Kickstarter Spotlight On: Hexer Dusk

As I get ready for what looks to be a busy Memorial Day weekend, I just wanted to write a quick post about a Kickstarter I'm really excited about. I've written about the work from John Ostrander and Jan Duursema a bunch over the years, especially their work together on Star Wars: Republic,  Star Wars: Legacy and Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi. But now, the two of them are back together, working on a new original graphic novel Kickstarter, a sci-fi/fantasy mash up called Hexer Dusk.

I'm not going to talk too much, because Jan and John do that better than I could on the Kickstarter page and in this new interview on Comic Book Resources, but just check that out. It sounds amazing! It's got falling sky cities, demons, and is headlined by one of the last of the solider/magic users called Hexers, Xane Dusk. Looking at the sample art, it's got a touch of Legacy, with it's broken down, hardscrabble world, some of John Ostrander's classic Grimjack, and whole lot of Jan Duursema's amazing design work.

So, go read that interview, then visit the Kickstarter and pledge! It's just about 97% funded, so your pledge might be the one that puts it over the top. Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend, and see you Monday!

Legends and Infinities: A Wish List of Star Wars Stories

It's the last Friday before The Force Awakens opens, and I wanted to make this Force Friday post something different. I had a couple ideas, and they're things I'll do someday but none were different enough. And then it dawned on me: everyone has a story they wish they had seen from A Galaxy Far, Far Away. So I reached out to some of my friends who are Star Wars fans, and asked what stories that had never been told they'd like to see. Continuity be damned, these are wild ideas, some that might work in the current canon, some Legends, some that would be considered Infinities (those stories that could never be in continuity, usually What If? or comedy).

We'll start out with my list, because it's my blog and I get to go first. I focused on stories tied into the Legends continuity, the old EU. I know it's a pipe dream to expect any of this to pop up again, but I hold out some hope...

Thrawn: Into the Unkown
Timothy Zahn and Nick Dragotta

If there's one character in all the Expanded Universe I wish would show up again in any way, it is the Grand Admiral Thrawn, the honorable Imperial Grand Admiral who is a mix between Irwin Rommel and Sherlock Holmes, a brilliant military leader who is the opposite of the bullying, narcissistic Imperials of the classic trilogy. Readers know that sometime around Empire Strikes Back, Thrawn traveled into the Unknown Regions, the vast quadrant of space unexplored by the Empire, populated by his own people, the Chiss, and countless other species, and spent the next few years fighting threats and establishing his beachhead, The Empire of the Hand. But other than a few scattered stories, very little is known of this time. A comic would be a great place for Thrawn's creator, Timothy Zahn, to tell stories of Thrawn battling new alien threats and setting up his undertaking. It would also feature the characters established as Thrawn's subordinates, like his right hand man,Voss Parck, the stormtroopers known as The Hand of Judgement, and eventually Baron Soontir Fel. For art, I picked Nick Dragotta, whose work on East of West shows he has a great sense of design that he could let run wild in creating the alien vistas of a part of space little explored anywhere in Star Wars literature. It's hard to write a story where the Empire is the good guy, but if any writer could do it, it's Zahn, and Thrawn and his crew are ideal for rehabilitating the image of the Empire as a monolithic force for evil.

Wraith Squadron
Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto

Created by the late, great Aaron Allston, Wraith Squadron was a group of misfits who were gathered by legendary X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles to serve as a combination of X-Wing squadron and Republic Intelligence squad. Yes, they're spies who flew X-Wings, and that's a combination I just love. Appearing as one of the sub-series within the X-Wing novels and popping up in the New Jedi Order and a solo novel set towards the end of the period covered in the Del Rey novels, there are massive gaps in the Wraiths history that a writer could exploit to tell stories of starfighters and espionage. And if there's one writer in comics who has proven his mettle on spy stories, it's Greg Rucka, whose Queen & Country and Whiteout are some of the best spy stories in any format. And his recent Shattered Empire mini-series with Marco Checchetto shows the two of them sure now how to portray a great space battle. And while Rucka isn't known for his humorous stories, he has a biting sense of humor that should work with the Wraiths patented pranks. Let him fill in gaps or create some new Wraiths to go on undercover missions against the Empire and other threats to galactic peace, and you'll get a Star Wars thriller without compare.

Agent of the Empire: Behind Enemy Lines
John Ostrander and Carlos D'Anda

When I wrote a post about series that I felt ended prematurely, the Star Wars series I picked was Agent of the Empire, another espionage book, this one about the James Bond of Imperial Intelligence, Jahan Cross. A lot of what I'm going to write here I talked about in a briefer form there, but my idea for a new Jahan Cross story would flash forward a few years from the end of the previous series, Hard Targets, to shortly after the battle of Yavin. With the Death Star destroyed, Cross would be sent undercover into the Rebel Alliance to find and capture Leia Organa; usually in that post-Yavin world, we're seeing people hunting Luke Skywalker for Vader, or Han Solo for Jabba the Hutt, but Leia is, from a political standpoint, the more important target, as she is the face of the destruction of Alderaan and a rallying symbol for disaffected populations, as well as an able military leader. Cross, who has been doing his job but growing more and more disillusioned with the missions hos boss,Armand Isard, is sending him on, now has even more of a reason to hate the Empire, as he is Alderaanian, which gives him a perfect cover to go to meet Leia. The story would see Cross deal with his doubts about the Empire, and decide whether to join the Alliance, remain loyal to an Empire that destroyed his homeworld, or stay within Imperial Intelligence and try to fix things from within. Readers would also see the beginnings of Ysanne Isard, Armand's daughter and eventual replacement, rising to power within the intelligence community. After the great job he did capturing the classic Star Wars cast on his run with Brian Wood, I think Carlos D'Anda would be a great choice to draw a series where Leia is a central character; fill out the cast with other Alderaanian survivors, like Winter, Leia's best friend and right hand woman, and future Rogue Squadron pilot Tycho Celchu, and you have a series that could wrap up Jahan Cross's story, or set him in a different direction.

That might not be a Jedi, but tell me that Ewok isn't adorable

Itty Bitty Jedi
Art Baltzar & Franco

Kids love Star Wars. And while I wish I could share all my Star Wars comics with my nieces, godson, and other kids I know, I realize many aren't exactly appropriate. So what do you do? You call in Art and Franco, masters of the comics that kids of all ages, from five to fifty-five love. You can have all the Jedi from the prequels, who many kids love thanks to Clone Wars, as younglings at the Jedi Academy, with Yoda as their teacher, and just have them go on fun little adventures. Between Tiny Titans and Itty Bitty Hellboy, you know these guys can make it work. The kids could play games with the Force, compete against other schools, just basically do the kind of things that kids in Art and Franco comics do. I just want to see Yoda, Mace, Qui-Gon, and a baby Obi-Wan in the patented Itty Bitty style.

Legacy: A Tale of Two Solos
Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman

The end of the second volume of Star Wars: Legacy did a good job of wrapping up the dangling plot threads of a series that clearly could have gone on for considerably longer, but any ending that comes down from corporate is going to leave some stories untold. The plot that I most wanted to know more about from the run that was never fleshed out was the connection between the long-lived assassin droid AG-37 and Han Solo, something hinted at in a few panels but never fully explained. I would love to see creators Bechko and Hardman get to come back and tell that story in an oversized one-shot that tells a parallel narrative: in one, we see whatever happened that put AG in Han's debt, and in the other, we see AG working with Ania Solo, Han's descendant and the principal character of Legacy Vol. 2. It would be a fun adventure comic set on the fringe, with plenty of scum and villainy to go around.

Ben Skywalker: Heir to the Force
Christopher Yost and Marcus To

At the end of the Del Rey Legends novel era, Ben Skywalker, the son of Luke and Mara Jade, was in his late teens and was beginning to make his own way, as his father had retired to a more monastic life, but Ben was not ready to take up the mantle as Grand Master of the Jedi. This would be a star-hopping teen adventure comic, with lots of action and teen angst in the classic New Mutants sense. We would see Ben grow as a character, from the pretty together but still young Jedi that he is now to a man who would be able to take up the Skywalker mantle and head the Jedi order. He could get a new master, a new character who would be a no-nonsense Jedi who doesn't take any crap from him, Skywalker or no. His cousin Jaina, who would be starting the order that would become the Imperial Knights in Legacy would appear, as would Ben's love interest/enemy from the Fate of the Jedi series, Vestara Khai. Christopher Yost knows his teen heroes, having written for X-Men: Evolution (where he created X-23) and New X-Men, but the book that makes me think he's dead right for this is his year on Red Robin. I feel like Ben and Tim Drake have a lot in common: they're both serious kids with a legacy at their backs, and they're both detectives. And Yost's partner on the back half of that run, Marcus To, has a kinetic art style that did great stuff with acrobatic superheroes, so it's just another step to get him drawing Jedi.

