The tables have been turned.
One of the many great qualities about this series is that individual issues often work as perfectly engaging stories in their own right as well as pieces of a larger whole. That's very much the case with Darth Vader #12. Even though this issue is the second chapter of writer Charles Soule and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli's latest story arc, it also serves as a terrific, mostly self-contained look at how Vader honed his fearsome reputation in the early days of the Galactic Empire.
Having survived an assassination attempt in issue #11, Vader returns to Coruscant this month to get to the bottom of this mystery and discover whether his new master may have had a hand in the attack. In the process, we get a closer look at how the rank and file of the Empire view their Emperor's new favorite son. That, plus more deep dives into Vader's fractured psyche, as the newly minted Dark Lord of the Sith works ever harder to squash the remaining traces of Anakin Skywalker.
This is a series that works because of its subtlety. There are moments of lengthy dialogue between Vader and Palpatine, but Soule is often content to step back and allow the images to convey mood, tone and meaning. That's invariably when Darth Vader shines the most. As such, Camuncoli is truly the MVP of the book. He has a difficult challenge to face every month with this book, as it can be difficult to wrangle much emotion or nuance out of a character who's encased in armor the vast majority of the time. But whether through subtle body language cues or those incredibly striking meditation scenes, Camuncoli never fails to convey what Vader is thinking in any given situation.
It should be noted that Camuncoli has an impeccable team backing him up on this series. Daniele Orlandini brings an added clarity and precision to Camuncoli's lines. Camuncoli's work has rarely looked this sleek or tightly rendered, even during his long tenure on Amazing Spider-Man. Meanwhile, David Curiel's colors add to the overall intensity of the story and highlight that foreboding quality that permeates the Star Wars universe at this point in the timeline. Curiel's work is especially impressive during the aforementioned meditation scenes, as the cruelty and anger and tragedy fueling Vader become ever more apparent as harsh red energies collide with vivid blues.
Again, despite this being Part 2 of a longer story, this comic is as good a choice as any if you want to simply hand a Star Wars fan a book and show them what they've been missing with Marvel's lineup. It adds new layers to an iconic villain, and it does so in ways that are only possible through the comic book medium.
The Verdict
Less if often more when it comes to the comic book medium, and Darth Vader is a testament to that fact. This series is always at its best when dialogue is kept to a minimum and Giuseppe Camuncoli's powerful imagery alone tells the story of Vader's rise. This issue is one of the strongest examples yet of what Marvel can bring to the table when it comes to expanding and enriching this saga.
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