Published: May 27, 2021
Rating: T
Writer: Greg Pak
Penciler: Guiu Vilanova
Colourist: Dean White with Giada Marchisio
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Aaron Kuder & Richard Isanove
The synopsis;
PRELUDE TO WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS: “RESTORATION”
Returned to the fold after his rebellion against the EMPEROR, DARTH VADER faces the horrors of reconstruction in the secret laboratories of CORUSCANT. As he blacks out under the knife, does he still dream of revenge against his master? Or do his thoughts drift towards his son – and the friends who make LUKE SKYWALKER so vulnerable? Don’t miss this next critical new chapter in Vader’s ongoing evolution – featuring the revelation of the first time the Dark Lord learned the name HAN SOLO!
The review;
So it begins, Darth Vader’s arc now crosses into the prelude for War of the Bounty Hunters and the stakes are raised for the Dark Lord! Kuder’s direct cover is an amazing composition of Vader’s fist closing round Han Solo and Chewbacca, hinting at the hunter encroaching his prey. Its fiery red variant is even more chilling, throwing flame-like reflections on Vader’s mask. In total contrast Sprouse’s anniversary variant is the much more upbeat scene between Luke and Leia aboard the Rebel medical frigate, which is stunning in its simplicity.
After being dragged back to Coruscant by Emperor Palpatine, under his orders Vader is repaired by a team of medical droids. Whilst going through this pain, Vader channels it into making a plan to hit Luke Skywalker where it will hurt – his friends. And one in particular. The arrogant Corellian pilot who helped blow up the Death Star. Vader is determined to hunt down Han Solo and recruit’s assassin Ochi of Bestoon to help in his search…
Pak has been weaving Prequels references into this series since the very first issue, and Darth Vader #12 has massive Revenge of the Sith vibes. Seeing Vader back under the scrutiny of the medical droids for a second time is painful to read, emphasised by Vilanova’s artwork featuring creepy angles of a variety of sharp-looking medical equipment along with Caramagna’s lettering of all the whirring and electrical sounds. It’s brilliantly written as it takes inspiration from the film but adds Vader’s pain-fueled thoughts to bring something completely new.
Speaking of new, how about some shiny new Corellian freighters? Corellia’s shipyards are famous in the Star Wars canon, seen very briefly in Solo and mentioned numerous times in literature, most recently in Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse. After being restored to his full strength, Vader travels to the YT-Series shipyard and it’s a paradise for fans of the Millennium Falcon. There are over a dozen YT-1300 models drawn by Vilanova, with paint jobs ranging from browns to rainbow-coloured, which send Vader on a wild ship chase as Han’s hunk-of-junk can blend in.
Pak has proven he can write Vader well, but he absolutely nails Han’s voice too. He doesn’t shy away from just writing Han’s responses to Chewie, so there’s only half a conversation and it still makes perfect sense, whilst also being absolutely hilarious. The pair are running from a Sith Lord and Han still has time to make some quips. There’s an easy confidence to his lines even though they’re being chased by Vader, and Han has steadfast belief in his piloting abilities. It’s pretty hard not to hear Chewie’s admonishing moans when reading this issue.
With this crossover prelude also comes a change in artist and Vilanova’s style while different from Ienco’s, still keeps the red-tinted memories of Vader, along with the black comic panels of the Sith Lord’s dark thoughts. He’s drawn Vader’s mask so expressively and there’s some angles that are really unusual, especially the ones from directly beneath. Each panel has so much line-work and the details add so much, really absorbing the reader into the story. These details are particularly important for the flashbacks which are based on the movies because fans know what they’re supposed to look like, and Vilanova has drawn these familiar characters and places as accurately to their on-screen counterparts as possible.
There are a lot of time jumps in Darth Vader #12 which do make it a bit of a rollercoaster to keep up with when reading. Pak starts it before Vader and Han’s infamous encounter on Cloud City but the comic then ends with Boba Fett losing his carbonite prize. Serving under Vader, Ochi of Bestoon makes a deal to find the smuggler, which raises the question – why does Vader want Han back when he let Boba Fett take him in the first place? Hopefully some answers will be coming in War of the Bounty Hunters #1!
Availability;
Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) #12 was published May 27, 2021 by Marvel Comics. This issue is available via The Marvel App and from all good comic bookstores and retails at $3.99.