The New Sith Wars
Joshua Williamson and Riley Rossmo

The main antagonist of the Legacy comics was the One Sith, an order of Sith Lords who put the order before their personal gains, thus making one Sith who would not destroy itself through in fighting. Del Rey's novels, the final ones still taking place decades before the Legacy comics, had started hinting at the One Sith, with small appearances by members of the order in the Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi series, as well as in Paul Kemp's Crosscurrent and Riptide. But in the Fate of the Jedi series, we also met the Lost Tribe, a group of Sith who had been separated from galactic culture for centuries and had just found a way back. While many of the Lost Tribe were killed at the end of the series, their homeworld was still out there with many members. So the question is: what became of them in between the end of the novels and the Legacy comics? Were they absorbed or destroyed by, or did they remain hidden from, the One Sith? This comic would answer that in a comic about bad people doing bad things to each other. Narrated by a Chagrian Sith who is destined by series end to become Darth Wyyrlok, adviser to Darth Krayt (and mother to the Darth Wyyrlok of the Legacy comics), the series would feature battles on disparate worlds between different Sith, and see each of them playing complex games that featured both political manipulation and physical force to make their sect come out on top. Joshua Williamson is writing some of my favorite comics on the market now, and between Ghosted, Nailbiter, Birthright, and Red Skull, he's proven he can write villains and sociopaths in a way that might not make you sympathize with them, but does make you understand and like them a bit, which is important in a book that is populated by Sith. Riley Rossmo draws both creatures of hideous horror and people of immaculate beauty, important to draw the distinction between the hodge podge of tattooed aliens that make up the One Sith and the human beauty and genetic purity obsessed Lost Tribe. The Jedi are usually the lead of Star Wars comics, but there have been notable exceptions where the Sith take center stage; this would be a string addition to those books. And yes, it's really just an excuse to see lots of red lightsabers and people using the force for creative mayhem; sue me, that sounds fun.

Untitled Frontier Jedi Buddy Comedy/Action
Fred Van Lente and Clayton Henry

OK, so this one is actually more built around concept and creator than it is on characters, hence the title, or lack thereof. I've been watching some old episodes of Clone Wars recently (there may or may not be an Advent Calendar entry coming up), and realized how much I love the dynamic between Obi-Wan & Anakin and Obi-Wan & Quinlan Vos, and how Star Wars can lend itself really well to two mismatched heroes working together to fight for right. And when it comes to buddy comedies in comics, I can't think of anybody better than Fred Van Lente, who co-wrote Incredible Hercules with Greg Pak, a book that featured blowhard demi-god Hercules and the world's seventh smartest person, young Amadeus Cho, and who wrote Archer and Armstrong, featuring reprobate immortal Aram Ani-Padda and naive martial artist Obadiah Archer. So I'm thinking set the series around the Knights of the Old Republic/Old Republic era, when there was still a wild galactic frontier, and toss in a young impetuous Jedi and her Barabel partner. I'd love the book to have two female leads, as Star Wars has a history of strong female characters and this would be a great place to not only spotlight that, but also give readers another major non-human protagonist. Barabel, a lizard race that are nearly as big and fearsome as Wookiees, and Jedi have a long history of respect together, so the partnership makes sense, and if you make the Jedi the reckless one and the Barabel soldier the more reserved character, you toss the usual expectation on its head, which is right in Van Lente's wheelhouse. Partner him with Clayton Henry, one of his regular collaborators with a bright, energetic style, and you'd have a Star Wars Western for the ages.

Regular Star Wars guest contributor Brandon Borzelli brings you his own list, with tales of prequel era Jedi, Hutts, and a heroic little droid...

Master/Padawan

Grant Morrison and Humberto Ramos

There simply aren't enough stories (books or comics) dealing with Obi-Wan as a young master to Anakin and there are barely any stories that include Qui-Gon at all. This would be a series that would parallel both sets. Humor, frustration, adventure, anger, attachments, maybe even some dark side - all of it could be covered. We would see where Obi-Wan learned as a padawan, but where he failed as a master. At the same time this would cover how Qui-Gon's teachings set Obi-Wan up for failure later. After all, the Anakin story includes Qui-Gon as well. Who better to capture the relationship than someone that mastered Batman and Robin?

Ben Kenobi

John Jackson Miller and Jordi Bernet

The novel, Kenobi is among the very best the Star Wars line has ever produced. The western genre fits with Kenobi on Tatooine and the man-with-no-name fits Obi-Wan well. Luke's life may have been very boring on Tatooine but Obi-Wan's probably wasn't. This doesn't have to circle around Jabba, Fett, and the other well-known characters. This would be a chance to tangle with different gangs and sets of trouble as Obi-Wan looks to make sure the environment around Luke is relatively safe.

Jedi Purge

Randy Stradley and Doug Wheatley

Another comic focused during the Dark Times. This comic would be similar to the Dark Times but jump around a bit more. Darth Vader continues his two-fold quest of 1) Hunting Jedi (against his master's wishes) and 2) Attempting to recruit an apprentice. He would eventually come across a Jedi he knew from the past and potentially admired to the point that he would want this Jedi to turn to the dark side. The comic could potentially touch on Ahsoka, but she would probably need to stay in the shadows when it comes to Vader so as not to conflict with the Rebels TV shows. Dass Jennir and K'Kruhk could make appearances but it seems like this might focus more on Vader and not the Jedi. Although, he would seem a fitting end to Jennir's story would be death at the hands of Vader.

The Hutts

Jeff Lemire

A couple of the Han Solo novels painted an intriguing web of Hutt power and gang warfare between clans. Lemire seems to deal with the "weird" really well and he might be able to pull off the more gruesome aspects of the Hutts in a unique way. Of course, the comic could have some appearances from the known Bounty Hunters and maybe even Han and Chewie. The book could be brutal and fun at the same time.

R2-D2: Hero to the Galaxy

Roger Langridge

How many times has R2 saved the day? Just from the films, six, seven, more? This could be a comic that keeps the focus on R2 and how he works behind the scenes to save the day. The settings could go back as far as the palace on Naboo and work his way through the rebellion years. It would be a more lighthearted book, but it would have real Star Wars-like situations.

Aurra Sing may be a bounty hunter, not a smuggler, but I think this shows Robertson would do well with those Star Wars characters in the fringe.

The Smugglers

Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson

Han and Chewie and a cast of scum and villainy. Star Wars at its best - adventure. With the mix of dog-fighting and complex plots, this kind of story is right up Ennis' alley.

Palpatine

Scott Snyder and R.M. Guera

This is a story that is begging to be told. We don't need constant political drama and manipulation from the character. Some apprentice scenes with Plaguies, some one-off killing of some rivals (maybe even Jedi). It needs to be faster moving than the Prequels but it will be a dark look at a character that is always a supporting role, but such an important one.

The Jedi Masters

Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke

Who better to explore a cosmic force than the mastermind behind the resurgence of Green Lantern? Why is Mace Windu so angry? Where did Yoda come from? How did all the other Jedi Masters come to the council and why are they so weak in comparison? The series would need action, but balanced with character studies. Johns can juggle a large cast like no one else. This would be a great book.

Count Dooku

Rick Remender andTony Moore

If you have ever read Fear Agent then you know where I'm going with this. Remender wrote a time-traveling epic where the lead is an alcoholic with a stubborn attitude to bend things to his will. If Anakin's story is a tragedy then so is Dooku's, except he was replaced and not redeemed as Vader was.

The Sith

John Ostrander and Jan Duursema

Last but not least a comic from the Star Wars team that brought some of the best Clone Wars comics and the epic Legacy tale. Who better to re-write the history of the Sith than this pair? It's all a blank slate to get the universe up to Darth Sidious. This pair knows how to universe-build and present the Sith as a complex set of characters rather than one dimensional as Darth Maul has been depicted.

