Thursday, February 12, 2015

Darth Vader #1

   It's difficult to do a comic book series that stars a villain.

   The comic book graveyard is littered with past attempts, but Marvel's giving it a shot with the iconic heavy from the original Star Wars movies: Darth Vader.

   The issue actually ties in with the story rolling out in the new Star Wars comic, as Vader reacts to his encounter with a capable and brash band of rebels, including Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Chewbacca.

    The adventure is set shortly after the events in the original (first) Star Wars movie, A New Hope. The Death Star has been destroyed and Vader has failed for the first time - and Emperor Palpatine is not pleased.

   Vader's attempts to redeem himself brings him in contact with some familiar faces, and he gets to show just how formidable he can be.

   The script by Keiron Gillen is quite good, setting up several storylines for future issues - and the art by Salvador Larroca is terrific, capturing the look and feel of the Star Wars universe with amazing skill.

   Can the series succeed? I'm dubious, because it's tough to stay invested in a character who is fighting so fervently for the side of evil. The only way to overcome that is to create stories compelling enough to overcome the lack of sympathy for the central character.

   We'll see! But this is definitely a strong start.

Grade: A-

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