Editing Halo: Escalation Issue 17

{{Title|''Halo: Escalation Issue 17''}}
{{Era|RW}}
{{Comics infobox
|prev=Halo: Escalation Issue 16
|next=Halo: Escalation Issue 18
|name=''Halo: Escalation Issue 17''
|image=[[File:HaloEscalation17.jpg|300px]]
|writer=[[Duffy Boudreau]]
|artist=*Douglas Franchin (penciller)<br>
*Rob Lean (inker)<br>
*Michael Atiyeh (colorist)<br>
*[[Nicolas Bouvier|Sparth]] (cover artist)
|publisher= [[Dark Horse Comics]]
|publication= [[2015|April 22, 2015]]
|length=23 pages
|ISBN= 
}}

'''''Halo: Escalation Issue 17''''' was released on [[2015|April 22, 2015]] and is the seventeenth comic in the ''[[Halo: Escalation]]'' series.<ref name="CBR I17">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=58472 '''Comic Book Resources''': ''Dark Horse Comics April 2015 Solicitations'']</ref> It is the start of a two-part story arc called ''"The Glass Horizon"'', introducing [[Holly Tanaka|Spartan Tanaka]].

==Official summary==
{{Article quote|The Glass Horizon” part 1: An action-packed survival tale on the treacherous and barren glasslands of a [[Covenant]]-ravaged colony world . . . and a [[Spartan-IV]]’s mysterious origin revealed in this two-part thriller by Duffy Boudreau (BlackAcre) and Douglas Franchin (Person of Interest).}}

==Plot synopsis==
The issue opens in [[2550]] in [[Kynur]], [[Minab]]'s capital city, with [[Holly Tanaka]]'s mother washing dishes and reminiscing a picture of her family when the [[Covenant]] attack and glass the planet. Six years later, two [[ODST]]s aboard the {{UNSCShip|Cascadia}} observe the recently-glassed colony world of [[Cleyell]], with one of them describing the process of glassing and its aftermath. One of the ODSTs tells the other that some [[Covenant remnants|Covenant fringe groups]] continue the practice of glassing planets even in the aftermath of the [[Human-Covenant War]], and Cleyell was attacked only recently. The ODSTs' commanding officer arrives at the scene and tells them that a distress signal was picked up on the planet's surface, indicating that they may need to organize a search-and-rescue mission. One of the ODSTs questions this, stating that any survivors only make it for around a month after a glassing. Holly Tanaka—a sergeant in the [[UNSC Army]]'s [[412th Engineer Command]]—then joins the conversation, revealing that survivors from her homeworld's glassing were recovered three years later. Tanaka was part of a mining crew of ten on the other side of the planet during the capital's glassing; however, by the time they were found, the number of survivors had dwindled down to three.

The narrative then jumps back to the year [[2551]] as Tanaka relates her experiences on the glassed Minab. With the planet in the midst of a nuclear winter caused by the glassing, Holly is living in a mining cavern with her father and a small group of other survivors, hunting local game by setting traps in the snow-covered wastelands outside. Holly has become one of the best engineers in the group and is building a new [[fusion reactor]] for her father. The survivors are reluctant to activate a distress beacon as it may attract the Covenant, instead opting to quietly wait for a possible rescue by the UNSC. A conflict occurs between the survivors after an aggressive, crazed man attacks the others, taking out one eye of one of the survivors in the process. After the man is subdued and restrained, the other colonists debate on what to do with him, with some arguing that he should be executed while others call for more humane treatment. Tanaka's father orders the group to calm down until they can decide on the best course of action regarding the matter.

While the disturbed man is to be kept bound over the following night, it is revealed in the morning that he has escaped, someone evidently having cut him loose. Two men among the group, stated by Tanaka's father to be "hardcore militia types" from the [[Outer Colonies]] who mostly keep to themselves, are suspected to be responsible. A more heated confrontation occurs between the two factions of the crew, this time with some of them brandishing firearms. Tanaka and her father again arrive to break up the argument, the latter stating that he will sweep the mining complex to see if he finds the man; in the event he has escaped into the wilderness outside, he is most likely dead and the matter should be considered closed.

