As we close out the first arc, Lord Vader starts to set the stage for the long game of this series. We also get to know Aphra and Triple Zero a bit better, and then there’s that famous reveal that sets the stage for one of the greatest plot twists in cinema.
Cover by Adi GranovWritten by Kieron Gillen
Illustrated by Salvador Larocca
Colored by Edgar Delgado
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramangaCollects Darth Vader #1-6.
The original Dark Lord of the Sith stars in his first ongoing series! Ever since Darth Vader’s first on-screen appearance, he has become one of pop-culture’s most popular villains. Now, follow Vader straight from the ending of A NEW HOPE (and the pages of the new STAR WARS comic book) into his own solo adventures — showing the Empire’s war with the Rebel Alliance from the other side! But when a Dark Lord needs help, who can he turn to? As Vader pursues a very personal vengeance against the Rebels and investigates the Emperor’s secret machinations, he clashes with weapons scavenger Aphra and deadly Battle Droids, and returns to Geonosis to build an army. But some very powerful people don’t want him to learn the truths he seeks! Guest-starring Jabba the Hutt, Boba Fett and more!
Hell hath no fury like a Lord Vader scorned. And now that Darth Vader has his small but mighty dream team in place, it’s time to show some serious scorn. As we close out the back half of this arc, Aphra escorts Vader to Geonosis to start building that army. But shoring up the base gets interrupted with a delivery from Black Krrsantan: a black market alien organ dealer who knows things named . With a little jog of the memory from Triple Zero, Vader finds out Cylo has a secret research base for Palpatine on a floating cyborg ship. Vader’s ready to make his mark . . . but you can’t put one over on Palpatine. He and Cylo are one step ahead of Darth Vader, and that one step is Cylo’s creations. These creations are technically enhanced warriors, trained to take Vader down by any means possible. Who comes out of this a winner, and at what cost?
These three issues close out the first arc with a lot of characterization and table setting. In particular, we start to get to know Doctor Aphra a bit better. There’s moments that show off her sense of humor, for sure, but also slight hints of her moral compass. She shows that she’s willing to play dirty to get the job done, but she’s also not completely amoral. A brief moment in issue #4 where Vader draws the line in the sand at the extent of her employ shows a brief moment of something flicker across her face. Fear? Shock? Unease? It’s a moment where the thus far cool calm and collected Aphra has a moment of doubt. As I said last week, we know something somewhere is going to turn Aphra’s loyalty away from Vader, and this hints at some seeds being planted. But the doubts do not last too long. By the next issue, Aphra’s proclaiming this as the “best job of her life.” We’re going to see moral ambiguity from Gillen throughout this series, something he does quite well in “The Wicked + The Divine.”
The other character we get to know more of here is Triple Zero, a droid whose sense of humor is a band aid over the bullet hole of his very sinister and evil core. We don’t see just what he’s capable of first hand, thanks to conversations from others and a time jump that takes us from the moment before he tortures Cylo to its aftermath. It leaves the imagination wondering just what he’s capable of doing, building his mystery bit by bit. You know you’re supposed to fear him but you’re not sure just how much – – and it’s that unknown that breeds even more fear.
It’s in this trio of issues that we see how Salvador Larocca’s eye for precise detail works against other story elements, particularly paneling and lettering. There is a moment in issue #4 that requires the use of subtitles, and the choice of font and placement of those subtitles renders the panel too busy and that subtitle hard to read. Panel sizes also work against the detail in action scenes, constraining action when it should be busting loose. Better attention to panel size, as well as perspective can do wonders to add dynamism to these moments. Without it, we’re just looking at disjointed film stills.
Continued belowIssue 5 does feature one excellent use of paneling that I hope is replicated throughout the series. When Darth Vader enters Cylo’s lair, he enters with Kool-Aid man style, busting his way through the front of the ship. The shape of Vader not only stays front and center in the panel, but grows larger as you read from left to right. Shards of glass and his lightsaber bust past the borders of that original panel out into the negative space. That’s the kind of action I want to see more in this series.
By the end of this arc, Vader’s die is cast. He knows Luke Skywalker is his son, and he will stop at nothing for a father-son reunion. Let’s see what the next roll of the dice brings.
Next week we’ll start the series’s second arc, ‘Shadows and Secrets,’ looking at issues #7-9.
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!
