Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Star Wars Darth Vader #8
Marvel Comics
Gillen, Larroca & Delgado
The latest issue of "Darth Vader" reads like the middle issue of a trade collection. As far as individual issues goes it reads very poorly where the first half of the book tells a heist tale and the second half of the comic is spent setting up a future storyline using a different set of characters. While the artwork is very good and probably provides the most consistent look that is comparable to the films in the Marvel Star Wars line it isn't enough to salvage this comic book. This comic might read just fine in a collected edition but as far as single issues it is barely average.
The first ten pages of the comic book is spent with Aphra and the collection of bounty hunters that she's hired to pull off a heist. The story is fairly creative as this ragtag bunch pulls off a robbery of an Imperial ship. The characters tend to blend in terms of dialogue as they all have an attitude and are written with a lot of sarcasm, especially the droids. However, these ten pages are as a good a Star Wars story as you will find in the short format of eight to ten pages.
The comic has a three-page epilogue where the bounty hunters have left and the twist is revealed. This serves as a way to get Vader involved in the comic and send Aphra and the droids on their way to their next task.
The final seven pages are setup to the next Darth Vader assignment. He's still being scolded by Grand General Tagge and this reminds the reader of that fact. This time he is denied the mission of hunting down the rebel that blew up the Death Star and given the mission to track down those that robbed the Imperial ship. To make sure he doesn't fail he's been given a new aide to assist the investigation.
The comic book has two very good components that do not belong together. Either the robbery took too many pages, not leaving the room for a real cliffhanger or the two stories simply needed full issues to separate themselves. The comic book is trying to shift gears in an odd spot and it leaves the back half of the book to hang out in storytelling limbo.
Larroca is doing some of the best Star Wars work out there today. The comic book looks like the movies. Not only is Vader captured perfectly, which seems to be impossible based on other artist's attempts, but also some of the characters that have appeared in the films, like Tagge. The comic book provides epic visuals page after page.
"Star Wars: Darth Vader" tries to provide a heist followed by the set up for the next plot in the same issue and it doesn't work. The front part of the comic is exciting and provides a twist while the book then slows to a halt setting up the plot to come in the next issue. The comic might read fine in a collected edition but is a messy read for a single issue. The artwork in the comic book is certainly something special to look at but it isn't enough to make this comic book a winner.
2.5 out of 5 Geek Goggles
