Star Wars: Inquisitors #4 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: INQUISITORS No. 4, December 2024

For those devotees of Disney’s galaxy far, far away, Rodney Barnes’ conclusion to this “Star Wars: Inquisitors” mini-series must surely have come as a major disappointment. Indeed, despite having bested the Grand Inquisitor, Fifth Brother, as well as the Seventh and Ninth Sisters, this twenty-page periodical’s plot never properly explains just why the Dark Lord of the Sith regarded Tensu Run as such a major threat to the tyrannical Empire. Nor for that matter, how the rather lack-lustre Jedi Knight later becomes such a legendary figure for the Light side of the Force.

Instead, the screenwriter attempts to convince his audience that Darth Vader would continue to accept his proteges’ persistent failure without any penalty whatsoever, and that having been unconvincingly cornered on a planet, this title’s central protagonist would simply allow himself to be decapitated by his foe so he can “die at peace with all I’ve done.” Such illogical contrivances really do prove hard to swallow, most especially Run’s suicidal stance considering that the ‘rebel’ completely failed to establish the Padawan training temple he had planned, and seemingly also let the young apprentices on Zondula get massacred by a unit of elite Clone Troopers; “Do you forget the peace that once flowed within you? A life free of tormented lust for power?”

Just as badly scripted though, is debatably the startling willingness of Tensu to give up the fight for survival when trouble strikes. The human clearly likes the idea of Force sensitives having a school within which to train. But then appears utterly unwilling to keep such a dream alive by repeatedly complaining about his responsibility to the Jedi Order, and ultimately just surrendering himself to Shmi Skywalker’s sinister son without so much as raising his lightsaber in defiance.

Unhappily adding to all this confusion as to the main cast’s motivations and mind-sets are Ramon Rosanas’ layouts, which whilst being prodigiously pencilled, don’t debatably do all that good a job in helping along this book’s storytelling. Of particular note is the sequence depicting Run’s dubious decision to battle the Inquisitors in space, with the artist’s panels illustrating poor Pan’s meaningless death requiring a few re-readings before it becomes clear just how Tensu’s friend actually died. This need for bibliophiles to ‘fill in the gaps’ sadly occurs a second time too, when the so-called celebrated Jedi is shown awkwardly fending off an assault one moment, and is then quite literally hurled out of the temple by Vader in the next.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: INQUISITORS" #4 by Nick Bradshaw & Neeraj Menon

Star Wars: Inquisitors #3 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: INQUISITORS No. 3, November 2024

This “third issue of the 2024 canon comic miniseries” probably landed rather well with Star Wars fans due to its atmospheric opening sequence aboard a casino cruiser orbiting the planet Glee Anselm, and the twenty-page periodical’s subsequent scenes shadowing Seventh and Ninth Sisters’ determined hunt for a so-called ‘Jedi legend’. Furthermore, Rodney Barnes’ insights into just how this unique, Sith-influenced partnership somehow successfully operates as a pair is fairly well-penned, with the disconcerting duo proving themselves to be as cold-heartedly canny and downright murderous, as they are a bantering, almost comedic couple; “You said that sort of information was of value. How much is your other hand worth..?”

Equally as well written though, is the pair’s dialogue with Darth Vader on his Imperial I-class Star Destroyer, in which they reveal their plan to draw Tensu Run out of hiding by poisoning his local community with “a pheromone that drives one to madness”. This entire verbal exchange absolutely drips with solemnity, and makes it crystal clear that despite the two killers being unpleasantly over-confident in their assassination abilities, they are also still in dire need of acquiring the approval of their black-armoured master.

However, all this palpable intrigue and tension is then arguably ruined by the American screenwriter’s handling of the celebrated Jedi Knight, who having decided to establish an old-fashioned training temple somewhere along the Outer Rim, suddenly chooses to visit the Deadlands’ outdoor market just as the Inquisitors attack that very street with their deadly pollen. So utterly unconvincing a contrivance seriously smacks of sluggish storytelling, and debatably ruins any momentum that should have been gained whilst depicting the two opposing sides of the Force finally squaring up against one another.

