A few issues ago in Star Wars Legacy, we found out that Ania Solo had supposedly killed a Jedi Knight. This went counter to what we’d seen previously about Solo, who seemed like a person who was just finding her destiny towards greater things. However, many people in this world seem to believe Solo has killed the Jedi and there is a bounty on her. In Star Wars Legacy #13, the bounty hunter that has been trailing Solo for a few issues finally tracks her down. But Solo won’t go down without an extended fight.There is an irony to the fact that Ania, who is the descendent to Han Solo, is also being trailed by a bounty hunter. Of course, a major subplot to the original Star Wars trilogy was the bounty hunter Boba Fett tracking down Han Solo for Jabba the Hut. So there must be something in the Solo bloodline that makes them catnip to bounty hunters. Like Han, Ania Solo won’t just pull her space ship over and surrender. She runs and when she can’t run, she fights.
Much of Star Wars Legacy #13 is a fight between Solo and the as-yet-unnamed bounty hunter. Calling it simply a fight doesn’t quite do it justice because after tagging the bounty hunter with a laser blast to the helmet, Solo runs away. She smartly uses the terrain of the planet where she’s crashed to evade the bounty hunter, but Solo isn’t really a match physically for the bounty hunter. She’s eventually captured, but thanks to frenemy (and former lover) Ramid, she manages to get away from the bounty hunter. But is she worse off with Ramid, who was going to turn her in anyway?Although we do not find out much additional information about the bounty hunter, I feel that she is going to turn out to be a significant character. There has been too much time devoted by writers Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman to her for her to simply be a generic bounty hunter. Plus, we know nothing about her. We haven’t even seen her face (which has been shielded by a helmet). I feel like the bounty hunter’s identity will turn out to be a major surprise, in hopefully a good way (even if it’s not good for Solo).
I’m curious also what the story is with Ania Solo and the murdered Jedi. She claims innocence and there has been nothing definitive shown, so how did she get framed? And why does Empress Fel, herself a former Jedi, seem so sure that Solo is guilty? I feel like there is something unstated and perhaps even sinister about the Empress, though perhaps she is simply set to punish anyone who is accused of harming Jedis.The art of Gabriel Hardman is fantastic in this issue. Although the plot of this particular issue may be relatively simple, the art of Star Wars Legacy #13 makes it worthwhile. Hardman shows us three distinct visual looks for the three locations: the dusty planet where Solo and the bounty hunter met, the gleaming capital of Coruscant, and the dark and cramped control room of AG-37’s ship. I feel like the chase and battle sequences are especially well done, and I enjoy the look of the world Solo is on.
Although Star Wars Legacy has taken a detour from the search for Darth Wredd and the state of the Dark Side, it has been worth it so far. The hunting of Ania Solo has revealed interesting things about her and the promise of other interesting reveals. Also, the character of Ramid is a welcome addition. I hope that AG-37, Sauk, and Jao Assam, who mostly just mused about whether Ania is guilty, get back into the action soon. Overall, Star Wars Legacy keeps giving strong stories.
Rating
7.8
Pros
Fantastic art, including backgrounds and action
The mysterious bounty hunter is still intriguing
The relationship between Ania Solo and Ramid takes another turn
Cons
The group of Jao, Sauk, and AG-37 don't do much except talk in this issue
