Writing Sample 1

BOOK REVIEW 1

BY

DAVID SHREVE

Looking for a descent sequential read? Star Wars: Legacy: Volume I: Broken may be something you have been waiting for and did not know it. It is a graphic novel by Dark Horse Comics from a time long before Disney Star Wars. Remember when Star Wars lore seemed as interesting, important, and mythical as other fantasy franchises like Star Trek or Lord of the Rings?

This graphic novel’s story starts way after Return of the Jedi, 125 years after to be exact. But it continues the legacy of Skywalker in a unique way. Instead of a classic scruffy farmhand joining a rebellion, it stars an antihero who wants anything but to continue the Skywalker legacy he was born into. Instead of childish angst Cade Skywalker, the hero, has a rough past. For instance, as a padawan he witnesses his father die at the hands of the Sith. Even Cade’s Jedi mentor almost dies but somehow Cade uses a force healing power to save him, although at great cost. Shaken by his unique ability that allows him to heal others but also forces him to use the power of the dark side, Cade becomes a tortured soul that wants nothing to do with either side of the force.

But the galaxy needs a hero. A new emperor, Darth Krayt, establishes himself as the new force ruling the galaxy. However, his reign is troubled by not only outside forces but parasites that feed on him from the inside. So, Darth Krayt desperately seeks a way to remove the parasites and heal himself. Thus, like it or not, forces on both sides seek a savior of Cade Skywalker’s potential.

This Star Wars legend comes packed with interesting lore, appearances from ancient Sith lords, and a cameo from the force ghost of a certain jedi master we all know and love. This and more make Star Wars: Legacy: Volume I: Broken an entertaining graphic novel that launches a great series. The script by John Ostrander is dense and sophisticated, living up to the Star Wars legacy. Plus, the art and pencils by Jan Duursema pack a punch, feeding the reader with visual splendor. The book itself was published in 2007. Thus, it is Star Wars before Disney took over, which for some might be of interest—especially if you are looking for an alternate depiction of a galaxy far, far away.

Of further interest is, Cade, a protagonist that’s juggling difficult problems like a chronic drug habit, while trying his best to avoid all things Sith and Jedi, and still trying to survive life in a tough galaxy where force users are being hunted. In this volume we find Cade hiding behind the identity of a mercenary and living in his starship the Mynock with his crewmates Jariah Syn and the beautiful Deliah Blue, who know nothing of his jedi history—at least for now.

But everything changes when a princess on the run from a Sith assassin hitches a ride from Cade and company. This forces our flawed hero to face the legacy he tried to abandon. More than just a simple comic, Star Wars: Legacy: Volume I: Broken is the start of a fascinating and unique story in the Star Wars universe that holds up even today.