We trade in lightsaber battles for battles of will and political power in the kickoff to the Shu-Torun War. But another battle is brewing within this series: the various story threads that are starting to knot together, but perhaps not enough, given our advance knowledge of less than ten issues of this series left.
Cover by Kaare AndrewsWritten by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Salvador Larocca
Colored by Edgar Delgado
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramangaCollects Darth Vader Annual #1, Darth Vader #16-19.
The Dark Lord of the Sith’s unstoppable march continues! The natives of Shu-Torun are revolting, and there’s no way the Empire will stand for that. When Darth Vader is tasked with leading a military assault against the planet, could it be that his rise to glory has begun? But who will follow Vader into war? Would you? Then again, it’s better to fight alongside Vader than against him. That’s a lesson that the ore barons are about to learn.
Last week’s Annual introduced us to the world of Shu-Torun, the heart of this next arc in the series (also its shortest arc with only five issues, one of them being the aforementioned Annual). We get a quick flashback to the finale of ‘Vader Down’ as Vader returns the various pieces of Commander Karbin, only to get his new assignment: quell a rebellion on Trios. Given that the Annual that set up this arc came before the finale of ‘Vader Down,’ this small bit of scripting is necessary and welcomed, to bring the story we’ve seen thus far to the world the Annual set up. It’s also necessary (and welcomed) that this moment was small, not taking up too much time. The Annual did its fair share of worldbuilding, but there’s still more to come.
This is going to be an arc that is a battle of wills and politics, as Queen Trios of Shu-Torun wants to rule her way but also owes fealty to the man that put her there. And that man that put her there has his agenda to the Empire to fill, and the slightest bit of rebellion from even the most loyal of subjects needs to be snuffed out before it becomes a conflagration. Vader is a man who impresses with his power, but the point of this series is to show what happens to a powerful man when he falls from grace. That’s where the drama of this series lies, and I’m glad to see it make its way back. Whether it’s Vader’s confrontation with Palpatine about the types of assignments he gives or Queen Trios’s anger at Vader’s humiliation of her in front of her council, the journey of a man stripped of his power is what always makes this series compelling. You know Vader will stage a comeback greater than his setback, but there’s more in the journey than in the destination for him.
The fact that this is also the shortest arc of this series does concern me somewhat, as we only have four issues in order to wrap up this war, and nine issues overall to end this volume. Triple Zero, Beetee, and Black Krrsantan are still nothing more than supporting players, and Aphra hasn’t been seen since her capture at the end of ‘Vader Down.’ I know Kieron Gillen knows his craft well, but I can’t deny the slight concern of plot threads left hanging by the end of this arc and series.
One fun moment is seeing a hint of surprise and perhaps terror across Palpatine’s face as Vader returns Commander Karbin to the Empire. He knows what this Sith Lord is capable of, and for a moment, you see a flash of how that thought troubles Palpatine to his core. Hence his iron grip on the levels of Imperial power Vader has. It’s not just anger for botching up a key mission anymore. It’s the realization that if he let’s Vader get out of control within the confines of Imperial power, the results can be disastrous. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, as the English historian Lord Acton once said.
In past reviews, I had lamented how ineffective Salvador Larocca’s art was at action scenes. These two issues are not ones of action but of discussion and strategy building. The action isn’t necessary to the battles at hand, but their aftermath is. And that’s where Larocca does his best work. Consider the opening scene of issue #16, where Vader delivers the parts of Commander Karbin to his superior. The emphasis on detail, in an almost hyper-realistic style that 90s comics fans love (or lament), does the job to show just how much damage a lightsaber in the most dangerous hands of the Empire can do. He also lets loose with some fun character design, such as on Cylo and his half human, half cybernetic body. (The close up on his eye in issue #17 might just haunt your dreams.) And he continues to build out the world of Trios to show its opulence, earned at the hands of a rebellion that the Empire wants shut down and fast.
Continued belowNear the end of issue #17, Doctor Cylo, who had accompanied Vader on this mission, chats with Grand General Tagge about progress. The Grand General sums up Darth Vader as such: “I am not fool enough to deny that Vader is great. But great is not good. He can win battles, but not wars.” Ambition and talent, when left unchecked, can be one’s worst enemy. The Empire is right to keep Vader under their thumb, otherwise, they will not be able to rebuild. Let’s see what Lord Vader thinks of this next week.
Next week we conclude the ‘Shu-Torun War’ with a look at “Star Wars: Darth Vader” #18 and #19.
If you want to read along with me this summer, you can pick up the single issues or trades of “Star Wars: Darth Vader” at your local comic shop (be sure to wear your mask and social distance while you’re there!), or digitally on Marvel Unlimited or Comixology Unlimited. All single issues and trades of the series are available on Marvel Unlimited and Comixology Unlimited. If you’re a trade reader, don’t forget to check your local library’s print and digital catalogues for these books!
