It’s still unclear what the future of the Star Wars comic line is going to look like following the current Battle of Jakku event, but the recent wave of monthlies that just finished were some of the best Star Wars comics to come out in decades. With a strong stable of writers and artists, fans of the universe’s iconic characters were served up ample engaging stories, bold character explorations, and dynamic artwork that continues to expand the Star Wars mythos. Greg Pak’s run on Darth Vader was one of the best from the line, and with this final trade (titled Phantoms) it ends his multi-year arc in a satisfying manner.
Collecting Darth Vader #48-50 and the Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary one-shot, it details Darth Vader’s pursuit for power coming to a head as he confronts the ramifications of his alliance with the Schism Imperial. Ultimately, his looming challenge with Emperor Palpatine hangs over his actions throughout these issues. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker faces a critical test that raises the question of whether he will follow his father’s path toward the dark side. The interconnected fates of Sabé, Warba, Sly Moore, and other key figures converge, forcing each to choose loyalties. These final issues are supplemented with the 25th-anniversary tribute to The Phantom Menace, weaving together Anakin’s early adventures with familiar echoes of Star Wars lore to close this long-running series.
Marvel
Greg Pak has done an admirable job on this Darth Vader series, developing the character and giving him new energy throughout the course of these 50 issues. It’s not a series without its faults, but I have always appreciated how Pak centered his narrative around Vader’s redemption arc that would come to fruition in Return of the Jedi. Story wise, it was a smart move and allowed the towering villain to be more introspective than other versions have been. The issues drawn by Raffaele Ienco were great, with strong action layouts and expressive characters. Issue #50 has a bunch of artists present, and while I generally do not like this approach to single issues, it worked well enough for a series sendoff.
Many of the variant covers are reprinted in the back of the book, but only a few are given the full-page treatment. This is common practice for these TPBs, but it would have been nice to have the final edition include full reproductions.
I hope that Marvel will give this recent era of Star Wars books the omnibus treatment at some point, as Greg Pak’s Vader would look great in an oversized hardcover like Alyssa Wong’s Doctor Aphra. But until that time comes, this final paperback volume of Darth Vader is well worth the price of admission and gives a satisfying bookend to the run.
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