“There is no destiny. There is only power, and how we choose to use it…” – Darth Vader
Creative Team
Charles Soule (Writer), Luke Ross (Artist), Nolan Woodard (Colorist), VC’s Joe Caramagna (Letterer),
Derrick Chew (Cover Artist), Baldemar Rivas; Kyle Hotz & Rachelle Rosenberg (Variant Cover Artists)
C.B. Cebulski (Editor-in-Chief), Mark Maniccia (Editor), Mikey Basso (Assistant Editor), Carlos Lao (Designer)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
“There Is Only Power”
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #12 by Charles Soule is a “POWERFUL” book! That is essentially the basis for Kylo Ren as a whole thought, right? Kylo only wants to be the most powerful, OR does Kylo want to hear his grandfather (Vader) tell him he’s proud of him? Will Kylo ever be fulfilled in his quest for power and praise, I guess you’ll have to read to find out…
This twelfth issue of this Star Wars story takes our setting to Fortress Vader on Mustafar. Kylo is greeted by the spirit of his grandfather, who speaks some hard truths to him. Vader holds Kylo’s emotions over the fire telling him, ‘You desire power, but you were promised nothing…” The symbolism in that simple line is so impactful! Telling Kylo essentially to stop using his name to obtain power he has yet to earn.
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
This is when Kylo and Vader ignite their light sabers and begin to spar. You can probably imagine who took the brunt of this. In aggravation Kylo asks Vader, “why?” Which only sparks more sparring from Vader. Who, in a wild turn of events, ends up not being Vader at all… Its Kylo…
Imagine going on a quest to obtain answers about your past, and where your future may lead. Only to hit a speed bump along the way, and that bump is your inner spirit. You beg for understanding and truth, but your spirit has an objective all its own. Your spirit beats you down mentally and physically. Laying on layer upon layer of your wrong doings and disappointments. How do you feel?
Kylo is taken through a gauntlet of emotions. All of which have told him he’s not enough. This story is so powerful in that aspect. Going through life, just to have your inner voice tell you that you haven’t amounted to anything. Your decisions have been for nothing. Which brings us to the overall message of this story: it is never too late to change. Stop dwelling in your past and focus on your future.
Artwork
Luke Ross and Nolan Woodard‘s art for this book is so enchanting! The story starts with dark backgrounds and shadowing giving you that lonesome feeling. Transitioning to backgrounds of various shades of red during the fighting panels, and back to darkness at the end. The color pop of light sabers colliding is spot on! This is just an all-around perfect piece of art.
My Thoughts
This is by far my favorite story to come from this series. The dialogue between Kylo and Vader is so enriching and powerful. Charles Soule brought to life such a powerful message through the actions of fictional characters. The art by Luke Ross and Nolan Woodard absolutely compliments and captures that message! Beautiful art, captivating storytelling, sensational book!
You do not need to be a die-hard Star Wars fan to grasp the concept of this story. But true Star Wars fans will most definitely appreciate this story. Go out now and pick up this issue! You and your collection will not be sorry!
Grade:9.5/10!
Reviews of this series: Star Wars: Legacy of Vader
Previous Star Wars review of mine: Star Wars: Han Solo-Hunt for the Falcon
More Nerdy Content: Nerd Initiative
My Personal Content: Travis’ Comic Haven
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