The Young Darth Vader Adventures.
It's hard to know exactly how to feel about Marvel's new Darth Vader comic. On one hand, we're less than a year removed from the conclusion of Marvel's previous Darth Vader comic. Surely there are other characters who deserve their time in the spotlight? On the other, this is one of the greatest villains in pop culture history we're talking about. Why not return to the Vader well, especially with so much of the character's back-story left untold in Disney's new Star Wars timeline? There are arguments to be made either way. The core flaw with the new Darth Vader comic is that it doesn't make a strong enough case for itself out of the gate.
Where the previous Darth Vader series explored Vader's struggle to consolidate power and redeem himself in the Emperor's eyes following the events of Episode IV, the new series unfolds in the immediate aftermath of Episode III. This is a Vader first coming to grips with the death of his wife and his own fall from grace. That alone is enough to distinguish the new series from the old. But writer Charles Soule and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli don't do enough to tap into that potential right out of the gate.
Vader can be a very challenging character to write. He's someone for whom internal monologues never really work. You need that impenetrable air of mystery to Vader, but at the same time, how do you showcase the thoughts and emotions of a man trapped underneath an inscrutable armored shell? Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca handled that challenge admirably in their work, often by using Doctor Aphra as a foil. This issue struggles to offer the necessary insight into Vader's post-Revenge of the Sith mindset. The character is generally overshadowed by Emperor Palpatine, who proves a much more talkative and compelling figure in this issue. Palpatine's ruminations into the nature of red and creations of red lightsabers is fascinating. Vader himself? Not as much.
It doesn't help that this issue is so languidly paced. By the time Vader is actually dispatched on his first mission as a newly christened Sith Lord, the issue is all but over already.
Camuncoli at least makes a mostly successful transition from Amazing Spider-Man to Star Wars. Camuncoli's art has an inherently sinister quality that makes it well-suited for a story full of twisted Sith Lords and chronicling the fall of the Old Republic. Camuncoli's art also has a nice sense of scope and dynamic energy to it, qualities that really add weight to Palpatine's rise and capture the fury of a wounded but still very dangerous Anakin Skywalker. The only drawback to Camuncoli's work is that he doesn't render a very movie-accurate take on Vader. The shape of his armor seems off, but in a way that's not too uncommon with Star Wars comics. Many of these iconic designs are very difficult to translate to the two-dimensional page.
As brief a read as this issue is, at least it's bolstered by the inclusion of one of Chris Giarrusso's comedic Star Wars strips. This one pokes fun at Vader's habit of blazing through disposable Imperial underlings while also showcasing Vader through the eyes of a helpful mouse droid. It's a cute, charming little story, one enhanced by the under-current of darkness running throughout. Marvel really would do well to tackle comedic Star Wars stories more often.
The Verdict
Sadly, Marvel's second Darth Vader comic doesn't open as strongly as the original did. The new series may be exploring a pivotal period in the Sith Lord's career, but it moves too slowly and doesn't do enough to showcase the tortured man beneath the armor. Strong artwork and an entertaining backup strip can only do so much to prop up a series that doesn't have a strong hook yet.
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