terrifying, and action-packed.

Star Wars The High Republic: The Edge of Balance Vol. 3 returns in a big way, don’t miss out on this key portion of the phase 3 storyline. I give it 🧢🧢🧢🧢/5 highly recommend!

[Phillip Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance 3 | Manga Review

I haven’t read a lot of manga, but I’m all for more Star Wars stuff. I’ve read the first two books, so I was of course going to check out Star Wars: The High Republic: The Edge of Balance 3.

The story is (mostly) set on the planet Banchii with the Wookiee Jedi Master Arkoff and the human Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi resettling the Jedi Temple following the Drengir and Nihil attacks in the previous books. There’s also a wild appearance from Sav Malagan! It was great to see her again.

There was a really fascinating element introduced in this book with the Nihil using one of Banchii’s moons as a base of operations, because its natural rotation would take it in and out of the Occlusion Zone. This would allow them to easily attack Banchii while keeping their base where the Republic couldn’t reach.

My big question, and spoilers ahead, but how did Azlin Rell blow up that Nameless using the Force? Is that just dark side energy? That was incredible.

The story feels incomplete to me, only because there’s been such a large day in between releases. Still, I really like what we’re getting.

I think my big thing with these is that I would enjoy them all a lot more with either a more frequent release schedule or combining them into fewer books.

[Ahdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume picks up a year after Jedi Knight Lily Tora-Asi defied the Council's orders and stayed in the Outer Rim, where the Nihil continue to terrorize the galaxy. As Lily reestablishes the Jedi temple on Banchii, the secrets of the ancient world begin to unravel. With new mysteries emerging and the Jedi struggling to maintain order in a galaxy at war, this volume dives deeper into the struggles and resilience of the Jedi during one of the darkest times in the galaxy’s history.

[Topher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the Edge of Balance series and I loved how it tied in with more characters and creatures we’ve seen in other High Republic books.

[Iskander Bezos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This happened to my buddy Eric

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, lots of interesting and loveable characters, but the depictions of the Nameless and the Stormwall are a bit inconsistent with the depictions in the novels, methinks.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This manga-style comic from the High Republic era continues the story from the earlier installments that actually came out quite some time ago (and the story does not conclude here either). I have to admit I have not read the earlier volumes but luckily Wookieepedia has a good summary of the story that helped me jump straight in.

Story: We find our main protagonist Lily on Banchii where she has remained to protect the planet after the events from prior volumes. The comic starts when the younglings return and Master Sav leaves for Astenban, a moon nearby to a hyperspace route whichis feared a target for a Nihil invasion. On the planet, the rest of the heroes face a mystery as the villagers killed by Nihil seemingly rise from the dead and the Drengir makes an appearance.

Overall I liked the ensuing story though in the 144 odd pages it does move on a lot. The beginning feels like the epilogue from the previous story but I do enjoy such quiet periods with opportunity for reflection. Once the story gets going there is a bit a mismatch in tones - the Master Sav part feels a bit too comedic to match the somber tones of the main plot.

For art, the design of the characters is manga-ish as is some of the action but the panel layout is western comic book. I find myself liking this quite a bit - the art is nice and clean, and just like traditional manga it's all black and white, which fits here perfectly. Action is nice and vibrant. While it didn't bother me too much, it's quite noticeable how some characters are drawn in very much traditional manga style, while classic Star Wars characters are treated more in the 'real-life' style.

If you enjoyed the first two volumes you should definitely enjoy this one. The story may feel a bit more as filler than a classic third act but it does not make it any less enjoyable. It's not mandatory to have read the earlier volumes, but I definitely felt I got more out of the story having read the synopsis of the earlier events. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

A year after the fall of Starlight Beacon, 229 BBY, Lily Tora-Asi is overseeing the rebuilding of the Jedi Temple on Banchii. Despite happy reunions with old friends, Lily's efforts are soon threatened by the Drengir, the Nihil and the terrifying Nameless.

Unfortunately this book is a bit of a mess.
There is far too much going on and, as a result, no one plotline gets enough development to be compelling. There's the Temple rebuilding efforts, wooden zombies, the return of the Drengir, a mission to a moon whose orbit is taking it behind the Stormwall, Niv Drendow Apruk's experiments with the Nameless, the mysterious Blight, the Nihil themselves and more.
It all feels too unfocused and, due to the nature of how the High Republic series is dragging on, there's no chance of any of these plots being resolved satisfactorily.

Similarly, there are too many primary characters with too much going on as well.
Where the first two books focused pretty tightly on Lily, here we have Master Sav Malagan going off on a solo mission, Arkoff having to reconcile with his fallen student Azlin Rell, Niv Drendow's role in the Nihil hierarchy, etcetera, etcetera. And that's not even mentioning the cast of supporting characters which includes Reath Silas and Yoda himself.
I just felt that Lily's story gets lost in the crowd and that's a real shame when her tale of coming to terms with loss, of having defied the orders of the Jedi Council to remain on Banchii and her determination to rebuild the Jedi Temple in the face of the Nihil is, for me, the more compelling story.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed this manga style High Republic run. Lily Tora-Asi feels very relatable and it's nice to see her continue to grow as a Jedi and in her leadership capabilities.
Where this Volume surprised me is that I am in the middle of reading "Tears of the Nameless", a novel in the High Republic series, and Reath Silas is approaching Azlin Rell for assistance with his research. Master Azlin is a fallen Jedi and is generally not trusted, yet here we see Master Yoda approaching him and Reath to go help with the situation on Banchii. We even see the scene where they are able to capture a Nameless for research, which is literally the scenario they were discussing in the novel this morning! I'll be really interested to see if we get these same events in the novel, as all SW releases are canon now.
Additionally, and leading into Vol 4, Sav Malagan and Arkoff (Wookie Jedi and Azlin Rell's former Master) are following the Nihil back to their base to rescue some captured natives.
A very good read. Can't wait for the next one!
Recommend.