My partner in crime for my Dewey's days, John Bush, has a reunion from one of the '00s seminal books on a project, along with an irreverent mash-up of a favorite Image series and everyone's favorite Wookiee...

The Rise of Palpatine

Jonathan Hickman and Ryan Bodenheim

Palpatine didn't get to where he was overnight. He came from humble beginnings to shake the galaxy to its core. Who better to tell the tale of the man who had to beg, borrow, steal, bribe, blackmail, murder, torture, lie, and pretend to be friends with Jar-Jar in order to bring the galaxy to its knees than Hickman? Think of all the opportunities for complex political shenanigans for Hickman to exploit. For art chores, Hickman's frequent partner-in-crime Ryan Bodenheim has shown he can bring some sinister personality to his characters, and that's really what you need when you're talking Palpatine.

A panel from the Eic Powell drawn Star Wars story, "The Hovel on Terk Street" from Star Wars Tales #6

Tales From the Mos Eisley Cantina

Jason Aaron and Eric Powell

I think it's been pretty well established that you don't end up in the cantina if your life is in a good place. Rogues, scoundrels, and smugglers from all over litter the place and they've all got their own hard-luck stories. I'm all in for Southern Bastards in a galaxy far, far away, is what I'm saying. As for art, who draws better violent, down-on-their-luck freaks than Eric Powell?

Imperial Engineering Authority 

Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch

So Death Stars and star destroyers don't just appear out of nowhere, yeah? Someone's got to build them, but then before that someone's got to design them. Welcome to the world of the IEA, a collection of geniuses put together by Palpatine to keep his empire supplied with war machines. Some of them are very excited to be there, some just don't want their families jettisoned out of the nearest airlock. The series would have something of an anthology feel, with each arc following a different team of engineers working on a specific project, connected by a troubleshooting team that would travel from site to site whenever a project hits a snag. And, frankly, a series of stories focused on one bizarre scientific theory after another sounds like exactly what Ellis likes doing right now - and I'm on board with that. He'd reunite with his Authority co-creator Hitch because if you're going to need lots of sweeping shots of under-construction super weapons, Hitch has shown an almost unparalleled aptitude with that.

Chu-Bacca

John Layman and Rob Guillory

On an assignment gone wrong for the Galactic Rebellion, Chewbacca finds himself forced to go undercover as T'Onee Chu-Bacca, completely normal human being and agent of the Imperial Food and Drug Administration. Using a little-known but completely plausible ancient Wookiee hunting technique to absorb the history of anything he tastes, Agent Chu-Bacca and his droid partner K0L-B are tasked with investigating the appearance of a strange new fruit called Gallsaberries recently discovered on Coruscant.

And finally, my friend Nancy Kindraka, whose collection of Star Wars books exceeds anyone else I have ever met, adds in some indy creators, and has a pick for a Wraith Squadron book I wish I had thought of first...

If I could have any wish it would be to have the late Edvin Biuković back and drawing anything Star Wars. (Or possibly just anything.) His work on X-Wing Rogue Squadron and the adaptation of The Last Command was amazing.

Short of that, here's what I'd love to see:

Jedi adventure one-shot or mini 

Stan Sakai

I've been a fan of the long-running adventures of Sakai's samurai rabbit Usagi Yojimbo since forever. Sakai tells excellent stories and backs them up with elegantly paced visuals. And he does great sword fights!

Mara Jade, Mirax Terrik, and Winter solve the galaxy's problems 

Chuck Wendig and Fiona Staples

Mara, Mirax, and Winter are fantastic characters from the Legends expanded universe, and I desperately want to see them reintroduced. (We need more female characters in Star Wars in general.) I think they'd make a shrewd, dangerous, and highly resourceful team à la Leverage. You need a problem solved and a bad guy taken down? They can do that. I have no idea if Wendig is suited to writing for comics but I would trust him to try.

Wraith Squadron

Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener

A squadron full of highly intelligent misfits tasked with impossible missions for the greater good? That's Wraith Squadon, and it's also one way to describe Clevinger and Wegener's Atomic Robo. I'd love to see the Robo brand of kinetic energy and wacky hijinks applied to Wedge Antilles's commando squadron.

Princess Leia ongoing 

Greg Weisman and Pepe Larraz

Leia is amazing. She's a princess, a senator, a freedom fighter, a leader, a diplomat, a decent pilot, a great shot, and we need more stories about her. Weisman and Larraz's first volume of Kanan: The Last Padawan was excellent. I'm glad we're getting more from them with more Kanan but I think they'd be similarly excellent with Leia.

If Noelle Stevenson could work this drawing into her story, I know it would make the top of my read list

Zam Wessell one-shot or mini 

Noelle Stevenson

Stevenson has a collection of Zam figures and has written odes to her on Twitter. IT WOULD BE AMAZING.

Anything that floats their boat by female creators

Star Wars is not just for boys (and has never been just for boys) and I'm all for things that bring the ratio of male to female authors and artists to parity.

Resurrect the Star Wars Tales anthology

Some canon stories, some decidedly non-canon stories, a wide swath of writers and artists, a little something for everyone, and each one a slice of Star Wars. I thought they were great.


So that's our picks. Do you have a story you'd like to see? Reply here, on The Matt Signal Facebook page, or on twitter @mattlaz1013. I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Recommended Reading for 9/5: Star Wars: Legacy Vol. 2

Two Wednesdays ago, the final Star Wars comic from Dark Horse was released. Fittingly enough, it was the final issue of the second volume of Star Wars: Legacy, the series set the farthest into the future of any Star Wars story, and the era that Dark Horse was the most responsible for defining. It was an appropriate ending for the Expanded Universe era that has defined so much of Star Wars for the past twenty plus years, the era that brought so many people into, or back into, the galaxy far, far away.

I admit, when a second volume of Star Wars: Legacy was announced, I was a bit worried. The first volume of Legacy, which was a much earlier recommended reading, is one of my favorite Star Wars stories of all time, following the adventures of Cade Skywalker, Luke's descendant, who struggles to find his place in a galaxy ruled by the Sith. The series was created by my favorite Star Wars comics creative team of all time, writer John Ostrander and artist Jan Duursema, and while other artists drew an occasional issue, those two creators defined this entire sweeping era.

So, volume two was announced, and it's by two creators whose names I knew, but whose work I had never read, Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman. And I was torn. Yes, this is a spectacular era (one I even ran a few adventures of the Star Wars Saga Edition RPG in, that's how much I love it). And they're creating their own characters, so it's not like it's continuing the adventures of the characters whose stories I felt Ostrander and Duursema really wrapped up. But still, there's always a chance it will fall flat. But I was excited when I picked up that first issue of the series, and was very, very pleased to see that this series was going to be a fitting successor to the original.

The protagonist of the second volume of Legacy is another descendant of the main characters of the classic trilogy, but a very different one. Cade Skywalker was a Jedi in hiding, a drug addict who was using to avoid visions from the Force and running from his destiny. Ania Solo takes much more after everyone's favorite rogue, her great great great grandfather, Han Solo. Not a Force user, Ania ran a junkyard out on the Galactic Rim, trying to keep her head down and make a mostly honest living, until stumbling across a lost lightsaber and droid leads her into the middle of the great galactic events that seem to dog Solos, no matter how hard they try to avoid them. So pretty soon, Ania, and a small group of her friends, are out having adventures, being threatened by all sorts of beings they would just rather be left alone by.

Ania is a great contrast to Cade Skywalker in that she is not a haunted, brooding character. Cade was a rogue as well, trying to live the life of a bounty hunter instead of fulfilling his destiny as a Jedi, but he was always feeling the pull of the Force. Ania is a rogue through and through; when problems come up, she gets her hands dirty and finds the quickest solution. She isn't a person who looks at the metaphysical, isn't someone who thinks she has a great destiny to be embraced or avoided; she just finds the way that gets her out of the most trouble and might help her turn a profit. That is not to say that she is just out for herself. Ania is a fiercely loyal friend, who puts her life on the line repeatedly to help those that she views as her true friends.

