Review: Poe Dameron Vol. 3- Legends Lost

Quick Summary

Pros: The stories here have plenty of action and fun moments. There are also a few emotional moments and some character development found throughout the volume.

Cons: The plot in the first major story arc is a bit contrived.

Overall: Though this volume does not have quite as much appeal as the previous volume, it is still an entertaining adventure with an enjoyable group of characters. The stories within this collection have suspenseful action, fun interactions, and even a few more meaningful moments here and there. The collection has its problems but is still a positive read in the end. Fans of the series are likely to enjoy this book, especially if they enjoyed the previous two volumes.

Story

Poe Dameron Vol. 3: Legends Lost, by Charles Soule, is not quite as entertaining as its predecessor but is still an enjoyable volume overall. Most of the volume details some fun exploits from Poe Dameron and the rest of Black Squadron. These exploits are filled with a solid mix of action and even manage to make time for some emotion and character development here and there. The first story arc has a few flaws when it comes to the logical progression of the narrative but these are not overly noticeable. All in all, despite a few problems, this is a worthwhile book and a solid continuation of this series.

(spoilers start here)

The first major arc in Legends Lost starts out with some soul searching from Poe and then goes on to explain that the Resistance is on the brink of collapse, as their supply lines have been compromised. This leads to Poe and Black Squadron investigating the problem and eventually facing off against the First Order while piloting a spaceship that is rigged to explode. The adventure has a solid mix of emotions and action that keep things interesting. Plus, it also sees Terex fitted with a mind control device by the First Order, which is a surprising but still interesting change for his character.

Unfortunately, this arc also has its fair share of flaws. Most of the story relies on coincidence or bad luck to push the narrative forward. If Black Squadron hadn’t split up their fuel as much or if BB-8 was able to get out information a little quicker, this entire story would be different. In addition, the inclusion of a minor plot thread about C-3PO’s missing memory core seemed useless as it didn’t advance the plot whatsoever. These flaws are not significant enough to cripple this particular story but are enough to prevent it from being anything more than mediocre.

Luckily, the second major arc in Legends Lost is a lot better. The general narrative here is less contrived and manages to make sense all the way through. Meanwhile, the action and heroics are just as good, if not better, than in the first arc. It also details out a redemption story for both Suralinda Javos and Oddy Muva while also managing to give a few of the Black Squadron members some minor character development. The overall effect is positive and helps create one of the better arcs in this series.

(spoilers end here)

Art

Legends Lost sees a changeup in the artwork for this series. In this volume, Angel Unzueta takes over from previous series artist, Phil Noto. This means the uniquely stylized work from previous volumes has been lost in favor of something more standardized and realistic. This allows the book to take on the theatric atmosphere present in the movies and also allows some of the characters to more closely resemble their film counterparts. The resulting quality ends up being about the same since both works are still detailed and well-structured. However, I actually preferred the unique appeal of the previous volume’s artwork as it gave the series something individual to define itself with. This preference will vary from person to person though, and the overall quality of the art is still good.  

Continuity

Poe Dameron Vol. 3: Legends Lost continues the story from Poe Dameron Vol. 2: The Gathering Storm (Review). Both stories take place right before Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens.

The story here continues in Poe Dameron Vol. 4: Legend Found (Review).