The biggest takeaway Star Wars: Legacy of Vader is that Kylo Ren is in pain. But it’s not a physical pain that the artist formerly known as Ben Solo is suffering from, it’s an emotional one: the events of The Last Jedi left him fundamentally shaken. In his desire to “kill the past”, he has no idea who he wants to truly be. This leads him to travel the galaxy in order to understand his grandfather, Darth Vader, and Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #2 returns to the birthplace of both Vader and arguably the entire Star Wars saga: Tatooine.
At this point, Star Wars has revisited Tattoine multiple times, but Charles Soule deserves a vast amount of credit for actually approaching the sandy planet in a new way by showing how it laid the groundwork for Anakin Skywalker’s eventual transformation into Vader. As Vader’s former servant Vaneé so eloquently puts it: “From the very beginning, Vader’s life was a crucible. Unending toil, an existence in chains.” It provides a sharp contrast to Kylo’s life; when Vaneé guesses that he had a similar upbringing, it turns out that everyone in his life – his parents Han and Leia, his uncle Luke, and even Lando Calrissian – had nothing but love for him.
Such an emotionally affecting sequence is brought to life by Luke Ross, whose attention to detail is impeccable. Not only does he capture some key moments from the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but he also pays close attention to Kylo’s facial expressions. While Kylo’s face is usually twisted in rage, there are shards of pain and regret lurking behind his eyes. As for his memories, they’re tinted red thanks to Nolan Woodard’s colors, all but confirming how Kylo’s rage has warped his perception of the loving family he had.
Marvel
Soule and Ross also craft an epic fight sequence toward the end of the book, which results in another gorgeous two-page spread. This time, Kylo battles the forces of Gardulla the Hutt, who sold his grandfather into slavery. His rage, and his skill, are on full display as he throws his lightsaber through the chest of one guard, kicks another off his rancor, then Force-pulls his blazing blade to his hand and jams in into the rancor’s skull. If this and the Mustafar battle from the first issue are any indication, Legacy of Vader aims to deliver some of the best fight scenes ever seen in a Star Wars comic.
It also gives the Star Wars universe a new character in Gardulla. She is a very cunning Hutt: it turns out that she has ways to counter Kylo’s Force powers. But it also shows that Kylo’s quest isn’t going to be as easy as he thought. However he tries to deny or burn it out of himself, he’s still Ben Solo. That tug-of-war is what makes Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #2 such a compelling read, so hopefully Soule and Ross keep it up for future issues.
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