Comic Book Review: The Monster of Temple Peak #3
by Arezou
Cavan Scott might have gained a reputation for hurting us, but that doesn’t mean the man is heartless. After watching Pela seemingly plummet to her death in the second issue, we do learn this time that she actually survived the fall. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The issue begins with Ty and her little accidental travel buddy Drewen continuing on to the monster’s lair after losing Pela. Despite Drewen’s attempts to get Ty to open up, the former Jedi remains closed off.
On arriving at the lair, we flash back to the Yallow temple Ty went to with Klias. We see her friend is curious, eager to take the artifacts back to their masters for examination, and the commendation that will no doubt come with it. But because it was clear from the get-go that there is tragedy in Ty’s life, things begin to go wrong almost immediately, and an artifact Klias was handling seemingly possesses him. In a final bid, he screams for Ty to run.
In the present day, they arrive in the lair of the Gretalax. After a skirmish where Drewen accidentally incapacitates it, Ty starts to put the pieces together. Suspecting the creature to be sentient, she draws on her connection with the Force to try and see what it knows. Not only does she learn that the giant spider creatures do the Gretalax’s bidding, but also Pela’s condition is the result of the Rhydonium her uncle used to fight off the monster.
Now the question is why did it attack in the first place?
With Ty Yorrick remembering moments of her past on her new mission, and now experiencing the Force through another being, artist Rachael Stott and colourists Vita Efremova and Nicola Righi work seamlessly together to showcase three very distinct states of being. Though the visuals are all obviously cohesive and vivid as ever, it’s never unclear what reality we’re seeing.
When the two previous issues felt more segmented, akin to a TV show running an A-plot and B-plot, this issue is where it all started to tie together. Ty’s past pain, and the way it’s affecting her in the present have started to come together. But beyond that, her skills as a Force user are starting to sharpen and come into greater prominence. Her Jedi legacy, though it’s not once she claims for herself, is starting to get really fleshed out, and it will be interesting to see how much of this plays into any future book appearances.
With a final twist, the mystery surrounding the titular monster is reaching its climax. It’s anyone’s guess where the fourth and final issue will take us, but I’m ready to go along for the ride.
Monster of Temple Peak #3: Into the Lair is available now
