Star Wars: Darth Vader – Black, White & Red #3 has perhaps one of the most chilling tales concerning its titular Sith Lord. I’m not joking. The hallway battle in Rogue One? The battles in Obi-Wan Kenobi? They pale in comparison to this story. Granted the issue does contain some solid stories, but this particular one is going to stick with me for a very long time.
The story in question is titled “Diplomatic Immunity”, written by Marc Bernardin and illustrated by Stefano Raffele. Darth Vader travels to a planet titled Sarjenn 3, with an Imperial officer in tow, to root out a Rebel spy. What follows is a chilling display of the sheer power Vader wields, and a twist that will send blades of ice stabbing into your spine. I consider Bernardin to be one of my personal writing heroes – his career in journalism, as well as his tenure on the Fatman Beyond podcast and other written work proves he’s a master of the craft. That remains true here, as he showcases that Vader can be terrifying even without using the Force or his lightsaber. Raffele adds to the horror, slowly showcasing increasing amounts of destruction – the standout being where Vader uses his Force powers to literally turn a massive wall into dust. Paired with splashes of red from colorist Andres Mossa, it’ll keep you up at night.
The only other tale to hold a candle to “Diplomatic Immunity” is “Annihilated”, which features Daniel Warren Johnson as its sole writer/artist/colorist. Johnson delivers a story that lives up to its title, featuring Vader carving through a Rebel platoon. Limbs go flying, laser blasts are deflected, and in a chilling two-page spread, a Rebel ship is pulled to the ground and smashed into pieces. It definitely makes me more excited for Johnson’s run on Transformers later this year.
Finally, there’s the penultimate part of “Hard Shutdown” by Jason Aaron, Leonard Kirk and Romulo Fajardo Jr. Once again, Vader’s raw power is on display; this first story alone is worth the price of admission, thanks to Aaron’s script following the “rule of cool” and Kirk delivering a Vader image that deserves to be hung on your wall. It just pales a little in comparison to the other two tales, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see the conclusion.
Star Wars: Darth Vader – Black, White & Red #3 delivers one of the most chilling Vader tales, showcasing the full force of the Dark Lord of the Sith. With one issue left, it remains to be seen how anyone can top this issue. But I hope they try – or as Yoda would say, do.
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