Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Darth Vader #13
Marvel Comics
Gillen, Larroca & Delgado
"Darth Vader" presents the second issue of the "Vader Down" crossover. The comic is good for a few reasons. First, the artwork looks great. It's polished and realistic. Second, the book brings together more players and moves them on a collision course with each other. Finally, the book captures some intense drama. This isn't to say that this comic is without flaws. It certainly has some, but for the most part, this is a good read. I recommend checking this out and picking up the one-shot that kicked this crossover off if you haven't already done so.
The Rebels have Vader surrounded. Guess what happens? The first five pages of this comic are as explosion and intense as any of the Star Wars books that Marvel has published this year. This alone made this is a worthwhile purchase.
The book then moves to Han trying to convince Leia to have some troops find Luke. Leia explains why this isn't possible and Han throws a lot back in her face. This dialogue I found to be very good because it captured both characters well. Leia isn't willing to sacrifice any part of the Rebellion even for the poster boy hero. Whereas Han is all about his friends and those that he looks out for. This was a very good sequence.
Then we move to the scene with Vader's helper, Aphra. This scene was problematic. It is never explained how she has video footage and knowledge of who Luke hangs out with. It is also confusing about whether or not she knows Han Solo. The sarcasm is lost in the dialogue with the droid unfortunately. It is also not established where she is located and how she arrives within a few pages at the crash site, presumably some hyperspace jump away. Nor is it explained how an unidentified ship could land unnoticed by the Rebels. This was a sloppy scene to say the least.
When the Rebels then throw more troops and ships after Vader, more mayhem ensures. However, Luke finds more trouble than he probably thought he would find simply looking through old Jedi relics.
The issue is a good one. It has a nice pace to it and definitely showcases a lot of what makes Star Wars great. The comic book comes at the reader with action first and some developments to keep the reader guessing.
Larroca is at the top of his game artistically. He depicts the characters as life-like as possible and there doesn't appear to be a lot of photo referencing. The artwork tells quite a potent visual story when it deals with action, but presents some excellent images when Leia and Han are arguing. This is one of the best visual presentations of Star Wars I've seen from any of the Marvel titles.
"Vader Down" continues in this issue of "Darth Vader" with another excellent installment. Vader takes down more and more Rebels while Han and Leia debate how to handle Luke being missing in action. The artwork takes this issue to another level as it presents a detailed and polished look that is as good as you'll ever see in a Star Wars comic. The crossover has four parts remaining and is shaping up to be a classic in the making. I definitely recommend this comic book.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
