Despite the forces of the Galactic Triumvirate and his fellow Imperial Knights coming to his aid to defeat Sith Lord Darth Luft, Jao Assam has decided to break with the Knights and, along with Ania Solo, continue the pursuit of the Sith outcast Darth Wredd. Jao has foreseen that Wredd poses a danger to Empress Marasiah Fel that cannot be ignored—though that is the course the Triumvirate has chosen.
Joining them on the hunt are Ania’s old friends, the Mon Calamari Sauk and assassin droid AG-37. Ania Solo has come a long way from being an obscure junk dealer in a remote corner of the galaxy.
But unbeknownst to her, Ania’s past is about to catch up with her…
The Review
Legacy #11 kicks off a new adventure as everyone wants Ania Solo. From masked, lightwhip wielding bounty hunters to mysterious strangers who kiss first and ask questions later, we get to see a wide spectrum of people coming after her. Throughout this issue, readers come to realize that there is a whole lot about Ania that we don’t know. With her past finally catching up with her, readers may be in for some answers.
First off, let me start with how happy I am to see Gabriel Hardman returning to the artwork in this issue. The panels, characters and scenery look better than ever. Part of that could also be a changeup in colorists, as Jordan Boyd is now handling the colors. I really enjoyed the visuals in this issue and they complemented the story perfectly. The mysterious female bounty hunter in the beginning kicked things off with a dose of awesome. Like the iconic Boba Fett, she wears a helmet that obscures her face and adds to the mystery of her character. She also employs some unique weapons, like a lightwhip. But she’s only one of several new characters in this issue.
From the spark of action in the beginning, the story plunges straight into a minefield, quite literally, as Ania and company try to earn some lucrative credits. I love the opening shot of Sauk staring in shock as they navigate the mines. The dialog shines as the characters banter back and forth. Sauk worries, AG-37 exhibits calm reassurance, and Ania is the ever present catalyst for trouble. Upon landing at Lasgo Port, it doesn’t take Ania long to find it. Without spoiling anything, she takes on a gamble in true Solo fashion, then runs into a plot point that raises some serious questions. Just why was Ania hiding out on a junk planet in the first place? Was she running from someone or something? The story drives on to present even more provoking questions as more parts of her past begin turning up. For instance, there’s that bearded guy on the cover who seems to be intimately familiar with Ania. A few twists and turns later, and the story gets even more interesting. I’d have to say I’m having a lot more fun with this new direction in the story as they begin to explore Ania’s past.
Overall, there’s a nice mix of action, humor and mystery in this issue. The story raises a lot of questions and introduces intriguing new characters. The dialog is generally really good, though there’s a few places where it’s a little awkward. One case in point is the beginning with the mysterious bounty hunter continually repeating herself, “Where is Ania Solo!” The other incidents are when characters sort of stutter or correct themselves as they try to speak. Some of those moments didn’t feel as natural as they could have been. Still, they were very minor occurrences didn’t detract any from the issue’s overall goodness.
Once again, I’d like to reiterate how much I liked the artwork in this issue. Whether it’s just the switch from Brian Albert Thies back to Gabriel Hardman, or the addition of Jordan Boyd, the artwork is looking better than ever. There’s a lot more detail in the panels and the visuals are just a higher level of quality. It was refreshing. On top of that, Corinna Beckho and Gabriel Hardman are taking some new turns in the story which have really captured my interest. The focus on Ania and her past catching up with her is a lot of fun. Toss in some great banter with the characters, and this issue scores high in every field. I give it a five out of five.
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