Published: January 11, 2022
Rating: T
Writer: Greg Pak
Penciler: Luke Ross
Colourist: Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Rahzzah
The synopsis;
ALL HER SHADOWS!
During their terrible battle at Padmé’s tomb on Naboo, the Queen’s most devoted handmaidens were no match for the fury of Darth Vader. So as they are about to face the Dark Lord again, the handmaidens have prepared. But so has Vader. Who will triumph in the rematch? And what dark price will that victory exact?
The review;
Leaping through the air like a deadly blood red ballet, the handmaidens are ready to fight Darth Vader in this incredible direct cover by Rahzzah. It is one of the most unique covers of this series so far, capturing the fierce beauty and spirit of Padmé’s loyal shadows. Noto’s variant also uses this theme, though actually includes a stunning side portrait haunting Vader in the background. Meanwhile the first of Sprouse’s Return of the Jedi anniversary variants features the Dark Lord’s iconic arrival, something which is emulated by Ross’s artwork in this story.
Sabé was once a handmaiden loyal to Naboo yet now she serves the Empire. Sent on a mission to assassinate Jul Tambor, great-grandson of the Techno Union leader that Anakin Skywalker defeated, she claims to have killed the would-be revolutionary. Her fellow handmaidens embark on a mission to rescue Sabé from Vader’s clutches, convinced she is trapped and would not willingly work with the Sith. Yet they are all in danger of becoming part of Vader’s plan.
Building on Darth Vader (2020) #29 and following in the wake of Sabé’s apparent betrayal, this issue highlights the loyalty the handmaidens have to one another. They support each other no matter what, and the handmaidens are determined to prove that Sabé is trapped in an impossible situation rather than willingly working for the Empire. Pak has really captured how the handmaidens are written as a found family in the Queen’s Shadow trilogy by E. K. Johnston, bringing their unique skills into a team to be reckoned with.
In the last issue, rather than just trying to quickly assassinate Jul and then run away, Sabé attempts to find a diplomatic resolution, stating how Vader would take revenge on all of Jul’s people and not just him. However, Jul refuses to listen and Sabé is forced to blast him. It’s not quite what it looks like though because her aim is deliberately off. While Zed tries to patch him up, complaining all the while he’s better at dissecting than healing, Jul shows Sabé his plan for finding Vader’s weakness.
Droids. And lots of them too. Jul has bought and salvaged droids that Vader has cut down as part of the Empire’s clean-up of Separatist worlds. It ties really well into current episodes of The Bad Batch, especially ‘The Solitary Clone’, and how the Empire took control of previously independent worlds. Sending in stormtroopers to remove any vestiges of the Separatists and phasing out clone troopers so that all that is left are reminders of the Empire instead. It also means these droids have a vendetta against the Dark Lord (imagine if they knew he was Anakin and how many droids the Jedi cut down?) which Jul fully intends to take advantage of.
Unfortunately for Sabé her fellow handmaidens don’t realise what she’s up to or which side she’s on. Their mission is to attempt to save Sabé by sneaking aboard the Executor. This is a really great sequence of comic panels as the handmaidens show off their different skills. Rabé is disguised as a droid, just like Luke in the I, Jedi story from Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu. Meanwhile Dormé is hacking to provide intelligence and Eirtaé is leading the team. It’s an impressive show of girl power and it definitely leaves Ochi realising he’s been outsmarted.
Luke Ross once again has to balance all the handmaidens, making them similar enough to double as Sabé and as each other. There are subtle differences to the characters that are fascinating to discover between the panels, whether it’s a slightly wider nose or a mildly different hairstyle. With much of the story set aboard the halls of the Executor there’s also plenty of art showing off the Imperial machine, including a full squadron of stormtroopers and an especially cool wide-angle of the entire ship.
Darth Vader (2020) #30 ends with the handmaidens agreeing to join Vader in order to save Sabé from Jul’s clutches. Yet is this really what it appears or is the Dark Lord playing them all? Is Sabé fooling her sisters? Pak’s writing this arc in such a way that it is nearly impossible to guess anyone’s true motives. Except for Ochi, who is still only out for himself. With loyalties so uncertain, anything could happen in Darth Vader (2020) #31.
Availability;
Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) is an ongoing series published by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $3.99 and is available via The Marvel App, ComiXology and from all good comic book stores.
