Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Star Wars: Darth Vader Annual #1
Marvel Comics
Gillen, Yu & Keith
In the week that the new movie hits theaters Marvel offers up a Darth Vader one-shot in the form of a $5 annual. The comic doesn't bring anything new to the character. Instead, it simply gives more of Vader exerting his power. The artwork has its highs and lows as well. Package it all up and you have a decent read that isn't particularly unique or memorable. You can probably find better ways to spend your money, but if you pick this up you probably will be entertained.
There's a planet with a king and his offspring that find themselves missing the Empire's resource quota. Nothing new there, but it stays away from slaves and drugs and sticks with regular old resources like ore. Some of the barons decide to take advantage of Vader's visit and chaos ensues.
Vader does a lot of cool things in the comic book. There is some action and everyone is clearly out matched by Vader. The comic doesn't venture too deep into a plot which is probably for the best. The more information that gets provided tends to lead to more questions.
There are oddities in the comic. Vader getting asked to dance is at the top of the list. Vader carrying around a box as if it's a bowling bag is another one. The comic is on the cusp of being an awkward read as some of the 1980s Star Wars comics were. Thankfully it stays a little above awkward.
Yu on art is a blessing and a curse. Some of the panels and pages are breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking. The shot of Vader's approach to the planet is chief among them. Then there are panels were characters have no faces. Not a nose, an eye, a curve or anything. Just blank space. As with many artists, the Vader mask is wildly inconsistent. Vader's mask and horses seem to be a real problem for artists. Generally, this comic provides nice visual action. The action is probably the most important part of the book so this is good that the artwork excels there.
The "Darth Vader" annual is a fine read. It's thirty pages for five dollars and you get a lot of Vader cutting down some characters that won't play nicely with the Empire. This comic isn't anything you haven't seen before, but if you read it you will most likely get some entertainment. The artwork provides some epic Vader images but struggles with details in a number of spots, which usually smells of a rush-job. This is a decent comic book to check out but nothing memorable.
3 out of 5 Geek Goggles
