The news that Steven Soderbergh and Adam Driver pitched a Star Wars film tentatively titled “The Hunt for Ben Solo”, which Lucasfilm and Disney subsequently passed on, lit a fire under a section of the Star Wars fandom. You’ve probably heard about the sky banners and the protests and seen online hashtags begging for this movie to be made, but I have a simple solution for these fans: check out Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #11, and the rest of the series while they’re at it.
Through Star Wars: Legacy of Vader, Charles Soule and Luke Ross have been putting Ben Solo through the emotional wringer. In retracing his grandfather’s steps, he’s nowhere close to becoming the person he wants to be. It doesn’t help that Vader’s former servant, Vanee, has his own agenda, drugging Kylo and locking him inside one of Vader’s helmets to “purify” him in the flames of Mustafar. Kylo eventually breaks free and goes on the hunt, facing the perils of Fortress Vader in the process.
At this point, I don’t think it’s controversial to say that Soule is one of the best writers ever to touch the Star Wars mythology. Whether it’s his work on Star Wars: Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith, Star Wars: The High Republic, or The Rise of Kylo Ren, which chronicled Kylo’s fall to the Dark Side, he’s managed to expand upon the world of Star Wars and give depth to certain characters while also staying true to what makes them fan favorites. In the case of Kylo, Soule digs deep into the pain and rage fueling him, and his desire to be something other than what people have held him up to be. This comic might be titled Legacy of Vader, but it truly lives up to its subtitle ‘The Reign of Kylo Ren’.
Marvel
Soule also takes Vanee, who is a character that only die-hard fans would probably know about, and gives him a new dimension. Having served Vader all his life, Vanee is convinced that remolding Kylo in the Dark Lord of the Sith’s image is the salvation the First Order – and the entire galaxy – needs. “The galaxy needs a Vader,” he says in a lengthy monologue, which feels like it’s tailor-made to counter the argument that Kylo is nothing more than a shadow of Vader. It also shows how devotion can twist someone’s mind – especially someone who’s lived as long as Vanee has.
Luke Ross also deserves credit for the intense imagery he brings to the table. Not only does he remind readers of how Mustafar is a fiery pit of chaos and misery, but he puts his own spin on the iconic helmet sequence from Revenge of the Sith. In that movie, Vader donning the helmet signaled his rebirth as a Sith Lord. Here, it’s horrifying as Kylo is strapped down and can do nothing but scream, and Nolan Woodard tinging the background blood red only adds to that horror.
Ross even gets to draw a two-page spread that shows Kylo racing through Fortress Vader and dodging its array of built-in traps. Not only does this result in a great two-page spread, but it’s also a great way to pay homage to Lucasfilm’s other successful film franchise, Indiana Jones. If that wasn’t cool enough, Kylo also encounters the massive Dark Trooper droids, fighting them off using nothing but a borrowed lightsaber and his rage channeled through the Force.
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #11 is a character-driven story that pushes Kylo Ren to his limits and sets the stage for one final confrontation with his grandfather’s shadow. Maybe The Hunt for Ben Solo will never be a thing, but rather than spinning out, fans should give this story a read, as it has what they want.
You must be logged in to post a comment.