Star Wars has fans around the globe. The saga of the Skywalker family has been translated into over 50 languages! Part of the fun is exploring the Star Wars universe through the lens of another culture. And that is exactly what you are getting with Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker (available now for $14.99). VIZ Media, well-known publisher of manga (Japanese comics), collaborated with Lucasfilms to create this collection of stories, brought to life by several high-profile artists.
We’ll take a look at each of the four stories in the single-volume compilation. All the images in this review are from the story “Big Inside,” but every story is illustrated by different artists. Additionally, you’ll notice as you read through the manga that each tale is told from a perspective other than Luke’s. Be warned, there are mild spoilers within this review.
[This review is written with a sample supplied by VIZ Media. All opinions are my own. Additionally, MiceChat does not profit from the links within this article. They are provided for your convenience.]
The Starship Graveyard by Akira Fukuya and Takashi Kisaki
The first story, “The Starship Graveyard,” takes a look at the life of an Imperial Soldier. An unfortunate twist of fate leads the Soldier to cross paths with Luke. I would describe the art style as “rough,” with features like sweat and injuries graphically emphasized. The key players’ faces have plenty of detail but background characters are more bland-looking. Also, I found it ironic that for all the fuss the Soldier makes about how great symmetrical things were, most of the things pictured were asymmetrical.
This was my least favorite of the stories in this compilation. The biggest reason was my personal dislike of the art style (but that is more of a preference than anything). I also found the main character a little uninteresting and hard to relate to, and the plot twist was too predictable. I would be more willing to forgive this offense if the story took place during one of the movies and thus had to remain in canon (which is the case in my favorite story, The Tale of Lugubrious Mote). Thankfully, the remaining three stories are much better.
I, Droid by Haruichi
This story follows a droid named Zeta, who, because of an override chip implanted against their will, works as a sort of slave driver to droids mining for tear opals. In an effort to rescue R2-D2, Luke infiltrates the mine, leading to an encounter with Zeta. The Imperial Soldier from “The Starship Graveyard” would love the art style in this story (plenty of droids means many symmetrical shapes).
“I, Droid” does a great job of fitting into the Star Wars universe. Not only does it showcase a wide variety of detailed droids and alien beings but it is also a tale of rebellion against oppression, which is a theme often visited in the films. And the last line (no spoilers) ended the story on a touching note.
The Tale of Lugubrious Mote by Subaru
Based on the title alone, “The Tale of Lugubrious Mote,” might be a little foreign but once you start reading, it’s a story you don’t want to put down. The plot is seen through the eyes of a Lugubrious Mote, a type of parasitic insect-like alien that originally made its home on Jabba the Hutt’s Kowakian Monkey-Lizard. The story takes place during the events at the beginning of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. In this retelling, what we see on the screen was not as it appeared. As it turns out, many of Luke’s amazing feats at Jabba’s palace were owed to Lugubrious Mote’s guidance. To fit a story on the more light-hearted side, the art style uses a greater range of facial expressions (and several of them are pretty silly) and the look of the characters, aside from their attire, would not be out of place in a manga about something more commonplace, like high school.
This story is my favorite contribution in The Legends of Luke Skywalker. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did! I don’t normally enjoy humorous manga but this was one of those stories that was genuinely amusing. It was a fun take on the events at Jabba’s palace, and the dialog combined with the at-times exaggerated facial expressions on Luke and Han made me grin. And like “I, Droid,” the story closed out with a similarly touching line (which, again, I will not spoil).
Big Inside by Akira Himekawa
The last story in the book is “Big Inside.” The story is told from the perspective of a biology student, whom Luke offers a ride home in his X-Wing after an assignment. The plot takes a darker turn when the pair come across what appears to be ruins on an abandoned planet. All the images in this review are from “Big Inside” so that should give you a good feel for Akira Himekawa’s (they’re actually a duo of artists) art style. If you want another good example, I would recommend you check out their manga, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. In any case, the art is the most detailed in the entire book. Their use of tones gives certain panels an almost ethereal quality. Honestly, I could gush about their artwork all day.
If it weren’t for “The Tale of Lugubrious Mote,” I would say this was my favorite tale in The Legends of Luke Skywalker (it missed that honor by just a hair). It is just so pretty to look at. Every page is a joy to digest. The story also had a bit of a mystery element with a bittersweet note at the end that actually made me go all teary-eyed.
Rating
I would give Star Wars: The Legends of Luke Skywalker a 4.5 out of 5. It has a great mix of voices and art styles. With the exception of The Starship Graveyard (which is what caused the 0.5 point markdown), the stories were enjoyable and expanded my view of the Star Wars universe.
2020 Spring Ticket Savings
Did you hear? Disneyland raised prices yesterday. Fortunately, our partners at Get Away Today still have the Disneyland park tickets at the 2019 rates. Start HERE for Discount Disneyland Tickets!
Kids Spring Sale
For a limited time, Get Away Today is offering savings of up to $86 on 3-Day Disneyland Tickets for kids ages 3 – 9. Valid on travel now through May 21, 2020, this deal is good on all 3-Day tickets, including 1-Park per Day, Park Hopper and tickets with Disney MaxPass. Tickets must be used within 13 days of use or on May 21, 2020, whichever comes first. It is the lowest price you’ll see on child tickets this year!
Best of all, these savings can be combined with other offers! Include a hotel with your vacation package and you can use code MICECHAT for an additional $10 in savings.
Southern California Resident Offer
This Spring, Southern California residents can save up to $106 on adult 3-Day Disneyland tickets for travel now through May 21, 2020. For residents who reside in zip codes 90000-93599, 3-Day Disneyland tickets for both adults and children can be purchased for less than $67 per day – that’s LESS than purchasing directly with Disney and includes downloadable coupons a free Chatbooks photo book. Or, upgrade to Park Hopper tickets with or without MaxPass. Either way you’ll save $106 per adult and $86 per child.
These tickets can be used any time between now and May 21, 2020. Come for Rise of the Resistance and Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival. Consider adding a discounted hotel stay and enjoy a fun-filled and affordable staycation. Get this deal HERE for a limited time.
Let’s Hear From You
The Legends of Luke Skywalker is available now through VIZ Media. Have you read this manga yet or are you looking forward to reading it? Let us know in the comments.