Those friends are the usual collection of ragtag Star Wars heroes and heroines. Sauk is a Mon Calamari, one of Admiral Ackbar's people, whose homeworld was made uninhabitable in the last Legacy series. Possibly even moreso than Ania, Sauk wants nothing to do with big galactic action; he just wants to be an engineer. But he and Ania are good friends, and he is as loyal to her as she is to him. AG-37 is an assassin droid, but one who has been operational for well over a century, and, while still an assassin droid, has a good side, one that is friendly and courteous. The final member of the main cast is Jao Assam, an Imperial Knight who isn't too good at listening to his superiors, and winds up working with Ania and company after he goes on an unsanctioned mission.

Friendship and loyalty is probably the most central theme in this volume of Legacy. Nearly every story comes down to one or more of these characters being in mortal peril and the others having to save them. Jao is drawn into Ania's orbit when he defies orders and goes in search of his missing master, Yalta Val. When Sauk hears that his people are starting to reclaim their homeworld, he falls into the hands of slavers, and the others rush to the rescue. When bounty hunters kidnap Ania, AG is nearly destroyed saving her life. And the final arc sees Ania and company working with the Empress Fel, the head of the re-formed and reformed Galactic Empire (and Ania's distant cousin) to retrieve Jao from the hands of the Sith. Loyalty to your friends is one of the core themes of Star Wars; it's the major reason why Han Solo comes back to save Luke at the end of the first movie, so it makes sense a series focusing on the spiritual and physical descendant of Han Solo would so strongly focus on it.

Of course, when you're talking Star Wars, as much as you love the heroes, the franchise is famous for its villains. The list of great villains could go on forever: Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Darth Maul, Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Yuuzhan Vong, and Darth Krayt are just a few. Bechko and Hardman introduce a new Sith in the first issue of the series who soon reveals himself to be Darth Wredd. The last Ostrander/Duursema issue of Legacy left the One Sith, the order that once ruled the galaxy, in shambles, its members hiding and waiting for their time to rise again. After the initial arc, Wredd begins hunting other Sith, and this leads to various questions about his motives. Is he trying to take out the competition? Or is he really not as evil as he seems. By the end of the series, when his history is revealed, you see he's a subtly drawn character, with interesting motivations unlike any other Sith we have seen before.

I also really enjoyed the lack of Jedi in this series; that's not to say I dislike Jedi, but it's interesting to see other types of Force users. Instead of Jedi, we spend a lot of time with Imperial Knights. A concept introduced in the previous Legacy series, Imperial Knight serve the Force by following the Emperor or Empress. The concept was well fleshed out, and we got to know some of the Knights very well in volume one, but this series shows even more stark contrasts between the two orders, and how much more strict the Imperial Knights are, as they are a military order in service of a government, after all. While this is shown at times to be a problem, this strict adherence to the rules set forth by the Empire, the Knights are never looked down on, never looked on as nothing more than  Force using Stormtroopers. They are an interesting variation on the classic theme of the Force using hero, and I like that we got to spend some time getting a spotlight on the concept and characters.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this series was how small the big stakes were. The classic trilogy is about the Galactic Civil War. The New Jedi Order is the story of the Yuuzhan Vong War. The first Legacy series is the battle between the One Sith and most of the other forces in the Galaxy. These are stories set around big characters, doing big things. Ania's story is really about her and her friends just trying to make it from one day to another. Even when they run into big events and big people, like Empresses and Imperial Knights, it's really just a distraction and a sideline to them trying to stay out of jail or make a few more credits. The story ends on a big note, on a massive final battle, but that was reserved for the climax. And, without spoiling too much, in the end, Ania doesn't choose to stay a part of that wider world. She goes back to her smaller, happier life.

Artist Gabriel Hardman, along with the other artists on this series, gave it a wonderfully grotty look. Star Wars has always had the feeling of a lived in universe, not a clean, pristine sci-fi world. Ania's ship is like the Millennium Falcon, nothing new about it, and she starts out as a junk dealer. Even on Coruscant, the galactic capital, the world isn't as shiny as it was after the war. It makes for a stark contrast to many other science fiction comics, and even other Star Wars comics, and it gave the series a unique feel.

And that's the end. I'm sure I'll be writing more about Star Wars in the future. We have the upcoming Marvel series, the new Star Wars: Rebels cartoon, plus the new movies and all the media that is going to spin out of them. But this really marks the end of an era. I loved the Star Wars movies a lot as a little kid, but fell out of that deep affection until I was 16 and read Heir to the Empire. From there it was all downhill. I now have all the Dark Horse comics (some in collection rather than single, but I have them all in some form), have read all the novels, and spent countless hours playing the various video games. I love Star Wars, always will, in any of its myriad forms. And I want to thank all the creators who have helped make it this wide, Expanded Universe. The Force will be with you, always.

Three trades of Star Wars: Legacy Vol. 2 are out currently: Prisoner of the Floating World, Outcasts of the Broken Ring, and Wanted: Ania Solo. The final volume, Empire of One, will be released in mid-October. All the single issues should be available from your better comic shops.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 7/24

Ghostbusters #6
Story: Erik Burnham
Art: Dan Schoening

Egon Spengler, the brains of the Ghostbusters, has always been my favorite of the legendary quartet of supernatural investigators, and the new issue of IDW's Ghostbusters series is a strong spotlight for Egon. Earlier in the series, we found out Janine Melnitz, the Ghostbusters' trusty girl friday, was a descendant of Beowulf, and had to take up the family legacy of fighting the ghost of Grendel. Even though she won, she had help, and her spirit ancestors took offense, so she was trapped between life and death, and now Egon and Janine's current boyfriend, Roger (who bears a striking resemblance to Real Ghostbusters Egon, by the way), have to voyage into her mind to save her. Not only do we get a great view of Janine's inner life, seeing her memories from the point of view of Egon and Roger, but we also see Egon having to deal with Roger, and how short his patience is when in an unfamiliar position. While there is plenty of action, as Egon fights the Viking ghosts that are currently inside Janine, the majority of the issue is dialogue between Egon and Roger, the two of them bickering as they voyage through Janine's mind. Erik Burnham is a dab hand at dialogue, and does a good job of making Roger likable, frankly more likable at times than the usually taciturn Egon, so the reader can completely understand what Janine sees in him. After an opening arc with  a temporary team of Ghostbusters, it feels good to be back with the originals, and this issue is a perfect jumping on point if you're a fan of Dr. Egon Spengler.

Lazarus #2
Story: Greg Rucka
Art: Michael Lark

After an outstanding first issue of world building, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark's dystopic corporate future comic, Lazarus, spends its second issue character building, and introducing us to the Carlyle Family. Other than Jonah, who we met last issue, we meet the other Carlyle siblings, Steven, Johanna, and Bethany, as well as the family patriarch, Malcolm. The siblings seem to be as at war with each other as they are with any of the other families (except for Jonah and Johanna, who are very... close, in that creepy Game of Thrones sort of way), and we get hints of secrets, especially those about Eve, the family protector, the Lazarus, and our protagonist), and exactly what her relation is to the others. There is also a mention of the siblings' mother, although she isn't shown, which strikes me as something we're waiting for a big reveal on. Malcolm seems to be a cold, clever manipulator, who discusses Eve as simply "the Lazarus" when she isn't present, but treats her as a favored child when she is with him. None of the children seem to have his skills, and all seem to have something of a short fuse. Bethany launches herself at Jonah with murder in mind from his verbal barbs. Dr. Bethany seems to be the one who cares the most about Eve, but whether that is as a sister or the product of an experiment seems to be up in the air right now. The discussion about going to war with Family Morray is the driving force for this family meeting, but it seems Malcolm has his own way of dealing with that, as we see Eve go off on her secret mission at issue's end. This will give us a view of exactly what the other families are like next issue, continuing to grow this world. And be sure to check out the backmatter for the issue, which includes a timeline of the life of Malcolm Carlyle, full of interesting background information and I'm sure hints of things to come.

