LET'S READ: Star Wars: Legacy

Taking a gander at this due in no small part to the circle jerk Beefy and Q are forming around Krayt.

Issue 001

In Insider 89, Jan Duursema says she and John Ostrander did not want to at all lessen Luke's accomplishments of destroying the Sith, defeating the Empire, and reviving the Jedi.

In order to preserve this legacy, their tactic was to write a story all about the Sith restored, the Empire ascendant, and the Jedi scattered.

My thoughts:
[list]
[*]Krayt shits the mother of all infobricks on the audience, bypassing the major freakin' events that directly influence and precede the story; show, don't tell
[*]Will give Nihl points for wanting to transcend the mistakes of the previous purge
[*]The impact and implication of Sazen's resurrection/resuscitation are breezed over far too quickly
[*]Cade intrigues me; he's like a young Han Solo with Force powers and a Skywalker last name
[*]Kol's trying too hard to be Ganner Rhysode
[*]Krayt's coup was way too easy; clever and opportunistic, but this is not the product of a mastermind
[*]He's apparently overexerted by taking out Faux!Fel's bodyguards and his weakness is emphasized far too early, along with his overarching scheme for Cade
[/list]

First impression:

The story loses major points for originality and its close proximity to the movies. Trying to determine which of the two major non-movie EU storylines (TOR and Legacy) is more offensive and degrading is going to be a source of heated internal debate.

Nihl and Cade are currently holding my interest. Otherwise, this issue was far too rushed, with a string of major events occurring too soon or only being relayed to the audience by way of exposition.

Score:

2/10

I need to remember that gif. It seems mighty convenient.

Spoiler:
Krayt dies, the good guys win.

Issue 002

My thoughts:
[list]
[*]Why didn't Sazen contact Shado and the others via hologram? Why meet in person? How did the Sith locate them? How did the Jedi not sense their approach?
[*]Cade reminds me a bit of Mal Reynolds, which is pleasing. Though his opening liner: "We're bounty hunters. We're after a bounty" was pretty damn bad
[*]Cade clearly acted to save Hosk's life, which makes me curious if he's going to let him escape en route to the Sith. Otherwise, it's an inordinately dick move that Cade really has no justification for
[*]Hosk sure begged and whined a lot for a devout Jedi
[*]The anointment of Darth Talon was lame; the impact of her execution of Ruyn was blunted by the fact that, again, we are only told the nature of their relationship. I don't expect it to be vividly portrayed, but even a glimpse of it would be better
[*]Wow, a princess who places duty above personal relationships, relaying messages from fellow rebel sympathizers on her father's behalf; at last an original eleiament!
[/list]

First impression:

Cade is showing some promise as a Malcolm Reynolds figure. The rest maintains its underwhelming momentum.

Score:

2/10

I approve this thread!

I'll make some comments, but not go too much.

Krayt's coup was way too easy; clever and opportunistic, but this is not the product of a mastermind

Yes, *this* isn't the big masterwork of the sith.

He's apparently overexerted by taking out Faux!Fel's bodyguards and his weakness is emphasized far too early, along with his overarching scheme for Cade

Vital info: He's strong, but sick. The Emperor's personal bodyguard including his cousin is simply fodder to Krayt ('fight our way out, or maybe even kill Krayt!' Heh), but fighting at all has a cost for him.

The story loses major points for originality and its close proximity to the movies.

On originality, I will note there's a fair amount being blended around. Rather than trying to be something entirely new, it tries to be something old remade. Cade as a Han Solo type 'Skywalker,' like you note. On time, hey, it's almost 140 years, by normal standards that's a lot! That's about as distant as we are the US civil war or Germany's unification. Not all history is in 1,000 year chunks ^^

What I want to emphasize here is that it's close enough to be familiar, while definitely not being the same. Legacy is a theme, not just a title. That's the author intent.

Anyway, that said, I look forward to your future reactions!

Q, your attempts to Legacy's tasteless and disrespectful aping of the core saga are noble but disastrous. It speaks to an inordinate lack of talent on part of the writers and a tacit admission that nothing that ever happens here will ever amount to anything in the grand scheme of Star Wars. It's been done before and done better. Beyond Cade, I'm seeing very little to care.

