Review by Frank Plowright

Cade Skywalker isn’t your father’s Skywalker. When first seen he’s a padawan in a Jedi Academy being ravaged by Sith forces. He suffers great personal loss while escaping, and beyond a single incident shortly after, isn’t seen for seven years. By then he’s commanding a bounty hunting crew and very successful at his trade. He’s left his former life behind, but circumstances have a way of inveigling people back to the force.

Star Wars Legacy is set 132 years after the restoration of the Republic in Return of the Jedi. Unfortunately since then matters have deteriorated, with the Jedi on the run, the Sith in control of a new Empire and several other factions jostling for power and attention. John Ostrander writes this entire series, the majority co-plotting with primary artist Jan Duursema, having an advantage that writers of other Star Wars titles lack: a clean slate. Yet for all that, the initial scenario very much resembles that at the start of A New Hope, a little joke, as matters soon evolve.

Ostrander and Duursema spread their focus around an ever expanding cast on all sides of the conflict in the course of well-plotted science-fiction action thrillers. Within the Empire there are an ambitious pair among the Moff Council, and over the course of the series Nyna Calixte will grow into one of the most complex cast members. New villain of the piece Darth Krayt surrounds himself with an equally despicable selection of Sith, and deposed Emperor Roan Fel proves far more than he initially appears. So does his daughter, the Princess Marasiah Fel. Cade’s shipmates Blue and Syn are loyal and engaging, each with their own back story, and over the series plenty of familiar faces are seen.

Cade is a fascinating character. Impulsive, conflicted and substance-dependent, he lacks a clear vision of who he is, and while naturally adept with the healing abilities of the force, he rejects his previous Jedi status. When he falls under the spell of Darth Krayt there’s a genuine tension as to whether or not he’ll be drawn to the dark side. The series isn’t titled Cade Skywalker: Jedi, after all.

So, the plotting is very good indeed, and the art matches it. Duursema, primarily inked by Dan Parsons, draws most of the material, with Colin Wilson also supplying three chapters of his European-influenced storytelling. Adam DeKraker supplies one episode, attempting to match Duursema’s style, while Travel Foreman is still developing at this state in his career.

This Epic collection was previously issued by Dark Horse in hardcover as Star Wars Legacy Omnibus 1. Alternatively, the constituent paperback volumes are Broken, Shards, and Claws of the Dragon with more detailed individual reviews found by following the links.