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February 6, 2008
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 When Christopher Lee's Count Dooku looks into the camera and utters those words to Ewan Macgregor's overmatched Obi-Wan Kenobi during their lightsaber duel near the end of Attack of the Clones, you'll witness one of my favorite lines of dialogue from the prequel trilogy.
Alas, I was reminded of it while reading the latest issue of my favorite Star Wars comic series, Legacy, as it sprang to mind after digesting the relatively limp climax to the six-part Claws of the Dragon story arc.
Cade Skywalker is locked in mortal combat with Darth Nihl, as his friends Jariah Syn and Deliah Blue commandeer the smuggling freighter known as the Mynock and mount a suicidal rescue mission to the seat of the Sith government. Assisted by mysterious Imperial spy Morrigan Corde, and hounded by the crack pilots of Skull Squadron, the crew of the Mynock races against time to reach Cade before he can give in to the dark side temptations espoused by the lurking Darth Krayt. As cool as Nihl is, he's merely the prologue to the main event, and the long-awaited saber cross between Cade and Krayt doesn't disappoint.
The script however, by regulars John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, is a bit of a disappointment compared to previous Legacy issues. The title has, thus far, been the unequivocal standard by which other Star Wars books are measured, both in terms of dialogue and story arc quality. While issue #19 isn't horrible, it does rely on a bit of an action movie cliché at a critical moment, blunting what would have been yet another stellar read and bringing the conclusion of the otherwise ass-kicking Claws story arc to a whimpering end.
 The artwork is, as ever, extremely wank-worthy, and almost made me forget about the lame escape plan hatched by Cade Skywalker and Morrigan Corde as the former battles Krayt atop Coruscant's Sith temple. No one draws Star Wars like Jan Duursema, and, at the risk of repeating the kudos I've thrown her way in past reviews, the Legacy issues featuring her work are basically required reading if you want to call yourself a Star Wars fan.
Finally, issue #19 introduces a curious new narrative thread, and, despite the unfortunate misstep detailed above, manages to entertain and bring several plot points to satisfactory resolutions. Also of note is the increased page time for the pilots of Skull Squadron, and the indication that more of the same is on the way.
In summary, if you've been following Legacy, you'll want to pick up this issue, and, even though it has its flaws, I think you'll agree that the only real competition for Star Wars: Legacy is Star Wars: Legacy.
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