Star Wars: Legacy #5
Story: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Art: Gabriel Hardman

The first arc of the new incarnation of Star Wars: Legacy wraps up with a big reveal from our mystery Sith Lord and Ania Solo standing tall. As Darth Wredd reveals himself to the public, showing his face on the holonet as he prepares to kill Master Yalta Val, the Imperial Knight he has been impersonating for the past few issues to show the weakness of the current government, Ania steps up to save Master Val. Ania's doubts about her fitness are assuaged by the assassin droid with a heart of gold AG-37, and so she steps up and faces odds that should mean her destruction. The little guy standing up to the big guy is a big part of the Star Wars mythos, and so Ania takes strongly after her ancestor, Han Solo, as AG reminds her, by getting involved in these kind of affairs with just a blaster and an attitude. But she also takes after Han in an even more important way; when the chips are down, she is loyal to her friends, willing to risk her life to save both AG and Sauk, her Mon Calamari friend. Artist Gabriel Hardman's art is top notch this issue, especially the art as the communications array comes crashing down, and our heroes make their escape. This is Star Wars as its meant to be: action, character, and a touch of humor. The final page sees Ania reach the attention of the Galactic Triumvirate, and especially Empress Marasiah Fel, her distant cousin if my reckoning is correct, so it looks like Ania's adventures are just getting started.

The Unwritten #51
Story: Mike Carey & Bill Willingham
Art: Peter Gross & Mark Buckingham

"The Unwritten Fables" continues, as this dark alternate world only grows, well darker. Its interesting to see Tommy Taylor and his friends in their full power, as readers have all heard about exactly how badass the fictional Tommy is in the books within the comic, and while Tom has worked some magic, its nothing on the scale of casual power that Tommy works here. Last issue gave us a somewhat chilling impression of what exactly Snow White and Bigby Wolf's cubs have become under the influence of Mister Dark, but seeing Dare, who nobly gave his own life in the "real" Fables timeline here casually attacking Tommy and his allies, while preparing to once again torture his father just shows how bad things have gotten. And Mister Dark casually killing three members of the witches council from the Fables without breaking much of a sweat once again reinforces what a threat he is. And the world seems to be reaching out to the children, as Sue Sparrow, the Hermione of the Tom Taylor books, casts evil spells and takes something from Mister Dark's treasure cache. And Dark's building of a new Boy Blue continues, which is just beyond creepy and wrong, and perfectly in character. I love the way that Frau Totenkinder conceives of Tommy and his crew, "stories told by stories made up by the stories to whom we are only stories." This sort of meta, wheels within wheels, storytelling has been what The Unwritten has been about since the beginning, and adding the extra dimension of the folklore Fables characters just gives Carey another mirror to reflect it all off of.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 3/20

Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray #1
Story: Frank J. Barbiere
Art: Chris Mooneyham

I love comics and movies influenced by pulps, that sort of story that is full of action and character, with a crime of supernatural edge. The high concept of Image's new series, Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray is that an Indiana Jones-esque treasure hunter has acquired the abilities of five literary characters: the detective, the archer, the wizard, the samurai, and the vampire. However, it seems that these powers are killing him. We see Fabian use his powers on one of his hunts (although it seems like he's as much a thief as he is a treasure hunter), and then bed his client. He is also on a quest to find a mystical artifact that he is hoping will awaken his sister from a mystically induced coma. The details are a bit sketchy, but it's only one issue in, so frankly we got more story than we do in a lot of issue ones.There's some great set up of a cult or evil society chasing after Fabian, and in the end Fabian and a man I assume is his brother-in-law, or at least his sister's significant other, run afoul of a tribe that may or may not have the stone they seek. It's a lot of classic pulp and serial tropes tossed together that work really well. The characters grab you right away, and you see there's more to Fabian than meets the eye. The art fits the book perfectly, with the grit that suits the period. Like a lot of pulp influenced stories, the series is set in the 40s, and seems to thoroughly researched. This is a very impressive first issue, and sets up a series that has a ton of potential.

Justice League #18
Story: Geoff Johns
Art: Jesus Saiz/ Gary Frank

While I have found Justice League a bit hit or miss since the New 52 began, the issues starting with "Throne of Atlantis" have been firing on all cylinders, and while this issue seemed like it was going to be a downtime sort of issue, we got a good amount of forward momentum, as well as expanding the team and really meeting the New 52 versions of some characters we either haven't seen or have gotten very little exposure to. After needing to call in the reserves during the attack by Atlantis, the League decides it's time to find some full time members. The most interesting of these characters is the New 52 Atom, a completely new character. While hints of Ryan Choi had been dropped, and Ray Palmer was a recurring character on the late, lamented Frankenstein Agent of SHADE series, it seems this Atom is Rhonda Pineda, a student at Ivy University, the school that both Palmer and Choi have been associated with, so it's possible her background will tie in more with them. I want to see more of this character, and how she is going to fit in with the new team. I also enjoyed seeing a completely new character, Goldrush. I've found a distinct lack of brand new characters in the New 52, so any chance to expand and try new things is welcomed by me. Johns ends the issue with something a mystery and cliffhanger, moving the series towards the upcoming Trinity War. I was also excited to see the art for this issue by the dramatically under-rated Jesus Saiz, who has been flying under the radar for too many years. I hope this issue raises his profile enough to get him on a major book soon. The Shazam back up story, which has been the highlight of the series for much of its run (which is not a slight at the main story. The back up is just that good), continues as well, setting up Billy's final confrontation with Black Adam and the Seven Sins. I like how Billy has grown from the seeming brat he was at the start into someone who clearly wants to do what's right but has baggage that is making it hard, and I like the further development of the other kids staying at the foster home with Billy. Artist Gary Frank also wins the award for creepiest designs of the week for the personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins. Those are some creepy monsters.

Saga #11
Story: Brian K Vaughan
Art: Fiona Staples

Every issue of Saga is a gift, a perfect comic. Picking up right after the events of last issue, we watch as Alana, Marko, Hazel and the rest of our protagonists flee the birth of the giant space creature, while The Will tries to keep his own ship together. We get very little of The Will and his crew, though, as this issue really focuses on Marko and his father, as Barr meets the end that he has been expecting for the past few issues. The really incredible scene is Marko's flashback to a memory of his father. The entire sequence is in their native language, so none of it was decipherable to me, but the art perfectly conveyed the story and the emotion of Marko's fond remembrance of a parent now lost. Vaughan finds a way to pack so much emotion into one issue, and Staples makes it so real; it's that kind of synergy that makes this medium work as well as it does. On the other end of the spectrum, the opening scene, the flashback to Alan and Marko's more... intimate moment before the birth of their daughter, is hilarious. It's bawdy and so real in how awkward it is. And even with all this personal stuff going on, Vaughan finds a way to mix in some new sci-fi/fantasy aspects to the story that continue to build the world. If every comic was half as good as Saga, the industry would be a wonderland of amazing work.

Star Wars: Legacy Vol.2 #1
Story: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Art: Gabriel Hardman

It's great to be back in the future of the Galaxy Far, Far Away. As excited as I was for new Star Wars: Legacy, I admit the lack of John Ostrander and Jan Duuresema had me a little nervous. Fortunately, new creators Corinna Cechko and Gabriel Hardman brought their A-game on this first issue. We're thrust right into a universe where the clean up from the last war is under way and the fallout from the Sith War is not entirely done. While it was nice to see the ruling triumvirate again, Empress Fel, Admiral Staazi, and Master K'Krukh are the only characters to return from the old series, and that's good; having a lot of teases of the old series would just make people expect to see all those characters again, while this feels like more of a fresh start. Ania Solo, the descendant of Han and Leia on what I assume is their son Jacen's side (versus on their daughter Jaina's side, who are the Fel dynasty), is our new hero, and takes after her great grandfather, Han. While Cade Skywalker was on the fringe of things, running away from his past as a Jedi Padawan and the loss of his father, it seems Ania has been living on the fringe for her whole life, is used to it, and is looking for a way to get out of it. She's tough, savvy, and smart, just like all the best Star Wars heroines. By the end of the issue, we have met Ania, her friend/sidekick Sauk, a Mon Calamari (Admiral Ackbar's people) engineer, an Imperial Knight imprisoned, and a Sith with an agenda of his own. All the pieces are in place for an exciting Star Wars series, familiar and still with some interesting new twists.


By the way, this is my 100th post, which is pretty exciting, and I'm hoping to do something midweek for post 101 that will celebrate hitting the milestone. Stay tuned!

Things to Look Forward to in 2013

It seems I have failed as a comic book blogger, since I am probably the only one to not do a, "Best of 2012" post. That doesn't mean I can't do a, "looking good in 2013," post, so that's what I'm going to do. So, in no particular order, here are some of the comics and comic media related projects that I am very excited about in the coming year.

