}); The Road to Episode Infinity: January 2014

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Star Wars Legacy

Series: Legacy
Publication Date: 2006 - 2011
# of Issues: 56
Writers: John Ostrander
Era: Legacy Era

Galaxy Date: 137 ABY*
*After Battle of Yavin







Legacy is one of the most daring works of the Expanded Universe because it takes the reader far into the future. Legacy focuses on a time period about 100 years after the life and death of Luke Skywalker. The galaxy is quite different from the one we once knew. It is a time when Sith rule the galaxy. The Jedi, once more, have been driven to near extinction. 


 The comic's main anti-hero is Cade Skywalker a drug-addicted ex-jedi bounty hunter who has some major emotional issues. Cade flies around the galaxy in his ship “Mynock”. His crew includes his co-pilot, Jariah Syn, and his mechanic Delilah Blue. Cade is not a very nice being and seems beyond redemption. Cade does, however, have a destiny and the force ghosts of his long dead ancestors Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker keep pestering him about it.









The Galaxy that Cade lives in is a broken one. A being named Darth Krayt has taken over and established “The One Sith”. In this order there can be only one Dark Lord of the Sith, but many Sith followers that all pledge blind-obedience to their master. The mystery of who Darth Krayt is and where he comes from is resolved early in the series and connects back to earlier Star Wars comics. Other notable Sith include a female Twi’lek named Darth Talon and Darth Nihl who uses a long-handled lightsaber.






Also prevalent in this new galaxy is the Galactic Empire or The Empire in Exile. Readers of the Star Wars novels will know that Luke Skywalker made peace with the Imperial Moffs after the Second Galactic Civil War and assigned Jagged Fel to be its Emperor. Now, one-hundred-years later Jagged’s grandson, Roan Fel, rules the Empire and opposes the rule of The One Sith.





Roan Fel was also the leader of the Imperial Knights. These were force users who rejected the dark side of the force, but did not strictly follow the light side either. They were identifiable by their red armor and white lightsabers. They were to protect the Emperor at all cost, but their ultimate allegiance was to “The Force”. Therefore is the Emperor went over to the dark side, they were to remove him from power.


Still prevalent in the galaxy, though in hiding, are the Jedi Order. Curiously, in charge of this order is Jedi Master K’Kruhk. K’Kruhk is an old being and a survivor. He has been a Jedi since the Old Republic and appeared in other comics that I have reviewed including Star Wars: Republic and Dark Times.





The fourth, important branch, in this comic is the Galactic Alliance Rembrant (the successor to the Rebel Alliance). This galactic force is ruled by a Duros named Admiral Gar Stazi. Stazi’s tactical genius may rival only Grand Admiral Thrawn’s. Stazi will stop at nothing to take down the One Sith rule, even if it means teaming up with the Empire.





Legacy does a great job brining to light all the forces of the Star Wars Universe: Jedi, Sith, Alliance, Empire, Bounty Hunters, Rogues, even the Yuuzhan Vong make a few appearances. Legacy pushes the Star Wars saga generations into the future and reminds us that the story never ends. This series earns a rare score of 5 out of 5 lightsabers.


Dark Horse Comics
 (
Link)

Dawn of the Jedi  Dawn of the Jedi

Tales of the Jedi Tales of the Jedi

Knights of the Old Republic Knights of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Republic Star Wars: Republic
Dark Times Dark Times
Empire & Rebellion Star Wars: Empire & Star Wars: Rebellion
Brian Wood's Star Wars Brian Wood's Star Wars
Dark Empire Dark Empire
Crimson Empire Crimson Empire
Invasion Invasion
Legacy Vol. 1 Star Wars: Legacy
Vector Star Wars: Vector
Legacy Vol. 2 Legacy Volume 2
Infinities Infinities
The Star Wars The Star Wars

Star Wars Tales Star Wars Tales

Marvel Comics

Original Marvel Comics Original Marvel Comics
Star Wars #108 Star Wars #108
Alan Moore's Star Wars Comics Alan Moore's Star Wars Comics

