Published: February 5, 2025
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Rated: T
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Luke Ross
Colour Artist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover: Derrick Chew
The synopsis;
DARTH VADER’S SHADOW EXTENDS INTO…THE RISE OF THE FIRST ORDER!
• The reign of SUPREME LEADER KYLO REN begins!
• Kylo’s dark obsession leads him to MUSTAFAR!
• What secrets does FORTRESS VADER hold for the young tyrant?
• And what face from the past will guide him on his quest?
The review;
Lunging through flames and with his lightsaber at the ready, Kylo Ren strikes an indomitable silhouette in Chew’s direct cover. It’s bright and bold as Vader’s mask looms over his grandson, perfectly suiting the tone of the story. Wu’s variant solely focuses on Ren’s own mask in a downcast pose that hints at his inner turmoil. Meanwhile Gist’s variant feels like a movie poster as Ren is framed by the fiery landscape of Mustafar.
The Battle of Crait is over and Kylo Ren is ready to lie to the entire First Order. According to his point of view it’s the Resistance that killed Snoke and he is now ready to assume power as the new Supreme Leader. This introduction is absolutely brutal as Ren drags the sections of Snoke’s corpse through the ranks to prove his former Master’s death. And the shock factor works. No one dares suggest that Ren shouldn’t take power.
But then Soule takes us into Kylo Ren’s mind. While he might show a relatively cool exterior, inside his mind is a tumultuous mess. Plagued by the memories of his actions, Ren is struggling to hold it together. Every raw emotion is palpable on the page. Ross’s artwork is absolutely incredible as he pieces together Ren’s tortured expressions with snapshots of everyone he has betrayed. Between the black, white, and red, there’s a violence to these intrusive thoughts that are threatening to rip him apart.
Although Ren is now Supreme Leader, he doesn’t have the knowledge or experience to run an entire galactic military. He may have some diplomatic skills (he’s Leia Organa’s son after all) but that doesn’t translate well into galactic domination. So, this leads to an awkward conversation between General Hux and Kylo Ren. No matter which comic series they appear in, these two can never have a civil conversation. They can hardly be in the same room without arguing, which is exactly what happens this time too. There’s an interesting connotation when Hux says, ‘You could continue the dreams of so many of our forebears,’ possibly referring to his knowledge about Ren’s grandfather – Darth Vader. He knows his true identity – Hux refers to him as Ben in Rise of the Resistance: Kylo Ren #1 after all – but very rarely refers to it. Possibly because it’s potential blackmail material for him to leverage some power over the newly crowned Supreme Leader.
And it also results in a comeback which proves Ren is still Leia’s son under the surface: ‘My forebears shaped the galaxy…Your bloodline produces lieutenants and lickspittles.’ Insulting a person’s entire bloodline in a single sentence is absolutely savage. It’s similar to how Leia doesn’t cower in front of Grand Moff Tarkin in A New Hope, insulting his body odour instead.
After ordering Hux to build him a throne, something well beneath the General’s purview, Ren finds himself contemplating what to do with his newfound position. After everything he’s destroyed, the past still haunts him. At his core Kylo Ren is a character who struggles with his identity. He carries a heavy burden of legacy, and it has crushed him all his life. The burden is also one of the main reasons he turned to the Dark Side. Soule previously explored this in The Rise of Kylo Ren and it’s a prominent theme again here in Legacy of Vader #1. Ren’s not satisfied with his power because it’s not what he truly wants. Power is a mask he literally and figuratively hides behind because ultimately, he’s not happy with himself.
So how do you destroy your past? Everything that made you who you are? There’s not an escape from that, which deep down Ren knows. His anger is usually at the futility of trying to suppress the past. It’s also anger that drives him to Mustafar with the plan to destroy another element of his legacy – any memory of Vader. So, he’s surprised when he is granted access to Vader’s castle through his blood, the stone recognising his bloodline. And inside Soule has an even bigger surprise waiting for us in the form of Vaneé’s cyborg. He’s alive after all this time and thoroughly roasts Ren. He’s not impressed by this young tyrant, and it will be interesting to see how he might advise Kylo Ren. Is Vaneé doing this because of his loyalty to Vader or as a bid for potential power?
Luke Ross’s artwork is fantastic throughout Legacy of Vader #1 with exceptional likenesses and references to the Sequel Trilogy. He teamed up with Soule for The Rise of Kylo Ren series and all that artwork has clearly influenced this comic as well. There are a lot of different composition styles for each page, making the story flow in a cinematic way, with a great balance between character exploration and action. One of the standout panels has to be the moment when Kylo Ren fights his way through Mustafarians, not pausing for even a single step, with the pouring rain reminiscent of his fight with Rey in Episode IX.
Legacy of Vader #1 opens with a bang and the drama doesn’t stop for a moment. Considering this is just the first issue there is already so much plot that brings together characters from across the galactic timeline. Soule truly understands Kylo Ren’s character and his exploration of the tumultuous time after the Battle of Crait is going to be very interesting. Next issue sees the new Supreme Leader go to Tatooine, but apart from the weather it’s not a warm welcome!
Availability;
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader is an ongoing series published by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available online from Amazon (comiXology) and your local comic book store.
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