Likewise, there’s plenty to enjoy and perhaps dislike about Ramon Rosanas’ artwork too. The vast bulk of the Eisner Awards nominee’s panels are top notch, with his clean-lined style making Vader’s aforementioned meeting with his two protégés suitably stiff and formal. But the decision to dress Run and his lightsaber-carrying colleague Pan Delesec in near identical hooded cloaks may well confuse many a reader during the commotion of their close combat against Seventh and Ninth Sister, to the point where the duel requires a couple of re-reads so as to better understand who is doing what.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: INQUISITORS" #3 by Nick Bradshaw & Neeraj Menon

Star Wars: Inquisitors #2 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: INQUISITORS No. 2, October 2024

Focusing far more upon Fifth Brother’s “mission to kill a Jedi legend” than the Master of the Inquisitorius himself, Rodney Barnes’ storyline for Issue Two of “Star Wars: Inquisitors” certainly seems to be well-paced – combining the titular characters’ hunt for any Jedi surviving Order 66, with a thrilling dog-fight in outer space and nail-biting lightsaber duel. In fact, for a while the American screenwriter’s insights into just how Darth Vader directs his force-sensitive operatives is truly intriguing, with the Dark Lord of the Sith employing both the carrot and the stick to ensure their ‘loyalty’ to him; “Gratitude is premature. If my commands are not fulfilled, the Inquisitors’ suffering will be legendary.”

Disappointingly though, much of this impact is arguably then lost once the “knight named Tensu Run” makes an appearance, and the audience is suddenly expected to believe that a small group of bandits have suddenly decided to tackle Vader’s most-wanted whilst he’s travelling back to his “safe haven”. Admittedly, it is briefly mentioned beforehand that the outlaws know of the Jedi’s presence in the area, and that there is a price upon his head. But just how Pii-Lor manages to pinpoint the man’s precise location when the Empire apparently can’t is not touched upon. Instead, having found their prey, the pirates are simply shown to be completely incompetent pilots, and are all mercilessly blasted to pieces by their opponent’s star-fighter within moments of first firing upon him.

Similarly as unconvincing is debatably this twenty-page publication’s conclusion, which strangely sees Run decide to take his revenge upon the Empire for murdering (his) Master Elan, and battle Fifth Brother one-on-one on the long-abandoned planet of Gerrigon. Such a confrontation is definitely not unwanted, due to the sheer arrogance of the grey-skinned Jedi-killer as he stalks around the old Republic commerce hub hacking down security droids. However, their highly-anticipated exchange is rather short-lived, and it’s not really clear just how Tensu chops his foe’s arm off when he was quite literally on the back foot straight from the contest’s start.

Perhaps a bit more pleasing than some of this comic’s penmanship are Ramon Rosanas’ layouts. Imbued with a palpable claustrophobic atmosphere, courtesy of GURU-eFX’s colours, the opening third of this periodical is positively packed full of prodigiously pencilled panels depicting the Inquisitor’s aforementioned exploration of the world upon which he’s landed. Yet by the time Fifth Brother suffers his debilitating injury, there’s a profound stiffness seen in the artist’s figures, which makes the mutilating lightsaber strike appear to be physically impossible.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: INQUISITORS" #2 by Nick Bradshaw & Neeraj Menon

Star Wars: Inquisitors #1 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: INQUISITORS No. 1, September 2024

Set between George Lucas’ prequel and original cinematic trilogies, there is arguably quite a bit to enjoy during this thirty-page periodical’s opening third. Indeed, the Grand Inquisitor’s utterly merciless massacre of the inhabitants on Targyon immediately sets the former Jedi Temple Guard up as a seriously evil villain of the piece, who will clearly stop at nothing to eliminate his intended target; “Take the children to Coruscant. Kill the rest.”

Disappointingly though, the same probably can’t be said as to the impact of writer Rodney Barnes’ “all-new legendary” knight Tensu Run, who many a bibliophile will probably feel seems a little too close to a certain Corellian smuggler than a mythical hero supposedly “buried in the annals of Jedi lore”. True, the American author does provide his creation with a moment of bravado when he apparently single-handedly storms an imperial outpost in a lone spacecraft. But apart from blowing up a handful of TIE-Fighters and then culling a couple of Stormtroopers on the ground with his hand-weapon, the human hardly does anything particularly breath-taking.

