FORMAT: TRADE PAPERBACK, DIGITAL (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 24TH

In the climax of The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader reveals he’s Luke’s father and asks him to join the Dark Side – a massive shock to audiences and Skywalker alike, but what’s never been explored is how that encounter, in particular Luke’s rejection, impacts daddy.

That’s the pitch for Greg Pak’s run on Darth Vader, which will follow the Dark Lord’s life between Episodes V and VI. In this first volume, Vader’s mad – his plans to overthrow the Emperor with his son at his side are kaput. Seeking explanation, he hunts down everyone involved in hiding Luke from him, and encounters… Padmé Amidala? Surely not!

Well, someone who looks a lot like Padmé… a certain twist from The Phantom Menace explains it. Vader teams up with old acquaintances of his wife (you’ll recognise some, though mercifully not that Gungan) to investigate her final hours. With both these characters and Vader himself – at his most unstable – built on in interesting ways, Pak’s script excellently combines the Imperial era and elements from the prequels into a coherent whole.

The same can be said of the artwork, as illustrator Raffaele Ienco and colourist Neeraj Menon depict this era’s Naboo and its denizens with a mix of its colourful prequel grandiosity and the worn-down grittiness of the Empire. They also capture that cinematic Star Wars feel, with dramatic compositions befitting Vader’s rage and plenty of exciting action, not least a battle against a certain ‘bigger fish’.