Issue 003

My thoughts:

[list]
[*]The opening text compares Krayt to Sidious: "A Sith once more occupies the Imperial throne," but then goes on to say that, "however, after seven years of rule, Krayt's hold on the galaxy is not absolute"
[*]Hosk has defied expectations and is being a real pain in the ass to Cade and co. rather than begging like a b1tch. I am well pleased
[*]Cade not letting Hosk escape was a genuine surprise and a welcome one, though I do hope they properly explain his callousness towards them
[*]If all it took was one mini-speech for Fel to convert the totality of Bastion to his cause, why not go live on the Holonet and persuade the galaxy to throw off Krayt's yoke? Though I do appreciate the attempted save-throw that Fel had been rotating loyalists quietly through the years into Bastion's service
[*]Cade being a drug addict makes him suitably Dark and Edgy (lol) but I do appreciate Casper!Luke's presence as well as his tacit reminders that Luke's exploits are vastly more important than anything Cade will ever do
[*]Cade's threat of suicide was a cool way to diffuse Luke
[*]Marasiah is so derivative of Leia that I wouldn't be surprised if Marasiah Fel is an anagram for Leia Organa
[*]Cade's plan to turn Marasiah over to Roan, collect the bounty, and then turn them both over to Krayt and collect that bounty is inspired and deliciously vile
[/list]

First impression:

Cade continues to exude promise now that we know him being a jerkass is not a wafer-thin front, like Han. Like Malcolm Reynolds, he really is an ass. The political tug-o'-war between Fel and Roan continues to bore for its haste and lack of depth and the other characters aren't memorable beyond bewbz. Nevertheless, it's a solid improvement due to the protagonist.

Score:
4/10

It speaks to an inordinate lack of talent on part of the writers and a tacit admission that nothing that ever happens here will ever amount to anything in the grand scheme of Star Wars.

Riiight. So much for approaching this with an open mind ^^

This isn't near the same story retold, it's some old elements remixed to tell a different story.

Issue 004

My thoughts:

[list]
[*]A vortex of Sith powerplays and treason as seen through the eyes of an Imperial patriot: reminds me of Ghost Prison, but greatly inferior
[*]Loyalty to the Imperial throne is peculiar when the guy who currently sits on it did so by killing the previous guy who sat on it. Still having a hard time accepting that unless we're talking about Klingons or Sith
[*]For a one-dimensional Sith prick, Maleval was surprisingly merciful considering Kark's twice-open insubordination
[*]Stormtrooper vs. stormtrooper would probably be a maelstrom of confusion and I'm glad this is emphasized
[*]Trask's murder of Maleval was most welcome
[*]That was the mother of all non-endings
[/list]
First impression:

I appreciate Ostrander's attempt to explore other facets of this war. And while Trask is a mildly sympathetic Everyman, I'm back to not caring about anyone.

Score:
2/10

Originally posted by Q99
Riiight. So much for approaching this with an open mind ^^

I'm not sure how I can be completely open-minded about such an openly reprehensible premise. The writers claimed to have taken precautions against diminishing the impact of the films and yet appear to take every step towards diminishing the impact of the films.

I love the EU as much as the next fella, but they all need to understand that everything they bring to the table is ultimately inconsequential. This is Lucas's playground and, right or wrong, he's the singular reason they're employed. So rather than spit on his story with their hamfisted caricatures, why not tell something new and creative?

Originally posted by Q99
This isn't near the same story retold, it's some old elements remixed to tell a different story.

Isn't "near the same story"? lmao

Lmao, Tempests getting butthurt.

IMHO, if they're going to start making distant-future SW storylines, they need to shatter the galaxy's static nature.

That is, as Tempest pointed out, nothing seems to matter; we all know that another sith empire is going to rise to power another 50 years down the line, only to get overthrown by the Rebel Alliance 6.0, and the cycle repeats itself.

Why not undergo fundamental changes to the universe's workings? For example, consider the idea of major and fundamental social revolutions; droids rights, for one, is SW's ubiquitous civil rights issue that no author seems to want to address.

