Canon Comic Review: Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith #22

– Spoiler Review –

The Tale of Lord Momin unfolds in the pages of Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith #22, but his next chapter, and his hands in Vader’s Castle on Mustafar, looks to be even more enthralling since he understands what Vader really wants from the fiery planet.

It seems ol’ Sheev was correct in issue #20, having guessed Vader’s desire to study the dark side locus on Mustafar, where he bled a kyber to create his first Sith saber, was to see if it could provide him a way to bring Padmé back from the dead. After both Momin is finished with his tale, and Vader finds him a different host (more on both of those things in a moment), Momin reveals he tapped briefly into Vader’s mind and understands Vader’s intentions with the locus: to study it and find a way to control, potentially even bringing Padmé back from the dead. If you had any questions Vader was pissed about Palpatine’s manipulations and lies to him about having the ability to save people from death, the answer is a loud, Force-choking YES, as Vader chokes Momin to show him he won’t be lied to again about the ability. In my review for issue #21, I went over a few possibilities of how studying the locus might give him a variation of what he wants, as we all know he doesn’t bring Padmé back:

“Could Vader be attempting to see if the locus will reveal the power to undo death? Or is he hoping to unlock a way to revisit the vision he saw {in issue #5}, as a way to get lost in the alternative reality, one where Padmé lives? How to destroy/stop such visions so he can’t be reminded of what he’s lost due to his actions, much like him killing the two Inquisitors might’ve had more to do with their romantic connection, as his experience with such emotions leaves him to believe it only ends in destruction, than them creating a coup? Or maybe to find a way to project his own visions in an attempt to blind Palpatine and kill him?”

I still stand by those guesses, but fully admit any and all could be wrong, though something has occurred to me since the last issue’s release: the world between worlds. In Star Wars Rebels‘ final season, Ezra Bridger unlocks entry into the World Between Worlds, a place where the Force is seen to literally “bind the galaxy together,” and allows Ezra to save Ahsoka Tano from Darth Vader during their battle from two seasons prior. In the show’s second season, it was revealed Palpatine had a personal interest in show’s main planet, Lothal, and it turns out this gateway world ends up being exactly what he was interested in, but how did he find out about it? Could Vader, with Momin’s help due to his design of the Castle, allow Vader to glimpse through one of the doorways, much like only Palpatine was able to do, thus revealing the gateway world’s existence to the Sith Master? However, it’s possible ol’ Sheev-ster’s known about it for some time already and knew Lothal was a potential entry way. In the end, the guess I’m going to place my biggest bet on for the outcome of Vader studying the locus is: he only gains access to visions of a alternative reality where Padmé still lives, allowing him to visit it while meditating in his bacta tank chamber in the castle, or in his various chambers on Imperial ships. This answer would add a whole new aspect to all the scenes in the original trilogy where he is cloistered away in his meditation chamber or even Rogue One‘s scene when Krennic comes to visit.

One of my favorite things about Momin’s tale is that it’s told by Momin. Sure, Momin doesn’t looked like the type of Sith possessed helmet that would lie about his past, especially as he’s willing to talk about his failures as much as he is his successes, but we have only his word to take for the story. Honestly, I believe what he tells Vader is the truth, though I’m sure if we ever got a novel/comic/whatnot about Momin’s life specifically, then I’m sure there might be small variations but it would all largely be the same. According to Momin, after he realizes his bizarre artistic creations aren’t ever going to be appreciated or revered as he feels they should, he goes after a much different audience: the dark side of the Force itself. The plan for his masterpiece was to bring an entire city to the edge of death and freeze time, capturing their pain and fear for all of eternity as a shrine to the dark side, but Jedi intervene, causing his plans to backfire, killing him but leaving his spirit imbued in his helmet, and he’s been possessing people ever since. I’m not doing his story its full justice, as it is a creepy, intriguing must-read, another in a comic series full of them, and I feel like it was well worth the wait from Momin’s introduction in Soule’s 2015 classic miniseries, Lando. Be it Darth Bane’s spirit on Moraband, as seen in The Clone Wars, or Sith spirits attached to objects wielded by the Acolytes of the Beyond in the Aftermath interludes, the dark side’s desire for more fuel for its flames is well documented and it’s no surprise this could’ve happened with Momin while he was attempting something so grotesquely grand, though it’s cool to see the process of a Sith’s spirit inhabiting an object for once.