It is revealed that the man has indeed escaped outside, where he encounters several [[Kig-Yar]] scavengers and subsequently leads them to the survivors' hideout with a substantial assault force. The crew attempt to block the cavern's gate with a haul truck, to no avail as the Kig-Yar destroy the gate and topple the vehicle with a massive explosion. As Kig-Yar attackers burst into the complex, Holly's father tells her to retreat to the facility's upper levels, telling that he will take another route out. As Holly is escaping she kills one of the Jackals and destroys a ladder to prevent the aliens from following her and the others. On the ledge atop the complex Holly watches in horror as two Kig-Yar approach her father on the other haul truck. While she is distracted, the two men who aroused suspicion earlier sneak up on Holly and kidnap her.

Back on the UNSC ''Cascadia'' in [[2556]], Holly insists that the UNSC should answer the distress call. One of the ODSTs continues to question her but their commander decides to follow Tanaka's advice. However, he orders Holly to accompany the group planetside due to her expertise.

==Production notes==
This is the first issue to show the Ruuhtian and Ibie'shan Kig-Yar sub-types fighting side-by-side. The cover art features the {{Pattern|Rothen|fireship}}.

The [[Unidentified shotgun|shotguns]] featured in use by the survivors in the comic were originally [[Cut Halo: Reach weapons|cut weapons]] intended for inclusion in ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.
===Mistakes===
*Tanaka's hair style changes between panels.
*The speech bubble of the line ''"Well, it doesn't concern you, so..."'' (a dismissive remark to Tanaka's interruption of the ODSTs' conversation in the beginning) erroneously points to the commander rather than the bald ODST, to whom the line belongs based on the following panel.
*Holly's father refers to the firearm fought over by two of the survivors as a rifle, despite the weapon clearly being drawn as a [[Unidentified shotgun|pump-action shotgun]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Halo Escalation 17.jpg|Full cover art.
File:HE17 Minab glassing.jpg|Minab is glassed by the Covenant.
File:HE17 Minab cooling.jpg|Minab becomes a glassland.
File:HE17 Cascadia Crew.jpg|The ''Cascadia'' crew discuss the signal originating from Cleyell.
File:HE17 Cascadia Captain.jpg|The ODSTs' commander joins in on the discussion.
File:Halo Escalation Holly Tanaka 2551 snow.jpg|Holly dragging in trapped game on Minab in 2551.
File:HE17 Hideout.jpg|The survivors create a hideout from the Covenant.
File:HE17 Fight.jpg|A fight over the crazed man's life erupts.
File:HE17 Crazzed.jpg|The crazed man, tied down by the other survivors.
File:HE17 Pay Back.jpg|The crazed man reveals the survivors hideout in exchange for his survival.
File:HE17 Failed Block.jpg|The Covenant breach the blockade.
File:HE17-Jackals.png|A team of Jackals infiltrate the hideout.
File:Halo Escalation Holly Tanaka 2551 defense.jpg|Tanaka defending the mine from Ibie'shan attackers with her shotgun.
File:HE17 Cornered.jpg|Tanaka's father is cornered by Jackals.
File:Halo Escalation Holly Tanaka 2551 kidnapped.jpg|Holly is kidnapped by one of her fellow survivors during the Covenant assault.
File:HE17 Cascadia.jpg|The crew prepare to investigate Cleyell.
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

==See also==
*''[[Halo: Escalation]]''

{{succession box|before=''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 16|Issue 16]]''|title=''[[Halo: Escalation]]'' comic series|years='''''Issue 17'''''|after=''[[Halo: Escalation Issue 18|Issue 18]]''}}

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[[Category:Canon]]
[[Category:Halo: Escalation]]