There has been a sea change for Star Wars at Marvel Comics of late, which includes Star Wars: Legacy of Vader. The first issue is out this week, focusing on Kylo Ren after The Last Jedi. It’s a story focusing on Kylo at a time when he was most alone. He’s killed his former master Snoke, Han Solo, and lost Luke Skywalker forever. What will he do with the entire First Order now at his command? The series aims to find out!
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 has an intriguing start. It opens with Kylo walking among rows of stormtroopers, blinking down two boxes, and then revealing Snoke’s top and bottom half contained in those boxes. He gets the stormtroopers excited for his new reign, but immediately after, we see Kylo wracked with rage and emotions. The man is not well.
Enter Hux, who attempts to aid Kylo but mostly annoys him. Writer Charles Soule captures Hux’s slimy ways well here and Kylo’s rage via the dialogue. Along with Luke Ross on art, who is great at likenesses, the opening is very well done. This is a Kylo Ren who is finally left to his own devices, setting up a wildly open-ended direction for the story.
Kylo Ren has the stormtroopers ready to fight for him.
Credit: Marvel
There is the usual issue of prequels having to fit within what we know, but it isn’t too much of a bare here. Sure, we know where Kylo will end up eventually. Still, since this story is tethered to Darth Vader and any truths Kylo may learn, there’s a big chance this story fleshes out Kylo even more, further making the recent trilogy more complex.
Much of the rest of the issue sets Kylo Ren on an adventure that’s personal and wide open for possibility involving Darth Vader. More specifically, it is one of Darth Vader’s trusted homebases. A new character is introduced that’ll assuredly open up Mustafar and its background more, as well as minions who defend it.
This leads to a fight scene, which has to be one of the best pages in the entire issue. Ross crafts a gorgeous double-page layout, with Kylo striking with his lightsaber at enemies on the left and stacks of panels aligning with the diagonal direction of a bridge on the right. Kylo’s speed and rage are impressively displayed.
Thanks to that action and the final scene, there’s a lot to like here. The scene establishes a new dynamic for Kylo, which should be fun to follow. It seems older father figures really like to needle and insult the poor, troubled soul.
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 sets the stage for Kylo Ren’s complex journey of self-discovery. It offers fans a deeper understanding of his inner conflict and connection to Darth Vader. With strong dynamic visuals and strong character work, this issue provides a promising start despite the limitations of prequel storytelling.
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