The Weekly Pull : Darth Vader
Star Wars makes it’s return to The Weekly Pull this week as the galaxy’s most iconic villain received his first ongoing series (ever!) under the Marvel banner! Last month, Jason Aaron and John Cassaday kicked off the Marvel Star Wars line to the tune of over one million copies sold and universal acclaim, sparking new life into the franchise throughout the comic medium.
Taking place immediately following the events of Star Wars : Episode IV - A New Hope (and in tandem with Aaron and Cassaday’s title), Star Wars: Darth Vader follows the Sith Lord through the events which occur after the destruction of the Death Star, where Vader was last seen losing control of his TIE fighter, pummeling into deep space. No longer controlling the Senate under the force of the Death Star, and their greatest weapon against the Rebel Alliance gone, Vader must confront his failure to the Emperor head on as the isolated survivor of the greatest military disaster under Palpatine's Imperial reign.
Quite frankly, this story has me giddy, and it shocks me that we haven’t had a take on these particular events in the past thirty-eight years (canon or not). In addition, we are also re-introduced to familiar characters such as Jabba the Hutt, Tusken Raiders and a certain Bounty Hunter as we learn how their roles originate and tie together prior to the events of Empire and Jedi.
Writer Kieron Gillen does a fantastic job channeling the character of Darth Vader to the page, and it's a difficult task considering that we all know the characters end game. The cinematic henchman relationship we have grown accustomed to between Vader and Palpatine is further explored and expanded here as well within Gillen's writing as the thoughts and actions of a broken man are seen from a new perspective as we, the reader, are introduced to wheels within wheels of the core story. Artist Salvador Larocca also brings his A game to series, and masterfully handles the task of depicting Vader's emotions, who's iconic helmet masks the majority of his emotional state.
If these two opening acts of Star Wars and Star Wars: Darth Vader are any indication of how Star Wars : Episode VII - The Force Awakens will perform under Disney and Marvel's reign, we're in for a treat. If you're a Star Wars fan of any degree, make a plan to visit your local comic shop and grab a copy before it's too late. The Force is strong in this one.
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| 5/5 Toast Rating |
Do you have a comic, graphic novel, comic event or storyline you’re itching to read or learn more about? Sound off in the comments below, find me on Twitter or let us know on the New Geek Protocol Facebook page!
Until next time True Believers,
-ArchangelEZE
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