Han Solos Vs. Space Crocodile Han Solo vs. Crocodile in Space

Marvel's New Star Wars Line Catching Up With Comics

Age of Republic Age of Republic
Age of Rebellion Age of Rebellion
Age of Resistance Age of Resistance

Star Wars #1... Again Star Wars #1... Again
Ewoks in Comics Ewoks in Comis
Who is Doctor Aphra Who Is Doctor Aphra

The Last Jedi Expanded Universe The Last Jedi Expanded Universe
Who is Jaxxon Who Is Jaxxon

IDW Comics
Tales from Vader's Castle Tales from Vader's Castle

Return to Vader's Caslte Return to Vader's Castle



Sunday, January 12, 2014

Invasion

Series: Invasion
Publication Date: 2009 - 2011
# of Issues: 16
Writers: Tom Taylor

Era: New Jedi Order Era

Galaxy Date: 25 ABY*
*After Battle of Yavin





The invasion of the galaxy by the Yuuzhan Vong was chronicled in nineteen Star Wars novels under the title “The New Jedi Order”. But the idea for this storyline originated with Dark Horse comics. For whatever reason Lucasfilm decided that the novels were the platform where the story would be told. But six years after the novels the “Invasion” storyline finally found its way to the comics.

Star Wars Invasion focuses on a single family, a mother, a father, a daughter and a son. They are the Galfridian family, the royal family from the peaceful world of Artorias. But when there planet is invaded by the Vong they are sent on different paths.


The son, Finn, is able to evacuate from the planet and meets up with Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Skywalker discovers that Finn is strong in the force and Luke sends him to Yavin 4, where Finn begins training along side of Jaina, Jacen & Anakin solo.




Meanwhile Finn’s sister Kaye is not so lucky. She is captured by the Vong and is enslaved aboard the vessel Tsam P'ah. Fortunately Kaye was able to incite a slave revolt and use the ship to aid the New Republic in the war against the Vong.






Kaye in full battle array





The New Jedi Order is one of my favorite eras in the Expanded Universe. I suppose and extra-galactic invasion of the Star Wars universe was inevitable, but the Yuuzhan Vong are a new fresh villain in the galaxy. The Expanded Universe is full of Imperials, Sith, Bounty Hunters and the occasional Mandalorian, but the Vong take Star Wars into bold new territory. The Vong are easy to hate, but they are much more complex than the Sith (who rarely do anything but hate).


There is plenty of action and plot twists in this comic, to keep and Star Wars fan enthralled. The art is some of the best I’ve seen in Star Wars comics. Overall I give this series a 4.5 out of 5.








Dark Horse Comics
 (
Link)

Dawn of the Jedi  Dawn of the Jedi

Tales of the Jedi Tales of the Jedi

Knights of the Old Republic Knights of the Old Republic

Star Wars: Republic Star Wars: Republic
Dark Times Dark Times
Empire & Rebellion Star Wars: Empire & Star Wars: Rebellion
Brian Wood's Star Wars Brian Wood's Star Wars
Dark Empire Dark Empire
Crimson Empire Crimson Empire
Invasion Invasion
Legacy Vol. 1 Star Wars: Legacy
Vector Star Wars: Vector
Legacy Vol. 2 Legacy Volume 2
Infinities Infinities
The Star Wars The Star Wars

Star Wars Tales Star Wars Tales

Marvel Comics

Original Marvel Comics Original Marvel Comics
Star Wars #108 Star Wars #108
Alan Moore's Star Wars Comics Alan Moore's Star Wars Comics

Han Solos Vs. Space Crocodile Han Solo vs. Crocodile in Space

Marvel's New Star Wars Line Catching Up With Comics

Age of Republic Age of Republic
Age of Rebellion Age of Rebellion
Age of Resistance Age of Resistance

Star Wars #1... Again Star Wars #1... Again
Ewoks in Comics Ewoks in Comis
Who is Doctor Aphra Who Is Doctor Aphra

The Last Jedi Expanded Universe The Last Jedi Expanded Universe
Who is Jaxxon Who Is Jaxxon

IDW Comics
Tales from Vader's Castle Tales from Vader's Castle

Return to Vader's Caslte Return to Vader's Castle