Suvudu Universe

Have two rapid-fire reviews: one of the latest issue of Legacy, and another for the much-hyped The Star Wars, a comic series based on George Lucas' original draft of the films.

Issue #6 of Star Wars: Legacy 2 is excellent, with both action and quiet moments contributing to a deepening story. Each scene serves multiple purposes. Ania and Jao are both endearing, while Sauk gets his own plot. Ania hints at an “accidental” event in her past that made her not believe in destiny, and “some people” giving input on her future - maybe this Solo was more famous before she bought a junk yard to get away from her fame. That would explain her earthy but forward attitude. The Sith's motive is also revealed, and I like it a lot: it removes the EU's Sith saturation problem while still keeping the coolness factor of a dark Force user. This issue also passes the Bechdel Test, and has Snivvians using Force lightning!

Issue #1 of The Star Wars is the tale of Kane Starkiller and his sons. The Jedi of this universe look even more like samurai than their “canon” counterparts, although it’s more in the hair than the clothes this time. The mythic tone sometimes makes the characters feel too lofty to engage with, but like in the movie A New Hope there’s always an interesting design touch to counterbalance them. Characters like Darth Vader and General Luke Skywalker can be weighty and scary - Kane too. The characters are introduced quickly: a lot of names are thrown around while some main characters are never named except in online materials. Talk of businesses and trade restrictions may not be what some readers want from Star Wars. All in all I found the comic to lack warmth.

The art is rich and naturalistic, and is the only thing that I unequivocally like better about The Star Wars than the current Legacy.

The Star Wars is a boys’ club right now, except for Leia, and I hope she’ll have more to do in the comic than she did in the actual draft. I love the idea of bringing the early drafts to life as a curiosity, and enjoyed the retro design of the world, but the characters have a bit too much bluster, and ideas like naming your palace “Palace of Lite” should have stayed in the drafts.