Star Wars: Darth Vader #2 Review
By D. Goodman
Star Wars: Darth Vader #2
Written by Keiron Gillen
Art by Salvador Larroca
Colors by Edgar Delgado
Published by Marvel Comics
One of the hardest things to do in comics is produce a really great second issue. A first issue is easy (or at least easier), as most people will at least check it out and buy it for a variety of reasons. A second issue has to be good enough to hook readers long-term and make them want to buy the book on a regular basis. That can be very tough to do, and part of the reason most series have such a steep drop off between the first and second issues, even a property with a built-in fanbase such as Star Wars.
While the second issue of Darth Vader isn’t quite as good as the first, it’s still better than about 80 percent of the second issues I’ve read, so it’s a winner in my book.
When last we left the Dark Lord of the Sith, he was dealing with the fact that the Emperor was pretty upset about the loss of the Death Star and blamed Vader for the entire fiasco. In addition, he had just hired Boba Fett to find out the name of the young X-Wing pilot who was responsible.
Live Feed
Winter is Coming
Darth Vader #2 puts the whole Boba Fett subplot to the side in favor of showing us Vader’s new situation in the Empire and how he is dealing with it. It includes working under Grand General Tagge, who to the surprise of everyone, survived the destruction of the Death Star. The addition of Tagge to the supporting cast is a great touch that shows how maybe ditching the Expanded Universe in favor of a clean slate wasn’t such a terrible idea. It gives a writer like Gillen, who again here shows an incredible affinity for writing Vader, a much larger sandbox to play in.
The Tagge/Darth Vader dynamic is completely different than the one between Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin, where there was a grudging respect between the two. Here, there is open hostility and distrust, which makes for a more interesting read — one that shines a light on the fact that Vader can be much more devious that you would expect. There are some nice touches in the story that give some added dimensions to the Dark Lord that you never got to see in the movies.
The art by Larroca is once again stunning and made all the more vibrant by the colors of Delgado. The two have come as close as I’ve seen to recreating the feel and look of the movies on paper. And we finally got to see Vader’s custom TIE Fighter in all it’s glory again. It was one of my favorite ships growing up, and any time I get to see it in action is a great day indeed.
So what was not to like? Honestly, this is a rare instance where there was just a bit too much going on and what felt like a lot of story between the two covers. You had the Tagge/Vader situation, a rebel plot, wall to wall action in the second half of the issue plus another storyline I won’t spoil for you. It just seemed like it could’ve used a bit more room to breathe than it had. Still, in this age of decompressed storytelling, I would much rather have too much story than too little.
The Bottom Line: Darth Vader #2 is another winner from the team of Gillen and Larroca. They seem to be really attempting to build something special in their corner of the Star Wars mythos. There seems to be subplots all around, and I’m very curious to see what happens now that Grand General Tagge is calling the shots.
If you picked up the first issue, don’t stop now. The second issue of Darth Vader may have missed a beat or two, it’s still worth your time and money.
Next: Read: our review of Darth Vader #1
More from Bam Smack Pow
- The Expanse: Every character ranked from worst to best
- James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy casts more major DC characters
- New Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer pushes Arthur to his limits
- Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episodes 1 and 2 review: Aftermath
- 7 actors who could replace Ezra Miller as The Flash in the DC Universe