Instead, Elan’s apprentice simply keeps running away from Darth Vader’s Jedi killers, seemingly content to live his life on an idyllic planet near the outer edge of the galaxy, whilst innocent others are savagely slaughtered protecting his secret whereabouts. Such conduct hardly seems conducive to cause any readers to care for the character, even if this comic’s Maryland-born writer does continually pen him stating that he’s happy to die in the name of his great cause.

Just as frustrating is this book’s artwork by Ramon Rosanas, which overall depicts a thoroughly pleasing insight into the dark world of “any Jedi who survived Order 66”. In fact, few onlookers could surely have any complaint about the Eisner Award nominee’s pencilling of Darth Vader or the Master of the Inquisitorius. However, the decisions surrounding the attire of this publication’s so-called legend may well strike some as being far too similar to Han Solo’s costume throughout “The Empire Strikes Back”. In fact, if it wasn’t for the man wielding a lightsaber and wearing eye goggles, a fair few perusers could well be fooled into thinking it was the scruffy-looking nerf-herder himself.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: INQUISITORS" #1 by Nick Bradshaw & Neeraj Menon

Star Wars: Vader Down #1 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: VADER DOWN No. 1, January 2016

Despite being depicted as a mysteriously all-powerful villain during the original "Star Wars" motion picture trilogy, Darth Vader was never arguably imbued with any especially 'mind-blowing' abilities except the occasional force choke and manipulation of inanimate objects, such as some pieces of Cloud City machinery in "The Empire Strikes Back". Indeed, whilst on the 'Silver Screen', even the Emperor Palpatine, a long-standing Sith Master, seems to have been limited to nothing greater than a talent for discharging deadly lightning bolts from his fingertips. However, this situation seems to have somewhat dramatically changed since "Marvel Worldwide" started publishing a flotilla of comics based upon George Lucas' "galaxy far, far away" in 2015, with the "enforcer of the Galactic Empire" apparently receiving an especially impressive ‘upgrade’ to the point where during Jason Aaron’s “Skywalker Strikes” story-arc the black-armoured warrior was shown to be capable of bringing all the dreadful might of a gigantic AT-AT walker to its knees purely through his manipulation of the dark side of the force.

Somewhat disconcertingly Issue One of “Star Wars: Vader Down”, the second-best selling comic book of November 2015 having sold an astonishing 384,969 issues upon its release, undoubtedly ramps up the Sith Lord’s powers even further and in many ways actually portrays a ludicrously omnipotent Anakin Skywalker, who not only single-handedly takes “out a whole [X-Wing] squadron without so much as a scratch on his TIE [Fighter]” but also casually challenges “an entire company” of mobilised Rebel troopers. Considering the American author’s script is set shortly after the Battle of Yavin, it is hard to imagine just how so invincible a titular character could have allowed the destruction of the (first) Death Star to occur, especially when the Alabama-born writer has Darth nonchalantly destroy the airborne Y-Wing bombers of Gray Squadron courtesy of some well-flung pieces of debris; “Mother of Moons! Aaaaaggghh!”

Aaron’s narrative also suffers on account of the contrived circumstances upon which his cross-title event’s basic premise is based. Having conveniently “received word of Luke’s location” Vader surprisingly abandons “his secret ally, Doctor Aphra” and the rest of his formidable Imperial resources and rather naively decides to visit “the former Jedi temple on the planet Vrogas Vas alone…” Why would “the most dangerous man in the galaxy” and a supposedly keen strategist do such a reckless thing when he knows that his prey is part of the Rebellion, and therefore will almost certainly be accompanied by Alliance forces?

