Comic Books

Star Wars: Darth Vader #8 Review

Darth Vader #8 reveals a lot about the character in this great issue.

November 15, 2017

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One of the last living Jedi is also one of the most important. Named Jocasta Nu, she was a librarian of sorts who lorded over ancient knowledge. Currently working to rebuild a school anticipating the day Jedi will rise again, Darth Vader and the Emperor are well aware she’s alive, but do not know where to find her. It’d be a pity if she revealed herself in an attempt to acquire something Vader could use to kill any potential Jedi, wouldn’t it?

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So what’s it about?

The official summary reads:

LEGACY’S END CONTINUES! Vader and the Inquisitorius set their sights on one of the most dangerous Jedi remaining alive…and it’s not who you’d expect.

Why does this matter?

I’ve always been a fan of Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art and this series continues that trend. He tends to draw very realistic looking ships and backgrounds and the detail makes the read much more cinematic and realistic. Charles Soule has been on a roll with this series, and this new story arc adds some intriguing wisdom from the Emperor you won’t see coming.

Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?

Surprising words of wisdom from the Emperor, eh?

This issue opens with Darth Vader choking out an officer in front of the Emperor. Business as usual, right? Well, the Emperor lays down some advice to Vader that’s quite surprising. This is another example of the comics fleshing out and making the characters a bit more realistic. Why would the Emperor want Darth Vader’s rage to progress to the point where they kill everyone? Makes sense, and it dictates how Darth Vader acts for the rest of the issue. It adds an interesting internal struggle for Darth Vader that is intriguing.

Much of this issue outside of this opening scene is focused on Nu infiltrating a secret Jedi temple. It’s a snatch-and-grab sort of mission and it adds an interesting layer to the Jedi’s ways of saving information. She also picks up a fascinating McGuffin that could spell many more stories if it falls into the Empire’s hands. That adds a nice upping of the ante with the amount of danger Nu is putting herself and Jedi in general in. It’s also interesting to see how Soule characterizes her, with a bit of an ego and maybe even a temper. Jedi aren’t all perfect and Nu has some character flaws that are getting her into trouble. When she eventually faces off against Vader it’s going to be interesting to see how his new control of his temper affects their battle.

Camuncoli draws another great issue. Highlights include Vader breaking a ship into pieces over his rage, the Emperor sneering in his evil way, and the beautiful Jedi temple interiors. An incredible double page spread is going to be a highlight for most especially if you’re a Star Wars fan. You know how Vader meditates in the films? Camuncoli shows us what he sees in those moments. It’s incredible and symbolically shows his rage and pain very well.

She’s on the hunt for a Jedi temple!

It can’t be perfect can it?

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Like the last issue, this one lacks action. There’s a nice explosion, but give us the fighting! That said, the character work is so intriguing you’ll hardly notice.

Is It Good?

The second issue in this story arc is even better than the first. Darth Vader fans will need to read this to see into Vader’s head, but Jedi fans should be satisfied with the interesting reveals too. Darth Vader continues to flesh out the Star Wars mythos in intriguing ways. If you’re interested in more detail and new developments in the Star Wars canon this series is perfect for you.