Friday, August 26, 2016

Star Wars: Darth Vader, Book 1


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Star Wars: Darth Vader, Book 1 contains Issue #1 through #12 of Star Wars: Darth Vader, so it's basically two of the paperback books.  Star Wars: Darth Vader, Book 2 comes out in February, and it will conclude the series, containing the "Vader Down" storyline, along with Volume 3 and Volume 4 of the series.  I paid $19 for a new Book 1 off a seller on Amazon, and Book 2 is $26 or so on pre-order, totaling $45 for 27 issues.  In short, it's the cheapest way to read Star Wars: Darth Vader, although you'll have to wait six months to finish the series, which wraps up Wednesday.

The story takes place right after the Battle of Yavin, when the first Death Star was destroyed.  Vader is being demoted, stripped of his command.  In this story that takes place between the first two movies, he turns a political struggle into a military one within the Empire and against the Rebellion.  Of course, we all know that Vader comes out as the supreme military force in the galactic Empire, headed by Emperor Palpatine, who he eventually kills and before dying, himself, turns to the light side of the force.

If by some strange twist of fate, I have spoiled the ending of Star Wars for you, don't worry.  The Empire Strikes Back came out when I was seven, and I just didn't "get" that Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker's father until I read on a Dixie Cup that my Aunt had bought.  It said that Darth Vader's real name was Anakin Skywalker and that he was the father of Luke Skywalker.

Anyway, I'd recommend this series to fans of Star Wars who read comics.  While Jason Aaron's Star Wars comics and Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire novel trilogy remain the gold standard for Star Wars fiction, Star Wars: Darth Vader is very good.  I find myself sub-vocalizing the dialogue in James Earl Jones's voice and hearing the "Imperial March" in my head.

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