Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #7 Review

by Henry Wood

Written by Charles Soule

Illustrated by Luke Ross

Colored by Nolan Woodard

Lettered by Joe Caramagna

Edited by Mikey J. Basso, Mark Paniccia, Grace Orriss & Robert Simpson

Kylo Ren comes face to face with a former Jedi Knight! Will she spare him? How did she survive Order 66? How has she survived until now? What shocking secret will she reveal to him and how will that change his quest to kill his past for good?

Picking up right from the end of the previous issue, Kylo Ren is taught the history of Grandea, the Theelin survivor of Order 66 by Grandea herself. This is a very Grandea focused issue, where pretty much the entirety of the issue is her life story. We learn how she survived Order 66 and how she left the Jedi. From this story we learn about her views of the Jedi and what technique she used to remain hidden.

Soule uses this issue to return to characters from his run on Star Wars: Darth Vader with Giuseppe Camuncoli, as we see Grandea two inquisitors. But that’s not the only connection to that series, as Grandea’s experimentation with the Jedi Mind Trick and using it on clones is similar to how Ferren Barr used the Jedi Mind Trick to force the Purge Troopers to attack the Inquisitors. Learning Grandea’s struggle, we are given a look into a darker story and era of the galaxy than what we typically associate with the Jedi.

Luke Ross and Nolan Woodard do a great job of showing this through the flashbacks, as every panel in the flashbacks are tinted a little bit red, the color of the Lightsaber blades used by Dark Siders. It’s a subtle way to get this point across to the reader. Grandea herself makes it clear that she is no longer a Jedi, and is very emphatic on that point when Kylo Ren tries to dispute it. It all underscores how she has taken a darker path, while not fully succumbing to the Dark Side like Kylo Ren.

The overarching point of this story, and this issue specifically, is Kylo Ren being forced to look at the reality of his life and the galaxy, even though he does not want to accept it. Charles Soule continues to do a phenomenal job of this, including dropping a surprise for Kylo Ren that could completely shake his reality. It’s a reveal that will shape the series to come as Kylo will be forced to come to terms with it.

This continues to be the best ongoing Star Wars book that Marvel is publishing, the team of Charles Soule and Luke Ross is firing on all cylinders, taking on a tough task in bridging Kylo Ren from Episode VIII to Episode IX in a coherent way that will hopefully enhance both films. So far, they’re doing an incredible job and this is still a can’t miss series!