Sadly Mike Deodata’s artwork is equally as ‘spotty’ as this giant-size comic’s storyline. There is no doubting that the Brazilian’s pencilling for Darth’s epic space battle against “three squadrons of Rebel starfighters” is dynamically detailed; especially the sequence's double-splash pages and additional panels depicting the various X-Wing pilots’ reactions to the utter carnage the Sith Lord’s enhanced TIE-fighter is causing. But as soon as the situation momentarily quietens, and the book’s focus turns to Skywalker’s friends on board the Rebel Fleet, then the former Nineties “Wonder Woman” artist seems to really struggle to draw his figures with any consistency.

The 'Retailer' variant cover art of "STAR WARS: VADER DOWN" No. 1

Darth Vader #6 - Marvel Comics

DARTH VADER No. 6, August 2015

There’s an unsettling aura of creative disconnection which permeates Issue Six of “Darth Vader”, and dishearteningly it doesn’t just confine itself to Kieron Gillen’s ‘blasphemous belief’ that the Galactic Emperor would surround himself with a “team of technically enhanced warriors.” For the pacing of this twenty-page conclusion to the British writer’s six-part story-arc is quite noticeably drawn out for the magazine’s latter half. Almost as if artist Salvador Larroca suddenly ran out of script to illustrate despite still having a number of empty sheets yet to fill.

This situation is entirely plausible considering the utter ludicrousness of this periodical’s opening scene, which sees the Dark Lord of the Sith ‘fending off’ the pathetic individual attacks of technology specialist Cylo’s “lightsaber-wielding cyborgs.” Despite the fighting, which is annoyingly narrated by the humanoid doctor like some poorly thought out second-hand car salesperson’s pitch, the Valencia-born cartographer really struggles to imbue the action with any sense of danger or excitement and instead confines each confrontation to a handful of suffocatingly tight panels.

Such a ‘cramped’ artistic technique even extends to when Palpatine demands “a real demonstration” and all the combatants must fight “to the death”. For the Spaniard boils all the supposedly frenzied drama of the ‘ensuing melee’ down to a single seven-framed page which simply focuses upon Vader’s lack-lustre contest.

As a result Larroca then finds himself with an intimidating ten pages with which to depict Anakin Skywalker’s discovery from a completely incompetent bounty hunter Boba Fett that he has a son… cue plenty of disappointingly drawn flashback scenes from the 2005 motion picture “Revenge Of The Sith”.   

It also seems rather nonsensical that any of Gillen’s fanciful, yet in many ways unimaginative, creations would ever be capable of replacing the former Jedi Knight as the Emperor’s right hand, especially when the likes of the Trandoshan trainee simply attacks with his bare claws. The bipedal reptilian may have undergone “cyberanimate modification” in order to no longer feel something “as petty as pain”. But that is scant protection when a lightsaber slices you in half. Something which makes Vader’s apparent defeat at the ‘hands’ of the creature even less acceptable.

However the biggest flaw with the British author’s storyline has to be the way in which he depicts the relationship between Palpatine and his Sith apprentice, as Gillen seems to have completely forgotten that by the time of the Death Star’s destruction these two characters would have existed alongside one another for over twenty years. Instead the Emperor’s rapport with Vader would seem to more closely resemble that of him still addressing an adolescent Anakin, even incredulously rebuking his protégé for ‘disappointing him on Mustafar’.

Writer: Kieron Gillen, Artist: Salvador Larroca, and Colorist: Edgar Delgado

Darth Vader #5 - Marvel Comics

DARTH VADER No. 5, July 2015

When Kieron Gillen writes at the start of this comic book that a “crisis” has struck the galaxy, it is highly unlikely that the former computer games journalist was specifically referring to his interpretation of the Dark Lord of the Sith. But just reading the British author’s ‘opening crawl’ should make most readers realise just how far removed this “Marvel Worldwide” version of the former Jedi Knight is from anything which creator George Lucas ever conceived. Certainly the producer’s original motion picture trilogy never suggests that in-between films Darth Vader surrounds himself with a young teenage archaeologist, a couple of psychopathic droids, a wookie bounty hunter and “a personal army composed of battle droids from a forgotten factory on the planet Geonosis.”

