Published: July 6, 2022
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artist: Will Sliney
Colourist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Cover Artist: E.M. Gist
The synopsis;
LANDO AND HONDO ARE ON A COLLISION COURSE ABOARD THE HALCYON!
A priceless jewel has attracted the attention of both LANDO and HONDO. But who is the mysterious figure who threatens both of their heists? And years in the future, CRIMSON JACK makes his move to capture the HALCYON… or destroy it
The review;
Well, hello – what have we here? That’s right it’s a guest review from myself for this issue of The Halcyon Legacy and what better character to focus on than Lando Calrissian? Oh yes, that’s right, Hondo! There are a lot of intense storylines that have been running throughout Star Wars the last few months and for me, what I have really enjoyed about the Halcyon Legacy is the break from this intensity. That is not to say that the storyline hasn’t been gripping, but it’s not on the galaxy wide scale that we are seeing in The High Republic, Crimson Reign or even Bounty Hunters! The movement between different tales while abroad has been immensely fun and something tells me this issue might be the best one yet! With two of the most amazing scoundrels together – with what is always incredible artwork by Will Sliney – I’m sure Ethan Sacks has a treat in store for us.
We start the story in the ‘present’ with the Halcyon in the middle of a solar storm. Although the Captain shows a huge amount of trust in the spy, we see that she can’t do everything for him, that she has responsibilities to her crew and her passengers. It sums up perfectly how all people of the era who are against the First Order have to act. They can all go so far for the Resistance, for standing up for what is right, but there comes a point that they can do no more without having to make sacrifices that will cost the people around them. How far can they go? How far should they go? It’s a wonderful moral question to raise.
But Sacks does not stop there. While the captain draws that line, where she has to get the ship out of the storm, Shorr, the spy, looks at the situation very differently. He is willing to sacrifice himself and go all the way to try and stop the First Order. Yes, it is going to tear his family apart, but in the grand scheme of things, he believes the sacrifice is worth it. Keevan and Shorr are trying to obtain the same thing, but both have different limits. Sacks explains this through Shorr, as to why he is willing to sacrifice so much more – Leia.
Leia has inspired hundreds, if not thousands of people ever since the Empire. Her strength, her words and her willingness to do whatever it takes has moved people to first join the Rebellion, then the Resistance. The sacrifices she has had to make inspire Shorr. But not just Leia, her daughter Rey as well. And it is this that I think Sacks does tremendously well. It is easy to recognise how the ‘common’ Resistance fighter will view each individually. But here, Sacks shows how they view the two together. For them, they are mother and daughter, continuing the fight. It shows that the two must have such a closeness that it is easy to see by the troops. It is alluded to in the movies, but Sacks is to be commended for bringing it here too.
This is reinforced by the amazing artwork of Sliney, the background images of Leia and Rey superb and really cementing the idea that Sacks is trying to get across to the reader. To then have Kylo and the First Order in the next panel, really brings home this idea that Leia and Rey are fighting for the life they want to give people compared to Kylo who is providing such a horrendous one. It shows just how well Sacks and Sliney work together to get this over to the reader. The panels leap out of the page and the full page spread of Hondo running from the stormtroopers is a joy to behold! Sliney is a master of his art, and this issue really shows his strengths.
There is a lot that Sacks has already put into the issue, and this is without even going into the tale! The adventure sees Maz, Lando and Hondo all together, trying to scam and Imperial Officer. What else would you expect from these three? It is a con that goes pretty well, and it is great to see these characters working together. Although the story itself is simple in some ways, there are some really enjoyable moments. The first is the treasure of the officer. Sliney packs in the treasure and readers will find themselves having a double take trying to find everything! The Kalikon Totem is a wonderful, subtle reference to Rebels which includes another area of Star Wars fandom. But the real prize here is the wooden box. There is of course more to this than we see even in this issue, but it’s interesting to have at least some of its backstory before we see it in The Force Awakens. Much like the comparison of the Resistance and the First Order; of Shorr and Keevan, Sacks also compares what treasure means. For General Kardan, treasure is an item to have possession of and not much else. The way he carelessly tosses the possessions into the safe shows that he just wants to be an items owner, rather than revering the item itself. By the end of the issue, the care which Maz shows for the box, perhaps the least valuable thing there, shows that the treasure is much more than that to her. It is very much like the Empire wanting to control lives with no care, compared with the Rebellion which values each and every one.
I said at the start that it I like not having the intensity of other series here, yet Sacks shows here that although it might not be on a galaxy wide scale, this story deals with a lot of very important issues. The depths in this comic are incredible and Sacks doesn’t hold back. These are things that go to the very fabric of each side in both eras but also to the very fabric of Star Wars itself. If you like Star Wars there is something here for you, no matter what era or character you enjoy. Coupled with the artwork by Sliney that really enhances the examination of these issues, and you have one the strongest issue of this series so far. I cannot wait to see where the next issue takes us.
Availability;
Halycon Legacy is a five-part series available from Marvel. This issue retails at $3.99 and is available via the Marvel App, ComiXology and all good comic book stores.
