Published: April 9, 2024
Rating: T
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Adam Gorham & Paul Fry
Colourist: Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Leinel Francis Yu & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
The synopsis;
A SECRET PLAN TO TAKE DOWN THE EMPEROR!
• DARTH VADER has used the SCHISM IMPERIAL to secure terrible new forces, including the cyborgs of the M.A.R. CORPS and the death machine of GOVERNOR TAUNTAZA…
• But what treasure or horror lies within the MARTYRIUM OF FROZEN TEARS?
• And what cost will Vader and his allies pay to secure it?
The review;
A surprise review while our regular reviewer, Kat, is busy writing her dissertation (something I’m sure none of us envy her for!), don’t mind if I do! This series has had some interesting twists and turns, the most notable for myself has been the Sabe and handmaiden story arc, which I found fascinating. This latest arc has followed on from the impressive Dark Droids crossover event. It sees Vader working with Sly Moore to create their own little Rebellion from within the Empire, called the Schism Empire. Greg Pak has brought this interesting storyline to life, which is no small feat. For we know how this story arc will ultimately end. We know that Vader will stand next to the Emperor in Return of the Jedi, we know that the schism is going to fail. What we don’t know is the how, how will it fail, how will Vader still be in the Emperor’s good graces? Joining Pak are artists Adam Gorham and Paul Fry who I’m sure will create a visual delight for us. So, let’s find out what this issue is all about.
The issue is set on the planet of Tython. If you are enjoying the current canon, you will recognise the name from the second season of The Mandalorian as well as Doctor Aphra. Although I enjoy both of these, as an old school fan, I immediately think about the Expanded Universe, where the planet featured heavily as the birthplace of the Jedi. I love to see it here, been utilised again. Gorham and Fry do a tremendous job of bringing it to life. The primarily white setting is absolutely perfect for this issue. Not only does it allow the faces and emotions of the troops to be readily seen, but Vader can be shown so well. What I was most impressed by was the use of shadow with Vader. Very rarely do you see Vader completely, there are always shadows on him. It reminds me very much of how Batman is often portrayed. You never see a full body portfolio of him, just glimpses here and there. It works so well with someone like Vader.
The thrust of this issue is the arguing between the troops. It’s fascinating to see how these people, who all follow Vader, do so for completely different reasons. You have the idealist, Pryde, who is in absolute admiration of Vader and what he stands for. He has seen his power, has been saved by that power and sees Vader’s goal of bringing order to the galaxy to be something of the purest form. It’s a very different portrayal of how he is seen in the movies, where we view him through the lens of the Rebellion. However, within this group, he is part of the minority (I say minority, it’s just him!). The rest of the squad, led by Fabarian, hate him. They too have seen the power Vader wields but has seen it used against them. They don’t see Vader as the hero that Pryde sees, but as a monster who is the only one strong enough to overthrow the Empire. I think this is probably a very good representation of how the galaxy views Vader and – to a lesser extent – the Empire. In fact, I do wonder if Pak has made a whole squad bar Pryde have hate for Vader, to almost show that the majority of the galaxy hate Vader and only a small percentage actually see him as a hero. It shows that the Empire is fractured and how something like the Schism Empire could be formed.
This whole debate between the squad then goes even further. There is the question of whether Vader is cruel or bringing order and, most importantly, does he even know what he really wants? As a reader, you can’t help but think about Anakin. He thinks he knows what he wants but he always seems so unsure. He follows the Jedi, he follows Palpatine, but he never really decides on what he really wants. Even though he has been Vader for so long, is he stuck in this indecisiveness. While other characters develop and move forward, is Vader forever struck in the past, stuck because he has no direction really to help him move forward? When you read the end of the comic, this line of questioning seems to make even more sense.
The squad, Vader and Sly find a Jedi confessional made of kyberite. It can only be seen by Force users, and I think the concept of it is very cool. To actually have Jedi admit their mistakes and have it recorded is rather interesting! For this comic, Pak takes us to an even more interesting idea: the confession of Luke Skywalker. As soon as he is confronted with this, Vader must incapacitate Sly and then we see flashbacks to The Empire Strikes Back. I love moments like this. The artwork really captures the moments we all know so well. With Luke admitting to his musing about going with Vader, the Vader that is lost, that is stuck in the past, is pushed forward to been given purpose, a goal. He has something – finally – to focus on that isn’t just going around in circles. He has a son who needs his father. The transformation in Vader is instant and the moment is captured perfectly with the artwork. You can feel the intensity of the moment as well as Vader’s resolve to find his son.
This is a superb issue of Darth Vader. It’s a great jumping on point for new fans, raising awareness of the divide that exists in the Empire. It allows fans to catch up on who’s who, while also revisiting ideas from the original trilogy. The artwork captures Vader perfectly, never fully seeing him and casting him in shadow. It’s simply an enjoyable issue. This isn’t an issue of action, but one of principle. It makes an interesting change of pace for this series and one that works tremendously well.