The return of Sandman by Neil Gaiman

Ok, this is the gimme of gimmes among many comic book fans. I haven't walked much about Sandman or my love of Neil Gaiman on this blog simply because very few people need to be told that they should read it; it's a major part of the comic book landscape, up there with Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns. But the idea of new Sandman, of Sandman with art by J.H. Williams III, whose work on Batwoman has been nothing less then stunning, well this is something that should be cried to the heavens with joy. Set before the original series starts, I'd think this would be a good place for people who have never read Sandman to start and see exactly what all the hullabaloo is about. As someone who has all of Sandman in single, trade, absolute, and annotated, the idea of a new story featuring Dream of the Endless is the closest to complete comics nirvana as I can imagine.

Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark

Gotham Central is one of the great gems that DC Comics has produced in the past decade (boy, sounds like something you might be getting a recommended reading about shortly...). Greg Rucka (and co-writer Ed Brubaker) is a master of crime stories, whose work on the Bat titles had me excited for this gritty cops in Gotham story, and artist Michael Lark, whose work on an arc of Sandman: Mystery Theatre had grabbed my attention, seemed a perfect fit. And I was right. Since then, Rucka and Lark have worked together a few times, including winning an Eisner for best Short Story, this is their first creator owned project together. Lazarus will be coming from Image Comics, and is a science fiction series set in a dystopian future where the wealthy families rule. Endeavor Carlyle, the lead, is the enforcer/strategist/security chief for her family, but learns a truth that puts her at odds with her family and society as a whole. In interviews, Rucka and Lark have said they are building a whole world from scratch, really designing everything. Combining my love of Greg Rucka's strong characterization, Michael Lark's gritty art, and world building? Sold.

The Wake by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy

While details about this project remains pretty sketchy, new Scott Snyder horror is always something I look forward to. Combine an element of sci-fi, and you have my curiosity more than piqued. The only details that I've found are that the story begins with, "single, terrifying discovery at the bottom of the ocean." Include art from Sean Murphy, whose work on Joe the Barbarian I loved, whose Punk Rock Jesus is a book that slipped under my radar and a trade I'm dying for, and who teamed up with Snyder for one of the excellent American Vampire mini-series, and you have a book that should appeal to all horror and sci-fi comic fans.

Scott Snyder's Riddler in Batman

In my review of Batman #15, I spoke about how impressed I was about Scott Snyder's take on the Riddler. His Riddler struck me as someone smart enough to actually challenge Batman. And I'm hoping the next major arc on Batman after "Death of the Family" will prove me right. Snyder has done a great job creating new villains and presenting old villains in new ways in his work on Batman and Detective Comics; the Court of Owls and new Owlman are the breakout villains of the New 52, and James Gordon Jr. is a tremendously creepy character, and his vision of the Joker is unique and frightening. For years now, Riddler has either been a non-threat, the kind of villain who is trotted out just because he's a name, been made "edgy," as in "Hush," or been reformed, as in the great stories of Riddler, Private Eye during Paul Dini's run on Detective. I'm hoping this new vision of the Riddler finds a way to make Riddler a marquee Bat villain again. If anyone can do it, I think Snyder can.

New Star Wars: Legacy

The Legacy era of Star Wars, set over a century after the original trilogy, is a favorite era of mine. It's a little darker, but still has great characters, and builds off of all the Expanded Universe works that have come before it. I wrote a recommended reading for the original series of Star Wars: Legacy and while this new series is not from original creators John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, I see a lot of potential. From Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman, the creators of some recent well received Planet of the Apes comics, Star Wars: Legacy - Prisoner of the Floating World follows a new character, Ania Solo, the great great granddaughter of Han and Leia. She get herself into trouble, and is marked for death, so basically is following along in the family business. The story is set after the final adventures of Cade Skywalker in the original Legacy series, so we'll see the galaxy move further away from the Sith-Imperial War, but that's not to say we won't see any Sith or Jedi. Bechko and Hardman have some pretty big shoes to fill here, but I'm more than willing to try out some new characters making their way through the Star Wars universe.

The Man of Steel

I will always admit a pro-DC bias, and I am also definitely looking forward to Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World, but the superhero film I'm most curious about is The Man of Steel, the reboot of the Superman franchise. After the lackluster Superman Returns, the world's first superhero has been away from the big screen. I will admit to being worried after seeing the initial teaser, as there was no Superman in a Superman movie teaser, but the first real trailer was much more interesting. Some great flying scenes, some cool looking Kryptonian vehicles, action, and no hide nor -lack-of-hair of Lex Luthor. I swear, not every Batman movie needs Joker; the same should be with Lex and Superman. I do admit that I feel we could skip the origin of Superman as it is so well known, but I do like the idea of watching Clark Kent make the decision to become Superman; it worked in Batman Begins for Batman, why not for Superman?

Young Justice Returns and Young Justice: Legacy

So, this one has already started, but I'm still including it here. After the unceremonious disappearance from the airwaves of DC Nation in October, I was worried I'd never see more Young Justice, no matter what Cartoon Network said. But as of this past Saturday, the series was back, and in as fine form as ever. There's an Animated Discussions post about Young Justice upcoming, about how it serves as the inheritor to many of the themes of the pre-New 52 DC Universe, but beyond that, it is just the best looking, best paced, and best characterized action cartoon on TV right now. And not only will we get the last half of season two, and I'm holding out hope for the announcement of a season three, but next month we get Young Justice: Legacy, a video game written by the show's writers taking place in the five year gap between the two seasons. I'm not a big video game person, but I'll be picking this one up right away for a little more story from this particular version of the DC Universe.

Year of Atomic Robo

A post on Comic Book Resource's Robot Six blog detailing the 2013 plans for Atomic Robo got me very excited. First and foremost, this year's mini-series is Atomic Robo and the Savage Sword of Dr. Dinosaur! So, while Dr. D won't be in this year's Free Comic Book Day issue, he'll be in an entire mini! And he'll probably be bringing crystals! Also, the next arc of Real Science Adventures focuses on the Centurions of Science, Tesla's team of scientists and luminaries, similar to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but with real people, like Harry Houdini and Annie Oakley. I love that sort of revisionist history, and Tesla just lends himself to it. And to top it all off, we'll also see the debut of the Atomic Robo Roleplaying Game from Evil Hat Productions, creators of the award winning and awesome Dresden Files Roleplaying Game. Now you too can live the dream of being a member of Atomic Robo's Tesladyne team, and who wouldn't want to do that?

Recommended Reading for 8/20: Star Wars: Legacy

This weekend is Star Wars Celebration VI, the big semi-annual (I think it's every two or three years, but don't quote me on that) official Star Wars convention, and so I thought for this week I'd spend some time talking about my favorite Star Wars series of all time.

Star Wars is probably my second greatest geek love, behind Batman, and I've pretty much read all of Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars comics over the years. I've found that, when it comes to Star Wars comics, most readers are Star Wars fans who pick up Star Wars comics and not much else, versus comic readers who happen to enjoy Star Wars comics. This is a shame, since Dark Horse has produced some amazing comics with some excellent creators over the years.

In the timeline of Star Wars stories, Dark Horse has published plenty set in the familiar eras, stuff set between the classic trilogy and stuff set right before, during and after the prequel trilogy. But some of the best stories they've told are the ones set furthest afield from those eras, ones that give their creators the toolbox of Star Wars tropes to play with, but then throw out most of the rules. For instance, the Tales of the Jedi and Knights of the Old Republic series take place three thousand plus years before the classic trilogy, and are a galaxy very different from what the movies present. Legacy is set about 130 years after the destruction of the first Death Star, and the galaxy is still a different, and dangerous place.

The galaxy in Legacy bears many similarities to the galaxy at the beginning of A New Hope. There's a tyrannical Sith emperor, Rebels on the run, and a Skywaler at the center of everything. These similarities allow readers unfamiliar with the Star Wars Expanded Universe (the term for all the books, comics, video games, etc. that take place outside the movies and TV shows, from here on out abbreviated as EU) to slip easily into this setting. There's everything familiar in Star Wars, but things are different and possibly even darker than a galaxy ruled by Emperor Palpatine.