Indeed the narrative to this “penultimate part of our opening arc” almost makes it impossible to reconcile any of Gillen’s narrative with official canon, even when the one-time “Warhammer Monthly” worker attempts to pay homage to the celluloid classics; such as the Sith apprentice’s “illegal boarding” of “the bad guy’s secret base”, which clearly attempts to replicate the suspense and excitement of the Empire’s firefight within the Rebel blockade runner Tantive IV.

Such difficulties are predominantly caused by the ex-music correspondent’s premise that the Emperor Palpatine is considering turning his back upon the “obsolete” Force and employing a retinue of technologically enhanced apprentices instead. Such a preposterous notion is deemed “blasphemous” by the black armoured giant. But it is much worse than that. It is downright idiotic and as foolish as the illustrations of Morit using his techno-implants to imitate closing a door using the force, and leaping away from Vader’s lightsabre using rocket boots!?!

In fact the only thing more ridiculous is Cylo-V’s entourage, which besides two Obi-Wan Kenobi wannabes, comprises of a goggle-eyed scientist, a Mon Calamari, a Trandoshan, an Imperial probe droid and more Jedi training remotes than you’d ever want to swing a laser-sword at… And Gillen would have the reader believe ‘these are the successors to the Force’ and are to replace Darth Vader as the right hand of the Emperor?

Perhaps just as befuddled as this title’s bibliophiles is Salvador Larroca, whose artwork begins well enough, with some excellent illustrations of the Sith’s battle with Cyclo-V’s humanoid security forces. But once Morit and Aiolin are introduced midway through the magazine, the Spanish cartographer’s pencilling deteriorates quite noticeably. So much so that by the end of the comic, the artist’s drawings of Vader’s replacements, especially the Trandoshan and Mon Calamari, are quite appalling.

The variant cover art of "DARTH VADER" No. 5 by Salvador Larroca

Darth Vader #4 - Marvel Comics

DARTH VADER No. 4, June 2015

Despite some incredibly strong distribution figures, with this title’s fourth instalment alone selling 123,394 copies in April 2015, many fans of the Dark Lord of the Sith would argue that disappointingly Kieron Gillen’s interpretation of Darth Vader is almost unrecognisable from that portrayed by David Prowse in the original “Star Wars” motion picture trilogy. Much of this disillusionment stems from the fact that publishers “Marvel Worldwide” have seen fit to allow the former Jedi to be saddled with both two droids, who are worryingly similar to Artoo and Threepio in all but their murderous motives, and a young smart-mouthed female sidekick; none of which, it could be argued, would ever have shared any screen time with George Lucas' menacing movie 'monster'.

The British writer’s narrative in “Book I, Part IV" of "Vader” is also extremely questionable as the ‘galactic gang’ land on Geonosis in order “to steal a robot womb factory off a homicidally broody alien queen.” Such an audacious action-packed adventure admittedly provides its fair share of drama and frantic fast-paced fun. But such ‘high octane’ antics would surely be far more suitable if the central character was a rebel scoundrel such as Han Solo or even an apprentice Jedi like Luke Skywalker. As it is, Darth’s black armoured presence simply jars the sensibilities as the central focus of Gillen’s swashbuckling soiree.

Unfortunately the former journalist’s script does not get any better once events have quietened down and the Sith Lord starts to manufacture his “private off-the-grid” loyal droid army. Indeed the storyline's logic actually seems to get worse as Doctor Aphra matter-of-factly acknowledges that Vader must now execute her as “whatever you’re planning next. You don’t need me anymore.” Such a meek, almost willing, submission to her extinction is utterly unbelievable, especially as the rogue archaeologist has previously been depicted as such a spunky person with an insane zest for life. Certainly the savvy droid technician wouldn’t just turn her back on her would-be-killer and request he put his “lightsaber right through the neck. No warning. Nice and quick.”

Bizarrely even after the Emperor’s apprentice informs Aphra that for now he has no such intention, the seemingly suicidal space-farer warns him that she is “a walking, talking stupid risk” and is willing to die so he can “win” as “this is for a higher cause.” Such an implausibly preposterous attitude to her demise dishearteningly destroys any credibility Gillen had developed with the criminal’s personality and ruins what potentially could have been an interesting if not tense relationship between the seriously dour Sith Lord and his flighty risk-taking servant.

