Darth Vader #1 Spoilers/Discussion

[Nosocialize]

Good issue, but not great imo. I reviewed it with pictures here if anyone is interested. I think the most important revelation to be had here, for those if you who don't read previews, is that this takes place right after Star Wars #2, which means all these books are intertwined like an event series. At least right now anyway.

The story is a decent one, although it does utilize a flashback to begin which is sometimes a sign the story is a bit light. Frankly it is a light read, as the meat of the issue is serves a compelling conversation between the Emperor and Vader while the rest is recap and an action sequence. Considering the price is 5 dollars and you’re really only getting 30 pages of story (because 4 pages are used to display a title and the scrolling credit recap) it’s not the longest or best reads.

spoilers:

The issue opens with Vader "visiting" Jabba the Hutt in a similar shot style as when Luke visits in Return of the Jedi. He kills two guards and is eventually standing in front of Jabba. They talk and Jabba keeps calling Vader a Jedi which pisses him off. A ton of guards show up and Vader takes them out. Vader wants Jabba to do something for him, not for the Empire. Cut to a day earlier where Vader is with the Emperor. He informs him of the events that took place in the Star Wars #1 and #2 comics. The Emperor blames Vader for this failure and for the failure of the Death Star blowing up. He mentions Vader gave away the Death Star plans on purpose, sort of like a sting operation. The Emperor talks to him like he's a child, then tells him he's bringing in a guy named Tagge to assume Primacy because he "argued against the arrogance of the Death Star as a sole weapon." The Emperor has a visitor and refuses to tell Vader who he is. Awkward moment there. Vader is then asked to report anything else and he remembers details that suggest he's figuring out Luke is tied to him somehow. We then cut to a day later and Darth is waiting for Boba Fett and a gray Wookiee. They are asked by Vader to capture Luke alive. He also asks them to kidnap the guy the Emperor refused to tell Vader about. The angle cuts to Vader saying he's done on Tatooine with the bodies of sand people aka Tusken Raiders all around him.

end of spoilers

What did you guys think?

[Diamond]

It was good, but Larroca should not be allowed to draw human faces. There's an enormous difference in quality between his aliens and human faces; the former look great, the latter... yikes, they look like clay.

[ABH]

I actually really liked this, and this was the Star Wars book that I was most worried about.

Overall, I think the art was great, but over-relied on reference images from the movies. It makes sense to reference Jabba's palace from ROTJ, and many other scenes, but during the interrogation, why use the torture of Han from ESB? That just seemed sort of lazy, to me.

Still, I thought everything between Vader and Palpatine was great.

[Nosocialize]

I actually really liked this, and this was the Star Wars book that I was most worried about.

Overall, I think the art was great, but over-relied on reference images from the movies. It makes sense to reference Jabba's palace from ROTJ, and many other scenes, but during the interrogation, why use the torture of Han from ESB? That just seemed sort of lazy, to me.

Still, I thought everything between Vader and Palpatine was great.

I thought the dialogue in that scene was the best part of the comic, but at the same time Palpatine looked weird in some of those panels.

[Nosocialize]

Anyone out there read this and not see the movies? I find it hard to believe people going in blind would find this comic great.

[CyclopsWasRight]

Holy craaaaap. That ending gave me goose bumps.

One thing I really want from this new cannon is for Vader to not come off like a little bitch. Anyone who played The Force Unleashed games will know what I'm talking about.

[Nosocialize]

Holy craaaaap. That ending gave me goose bumps.

One thing I really want from this new cannon is for Vader to not come off like a little bitch. Anyone who played The Force Unleashed games will know what I'm talking about.

So far he's being pretty weak with the Emperor.

[ABH]

Holy craaaaap. That ending gave me goose bumps.

One thing I really want from this new cannon is for Vader to not come off like a little bitch. Anyone who played The Force Unleashed games will know what I'm talking about.

Oh yeah, that ending was great. Given some thought, I probably should have seen that coming, but I love that he's casually having a conversation, after having done all of that...

So far he's being pretty weak with the Emperor.

He is, but it works. I was worried how they would make movie villain Vader, into the protagonist of his own book, so it makes sense that Palpatine would be an "obstacle" he would have to overcome.

[Darkspellmaster]

What I'm surprised about, and I know it would bring up memories of the prequels, is that Jabba didn't call him a "Slave" or a "pod-racer" since if he knows that Vader is a Jedi, I'm assuming that he knew about Anakin becoming a jedi at the end of the movie, or going off with him. Jabba wouldn't look too kindly on this...and again with the damn sand people? Seriously! Jerks they are but man stop culling them vader.

[ABH]

What I'm surprised about, and I know it would bring up memories of the prequels, is that Jabba didn't call him a "Slave" or a "pod-racer" since if he knows that Vader is a Jedi, I'm assuming that he knew about Anakin becoming a jedi at the end of the movie, or going off with him. Jabba wouldn't look too kindly on this...and again with the damn sand people? Seriously! Jerks they are but man stop culling them vader.

I really don't think it is known, widely, that Anakin is Vader. At most, some people know that Vader was once a Jedi, but I think that's it. I guess it's also possible that Jabba just sees a lightsaber, and immediately thinks Jedi.

[Nosocialize]

I really don't think it is known, widely, that Anakin is Vader. At most, some people know that Vader was once a Jedi, but I think that's it. I guess it's also possible that Jabba just sees a lightsaber, and immediately thinks Jedi.

UNLESS Obi-Wan was a huge gossip.

[Jordan D. White]

Considering the price is 5 dollars and you’re really only getting 28 pages of story (because 4 pages are used to display a title and the scrolling credit recap) it’s not the longest or best reads.

Wait. You are counting two-page spreads as single pages? That is a bit unfair. For many, spreads are MORE exciting than single pages, not a waste of a page.

[suss2it]

Anyone out there read this and not see the movies? I find it hard to believe people going in blind would find this comic great.

I doubt there's many out there that would read a Darth Vader comic but haven't seen the Star Wars movies.

[Kuwagaton]

I doubt there's many out there that would read a Darth Vader comic but haven't seen the Star Wars movies.

I will take that challenge on Friday.

[ViewtifulJC]

Larracoa's art made this so damn boring. Like man...even with Edgar Delgado he can't do comics, period. His action is terrible, he defaults to lazy widescreens too often, his characters convey no sense of movement or believable emotions...nothing works.