The Skywalker at the center of Legacy is Cade Skywalker, a not too distant descendant of Luke, who is the character standing at the center of the trio in the image at the top of this entry. But Cade does not share many traits with his legendary ancestor, aside from his name and an affinity with the Force. Cade starts out the series as a bounty hunter. Writer John Ostrander said in an interview he wanted his protagonist to be, "Han Solo with a lightsaber," and Cade is exactly that at the series outset. With the Jedi on the run and hunted by the ruling Sith class, Cade has given up his name and using the Force, and has taken to a life on the fringes of society, travelling in his ship, The Mynock, with his crew, and keeping his head just above water. He's addicted to death sticks, drugs that keep the Force Visions and the pain of losing nearly everyone he loved at the hands of a Sith massacre at bay. Cade is in a bad place, and is not a very good guy.

John Ostrander, legendary comic book writer and former Dewey's customer, has been one of my favorite comic book writers for years, and it's interesting to see how Cade fits into his pantheon of main characters. From his earliest comic works, Ostrander has had a fascination with anti-heroes. His opus, Grimjack, stars a character who, at his best may be heroic, but is a similarly flawed protagonist. Ostrander made his name writing some of DC's more disreputable characters on Suicide Squad, and while he has written many true heroes, his work tends to feel most natural when treading the thin line between good and evil. His earlier Star Wars work, in the series originally just called Star Wars and later retitled Star Wars: Republic, starred Quinlan Vos, another Jedi who struggled with the Dark Side of the Force. I'm going to leave a discussion of Ostrander's body of work here, since I plan on November to feature John Ostrander week here on The Matt Signal, with time spent discussing these works, and most of his other principal works.

Clearly, a series featuring Cade just bumming around the galaxy, avoiding trouble and picking up the occasional bounty might be fun, but would not be much of a Star Wars story. So pretty quickly, Cade draws the attention of both the ruling Sith and the remnants of the Jedi Order. Both want him: the Sith to serve their master, Darth Krayt, and the Jedi to serve as a rallying point for their members and allies. And Cade wants nothing to do with either. This is where Cade differs from Luke Skywalker, and many Star Wars protagonists, the most: when presented with his destiny, Luke embraced it with open arms, and ran towards it. Cade, on the other hand, runs from it, trying to hide or simply outpace it.

While Cade might not be walking in the glow of the Light Side of the Force, he's by no means the bad guy. That title goes to Darth Krayt, the leader of the One Sith. Everyone who's seen the prequels know that there are supposed to be only two Sith, a master and an apprenticce. Krayt has created a new sect, one that believes there is only one Sith, the order itself and it's leader, that all must serve, and he is, of course, their leader. Krayt was the number one character in my list of ten favorite Star Wars comics characters, and I have a lot of reasons. Krayt makes an interesting counterpoint to Darth Vader. Krayt started out life as A'Sharad Hett, a Jedi who was a Tusken Raider on Tatooine, so he and Vader share a home planet. Krayt is also a broken being, only he has had his parts replaced by biotechnology instead of mechanics. Krayt's appearance also has shades of Vader, only instead of black metal, Krayt is clad is grey, rocky armor from head to toe.

But the differences between Krayt and Vader makes the comparison more interesting. Vader fell to the Dark Side through manipulation and ignorance. Palpatine played on all of Anakin Skywalker's insecurities, and the Jedi Council at the time simply ignored all the problems with Anakin, so blinded by the Clone Wars and their own traditions. Krayt fell willingly and knowingly. His fall was a slow one, taken in steps brought on by years of pain and anger. His biological enhancements were also not a blessing, as they were slowly killing him. It was for this reason he sought Cade Skywalker, who had an unusual gift: he could heal any wound using the Force, or even prevent death, but only by drawing deeply on the Dark Side. Krayt sought to use this ability to save himself, setting a collision course for Cade, whether the young ex-Jedi liked it or not.

The galaxy can't just be populated by two characters, and Ostrander builds a whole cast surrounding Cade and Krayt. Cade has two loyal crewmembers on the Mynock: Deliah Blue, the engineer and his love interest, who is an earthy, fun character, nothing like Leia and her regal bearing, and Jaraiah Syn, the closest thing to a Han Solo type rogue in the series, always with a quip and a cocky grin. Krayt has his seemingly loyal major domo Darth Wyyrlok, his two hands (personal agent and assassins, pictured above with Krayt from left to right) Darth Talon and Darth Nihil, and his mistress of torture, Darth Maladi. All of these characters get time over the course of the series to show who they are and what they can do.

Even more than these characters directly related to the two principal antagonists, Ostrander spends much of Legacy world building. Issues in between arcs tended to be one or two issue stories featuring other characters throughout the galaxy. The remaining Jedi, headed by K'Kruhk, a character Ostrander wrote often in his Republic run, come in and out of Cade's life. The emperor betrayed and deposed by Darth Krayt, Roan Fel, and his Imperial Knights, have their plotlines, attempting to reclaim what they believe is rightly theirs. The remnants of the Galactic Alliance fleet, headed by Admiral Gar Stazi, nip at the Sith Empire, and serve as the analogue for the scrappy Rebels from the classic trilogy. The Council of Moffs, Krayt's non-force using advisers, scheme to claim power, and include the mysterious Nyna Calixte, who has some secrets of her own that deeply affect the series as a whole. And beyond these grand and mighty figures, there are little people too, like Hondo Karr, who appears as a soldier for various factions over the course of the series. All of this does a great job of creating a galaxy around the main characters, and showing just how much goes on that doesn't directly involve them.

Thematically, Legacy has two chief motifs that play through it: choices and, well, legacy. While Cade is presented with a series of choices, of whether to move further down a dark path, or to try to claw his way back to the light, the central conflict of his character, each of the others are presented with choices that will impact their lives. Most of these come at critical juncture points in the plot of the series, so I don't want to talk about them here, but the smallest personal choices can have great impact on events far beyond them. The Skywalker legacy is something that Cade must face down from the moment he is discovered. Can he really live up to the name that has brought destruction and redemption on the galaxy? Cade struggles with that for the entire series, and the fact that the Force spirits of various famous ancestors have a habit of popping up to lecture him doesn't help. Who we are and how that relates to the people who have come before us is a universal theme, and seeing it writ large on a sci-fi canvas makes for great reading.

While Ostrander worked with various artists over the course of the series, the principal artist was Jan Duursema, one of his regular collaborators, who also was his principal artist on Republic, and who has worked on many other Star Wars projects, including a Darth Maul mini-series and the adaptation of Episode II. Duursema does excellent work, really stunning stuff. She is just as comfortable in giant space battles as in a dive bar full of aliens or during a Sith/Jedi lightsaber battle. Her versions of familiar movie characters are easily recognizable but have touches of her style; she doesn't lose the fact that this is art and not photoshopping in actor's faces on drawn bodies. The characters she created for the series all have unique looks that are stunning and iconic, very much in the Star Wars tradition; Sith assassin Darth Talon, the red skinned Twi'lek, has become a fan favorite. Her art is very detailed, with fully fleshed out backgrounds. She and Ostrander work wonderfully together, and any collaboration between them is something that is worth checking out.

Star Wars: Legacy regular series ran fifty issues, and was followed up by a six issue mini-series, Star Wars: Legacy- War, that wrapped up the main plot of the series. The series and mini-series have been collected over eleven trades, all of which should be available at your local comic shop. There's a lot more to say about this series, but it's a great ride with a lot of twists, and I don't want to ruin any of them for you. Go, check it out, and may the Force be with you.

Top Ten Star Wars Characters Created In Comics

I've always loved Star Wars. While I don't remember it, apparently the first movie my parents brought me to when I was little was Return of the Jedi. I keep up with the Galaxy Far, Far Away through pretty much any media I can: movies, TV, books, video games, and of course comics. And frankly, I feel the comics are probably the most consistent in quality of any media of Star Wars, telling some excellent stories. One of my friends and customers at Dewey's, who is also a reader here mentioned that he'd like to see a top ten Star Wars comic characters post, and let it never be said I don't aim to please my audience. So here they are, my ten favorite characters created for Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU) comics. One important caveat: while I have read pretty much all the Dark Horse Star Wars comics, I haven't read a lot of the classic Marvel ones. I have them now, and plan to start reading from the beginning at some point, so there might be an update to this post when I have, or a "Top Ten Marvel Star Wars Characters" post then.