Artist Salvador Larroca clearly excels at drawing black clad figures, as the Valencia-born illustrator’s pencilling of both Darth Vader and the homicidal protocol droid Triple-Zero are simply stunning throughout this book. Sadly however, the Spaniard’s sketches involving a doe-eyed Doctor Aphra are far less appealing and rather detract from this comic’s overall high quality visual finish.

The variant cover art of "DARTH VADER" No. 4 by Salvador Larroca

Darth Vader #3 - Marvel Comics

DARTH VADER No. 3, May 2015

It is hard to imagine George Lucas’ incarnation of the Sith Lord ever being as anaemic and impotent as the version found within the pages of Issue Three of “Darth Vader”. For although writer Kieron Gillan pens a somewhat enjoyable swashbuckling (light)sabre of a tale involving thievery, skulduggery and droids, his titular character would appear to have little in common with the angry, hate-driven bedevilled presence seen in the original “Star Wars” motion picture trilogy. Instead the former computer game journalist has his Lord Vader nonchalantly leaning up against data walls with his arms folded, casually watching his latest employee waste time tinkering with the internal workings of the disappointingly named protocol droid Triple Zero; hardly the intimidating Imperial force, within whose presence most officers cower.

Perhaps understandably the former Jedi has lost some of his arrogant swagger following his failure during the Battle of Yavin and the subsequent destruction of the Death Star. He has after all been demoted in disgrace by Palpatine and must now work to the orders of Grand General Tagge; a commanding officer whose mathematical methods the Sith clearly despises. But bearing in mind the ruthless cyborg was previously working under the orders of the Grand Moff Tarkin, does such a sanction really mean that “the time has passed” when he had armies at his “beck and call”? There seems little plausibility to such an argument and thus scant justification behind the once mighty ‘right hand’ of the Emperor needing to personally skulk in seedy back street bars just to track down a rather unimpressively luckless Doctor Aphra.

All such a contrived storyline demonstrates is how ‘out of character’ Gillan has Palpatine’s apprentice behaving, and how woefully unoriginal his narrative of Vader leading a small party of two droids and a scoundrel on a secret mission looking for hidden data sounds. Fortunately the British comic book writer does occasionally depict Luke Skywalker’s father as the powerful Sith Lord most “Star Wars” fans will clamour for. His single-handed victory over Utani Xane and a squad of super battle droids on Quarantine World III is as impressive as it is murderously swift.

But most of the good points about this issue rest upon the shoulders of artist Salvador Larroca, and even then these rapidly diminish as the page count swells. Indeed it would seem that the former cartographer becomes increasingly bemused, and as a result his pencilling disappointingly inconsistent, the more the bewildering plot twists and turns. This confusion seems most noticeable during the Spanish artist’s final few pages, where he depicts a worryingly cartoon-like doe-eyed Aphra and a Darth Vader whose Durasteel helmet seems to periodically rise and fall in length at the back.

The variant cover art of "DARTH VADER" No. 3 by Salvador Larroca

Darth Vader #2 - Marvel Comics

DARTH VADER No. 2, April 2015

One of the most appealing advantages to the storytelling medium of comics over motion pictures is the incredible opportunity books provide to project many of a film’s lesser known characters into the ‘spotlight’ and enrich both their personality and history. Issue Two of “Darth Vader” is one such example of this as Kieron Gillen takes the short-lived imperial officer Cassio Tagge, wonderfully portrayed by Don Henderson in the 1977 movie “Star Wars”, and emphatically builds the Grand General up as a man powerful enough to potentially rival the Dark Lord of the Sith himself.

Admittedly it is hard to hear the late British actor’s voice in much of the dialogue. But even so it is clear right from the start that Tagge, placed in overall command by Emperor Palpatine, is an anathema to Vader’s appreciation of ‘vision and action’, with his graphs and mathematical models. This uneasiness and bitter rivalry is best summed up in the words of the Grand General himself as he retorts to his subordinate “My plans may not be as glamorous or grand as yours or the departed Tarkin’s, but they work.”