I believe it’ll be inevitable that Vader and Momin clash, as Vader’s already choked the helmet’s newly possessed body and Momin originally tried to possess Vader, but the outcome will at least leave the helmet without a body considering it’s body-less by the time we see it again on Palpatine’s personal yacht. Not only will Momin be unlikely to let go easily, considering his spirit bound with his helmet in the first place and he’s been causing trouble for who knows how long since, but Vader won’t be the only one to potentially fight against him. The Mustarfarian locals might have some issues with Momin, as he possesses the body of one of their own (named Sssp, I kid you not), but definitely also Vader, considering Vader attacked a caravan of locals to give Momin the body, whom had been dispatched by their leader (named Father Kkkt) to uncover what they saw falling from the sky back in issue #21. Father Kkkt and the locals, Momin, and Vader clashing above the fiery flows of Mustafar? Sounds like an epic way to end this series (see below) if you ask me.

Charles Soule finally gets to tell Lord Momin’s backstory, 3 years since introducing the character, and it was well worth the wait, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering his pedigree so far. Likewise, “Fortress Vader” feels like it’s building to a culmination of everything he’s covered so far, proving his narrative skills once again. The intrepid art team of Giuseppe Camuncoli (layouts), Daniele Orlandini (finishes, with help from Terry Pallot), and David Curiel (colors) pulled off some ghoulishly tasty visuals for Momin’s history, and even if I couldn’t quite/tell understand what he created as a child that everyone hated, there’s far too many weirdly gorgeous panels for it to matter in the long run. My personal favorite is of the giant being/thing dripping lava out of it’s eyes and mouth with Momin standing on its hand…I have no idea what is going on but it’s too beautiful to look away.

Here are a few other things:

While Vader dismisses it, I’m curious to learn what Momin meant that Mustafar wasn’t always like what is now. Did he have a hand in changing it, as he says he’s still on Mustafar once he possess the new body? What could’ve happened that turned a planet into a volcanic world?
At NYCC this year, it was revealed that Dark Lord of the Sith‘s 25th issue, out this December, will actually be its end. Both Vader series have made it 25 issues before coming to a close, and much like the first one going out on top, Soule’s run is certainly set to be even more memorable when it comes to its climax. I’ll be sad to see the series go, regardless, but it’s been a stellar run and I can’t wait to see when/where Soule will turn up again for Star Wars comics, considering his work on Poe Dameron just ended last month. There’ll be more Vader comics coming, as the miniseries Shadow of Vader was announced at NYCC, but recent controversies have mired and possible halted that mini’s arrival.
There are plenty of ways left to visit Vader’s Castle once this series is done though! Make sure to check out IDW’s Tales from Vader’s Castle, a 5-part miniseries with spooky tales to fit the Halloween spirit of October (we’ll have a review once the series wraps up on Halloween Day!); If you have $400 to spare, you can be pulled into the Castle via VR with the upcoming Vader Immortal VR series with new Oculus gear!; And lastly, why not appreciate Momin’s design and help Vader unlock the locus’ secrets yourself by building the Vader’s Castle LEGO set.

Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith #22 reveals Lord Momin’s past and how his artistic sensibilities are just what Vader needs to achieve his goals on Mustafar.

+ Momin’s ghastly, intriguing tale
+ Vader’s goals and anger over being misled before
+ Potential Vader v Momin showdown incoming

– Knowing this arc will be the end

Canon Comic Review: Darth Vader – Dark Lord of the Sith #22

+ Momin’s ghastly, intriguing tale

+ Vader’s goals and anger over being misled before

+ Potential Vader v Momin showdown incoming

– Knowing this arc will be the end

Check out the rest of our Canon Comic Reviews here!

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+ Momin’s ghastly, intriguing tale

+ Vader’s goals and anger over being misled before

+ Potential Vader v Momin showdown incoming

– Knowing this arc will be the end

Check out the rest of our Canon Comic Reviews here!

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