WRITER: GREG PAK | ARTIST: RAFFAELE IENCO | PUBLISHER: MARVEL | FORMAT: SINGLE ISSUE | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
2020 sees Marvel breathe new life into the Star Wars comic book franchise by resetting the clock. Previously, the books were set just after Star Wars: A New Hope. The re-launch not only re-starts various books at number one, but it also places the action just after The Empire Strikes Back. Which, of course, means that a Han Solo book is unlikely.
Darth Vader #1 places the action straight after the Sith Lord’s fateful encounter with Luke Skywalker and starts with a rapid pace. It’s light on the dialogue, which is mostly there to serve as exposition. We get introduced to a new character, a research and archive droid called Zed Six Seven, who exists solely so the Dark Lord isn’t talking to himself all the time. (Vader’s only other companions are Death Troopers, who speak their own encrypted, incomprehensible language).
It’s a promising if predictable start, though it suffers from being a sequel of sorts. Writer Greg Pak has big shoes to fill – previous series writer Kieron Gillen was able to flood the book with a great deal of quiet menace, turning everyone’s favourite wearer of black into the sort of psychotic horror movie bad-ass that we’ve always wanted him to be. Pak’s approach appears to be more meditative, examining Darth Vader as a human being first, rather than as a terrifying killer cyborg with magic powers.
Raffaele Ienco’s art and Neeraj Menon colours are appropriately gritty. It’s a clean art style that looks neat and cinematic. There’s a touch of sadness throughout, setting the mood for what appears to be the start of a darker and more emotional work. Overall it’s a solid start to what could become either a classic Star Wars tale or simply forgettable filler.
