The current Darth Vader monthly by Greg Pak has been an interesting experiment. The omnipresent Dark Lord of the Sith is one of the most recognizable villains in film history, but one best served as a shadowy power the narrative’s heroes confront at their own peril. Thus, I’ve always preferred a Vader that acts as a sinister figure on the peripheral of the narrative, not at its center. Yet, Pak’s characterization of Anakin Skywalker has been an engaging success story, and it’s a textbook case in how to build additional depth into an iconic character.
In this new collection (amassing issues #23-27 of the Darth Vader comic), the Dark Lord joins forces with one of Padme’s handmaidens known as Sabe while trying to target corrupt Imperial governors. Knowing that Sabe once wished to kill Vader for what he did to Amidala, his reluctance to work with the character is understandable. The fact that Vader is working with a woman that looks identical to his dead wife is such a ridiculous comic-book premise but remains effective thanks to Pak’s strong narrative direction. The book is pure comic soap opera, done with enough care that the final scene between the two characters feels appropriate. The book also features the assassin Ochi, a mainstay of the Star Wars comics, while providing ample flashbacks to Vader’s prior, perilous decisions that root the book to both the films and the extended universe.
Most of the art is handled by the wonderful Raffaele Ienco (with a single issue from Marco Castiello). Ienco is a skilled comic artist, both capable at giving his characters a cinematic visual presence while also gorgeously animating the action sequences. Each issue has big moments of explosive energy, made to feel even larger thanks to Ienco’s careful blocking. Carlos Lopez, who colors the book, also deserves praise for his work. This comic looks like a prestige title, worthy of acclaim.
Lastly, we thankfully get full page reproductions of the variant covers. That may not be a dealbreaker to the average graphic novel consumer, but it’s a nice way to give these pieces of art a space to live.
The Shadow’s Shadow is not a canon-shattering tale, but it is engaging book that walks the fine line between rehashing the same old Star Wars storyline and breaking its iconic character’s recognizable lore. If Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco continue to make Darth Vader comics this good, I’ll continue to read them.
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