I first read “Star Wars: Legacy” shortly after it concluded its run. This would have been in mid-2011, so it’s been almost ten years! I really remember loving the Mon Calamari stuff. That’s a world and a people who have always been portrayed as brave, noble, and industrious. There’s a lot of storytelling potential there. But the Mon Cal stuff isn’t working for me at all! Let’s get into it, and talk about some stuff that’s working a lot better.
“Star Wars Legacy” #32-35
Story by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema
Written by John Ostrander
Illustrated by Omar Francia, and Jan Duursema
Inked by Dan Parsons
Colored by Brad Anderson
Lettered by Michael Heisler
Published by Marvel
Originally published by Dark Horse
A big part of it is the art of Omar Francia. I like Francia in general- I like him lots- but this series belongs to Jan Duursema. It is her style and design that gives this series its flavor, and Francia is… something else. Not something bad. But a style that is ill fitted for the story. He’s a lot more Saturday Morning Cartoon. This art would feel more at home in a “Star Wars Adventures” comic for kids. The fact that the story is about a horrific genocide is a bad match of writer, story, artist, and visual style.
It’s not all a disaster. Francia debuts some new designs for a deep sea stormtrooper and legit I want the toy of that. The underwater Imperial Knights are also pretty great, and if you’ve been following these reviews you know how much I like the Imperial Knights. But you know that feeling when you take a sip from a glass thinking it’s water, but really it’s Sprite? That’s how I feel when I open a Francia issue of “Star Wars Legacy.”
When Duursema comes back, this comic crackles back to life. The story gets more propulsive, and the style more comfortable. John Ostrander goes a little crazy with the caption boxes when Duursema is drawing. That goes against my modern comic sensibilities (which tell me that artists should be trusted to do some heavy lifting) but you get the feeling that Duursema likes Ostrander’s loquaciousness. Caption heavy scenes have big panels with lots of empty space. Visually, a lot of setting details get conveyed, so the pages aren’t wasted. It’s an old fashioned style but it’s really well done.
The rest of this arc is really tight. Cade has recently rekindled his love for Azlyn, but she is mortally wounded, dying. And meanwhile his nemesis Darth Krayt is also in critical condition. Azlyn is ready to die. Cade isn’t ready to let her. Krayt wants Cade to heal him. Cade wants to kill him. And while I haven’t been totally into the love triangle, Blue at least makes her move and leaves Cade, at least for a while. The situations thematically mirror each other. The complex dynamics really pay off. And unlike the Mon Calamari story, where I struggle to connect to the characters, I’ve really fallen for this main ensemble.
Bantha Rawk is great! Brings a real Nick Offerman energy to Star Wars. Jeriah Syn has become a nuanced, three-dimensional character; he brings a strong perspective. And you really feel for Azlyn who just wants to be left to die in peace. That’s heavy but great stuff!
Despite all the genocide and the right-to-death stuff, issue #36 gets real rollicking. Syn and Cade beat up some punks. Syn kisses Cade’s cousin. And here, Duursema gets even looser and despite the low impact of the story, I had a great time. The artwork starts to get much more busy, everything covered with extra lines and wrinkles and shadows. It evokes the late 80s, when the Vertigo style was just coming into vogue. You can see the DNA of this art style in Chris Bachalo and Rob Liefeld. And you get the feeling that these two creators, Duursema and Ostrander, trust each other completely. They get each other, and have a shared style. You love to see it.
In conclusion, I think what changed was me. Ten years ago, I wasn’t as good at reading art as I am today. I didn’t skip the art or anything, but I didn’t have enough experience to articulate what I was feeling. Now I am a lot more sensitive to things like art style, scripting, panel layouts, visual storytelling- all the things that make a comic, a comic. And I hope in ten more years, I’ll be even more attentive. But that’s the cool thing about literacy. You can work it out, make it stronger, and experience a favorite story with fresh eyes.
May the Force be with you!
Star Wars Track of the Week: “The Training of a Jedi Knight” by John Williams from The Empire Strikes Back
