Comics Commentary: Darth Vader #5

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Diet-Sith, Space Whales and Lord Vader. Read on, Dennis will explain.

Spoiler Alert: This article discusses plot details of the first five issues of Marvel’s Darth Vader series.

Darth Vader #5

Writer: Kieron Gillen | Artist: Salvador Larroca | Colorist: Edgard Delgado | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga | Cover Artist: Adi Granov

Imagine for a moment you are watching The Empire Strikes Back for the first time. You’ve been awed by the clash of the monstrous, lumbering AT-ATs and the nimble snow speeders at the Battle of Hoth. You are riveted to your seat as Han Solo evades TIE Fighters and makes a death-defying escape in an asteroid field. You’ve watched the promise of A New Hope fulfilled as Luke journeys to Dagobah and learns the ways of the Force from Yoda. You watch in disbelief as Han Solo is frozen in carbonite after his old friend, Lando Calrissian betrays him to Darth Vader and the Empire. Just when things cannot get any better, you are perched on the edge of your seat as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader clash with lightsabers throughout Cloud City. Outmatched, your hero loses a hand to the villain. There is no escape. Vader corners Luke and begins the devil’s sales pitch. Join Darth Vader, and together they can overthrow the Emperor and rule the galaxy. Luke, ever the hero, refuses. Vader plays his last, best card and reveals that he knows the true fate of Luke’s father…

…some random stormtrooper shot him years ago in an average skirmish on a planet of no consequence.

So, that didn’t happen. But what if it did? What would your reaction have been? Underwhelming. Disappointing to say the least. The Empire Strikes Back has so many outstanding elements that it likely would have still been a successful movie despite the twist being such a hypothetical dud. But, it is so much better with Vader making his famous paternal reveal.

In many ways, the letdown I described above is how I felt about Darth Vader #5.

In the previous issue, Darth Vader, with assistance from Dr. Aphra, retrieves a droid factory from Geonosis for the purpose of constructing a loyal droid army. Black Krrsantan, a wookiee bounty hunter in Darth Vader’s employ, has completed his mission and returns to the Dark Lord with a captive. The captive is Cylo-IV, an agent in the service of the Emperor. Triple-Zero, Vader’s assassin protocol droid, eagerly tortures Cylo-IV for information. Although Cylo-IV does not survive, Triple-Zero successfully discovered the Emperor’s purpose for Cylo-IV: creating replacements for Darth Vader. Triple-Zero also obtained the location of Cylo-IV’s headquarters, and Vader ordered that they immediately set course.

Issue five commences with Vader’s arrival at Cylo-IV’s headquarters. Vader’s invasion of Cylo-IV’s base begins with a scene reminiscent of the opening to A New Hope. Cylo-IV’s troops realize their base is under attack, and rush to defend a docking port. The troops line up with their blasters ready and prepare to repel the invaders. Primed for combat, they look on as the presumably sealed entrance is carved open by an apparent laser, much the same way the door to the Tantive IV was breached in A New Hope when Darth Vader and his stormtroopers stormed the ship. However, instead of Vader and his stormtroopers, Triple-Zero and BT-1, Vader’s bizarro version of C-3P0 and R2-D2 stand in the entrance. Triple-Zero channels his inner protocol droid and implores Cylo-IV’s troopers not shoot while Darth Vader destroys an exterior wall and flushes the troopers into the void of space.

Unfortunately, the quality of the issue declines from here on. Vader leads his new droid army into Cylo-IV’s headquarters and dispenses with the futile efforts of Cylo-IV’s troopers to defend their base. Meanwhile, a platoon of droids sent to a room designated as “the dojo” were quickly dismantled by other residents of Cylo-IV’s headquarters. Thinking he had discovered his potential replacements, Vader arrives in the room only to discover that there are no Jedi or potential Sith there. In fact, his lightsaber wielding opponents have virtually no connection to the Force at all, and instead rely on enhancements and trickery to simulate Force abilities.

After a brief skirmish, Cylo-IV seemingly returns from the dead and orders the Sith-wannabees to cease fighting. It is no real surprise that this is some sort of clone, and is in fact Cylo-V. After Cylo-V gives a short speech proclaiming the obsolescence of the Force and men like Vader, the Emperor emerges just in time to prevent Vader from beheading him. Cylo-V believes that he held the key to progress for the Empire in the creation of enhanced beings that could serve at the side of the Emperor. Vader of course disagrees. The issue ends as the Emperor instructs Cylo-V to impress him with his enhanced creations and Vader prepares for battle.

As I mentioned before, I found this issue underwhelming. Although there are some impressive panels, the art in the combat scenes convey little intensity or urgency. Perhaps the goal of the art was to convey a sense of Vader’s power by depicting him in poses that required no strain on his part. However, I felt that the result was that Vader looked stiff, slow, and a little oafish. Furthermore, Cylo-V’s creations were not particularly threatening. Morit and Aiolin, the Sith-lite substitutes, looked almost as if they were created from a “paint a Force-user by numbers kit.” Ultimately, the purpose of Cylo-IV or V, or whichever Cylo has been in charge was unsatisfying. The mystery of Cylo has been one of the key underlying plot points of the series, and the reveal of his purpose lands with a thud.

The preceding issues of Darth Vader have been sterling examples of incredible Star Wars storytelling. Gillen had set up a wonderful tale of Vader’s quest for Sith redemption with issue one which introduced Vader’s obsession with the pilot that destroyed the Death Star and the contempt with which the Emperor held Vader after its destruction. Issue two pitted Darth Vader and Grand General Tagge in a struggle for power as Vader learned how to maneuver like a Sith. Issues three and four saw Vader acquire allies, resources, and an army as he sought to reclaim his rightful position in the Empire. After issue four, Darth Vader’s story had momentum. The pieces were in place, and Vader was ready to reclaim his position at the Emperor’s side. This issue simply didn’t deliver. Cylo-V’s revelation was disappointing. There was nothing to learn from it. Perhaps this issue will read better in the context of the entire story arc, which concludes in issue six. Until then, it is a disappointing climax to an otherwise great story.

Favorite Panel

Despite being disappointed with the art overall, I was particularly impressed with the “abominations,” as Lord Vader liked to call them, that made up Cylo-V’s base. Cylo-V continues his work in cybernetics by converting a pod of gigantic space-whales into a deep space stronghold. It isn’t entirely clear from the art work. Regardless, the space-whales, for lack of a better label, are rather impressive. I remember once hearing in an interview, which I believe was a DVD bonus feature, that George Lucas added certain things to Star Wars for the sake of whimsy. His example was dewbacks. The space-whales remind me of that quote, and are this week’s favorite panel.

Upcoming:

• May 20, 2015–Star Wars #5
• May 27, 2015–Princess Leia #4
• June 3, 2015–Star Wars #6
• June 3, 2015–Darth Vader #6
• June 10, 2015–Kanan #3