Disappointingly the actual plot to this second part of the “Vader” story-arc is nowhere near as engaging or entertaining as the interplay between the two imperial adversaries. Indeed it is rather confusing (or open ended) as to what the Sith Lord’s mission within the space pirates’ base actually is. The basic urgent requirement for the Empire to put an end to these supply raiders from the Extreme Edge of the Outer Rim is obvious. As is Tagge’s desire to identify the people behind them. But what is not clearly explained is why Vader risks his life in order to download the pirate’s system data twice? Was his astromech droid’s upload simply the Sith Lord falsely planting evidence of the General’s adjutant’s treachery on the base’s computer system, or did the little robot copy something far more important from the raider’s records? Possibly time will tell considering the destructive lengths Vader goes to in order to ensure any trace of the droid’s work is purged.

What is abundantly clear is how good a creative team artist Salvador Larroca and colorist Edgar Delgado are, for the illustrations within this comic are mesmerizingly good. Whilst the Spaniard’s depiction of Tagge isn’t quite an identical likeness for Henderson, it is extremely close. Whilst Lord Vader is a stunning representation of the black armoured Sith warrior. The former “Fantastic Four” contributor’s pencilling of tie-fighters, corvettes and droids are also very well technically drawn, capturing both the look and feel of George Lucas’ celluloid versions.

The variant cover art of "DARTH VADER" No. 2 by Dave Dorman

Darth Vader #1 - Marvel Comics

DARTH VADER No. 1, April 2015

 Publishing a comic book series based upon a genuinely villainous character, someone who has completely surrendered themselves over to evil and everybody loves to hate, would ordinarily be viewed as a brave move on the part of “Marvel Worldwide”. But when that individual is the Lord of the Sith from the multi-billion film franchise “Star Wars” and the title of the periodical is “Darth Vader” then one could argue that successful sales figures are inevitable no matter what the quality of the magazine’s content.

As it happens however Kieron Gillen has written a very good opening issue with Anakin Skywalker’s alter ego demonstrating all the ruthlessness and secretive ingenuity which made him such a sinister force within the motion picture’s ‘original trilogy’. This former Jedi Knight is dangerous. Unbelievably so. Though at first it is all too easy to forget just how incredibly powerful the black-garbed Ralph McQuarrie designed solitary figure actually is. 

Indeed when Lord Vader single-handedly strides into Jabba’s Palace at the start of the storyline, and finds himself surrounded by the vile gangster’s mercenary bodyguards, things do not look good for the ruthless cyborg; certainly Max Rebo doesn’t believe so as the male Ortolan shields his eyes from the anticipated slaughter of Ben Kenobi’s former Padawan. But just a few pages of red light-sabre action later, and all the ‘scum and villainy’ have been dispatched. Whilst ‘the mighty Jabba’ is clutching his swollen throat as a result of force ‘choke’ hold. “Impressive. Most impressive.”

Unfortunately “Darth Vader” is not a virtuoso performance by the British writer however. The opening sequence of a lone individual strolling into the Hutt’s Tatooine fortress has been repeatedly replicated since its inception at the start of the movie “Return Of The Jedi”; so appears somewhat cliché. There is also some uncharacteristic dialogue between Master and Apprentice on Coruscant as Vader actually challenges the Emperor to his face by accusing him of “…trying to hide something from me?” just because Palpatine won’t reveal the identity of a mysterious visitor to the Imperial Palace. The subservient Sith Lord has never showed such troublesome doubts in his master’s decision-making before. Nor would do so on the 'big screen' until their climatic confrontation during the Battle of Endor; something which doesn’t take place for a considerable time in the future…

Arguably the highlight of this comic book however is the excellent artwork by Salvador Larroca. The Spaniard’s pencilling of Vader, along with some beautiful highlighting work on his armoured costume by colorist Edgar Delgado, is simply faultless. Whilst his attempts to recapture pivotal shots from the motion pictures, such as the memorable “The Force is strong with this one” Death Star trench run, are outstanding.

The regular cover art of "DARTH VADER" No. 1 by Adi Granov