Marvel Comics has revealed its latest ongoing Star Wars series, one set in the immediate aftermath of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Dubbed Star Wars: Legacy of Vader, this new series traces Kylo Ren's journey as he becomes Supreme Leader of the First Order and tries to reconnect with the ghost of his grandfather, Darth Vader.
As revealed by StarWars.com, Legacy of Vader is written by a veteran of both Kylo Ren and Darth Vader comics. Charles Soule previously penned Marvel's 2017 Star Wars: Darth Vader series and 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Kylo Ren, a limited series that explores Ben Solo's ascent in the First Order and the Knights of Ren. The book is illustrated by fellow Star Wars veteran Luke Ross.
Check out the slideshow gallery below for an early preview of Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1:
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 Preview Gallery
As mentioned, Legacy of Vader is set during the year between the events of The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. In this chaotic period, Ben Solo is seeking to consolidate his new grip on the First Order. But he finds that his motto "Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to," is easier said than done. Still haunted by the murder of his father and his final duel with Luke Skywalker, Ben will seek to commune with the spirit of Darth Vader and recommit himself to the Dark Side. To do so, he'll revisit key worlds in Anakin Skywalker's past, including Mustafar and Tatooine.
“When fans talk to me about my Star Wars work, two of my Marvel comic runs come up more than almost anything else: my 2017 run on Darth Vader with Giuseppe Camuncoli and my 2019 series The Rise of Kylo Ren with Will Sliney,” Soule told StarWars.com. “I think both of those worked so well in part because they were set in parts of the Star Wars timeline full of unanswered questions about characters the audience really loves. This new series is not just a combination of those two books, but also a chance to explore an extremely rich section of the timeline that's almost entirely open: Kylo Ren's time as Supreme Leader of the First Order.”
“Kylo is truly lost at this particular moment. In a very short span of time, he's faced two of his most significant mentors in combat (one of whom is his uncle), killed his own father, almost killed his mother, stolen control of a galaxy-level military that he has no idea how he'll use, and of course, found a deep connection with another Force-user named Rey,” Soule continued. “All of that is swirling around in his emotional matrix, making him deeply unstable, angry, frustrated… dangerous. He's looking for any form of guidance he can get — even if he won't admit it — and so he turns to just about the only thing he's got left, the legacy of his grandfather, the Sith Lord Darth Vader.”
This is one of Marvel's first major projects set after the Star Wars Original Trilogy. Previously, in addition to the aforementioned Rise of Kylo Ren miniseries, Soule penned Star Wars: Poe Dameron, which showcased more of Poe's exploits as a hotshot Resistance pilot. Marvel also recently kicked off Star Wars: The Battle of Jakku, a trilogy of miniseries detailing the final conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire.
Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #1 will be released on February 5, 2025.
Marvel revealed another new ongoing Star Wars series at NYCC 2024. Marc Guggenheim and Madibek Musabekov's Star Wars: Jedi Knights focuses on the heroes of the Jedi Order in the time before The Phantom Menace.
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