“Star Wars: Legacy” #6 by Corinna Bechko, Gabriel Hardman, and Brian Theis is the start of a new storyline of sorts, although it’s a natural continuation of the previous one that instituted the status quo of the series. The central character remains the bold and adventurous Ania Solo, great-great-granddaughter of the well-known smuggling scoundrel himself, Han Solo, and the title remains a worthy follow-up to the previous long-running “Star Wars: Legacy” series while further expounding on the “Star Wars” expanded universe.

Bechko and Hardman spent the past five issues setting up the galaxy’s new governing body, established several key characters, and perhaps most importantly, set up a new and interesting central villain, Darth Wredd. With the environment for upcoming stories constructed, the writers now start to move forward and tell them. But they do so somewhat tentatively; after the opening four-page sequence featuring a telling incident involving Wredd, the remainder of the issue is noticeably more sedate. The remaining pages are mostly devoted to the cast licking their wounds and sorting out the events of recent issues before things finally start to truly progress near the end. The intent of the issue may have been to serve a kind of interlude, but the early action sequence indicates otherwise and unintentionally sets the stage for more intensity that never really comes. While the interaction between characters throughout the issue is clearly important to the story, it just results in an abrupt and unexpected downshift to the story’s feel.

However, what’s presented is plenty enough to carry the story. It’s fun to see how Ania is a chip off the old carbonite block, especially after coming out of last issue’s events as an unintentional hero of the alliance, just like her great-great-granddad did a century-and-a-half ago. The writing team clearly has something in mind for the ancient and decommissioned former assassin droid AG-37, who appears to have an as-yet unrevealed connection to the Solo family. Seeing that everything takes place a long time from now in a galaxy far, far away is as fascinating now as it was when writer John Ostrander first introduced the future of the “Star Wars” universe. It’s a sandbox that hasn’t been played in to the extent of that of the past and present, giving Bechko and Hardman a little more freedom to build upon.

Artist Brian Theis is a capable artist who supports the story well by sticking with traditional panel layouts and also does well rendering the ships and gadgetry of the Star Wars universe. But his character representations aren’t as consistent; as he often over-relies on dark and shadowy tricks that obscure likenesses and action flow. There really isn’t a good representation of Darth Wredd during his appearance, for example; his character and transformation was seen in past issues so it seems odd that his appearance here is shrouded. And in his fight sequence, it takes a moment to discern what exactly happens to his opponent. Elsewhere, though, other characters look much clearer and are easily identifiable.

While this issue has some shortcomings, it stands out sufficiently enough as a representative of a new series that shows promise as a deserving entry to the Star Wars expanded universe, and the happenings of this issue are enough to make readers want to stick with it.