Originally posted by Master Han
IMHO, if they're going to start making distant-future SW storylines, they need to shatter the galaxy's static nature.

That is, as Tempest pointed out, nothing seems to matter; we all know that another sith empire is going to rise to power another 50 years down the line, only to get overthrown by the Rebel Alliance 6.0, and the cycle repeats itself.

Homages and allusions will obviously find their place in Star Wars works. But these things can be done tastefully and quietly to better service the story without reeking of gratuitous narcissism.

Malak was a product of Vader and Tarkin: a man of monstrous bulk and marred with physical deformity, but an unrepentantly cold and brutal killer who was willing to raze worlds in singular pursuit of prey.

Revan was an amalgamation of Thrawn and Anakin: a prodigious mastermind who was also an inordinately gifted Force user.

Knights of the Old Republic took existing Star Wars tropes and expounded upon them (while introducing new ones) in tasteful ways that didn't amount to a bitter attempt to outdo a more popular story.

Legacy, like TOR, has revealed itself to me only as an attempt by obscure writers to match the popularity of that which spawned them by mimicking the original story to a dangerously absurd degree.

But we'll see. As long as Cade continues to be Cade, there may be hope yet.

Originally posted by Master Han
Why not undergo fundamental changes to the universe's workings? For example, consider the idea of major and fundamental social revolutions; droids rights, for one, is SW's ubiquitous civil rights issue that no author seems to want to address.

Originally posted by The_Tempest
[*]Loyalty to the Imperial throne is peculiar when the guy who currently sits on it did so by killing the previous guy who sat on it. Still having a hard time accepting that unless we're talking about Klingons or Sith

Yep, it's completely unbelievable. Especially since he failed to kill Roan Fel.

Originally posted by Master Han
Why not undergo fundamental changes to the universe's workings? For example, consider the idea of major and fundamental social revolutions; droids rights, for one, is SW's ubiquitous civil rights issue that no author seems to want to address.

Great idea, I've always wanted that to be addressed.

Or, heres an idea: Have the bad guys not be Sith.

Like, have a completely different darkside cult rise to prominence after the OT.

Yup; the Sith should have died at Endor or Byss. Why would a self-respecting dark sider wanna be a Sith anyway? They fail far more times than they succeed.

Originally posted by ares834
Yep, it's completely unbelievable. Especially since he failed to kill Roan Fel.

Unless they're being literal when they speak of the throne. Maybe it all comes down to the goddamn chair.

Originally posted by The_Tempest
Yup; the Sith should have died at Endor or Byss. Why would a self-respecting dark sider wanna be a Sith anyway? They fail far more times than they succeed.

Exactly. Just once I'd like someone to lampshade how incredibly shit the Sith really are.

(Personally I think the Star Cabal were great non-Sith villains)

Originally posted by The_Tempest

I'd be more invested in such a story, that promises actual changes to the SW galaxy, than merely defeating some random villain - all our current crises merely involve maintaining or restoring the status quo. Yawn.

Yea, I can definitely see a "The Sith should be dead-dead," argument, and can't say I entirely disagree (Btw, the One Sith is the *only* Post-Endor Sith I like).

That said, one can view it as, "Luke bought a century of peace and forged the Jedi who're fighting this one."

Originally posted by Master Han
I'd be more invested in such a story, that promises actual changes to the SW galaxy, than merely defeating some random villain - all our current crises merely involve maintaining or restoring the status quo. Yawn.

Though this is a difference in that the status quo involves the Empire.

I have all 50 issues and the War comics, do you want them or do you have them? Or are you starting to become jealous of the awesomeness of Krayt?

Taking a gander at this due in no small part to the circle jerk Beefy and Q are forming around Krayt.

I downloaded all of them last night. So far, I have seen VERY little of Krayt's awesomeness, but I'm only on issue 5; he has 51 issues to change my mind.

Right now, though, he's not fit to kiss Sidious's boot as a warrior or mastermind.

Spend the next 3 hours of your miserable existence and finish everything including WAR.