We’ve now reached the final arc of this first volume of “Star Wars: Darth Vader.” Knowing that there are two more volumes to follow does pacify some of my concerns about unfinished storylines, but how much of our story will be left unfinished?
Cover by Juan GimenezWritten by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Salvador Larocca and Mike Norton
Colored by Edgar Delgado and David Curiel
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramangaCollects Darth Vader #20-25.
Darth Vader has been secretly pursuing his own agenda, but now it is time for the End of Games. As Inspector Thanoth returns with some startling information, it seems that Vader may have passed his master’s tests. But even after finding favor in the eyes of the Emperor, the Dark Lord’s schemes may yet prove his undoing. While killer droids Triple-Zero and Beetee wreak havoc in their own homicidal adventure, the Empire’s dreadnought The Executor moves closer to launch. But Vader faces tumultuous battles with the cybernetic Cylo — and himself! Lost in visions of the Force, is he now more machine than man? Or can he fight his way back from the brink to see his missions and machinations finally come to fruition? The imperial march of the dark side reaches a crescendo!
Editorial Note: Although both Wookiepedia and the collected trade edition list issue #20 as part of the ‘End of Games’ arc, the opening text of the issue actually labels it as “Book III Part V – The Shu-Torun War.”Wookiepedia confirms that this was a printing error in the first edition.
Although we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, as the old saying goes, before we dig into the meat of this story we do have to give praise to the cover of the collected trade that you see above. Juan Gimenez blends Vader’s helmet and the Death Star into one, a visual representation of just what’s haunted our title character throughout this series: the destruction of that Death Star. He is on the precipice of evicting that memory that led to his fall from grace from his consciousness, but it still haunts him, still taunts him, like a car alarm that just won’t shut off. That failure is a constant presence, even in his pursuit of his own goals. This is a beautifully done visual metaphor of Vader’s agenda, and reinforces what different artists on this series can bring, how they can uncover deeper layers without sacrificing the action.
And that agenda is in hot pursuit, now that the mess on Shu-Torun is cleaned up and set right. Vader has some meetings to attend: first with Palpatine, where they have a long conversation about the concepts of master and apprentice, a reminder of each other’s place in this larger order. Vader also has to go fetch Aphra from rebel clutches, but that’s when things start to go awry: she’s escaped. Now we know Darth Vader is a linear sort of person, one who does not have time for deviations in his plans. That’s why you have assistants, after all: to handle the side missions. Thus he sends off Triple Zero and Bee-Tee to retrieve Aphra from the Cosmatanic Steppes while he handles Dr. Cylo. (Much to Triple Zero’s chagrin – – the protocol droid with a lust for murder was looking forward to some good ol’ torture.) But this may have been a grave mistake on Vader’s part, as his invasion of Cylo’s ship has him walking into one of the doctor’s newest creations: a cyberanimated rancor.
It’s still not 100 percent clear how Vader’s pursuit of Luke Skywalker will figure in to close out this series, but Kieron Gillen is bringing players previously disparate in the narrative back together. We have Aphra back with Vader, though she may not be longer for this world. Inspector Thanoth also returns to provide Vader with the information to find Aphra, but not before some taunting about Vader’s past failures. And as you can imagine, that doesn’t sit well with our title character. What Gillen does so well is that he keeps pace as he weaves these threads back together into a coherent cloth. Each encounter flows quite seamlessly into the next, and your mind doesn’t feel scattershot as you progress through these issues. There’s a logical, linear flow to this script (much like how Vader likes to operate). This pacing, along with advance knowledge that there are two more volumes to follow (the second from 2017-2018, and the third currently in progress), does provide me some peace of mind that there won’t be numerous plot threads dangling off of a cliff.
Continued belowWhile some of the larger spreads seem too busy in their artistic detail, Larocca continues to do what he does best with his art style in character moments and facial detail. Extremely fine line work heightens Palpatine’s age and ragged, haggard face. (An aside: as an American football fan, it always amuses me to see New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick referred to as Emperor Palpatine, particularly when he wears a hoodie. Sorrynotsorry, Pats fans.) And while some of those larger spreads end up being too busy for the eye, they do feature amazing colorwork from Edgar Delgado, using soft purples, greens, and oranges to bring beauty to the farthest reaches of space.
Issue #20 also features a backup story with Triple Zero and Bee-Tee, as they look for some repairs and upgrades (and Triple Zero finds himself again without his arms). It’s a fun interlude, and allows Gillen to really lean into Triple Zero’s dry and sometimes malevolent humor. While I question its presence at a time when we need as much page count as possible to wrap up this volume, it does show the spinoff potential in this series. Perhaps these two droids couldn’t carry a whole spinoff on their own, but they can certainly carry a story in an annual or a one-shot.
We leave Vader on what appears to be his demise on his ship at the hands of Cylo. We all know this is a red herring, as Lord Vader’s going to work his way out of it. We’ll find out just how as we close out this Summer Comics Binge next week.
And with that, next week brings us to the end of this first volume of “Star Wars: Darth Vader,” with the final three issues, #23 – 25.
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!
