– Spoiler Review –
Vader – Dark Visions #2 shows, and show it does with some very unique, stylized art, how the fear Vader puts in the officers of the Empire can have its downsides.
Artist Brian Level, with colors by Jordan Boyd, really surprised in Vader – Dark Visions #2 with an extremely unique panel layout and heavy stylized art. The panels on a page sometimes took the shape of a Star Destroyer, had wavy outlines to help simulate a chase through space, and had little asteroids around the edges after they entered an asteroid field. And for Level’s art, there’s a very exaggerated style that helped build on the mania overtaking the main character Commander Tylux, from panels of just bloodshot eyes surrounded by an off-red color or the menace he imbues into Vader’s few appearances, and then of course the image of a Star Destroyer being jammed down an exogorth’s throat (yes, those space slugs from Empire Strikes Back). It’s hard to talk about it and make it as compelling to read as when you actually have the issue in your hands, digital or physical, so I’ve included a page just to give you an idea of how unique the style is. I really loved this approach and I’d say it’s worth the price of admission for the issue, though I don’t know if I’d have liked it for an entire miniseries.
The art is biggest draw of the issue, as a story showing how officers are fearful of Vader doesn’t carry much surprise nor add anything new to Vader’s persona that the films and other appearances haven’t already done. So far the concepts for this replacement series* haven’t quite opened any eyes about Vader, rather just confirmed stuff we already know about the Sith Lord with one-off, unconnected to other aspects of canon stories.
But there’s an army of mynocks in the issue which helps finally disable the madman’s Destroyer, and as you can imagine, myself and the mynocks are happy with any positive media portrayal, as now you dear reader know the mynocks are friends and allies of the Rebellion. The Empire Strikes Back certainly is full of slander about the poor mynocks, but we’re slowly seeing the canon avoid such stigmas, like with “mynock” being used for multiple, fun alliterations, like Myder’s Mynocks in A New Dawn. We’re watching, Lucasfilm, and we thank you!
Here are a few other things:
- *The specter of Shadow of Vader will forever hang over this series, as its stories looked to have some cool connections across canon, like the Acolytes of the Beyond and even Celebration favorite Wilrow Hood (spelling), while still enlightening us about the Sith Lord.
Vader – Dark Visions #2 delights solely with its unique, spectacular visuals…and some positive mynock portrayals.
+ Stunning, unique art/panel layout
– Another so-so tale
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
Vader – Dark Visions
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