10. Demagol

If there's one thing I found that Star Wars is lacking is mad scientists. Sure, we've met the people who built the Death Star, but they're pretty minor figures, and there were a few Yuzzhan Vong Shapers during the New Jedi Order, but none of them really grabbed me. But Demagol, the Mandalorian scientist from the Knights of the Old Republic comics was a really creepy character. Obsessed with the biological source of the Force, Demagol experimented on Jedi. A character who appeared early in the series and seemed to not appear again turned out to be a major player when it was revealed he had been hiding in plain sight all along with the series heroes. I recommend Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Demon

9. Kir Kanos

Kir Kanos, the star of the Crimson Empire trilogy, was the last of Palpatine's Imperial Guards. You kno the ones; the guys in the red armor walking around with the Emperor, who look badass and never do anything in the movies. Well, Kir Kanos doesn't just look badass: he is. Kanos proves himself a deadly fighter, and an honorable warrior. He's the first of three characters on this list who fall under one of my favorite EU character types: The Noble Imperial. These are men and women who fight for the Empire not because they're deranged Sith or petty despots, but because they think the Empire is the right way to govern the galaxy. Kanos fought with the last measure of devotion to preserve what he thought was right, and in the end walks away into an uncertain galaxy with his honor still intact. I recommend the upcoming Star Wars: The Crimson Empire Saga.

8. Vilmarh Grahrk

One of my favorite parts of the Star Wars universe is that not every character is a soldier, Jedi, or Sith. Some of the best characters are on the fringe, characters like Han Solo, who are just trying to keep their heads down and make a buck. Vilmarh Grahrk, or Villie for short, is that kind of character, only missing most of Han's redeeming characteristics. He's a sleazy mercenary who will do anything for a buck, and is always playing every side against the middle for his own benefit. There's no cause that will make Villie into a "good guy" but he does prove in the end to be a decent friend. Villie is also a very funny character, and never more so than in the story the above cover is drawn from, "The Devaronian Version", where we hear about the adventures Villie has had with Jedi Quinlan Vos from Villie's point of view. I recommend "The Deavronian Version"collected in Star Wars Omibus: Quinlan Vos: Jedi in Darkness.

7. Janek "Tank" Sunber

This one is a little bit of a cheat, since the character is mentioned once in the movies. Janek Sunber is the second Imperial character showing up on this list. He first appears in a story where he shows uncommon valor and is rewarded for it with pretty much nothing. The next time we see him, he bumps into Luke Skywalker, and it turns out he is the "Tank" Luke mentions as one of his friends who went off to the Imperial Academy. When Sunber finds out Luke is the Rebel who destroyed the Death Star and is public enemy number one, he begins to suffer a crisis of conscience. He has a hard time reconciling why a good man like Luke would be part of the Rebellion. The fact that he is someone who really believes in the good of the Empire, and struggles with what is right or wrong, is what makes him such a fascinating, multi-faceted character. I recommend "To the Last Man" collected in Star Wars: Empire: The Imperial Perspective.

6. Zayne Carrick

Most Jedi in any era are portrayed as powerful and, if not infallible, at least wise. Padawan Zayne Carrick, the lead in the Knights of the Old Republic series, isn't really either. Zayne spends most of the series on the run, travelling with a group of rogues, and desperately trying to not screw things up worse. But at his heart, Zayne is a good guy, and someone who is always looking out for the downtrodden. That is what makes Zayne such a great character: he never loses his humanity to his higher Jedi aspirations. I try to keep things here spolier light, since I'm hoping to encourage people to read the comics, so I won't say much more about Zayne, since part of the thrill of his series is watching mysteries around him unspool. But needless to say, it's a fun ride. I recommend Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Commencement.

5. K'Kruhk

K'Kruhk was a long lived Jedi, first appearing during the Clone Wars era as a disaffected Jedi with doubts, and surviving all the way to being Council Master in Legacy. He is a mighty warrior, a Jedi who commits himself fully to the Jedi cause when he makes his peace. He also is one of the few comic Jedi to make it into other media, having appeared in the awesome Clone Wars animated micro series. K'Kruhk also has an excellent visual, with his hulking frame and tusks belying the caring spirit inside. And check out that hat! He had that hat for a couple hundred years. He deserves a spot on this list just for finding a fashion statement that works and sticking with it. I recommend Star Wars: Dark Times: Parallels

4. Cade Skywalker

Cade Skywalker is the descendant of Luke Skywalker, and the main character of what is probably my favorite Star Wars comic series ever, Legacy, set over a century after the classic trilogy. As opposed to his famous ancestor, who ran head first towards his destiny, Cade did his best to hide from his. Writer John Ostrander made a comment that he wanted to create a character who was, basically, Han Solo with a lightsaber, and that's what Cade is. He's a bounty hunter who wants nothing to do with being a Jedi in a galaxy where Jedi are once again hunted. But the Force keeps calling him, and watching Cade evolve over the course of Legacy's run is to watch a young man finally choose his own path, his own destiny, and in the end live up to the name Skywalker. I recommend Star Wars: Legacy: Broken.

3. Baron Soontir Fel

Starfighters are cool, and the men and women who pilot them are some of the coolest out there. Baron Fel was introduced as the opposite number of Wedge Antilles: the best pilot the Empire had who couldn't use the Force. But after his 181st TIE Fighter Wing went up against Antilles's Rogue Squadron, Fel made the shocking decision to defect. Fel had grown tired of the Empire, and had seen it's wrongs, especially after the death of Palpatine, and he was willing to help the Republic under the condition they helped him find his wife, the holostar Wynssa Starflare, who was in actuality Syal Antilles, Wedge's sister! Fel became a Rogue, and maintained his sense of dignity and his expert flying until he disappeared at the end of the Rogue Squadron series. Fel would eventually reappear in the novels, and become the ancestor of the new line of Emperor's in Legacy. But Fel was above all else a pilot, and few have ever flown who were better than him. "The Making of Baron Fel" collected in Star Wars Omnibus: X-Wing Rogue Squadron Vol.3

2. Quinlan Vos

Quinlan Vos's visual was based off of a background character in The Phantom Menace, but he became the main character in John Ostrander's extended run of the Star Wars ongoing that became Star Wars: Republic. Vos is an odd case, a Grey Jedi for want of a better term, always hanging right on the edge of the light side, slipping ever closer to the dark. Vos's arc involves him spending much of the Clone Wars undercover as one of Count Dooku's agents, and his loyalties are called into question by both his fellow Jedi and the reader often. That existence right on the edge of things makes Quin's journey an interesting one to follow. He also has a distinct look and an ability that sets him apart from other Jedi: he is a psychometric, who can tell the history of an object at a touch; these little distinctions help him stand out during an era with many Jedi. Quin was brought to "life" in a third season episode of the Clone Wars animated series. I recommend Star Wars Omibus: Quinlan Vos: Jedi in Darkness.


 

1. Darth Krayt

Darth Krayt is the Sith Lord who ruled the galaxy at the beginning of the Legacy series, and is a fascinating example of what a writer with longterm vision can do with a character. Krayt was introduced as A'Shard Hett, a padawan before the Clone Wars. Writer John Ostrander (yes, that name again) took over writing him during the Clone Wars, and there, the audience saw Hett as an honorable young man. He stood with the Jedi throughout the war, and had a memorable meeting with Anakin Skywalker. In that meeting, the first seeds of Darth Krayt are planted, a few years before Legacy was released. After survivng Order 66,he disappeared, and that seemed to be the end of A'Sharad Hett. Enter Darth Krayt in the first issue of Legacy. Krayt was a powerful Sith, and one who seemed to have a plan. He was not a cackling villain like Palpatine, but a colder, slower evil. Throughout the early part of the series, reader's theorized who Krayt was, and when it was revealed that he was Hett, Ostrander went on to tell the tale of Hett's fall. It's not like it's the only story of a Jedi who falls to the Dark Side in the canon, but it is a fascinating one. Hett suffers, and from his suffering is forged Darth Krayt. He is a master gamesman, on par with the late, lamented Palpatine, and his order of Sith are excellent villains. Add in the stunning visual of his armor, and you have my favorite character from the Star Wars EU comics. I recommend Star Wars: Legacy: Claws of the Dragon.