REVIEW: ‘Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy,’ Issue #1

Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy #1, the latest mini-series in the Star Wars universe, is written by Ethan Sacks while Will Sliney provides art, Rachelle Rosenberg colors, Joe Sabino letters, and E.M Gist rounds out the team as the cover artist. Based on the hotel experience at Walt Disney World Resort, Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy serves as a lead-in for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience.

Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy #1 opens with Shorr and his granddaughter Cimina boarding the fabled Halcyon, a Corellian MPO-1400 Star Cruiser. As the two board the Halycon, the duo are greeted by D3-O9, a logistics droid who recognizes Shorr from a previous visit to the cruiser. In a brief flashback panel, readers are shown a young Shorr at the side of Senator Padme Amidala while Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker battles the assassin of the Sith, Asajj Ventress. While brief, it shows that Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy will be anything but a self-contained to one time period.

The Halycon has made multiple appearances in the Star Wars canon since the introduction of the theme park Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney World with the most recent appearances being in The High Republic material. While the main story takes place in between The Last Jedi and the Rise of Skywalker, readers will be taken through multiple points on the Star Wars timeline throughout the five-issue run, given the starship’s longstanding history.

Following the flashback, the Halycon is beseeched by pirates led by Crimson Jack. Cimina is afraid of the pirate’s appearance but D3-O9, who has been on the ship for centuries, is not. The droid recounts the first time that the Halycon was attacked, giving readers their first official flashback story to support the main story. This format is nothing new for Star Wars comics and is most notable in Cavan Scott’s work on Tales from Wild Space and Tales from Vader’s Castle. 

The flashback story in Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy #1 takes readers all the way 265 years ago to the height of the High Republic. Like in the main story, the Halycon was attacked by malicious pirates, the Nihil. To stop the attack led by Tempest Runner Zeetar, Jedi Master Nib Assek and Jedi Padawan Burryaga jump to the cruiser’s aid. As the duo defend the ship, readers learn about the Nihil’s true intentions and it is up to the Jedi to stop them from stealing crucial information. After the flashback story is concluded, readers are sent back to the main story as Crimson Jack continues his assault.

I am really enjoying the way that Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy #1 has begun to weave the story for this miniseries. Since the Halcyon is over 265 years old, it makes it the perfect storytelling vessel to give a wide variety of flashback stories. This is one of the first times that readers are able to see both the High Republic era and the Skywalker Saga era side by side and it works.

Writer Ethan Sacks is able to blend the two eras together to make the High Republic era obtainable for someone who may not have engaged with any of the material of the time over the last year. Further, he gives time to characters like Zeetar, Nib Assek, and Burryaga who aren’t necessarily titular characters in their era but more than get their time to shine here. The implications from that first raid may yet affect the story 265 years later which makes for a connected story that I live for.

Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy #1 more than sets the tone for an exciting and worthwhile series. Having stories told over such a wide span of time allows for an expansion of Star Wars lore like never before. As a fan of the entire timeline, I am excited to see characters from all eras make their impact on the story of Halycon. While we do not know yet how exactly Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy will affect the story of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, I would be lying if I wasn’t more excited for our reservation this summer.

Star Wars: Halcyon Legacy #1 is available wherever comics are sold.