– Spoiler Review –
I’ve never regretted my trepidations for a series more fully than after reading Darth Vader #1 (Vol. 3), a psychological deep-dive into Vader’s mindset after his son rejects him in the clouds. The creative team arrayed here, Greg Pak as writer, Raffaele Ienco as artist and Neeraj Menon on colors, with Joe Caramagna lettering, has provided something special in its own right, but also manages to honor the already amazing work of Vader series’ past…and we’re only one issue in!
And when I say spoiler warning, I am not kidding, as we unpack the issue’s big reveal below so don’t read ahead unless you’ve already enjoyed the issue or you don’t mind spoilers!
Each of the Vader on-goings so far as had their own way of giving readers a glimpse into Vader’s thoughts without making anything explicit: Volume 1 had minor, but direct flashbacks to key moments from the films, while Volume 2 introduced us to Vader’s mindscape when meditating, a rolling storm consumed by red, with little lingering blue butterflies slowly dying out. Volume 3, beyond a few panels from Charles Soule’s Dark Lord of the Sith run, is the first to really put us in Vader’s POV through key scenes from the films, including his battle with Luke in The Empire Strikes Back, while his memories/flashbacks are bathed in red, and while it’s an effect from his helmet, it also signifies the angry lens through which he views everything. We also get his words unsaid here in Vol. 3, signified by red word bubbles in all black panels, that offer the deepest glimpse into his inner thoughts yet. Vader has every reason to go down memory lane now, as after Luke rejects his offer on Cloud City, which the comic draws a strong parallel to Padmé’s rejection in Revenge of the Sith (something I hadn’t before!), he goes on the hunt for those who hid and, in his mind, weakened his son so he would reject him. In this issue alone, Vader visits the Lars Homestead and Padmé’s apartment on Coruscant, full of memories the Dark Lord has been hiding from for years, flashing through his mind whether he likes it or not. There are plenty of striking panels of Vader’s memories, but the page that really hit me was him seeing his mother and Padmé in place of Luke, falling away from him on Cloud City, watching them rather die than deal with him. I’m hoping the series never strays from using this conceit, this glimpse into Vader’s mind’s eye, as it has offered a much deeper, and closer psychological dive into the character than we’ve ever had before. I’d never worried or wondered how Vader took Luke rejecting him, though as a companion we’re seeing how Luke takes the news in Soule’s Star Wars relaunch, but now I’m fully invested in seeing where this series takes this story; one I hope, like the last two Volumes, stays a concise and focused story with only 25 issues (though I feel like if this goes longer, I won’t be mad!).
Along with some Death Troopers, Vader takes with him a peppy forensics droid named Zed Six Seven, to dig into the scenes he plans on visiting with care and precision where he would only use blunt force with his anger. I really enjoyed Zed, programmed by Vader to self-destruct if he speaks with anyone about what they uncover, as his chipper demeanor offered a stark contrast to Vader’s brooding silence and anger, though the heel-turn of him being excited with giving Vader the opportunity to desecrate some graves brought with it plenty of laughs and revealed his darker nature. As they go through the Lars Homestead, it’s roughly in the shape Rey finds it in The Rise of Skywalker, with remnants lingering of occupants past, as Vader sees Luke’s childhood before him and even his own brief time there. The visit to Padmé’s pad reveals something far more intriguing, a scout transmitter, leading Vader to a very surprising face (we’ll unpack the Wookiee in the room shortly), while Zed shows how easy it would be for someone to connect the dots between Padmé having children, with the last name Skywalker, and the frequent visits of a Jedi protector with the same name.
The issue ends on a cliffhanger full of questions and intriguing story developments, and while we’ve technically had spoilers on the site ruining the reveal here from the series’ solicitations, it doesn’t hamper the moment in any way, shape, or form. Tracking the bug’s signal down, Vader and Zed find themselves in a base on a remote planet, confronted by…Padmé?!?! Vader’s utter confusion is palpable, but it extends to us, the readers too. Who exactly could this woman be? Since she’s a near doppelgänger, as far as Vader, Zed, and the art can show us, could it be a clone, created in some mad scheme by Palpatine to mess with/test his apprentice since ol’ Sheev knows Vader knows he has a son now? Is it a surviving handmaiden (even if she looks too young for that), in particular Sabé, whose path forward after RotS is still unknown, though she was going to investigate how Padmé died (as we saw in Queen’s Shadow)? Or is it Padmé’s sister Sola? Or even one of Sola’s children? I could keep guessing, but the thing I love about all these possibilities is each and every single one of them would be intriguing to see unfold. But even more interesting to consider is if and when this doppelgänger will reveal her true identity or if she’ll roll with Vader calling her Padmé for as long as she can. The solicits might hint otherwise, but I felt it was still an interesting thought to consider. Regardless, this excellent surprise only enhances an already solid beginning to this series.
What makes this whole take on Vader work so freaking well is the talented art team. Raffaele Ienco’s gritty, shadowy art captures the darker, more reserved tone of the series as a whole, but he can turn it up to eleven for the big, though short battle sequence on Tatooine; I particularly enjoy how Ienco’s work seems similar to Jesús Saiz’s work on the Star Wars mainline series, as they both have taken a darker, grimier approach in the era post-TESB, which makes me curious if this was intentional or not. When Neeraj Menon smothers flashbacks and memories in red, it matches the hue of Vader’s helmet’s eye pieces, but it speaks to the anger bubbling inside when viewing the memories he’s always trying to repress, while the dim setting of Padmé’s abandoned pad or the harsh lighting Tatooine impress as well. I similarly enjoy Joe Caramagna’s lettering, as Vader has his own style of word bubble now, filled in black with white writing, but it’s the stark red filled bubbles surrounded by the voidless black panels with words unspoken by Vader, that help convey his inner thoughts and inner rage in one of the most effective ways I’ve yet to see in the comics. Bravo work from all, which only adds to my anticipation to see what comes next.
Here are a few other things:
- How will Vader react, beyond his initial confusion, to seeing this doppelgänger Padmé? You can get a glimpse of issue #2 with the official site’s preview, and even though there’s no lettering, it’s easy to tell how fractured his mind is upon seeing her.
- As always Vader gets paired with a rather talkative person to make up for his relative silence, and Zed so far has been a great addition to the pantheon, and I’m sure this mystery Padme will be even better, no matter her ultimate fate. Aphra remains the standout character, who broke away for her series a while back, and from how focused Vader and this series seems to be, hopefully that means he won’t be appearing much, if at all, in her series’ relaunch in April.
- I found it a little weird with that Padmé’s apartment door was a giant version of her face, though I’m wondering if this was customary for all Senators’ homes on Coruscant or erected to honor her after death/seal her home. As always, I get caught up on some random minutia that doesn’t matter for the bigger picture!
Darth Vader #1 (Vol. 3) begins the series, and its first arc “Dark Heart of the Sith,” in spectacular fashion, as the creative team delivers a gorgeous and deep opening salvo with a cliffhanger that begs for the next issue to be here now, rather than later.
+ Deepest glimpse yet into Vader’s mind
+ Doppelgänger Padmé cliffhanger
+ Stunning art and layouts
+ Tons of potential
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
DARTH VADER (VOL. 3)
Dark Heart of the Sith: #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 / Arc Review (by Chris)