STAR WARS LEGACY: MONSTER

The Green Lantern

follow this blog

12 followers

85 daily readers

rank of 2230

E-mail Subscription

Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:

STAR WARS LEGACY: MONSTER

August 14th 2010 07:54

Category: Graphic Novels/Comics

“...I am what the force has made me...the Sith’s worst nightmare. Time to make war.”

Cade Skywalker to Master Wolf Sazen

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Production Team: John Ostrander – story/script, Jan Duursema – pencils/story, Dave Ross – pencils, Dan Parsons – inks, Brad Anderson – colours, Jesus Aburto – colours, Michael Heisler – lettering & Chris Scalf – cover art
Cost:AU$24.95/US$17.99

It has been a while since the Green Lantern cast its viridian vigilant gaze onto the Star Wars Legacy series, perhaps a little bit too long, so now I have focused the eternal emerald energy of the Lantern back onto that galaxy far far away and a long time ago. As far as things are going after reading this particular work it seems as if things are in a state of flux within the galaxy, a flux which could tip either way – into a newfound era of peace and prosperity or an age of eternal darkness. Which way will events unfold and will that troubled scion of the Skywalker lineage Cade Skywalker be the cause that sees the galaxy go one way or the other?

Destiny or in fact the avoidance of one’s destiny has been the major focus of the ongoing Star Wars: Legacy saga, Cade Skywalker seemed from the very outset to be hell-bent on staying as far away from his destiny as he can. But as a member of a legendary lineage, the family descended from the Chosen One himself, it seems that his efforts are all for naught. In fact it could be said that if he wasn’t so keen on keeping away from the destiny that is the making of his family he probably wouldn’t have had to endure half the travail and turmoil that has been his lot. Mysterious are the ways of the force, and as the ghost of Luke Skywalker once pointed at to him he can only avoid it for so long before he will have to eventually accept who and what he is.

If you were of a philosophical or post modernist bent you could almost say that a great deal of this saga also revolves around issues of predestination, whether life is fluid or in fact literally carven down in stone, the stone of one’s DNA and midi-chlorian count. An interesting notion as the Jedi themselves don’t believe in the concept that one’s course through life is firmly set, they frequently espouse such tenets as “hmmm hard to see the future is, always in motion” and other such pithy statements. But strangely they’re deeply entrenched in the whole idea of prophecy witness their adherence to a belief about a chosen one back in the Clone Wars where Anakin Skywalker was seen as the individual who would bring balance to the Force. Conflicted or what? Still such conflict demonstrates that even for all their prowess and ability with the Force Jedi are as prone to the uncertainties of life as much as anyone else, that even for them certainty is elusive.
Flux is also a dominant aspect in this particular installation of the ongoing saga, the death of Darth Krayt in the Vector saga is still be felt across the galaxy although in differing ways and results. For the Sith there is the nascent beginning of schemes and plots, the certainty that Krayt brought to the order is gradually being eroded. No one is sure that he is still at the helm of the monolithic juggernaut that is the Sith Order. There is also a change in the way that the Moff’s Council is running affairs, Morlish Veed, leader of the Imperial Moffs who threw their lot in with the Sith and their leader, Darth Krayt has suddenly become very pro Sith of late. He is engaged in attempting to bring to justice their mutual enemy, Emperor Roan Fel and his daughter, Marasiah. This is a course that is not to the liking of Nyna Calixte, his sometime paramour and head of Imperial Intelligence.
Meanwhile the surviving remnant of the Galactic Alliance’s military under Admiral Gar Stazi are in negotiation with the Jedi Order who have at last revealed themselves and are seeking to forge closer links with the Galactic Alliance Core Force (GACF). It’s only natural for the Jedi to forge such an alliance as they were once under Grand Master Luke Skywalker affiliated with the Galactic Alliance. But the diplomacy doesn’t end with the GACF, as the Jedi seek to form closer ties with Admiral Stazi they’re also reaching out to the other significant political player in the galaxy, Emperor Roan Fel. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, an old and oft used adage, the Jedi know that that GACF has formed an alliance with the Emperor now they seek to do the same, seeking to no doubt bring a consensus to the forces raged against the Sith and their Imperial minions.
And Cade Skywalker? How does he fit into all of this? Well whilst all the manoeuvring between the various key factions on the galactic political scene are attempting to build bridges or eliminate rivals he’s on Zeltros, homeworld of the hedonistic pleasure loving Zeltrons enjoying some R&R with his crewmates, Jariah Syn and Deliah Blue. He is a man who looks as if he seeks to live very much in the moment, the now and forget about what has happened in the galaxy at large and his destiny. But it seems that the galaxy and the Force have other plans for the last surviving member of the Skywalker clan, the arrival of the infamous dread pirate Rav throws a dark shadow of Cade’s efforts at enjoying the simpler pleasures of life.
When the dust finally settles on this particular instalment you are left wondering if things are going to go ballistic, if Cade is going to rain down some serious smack down on those who seem to be bent on bending him to his will, to making him conform to their own particular vision of what he should be. Certainly if the quote at the start of this review is anything to go by their is going to be a major confrontation occur between Cade and the Sith and it’s not likely the Sith are going to have any real idea what has hit them, and perhaps they’ll have a hard time getting back up from the blows. All I can say is that once again it’s another superb effort from the combo of John Ostrander and Jan Duursema; graphic novels like this are well worth the spenduli spent in purchasing them with such tight taut storytelling, fantastic art work and suspense that leaves you wanting more. My advice, get out there and get your hands on this graphic novel.

Vote