Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #3 of 5
Dark Horse Comics
Siedell, Fernandez and Freitas
Darth Vader comics are very tricky. Part of the appeal and mystique that goes along with the character is the breathing and the voice, both of which don't lend themselves well to the comic book form. Beyond that the visuals from the original three movies present a powerful, but seemingly unable to move much (bending, flexing, spinning etc), large robot/man. There is also a dialogue aspect to the character, which means the words should at least mimic what he would say in the movies. However, over the years the comics have taken on a life of their own turning Vader into something he isn't in the films. This comic book drifts far too much into that territory. I simply don't recognize the title character and I don't buy into the plot at all which makes for a very poor reading experience.
The issue contains very little dialogue. This would be okay under a lot of circumstances. As Vader makes the trek to the temple he cuts down various predators, which, again, would be okay under several circumstances. However, here, Vader uses the same tricks where he tosses the lightsaber into the mouth of the predator. Using this twice in the same comic book is boring. The dialogue bit works except the book opens with Vader talking….in open space to his two Imperial Guards that are accompanying him. Why does he then decide to go silent? I wasn't thrilled with this shift.
One of the aspects of the book that I was looking forward to based on the beginning was the character development of the Guards. However, that notion was quickly extinguished by the silent aspect of the issue after the first few pages. I found this to be disappointing that three issues into the series we really have zero character development.
The assassin hunting Vader is interesting because it introduces a wild card into the plot thread that Vader is chasing. In some ways it doesn't add up that so many imperials are disappearing without Vader and friends finding out, but we still have two more issues to potentially explain everything.
I liked the artwork a lot. The action sequences are nice and fluid and add a good dimension to the story. There are some scenes I did not like, such as Vader standing like a ninja towards the ending, but that plays more towards the general dislike of how Vader is portrayed story-wise and not art-wise. Overall, the art helps to make this issue a decent read.
This mini-series is turning out to be a very forgettable read. I hope it can turn it around in the last two issues but as of now we are not getting anything worthy of Darth Vader. It also doesn't help that the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the issue's contents. There is a lot wrong with this book. Perhaps you will find something to like within it.
2 out of 5 Geek Goggles