[Nunya · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the Nihil touch down on Banchii our hero, Lily Tora-Asi is faced with impossible odds.

Lily Tora-Asi "I don't think my anime girl expressions will be enough for this one. I think we've stepped over the edge of balance."
Arkoff "Wrrrrggghhhhh aHHHrrrroooogggghhhhhh Trrfffff wroooohhhhggg!"
Lily Tora-Asi "Thank you, Master Arkoff. With your strength at my side our chances are ever greater."
Azlin Rell "You'll have my knowledge of the Nameless at your behest as well."
Yoda "And my saber, mmm?"
Viv'Nia and Nima "And our moral support."
Ru-Ru "And my archivist know-how!"
Reath Silas "And my good friend, Geode."
Sav Malagan "I'm Sav Malagan."
Kooba "🌲"
Gaspar "And my $2.5 thousand computer."
Keerin "I'm fucking dead."
Alex "And my $3 thousand computer."
Shosho "kikkeriki!"

Lily Tora-Asi "Thank you, everybody! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EKgHKgLWo..."

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good continuation of the Edge of Balance series. Great artwork and good development of the characters. I like Lily taking one a leader role, and I like the correction Yoda makes of Jedi "just following orders."

The planet Banchii is on the edge of the Nihil storm wall. After failing to secure once, the Nihil's will return. However, this time, the Jedi will be ready. With alliances of their own.

I love how this takes elements and characters of the different book and addes them yo this story. Could this be a small step in turning the tide of the war? The series gets more interesting. The more integrated it becomes to the main High Republic universe. The book finishes with a characters' sketch book.

[Michael Brough · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is good and for the most part the storyline is good.

Minor Spoilers About Characters:

The biggest issue I have with this is that it's hard to see how this manga series fits in with the wider universe. The characters of Yoda, Azlin Rell, and Reath don't really match with how they are potrayed in the books. Also, there haven't been a lot of these volumes so they span lots of plot comparatively and thus make it hard to find cohesiveness in the story between itself and everything happening with the Nihil.
Again, I like this manga and I think if they had dedicated to publishing more of them it would have made a more impactful storyline that better connected with the High Republic plots.

[Cale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume of Edge of Balance at serves to tie it into the larger High Republic story, with more prominent characters from other books showing up - Yoda with Azlin in tow, Sav, and some villains as well. While I'm still not convinced its storyline is actually going to be highly relevant, it does throw out some interesting ideas and novel new characters, like a force-using sloth-like character that decides to be a miniature Jedi's mount? While the manga format isn't something I'm a big fan of, at least the story is touching on some of the more weird concepts that can make Star Wars fun. I was a little disappointed to see that this isn't the final volume, though. But it left me a little more invested in the characters than the previous volumes had.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest installment in the Edge of Balance series continues to story of the first two (plus the prequel volume) and brings us into Phase Three of The High Republic. It's still very much a niche side story, but if you enjoyed the previous entries in the series you'll likely enjoy this as well. It features plenty of returning characters as well as a few from other High Republic stories to keep it firmly rooted in the universe and tie it in with everything else.

I definitely liked this short detour, but I'm more looking forward to the main entries in The High Republic to move the plot along.

[Zettifar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic edition in the edge of balance series

Vol 3 easily being the most interconnected issue with the rest of the high republic, With us getting characters from the nihil appear from the mail marvel comic run and also getting Jedi appearances from the tears of the nameless YA book.

Even with the edition of some pretty heavy personailities from the rest of the high republic, We still get continued character development in our core group of characters with a big undertone of dealing with loss at the start.

[Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid volume, though not as strong as the previous two. The artwork is great, and I especially liked the new looks for characters like Lily and Aslin. Seeing Reath in manga form was really cool as well. Honestly, I really wish this series had a quicker release cadence. Only getting one 100 page volume that you can finish in thirty minutes each year is too long of a gap. I would like the output to be higher, which is funny because my opinion is the opposite for Star Wars comics.

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Edge of Balance mangas have been consistently the best parts of this High Republic story. They have some of the best characters and the cutest little creatures and it’s all just so interesting with how it balance silly cute Star Wars with serious intense Star Wars. Very excited for volume 4 whenever they decide to do that.

[Jesse Kade Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of all the types of media in the High Republic the manga is probably my least favorite, but I still very much enjoy it. It seems at times removed from the overall sag of the HR but familiar characters pop in and timeline wise it is connected. I really like some of the creature additions in this volume.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Azlin Rell is rapidly becoming my favorite character arc in the High Republic. This got me excited for his upcoming comic.

I still like this art style.

I still feel like this is completely skippable.

[Nate Balcom · Rating 4 out of 5]

And FINALLY… Book #30 of my #30BookSummer Challenge! Star Wars: The High Republic: Edge of Balance, Vol. 3 by Shima Shinya and Daniel Jose Older. 30 books, comics, audiobooks, print, ebooks, manga, popular authors, new books, old books, 9,369 pages! It’s been an amazing summer of reading!!!

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent continuation of the previous manga in the series and ties in nicely with the other high republic content.

Favourite part was the introduction of Zimtok who is basically a force sensitive sloth - very nice artwork.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is nicely done and at least Azlin Rell made a little progress here. I'm still ticked off about the storyline from volume 2 and it will probably always affect my enjoyment of these characters.

[Philipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the Manga. This series is a good one and ties into the great storyline from The High Republic. I love to see those characters from other publications in this adventure and it makes the galaxy so rich. Can’t wait for the culmination.