Star Wars Legacy #16

By Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman, Brian Albert Thies & Jordan Boyd

Star Wars Legacy #16 picks up the threads from the last issue, with Ania having been proving innocent by her friend, an Imperial Knight Jao Assam. However, because Jao turned up on Coruscant, he’s earned a death penalty for deserting the knights, and the only person who can overturn the sentence is Empress Fel. However, Fel isn’t saying anything, and to make matters worse, Darth Wredd isn’t out of the picture yet and has plans for Jao.

The book itself splits its narrative down two separate ways. We see Ania getting the meeting with the Empress that she desired, only for it to come in slightly different circumstances, and Wredd reveal his origin to a captured Jao.  The character has been one of the main opponents of Ania since the start of the series and it’s good to see that Beckho and Hardman are fleshing him out here, his origin fitting in nicely with the timeline of Star Wars Legacy and showing how that if there had been a Jedi Order, things might have turned out differently. It also shifts the bulk of the issue to Jao-centric and works well exploring both characters, even if in places it falls into the trap of the clichéd villain telling the hero his origin story whilst in captivity.

In a weaker book, that would probably make the story dull and boring. However, Star Wars Legacy is no weak title, and Bechko and Hardman are able to flesh out Wredd’s origin in a way that will please and entertain fans. Whilst this is the main talking point of the book we also see Ania in action. Whilst this may be a less action-packed book than previous issues, there are still important things set in motion here with #17 promising to be very awesome indeed.

Unfortunately, Gabriel Hardman isn’t handling artistic duties this issue. His artwork has always been exceptional and whilst Brian Albert Thies can’t quite live up to the high standards that Hardman has given us, he still manages to deliver some strong pencils and this book continues to have a great look and feel, especially when you consider the consistency of Jordan Boyd’s colours. It’s good to know that even with a change in artistic talent the book still manages to not only look impressive, but also keep a familiar tone so there’s nothing overly out of place here.

This is the last arc in the series and it means that each month we’re getting closer and closer to the end of the title. Star Wars Legacy is a book that’s going to be missed, even if it ends on a high note, and that’s hopefully what Hardman and Bechko will be aiming for here as the narrative enters its final stages. We’re building to a big conclusion and with this creative team, don’t expect to be disappointed.