Star Wars: Legacy Volume 2

Star Wars: Legacy Volume 2, which can also be seen as Star Wars: Legacy Volume II or just Star Wars: Legacy, is a comic series that unfolds within the Legacy era. Functioning as a follow-up, it shares its title with the original Star Wars: Legacy. The narrative is crafted by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman, with Hardman also providing the pencil work. The colors are added by Rachelle Rosenberg, and it's brought to readers by Dark Horse Comics. The central figure is Ania Solo, a descendant of Han and Leia Organa Solo. Its inaugural publication occurred in March of 2013. The series concluded after 18 issues because Marvel Comics took over from Dark Horse as the Star Wars comic publisher.

Plot summary

Corinna Bechko, one of the series' creators, has stated that this second Star Wars: Legacy installment will primarily be an adventurous narrative. It will focus on Ania Solo, who is related to Han and Leia Organa Solo, and the story is set after the events of Star Wars: Legacy—War, a comic miniseries that took place in 138 ABY of the galactic standard year. At the story's outset, Solo manages a junkyard on a remote Outer Rim planet, leading a life seemingly disconnected from Emperors and royalty. However, the initial issue sees her gaining a lightsaber and an Imperial communications droid, as well as discovering that she's a target for assassination, which propels her into an unprecedented adventure. This isolated world will mirror larger galactic issues, and the narrative will broaden to reveal the happenings within the highest levels of the galactic government.

The debut issue will kick off with a "massive lightsaber battle," and it will also introduce Yalta Val, an Imperial Knight and agent of the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, encountering difficulties in the Outer Rim. Also featured is Sauk, a Mon Calamari refugee and Solo's friend who is employed at an ice mining facility, who becomes involved in the adventure through Solo. In the second issue, Solo will find herself pursued by both local law enforcement and an Imperial Knight determined to recover the lightsaber through lethal means. She will receive assistance from powerful allies she's acquired as a black market salvage operator, and she will also encounter a rogue Sith. The series might eventually include an appearance by Cade Skywalker, the lead character from the previous Star Wars: Legacy series. While the story will primarily explore new and less-known planets, the capital world of Coruscant may also be showcased.

Development

Randy Stradley had the idea to bring back Legacy after numerous comic book store owners inquired about it.

In August of 2010, Dark Horse Comics released the fiftieth and concluding issue of the Star Wars: Legacy comic series. Subsequently, the six-part miniseries Star Wars: Legacy—War was published from December 2010 to May 2011, providing writers John Ostrander and Jan Duursema the chance to conclude their ongoing storyline. Following War's completion, numerous comic retailers reached out to Randy Stradley, Dark Horse's Vice President of Publishing, with inquiries about Legacy. Stradley surmised that they were primarily seeking another monthly Star Wars comic and attempted to persuade Ostrander and Duursema to transition their new series, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, to a monthly format. However, both insisted on Duursema illustrating every issue, a feat she couldn't manage twelve times a year, leading them to opt for Dark Horse's alternating miniseries approach instead. Stradley then began to consider the revival of Legacy.

Stradley opted not to directly continue where Legacy had left off, aiming to avoid diminishing fan enthusiasm by creating excessive comparisons between the old and new creative teams. He also believed that Cade Skywalker's significant role in galactic politics would restrict his future character development. Stradley then contemplated a member of the Solo family, immediately envisioning a young woman reminiscent of Han Solo whose lineage had no bearing on her life's circumstances. At the 2012 Emerald City Comicon, Stradley approached the writer-artist duo Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman, inquiring about their interest in writing a Star Wars comic. Both were self-professed Star Wars enthusiasts, and the prospect of a female protagonist significantly influenced their decision to join the project. The series was developed over the following months, and the new Legacy iteration was announced by Comic Book Resources on December 3, 2012, with an anticipated release in 2013. Bechko and Hardman would co-write, with Hardman also contributing the pencils.

Bechko and Hardman have shared their excitement about working on the project through their Twitter accounts. They have been Star Wars fans since the original Star Wars film premiered in 1977, which they cite as a major influence on their work. Hardman says that they are both deeply engaged with the Star Wars universe and highly motivated to explore it further. Michael Heisler, Dark Horse's letterer, has praised their efforts and affirmed that they "know what they're doing."

Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko, the creative minds behind the series

While initially feeling intimidated to work in the Legacy era following Ostrander and Duursema's series, which they considered "daunting," Bechko and Hardman are enjoying their time in the era and the opportunity to advance the Star Wars narrative. Hardman has stated that they will be "honoring and building on" the foundation laid by Ostrander and Duursema in the original Legacy, but they also emphasize that the series will be accessible to readers unfamiliar with their work. Their objective is to balance continuity with the original Legacy and the development of their own story, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that it "feels like Star Wars."

In developing their series pitch, Bechko and Hardman studied many of the inspirations behind the original Star Wars films, including the Samurai films of Akiro Kurosawa. They aimed to connect with George Lucas's earliest influences and incorporate them into Legacy. They have engaged in numerous discussions about preserving the spirit of the original films in their work. Building on Stradley's initial concept of a female Solo protagonist, Bechko and Hardman created the character of Ania Solo. Bechko describes Ania Solo as someone who "doesn't take a lot of guff," yet isn't a typical tough female character. Hardman believes she has the potential to be "an inspiring but very down-to-Earth human sort of character, as well." Rather than creating a genealogical record, they intend to tell a grand adventure story that will eventually answer fans' questions about Solo's ancestry.

Joining Bechko and Hardman are Rachelle Rosenberg as the colorist and Dave Wilkins as the cover artist. The first issue, Prisoner of the Floating World, Part 1, was released on March 20, 2013, and it continued as a monthly, ongoing series, with the second issue released on April 24 and the third on May 22. Neither Bechko nor Hardman are concerned about the potential impact of the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens on the Expanded Universe—their priority is to create a compelling story that will succeed "no matter what," and they are comforted by the likelihood of Episode VII being set decades before Legacy. Following the significant interest in Legacy expressed by comic retailers, Stradley anticipates strong sales for the series.

On February 6, some of Hardman's concept sketches for the series were exclusively revealed on Newsarama. These included Ania Solo, Yalta Val, Yalta Val's transport, and a Sith apprentice (imposter).

To promote Legacy's launch, Bechko and Hardman were scheduled to appear at Beach Ball Comics in Anaheim, California, on March 20th. On March 23, they and Dave Wilkins were to visit Collector's Paradise in Winnetka, California, where an exclusive variant cover of the series' debut issue would be available to attendees. Hardman created the variant cover as a tribute to the iconic 1977 poster for the original Star Wars film.

Media

Sources

  • Star Wars Comics Preview: May 22, 2013 on StarWars.com (backup link)
  • Star Wars Comics Preview: June 26, 2013 on StarWars.com (backup link)
  • Star Wars Comics Preview: August 28, 2013 on StarWars.com (backup link)
  • Star Wars Comics Preview: September 25, 2013 on StarWars.com (backup link)
  • " Blaster " — Star Wars Insider 145
  • Star Wars Comics Preview: October 23, 2013 on StarWars.com (backup link)
  • From Han to Thrawn: Celebrating the Force-Free Characters of Star Wars on StarWars.com (backup link)
  • " Blaster " — Star Wars Insider 147
  • Star Wars Comics Preview: January 22, 2014 on StarWars.com (backup link)
  • " Blaster " — Star Wars Insider 151

Notes and references

External links

Appearances