Extremes, Part 3, issue #50 of Star Wars: Legacy, marks the end of the popular comic series which began in 2006. (A mini-series epilogue, Legacy -- War, is in the works.) Legacy follows Luke Skywalker's descendant, Cade, nearly 130 years after Return of the Jedi, when the galaxy is found once again in the midst of civil war.
Balancing the New and Familiar
At first glance, the storyline of Legacy seems like just a rehash of the Star Wars movies: the Sith take over the galaxy and kill the Jedi; the survivors go into hiding; and a lone Skywalker defeats the evil and saves the galaxy. Even some of the details are derivative, like the sudden revelation of an evil parent and accidentally flirting with an unknown sibling.
The familiar plot, however, is exactly what makes Legacy work so well in the Star Wars universe. The cyclical struggle of Jedi versus Sith anchors Legacy to the films and the rest of the Expanded Universe, making it feel like Star Wars despite the major changes in tone and character.
Setting & Politics
Legacy is set in 130 ABY -- a daring leap ahead for the writers, since at the time of the series' launch, the most recent EU material only went up to 40 ABY. The galaxy changed greatly in the interim. A new Galactic Empire formed, led by the reasonably benevolent Fel Dynasty; but they were defeated and forced into exile after the Sith-Imperial War, replaced by Darth Krayt's Sith Empire.
The political situation adds complexity to the story compared to the Star Wars films. In particular, there are three major organizations of Force-users: the Sith, who no longer follow the Rule of Two; the Jedi, who are all but extinct; and the Imperial Knights, considered Gray Jedi, who (according to the Jedi) place loyalty to the Fel Empire above loyalty to the Force.
Ambiguous Characters
The story's moral ambiguity is only intensified by the anti-heroic nature of its main character. Cade is exactly what no one expected to see as a Star Wars hero, particularly as a Skywalker. He rejects his Jedi roots, makes a much more realistic smuggler than Han's bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold, flirts with the dark side in more ways than one, and abuses drugs that make him hallucinate Luke Skywalker's Force ghost.
Even with the other new elements to the story, it's Cade who single-handedly tips the balance between a simple retelling of the Star Wars films and an exciting, original story. It's easy to become invested in the characters and events despite never being quite sure who the heroes are.
Ending Too Soon?
The final issue of Legacy, however, was somewhat disappointing. It's always better for a series to quit while it's ahead rather than overstay its welcome, but Extremes, Part 3 feels far too rushed and abrupt, like the writers really wanted that nice, round #50 when the series could have easily extended until #51 or #52.
The overly cliché "Beginning of the End" on the comic's last page indicates that the abrupt ending and multiple loose ends were intentional, leading into the Legacy -- War miniseries set to premiere on December 15. Though we won't know for a while how Legacy really ends, now's a great time for newcomers to catch up on the entire series.