Published: October 14, 2020
Rated: T
Writer: Greg Pak
Penciller: Raffaele Ienco
Colourist: Neeraj Menon
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: InHyuk Lee
The synopsis;
THE PUNISHMENT!
• DARTH VADER failed to turn his son, Luke Skywalker, to the dark side of the Force.
• No…Luke was too weak to join his father in overthrowing EMPEROR PALPATINE.
• Vader sought revenge against those who hid Luke from him for all of these years…
and in doing so nearly betrayed his master.
• It did not go unnoticed by Palpatine… time for Vader’s next lesson.
The review;
I was happy when Kat asked me to step in this month to cover for her in reviewing the latest issue of Darth Vader. I had the privilege of reviewing the Darth Vader (2017) series by Charles Soule and always felt that series was going to be a tough act to follow for any writer, but Greg Pak has already made his mark with this series. But before we start talking about the story, let’s start with that awesome cover…
Oh, my word! We’ve had some pretty cool Vader covers over the years, but this one is a bit special. Vader reeling like a puppet on force lightning strings from the Emperor’s fingers; need I say more? InHyuk Lee has created some excellent covers for this series so far, but for me, this is the best yet. Then we have the collaborative effort from Chris Sprouse, Karl Story and Neeraj Menon. This is the 17th of 36 themed covers for the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back depicting the Millennium Falcon escaping the jaws of the exogorth (Space Slug). One of my favourite scenes from Empire and I made sure to pick up a copy of that cover to go with my Sideshow Collectibles diorama of that scene.
Issue 6 sees the start of a new story arc. Vader is done on Naboo, but his antics have displeased the Emperor. We have seen how cruel the Emperor is to Vader before in so many ways. In this issue, he doesn’t hold back on him at all. Vader needs to be taught a lesson and he is getting the schooling of a lifetime. Palpatine is meting out his punishment on Vader from the very first frame and the Force lightning is visible to the Stormtroopers on the perimeter of the Emperor’s palace and taking them in awe.
Vader is having the Emperor remind of his failures during the events of The Empire Strikes Back, but also by his going AWOL to Naboo on a mission of his own volition. The events that follow show how powerful Palpatine is. We all grew up in fear of Vader, thinking he was the ultimate villain, but he was only ever seen as an enforcer by the Emperor.
Palpatine wants to break Vader, to reset him from the weaknesses he feels he is showing. A bit like when you are creating something in LEGO, and you decide the path you are taking is incorrect and you have to reset and go again.
The use of Mas Amedda and the Imperial Royal Guards in the sequence really works well. Amedda still being around is a great call by Pak. After the events of Revenge of the Sith, he falls off the radar, until after the Battle of Endor, so it is nice have him there assisting the Emperor. Pak showed his depth of knowledge and respect of the Original Trilogy era when he was at the helm of the Age of Rebellion comic book series and this really does shine through.
I really loved the twist of crushing the limbs that Vader had been given by the Emperor. The first time he was rescued, but this ultimate twist in breaking the machine Vader has become. Left to his own devices this time where Anakin Skywalker truly became Darth Vader, but with the same injuries and leaving him stranded on the same lava shoreline that Obi-Wan had left him years before. It underlines just how cruel the Emperor really is.
Flashbacks also seem to be a huge part of the Marvel Comics theme for all the titles currently and this issue is no exception. Memories of his failures during recent events and also as Vader is force choked by the Emperor there are flashbacks to all the significant people Vader has himself choked at some point.
And then there’s the reveal on that last page. Who has the Emperor sent to hunt Vader on Mustafar? None other than ‘Assassin of the Sith’, Ochi of Bestoon! I think it’s awesome that we will get to see more of the character we only glimpsed in The Rise of Skywalker, but he is someone who has played a significant and as yet unseen role in Palpatine’s plan for the galaxy. I’m hoping this may lead to Pak being given the chance to unlock more about the secrets around the creation The Final Order and its fleet on Exegol.
The artwork is impeccable yet again. Raffele Ienco is doing great things week in and week out with this series and I hope he is retained for the whole run. The same goes for Neeraj Menon on colours. He has popped up a few times on recent Star Wars series and his work has always impressed me.
Issue 6 has setup what can only be anticipated as a Battle Royale in issue 7!
Availability;
Darth Vader (2020) #6 was published on October 14, 2020 by Marvel Comics. This issue is available via The Marvel App and from all good comic bookstores and retails at $3.99.
