Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith Review

The Galactic Republic has fallen. The Clone Wars have ended. And valiant Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker is no more. But as Charles Soule’s acclaimed series Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith shows, the cold-blooded, unstoppable angel of death seen in Rogue One and the Original Trilogy wasn’t born overnight. Over the series’ 25-issue run, Soule expertly explores Vader’s doubts and inner turmoil and takes readers on an emotional - and often exhilarating - journey as Vader confronts his troubled past and learns to embrace the Dark Side.

Reviewing 25 issues of a comic series is no mean feat and I have no intention of reviewing each individual issue here or spoiling every major plot development for you, but I will share some of my thoughts on the various arcs to try and whet your appetites.

“The Chosen One” (Issues 1 to 6)

Soule’s Vader series gets off to monumental start by taking readers back to the events of Revenge of the Sith. Palpatine wastes no time reminding us (and Vader) who’s boss and promptly puts his new apprentice through the wringer, giving him a crash course in Sith ideology and tasking him with obtaining a Jedi’s kyber crystal. “The Chosen One” gives us a good insight into how the Empire rose from the ashes of the Republic, shows how the Jedi Order’s legacy was soon tarnished and “forgotten” within years of the Clone Wars, expands on existing Force lore, and introduces us to a new Force user: Kirak Infil’a, a former Jedi who had taken a vow to refrain from involving himself in Jedi affairs as a form of penance. Furthermore, the “bleeding” of the kyber crystal in this arc is a perfect counterpart to Ahsoka Tano’s cleansing of a fallen Inquisitor’s crystal in E.K. Johnston’s young adult novel, Star Wars: Ahsoka, and it’s fascinating, almost amusing, to watch Vader suffer numerous setbacks in his quest to become a ruthless killing machine.

“The Dying Light” (Issues 7 to 10)

The second arc of the series (my personal favourite) opens with Vader training his new team of Inquisitors, some of whom will already be familiar to those who have watched Star Wars Rebels. Attention is soon turned to Vader and the Grand Inquisitor, who are seen reviewing a list of suspected Jedi survivors before showing us former Jedi librarian and Order 66 survivor Jocasta Nu living in exile.

Over the course of these four issues, we learn more about Jocasta’s valiant efforts to keep Jedi knowledge alive in a hostile galaxy and find out how the Grand Inquisitor’s thirst for knowledge led him down a dark path. Vader and Jocasta’s final confrontation is nothing short of exhilarating - proof that this aging librarian is a certified bad-ass - while the final pages of this arc leaves the door wide open for future adventures. I cannot recommend this story arc enough. It had me gripped from start to finish and I can’t wait to see if that final reveal pays off elsewhere.

“The Rule of Five” (Issues 11 and 12)

Probably my least favourite arc of the entire series, “The Rule of Five” is a two-issue arc that sees the Sith lord spending some quality time with everyone’s favourite new Inquisitor, Ninth Sister, and falling into a trap set for him, one that almost costs him his life. What’s interesting about this particular arc is that Vader seems to have a death wish; he craves death at the hands of a worthy opponent in a galaxy now almost devoid of Jedi, a story beat that lays the foundation for the single-issue story, “Bad Ground” (issue 18). This arc also sees the return of a character first introduced in Soule’s Lando miniseries, features some great action sequences, and shows how Vader became the feared right-hand man of the Emperor. And Ninth Sister’s sassy banter makes the arc worthwhile, even if the rest of the story was a little underwhelming.

“Burning Seas” (Issues 13 to 17)

Another day, another pesky political drama to attend to. Suspecting Jedi interference on the aquatic planet of Mon Cala, Palpatine sends Vader and his team of Inquisitors to flex some Imperial muscle and help Tarkin deal with a diplomatic incident. Part of me was ecstatic to see King Lee-Char and Raddus of The Clone Wars and Rogue One appearing alongside Ackbar, but I’ll admit that I found large segments of this arc a little tedious and drawn out. But the arc is still worth reading, even if military-centric stories aren’t your thing.

The morally grey Jedi survivor at the centre of the story, a former Padawan who felt Mon Cala’s sacrifice was for the greater good of the galaxy and key to the eventual downfall of the Empire and the Sith, is a fine addition to Star Wars lore and makes one wonder if the ends ever really justify the means. The former Padawan’s sharp intellect and research skills helped him uncover the truth about Order 66 and Vader’s identity and, as the arc pans out, we find out that he has other tricks up his sleeve. Once again, the final issue in this arc is packed with intense action and spectacular battle sequences and leaves plenty of room for future stories down the line.

“Bad Ground” (Issue 18)

This one-off story pits Tarkin against Vader in a deadly game of cat and mouse on the Outer Rim planet of Chandar’s Folly and sees Vader at his most monstrous, self-destructive, and animalistic. If you thought the corridor scene in Rogue One was brutal, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Fans of James Luceno’s novel Tarkin will appreciate the callbacks to that novel and the complex working relationship between the cool, calculating military officer and the ruthless killing machine formerly known as Anakin Skywalker. The fact that Soule is able to explore these two characters’ dynamic and Vader’s raison d’être in such depth in just one issue is a testament to his skills as a writer and his solid grasp of Star Wars mythos.

“Fortress Vader” (Issues 19 to 25)

Considered by many to be the series’ pièce de résistance, this final arc is among the most visually stunning and ambitious stories we’ve seen in Marvel’s Star Wars comics to date. This arc doesn’t hold back: a compelling backstory for Vader’s castle, a returning former Jedi, ancient Sith lords, treacherous Inquisitors, Mustafarian armies, chase sequences through Coruscant, mystical portals, lava (a LOT of lava), and a spiritual journey that sees Vader confront - and crush - the ghosts of his past. “Fortress Vader” answers some of those nagging questions concerning the Dark Lord, raises many others, and sows seeds for future storytelling. Charles Soule teased that the ruins seen beneath Vader’s castle in one of the final issue’s panels “does indeed mean something” and will appear elsewhere, so that’s certainly something to look out for in future Star Wars stories.

This, from Vader #25, does indeed mean something. It’s not Naboo, but it’s cool. You’ll see. https://t.co/GI56xk2Kfw

— Charles Soule (@CharlesSoule) December 21, 2018

Final Thoughts

The entire series is packed with references to the Star Wars films, animated series, and printed media and die-hard fans will have fun spotting the countless Easter eggs hidden within. Soule and his creative team may have had fans in mind when they worked on this series but at no point does the series descend into mere “fan service”; every connection is meaningful and adds to existing Star Wars lore. Fans who have dived into the canon extended universe will probably get more out of this series than those who only follow the franchise’s cinematic releases but this series is by no means inaccessible to those who haven’t watched every episode of The Clone Wars or read every novel released in the past few years.

As for the interior art, artist Giuseppe Camuncoli and his team of inkers, colourists, and letterers have done a extraordinary job of bringing Soule’s stories to life. While I prefer the styles used in some of the other Star Wars comic series, the artwork in Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith has been consistently above average and I’m grateful that the artists didn’t opt for the more photorealistic style used in the main Star Wars series. The creative team have done a commendable job of combining prequel and original trilogy aesthetics, they perfectly convey Vader’s mindset and emotions despite his masked visage, and they have given us some fascinating new character designs. But their best work, in my opinion, is their masterful depiction of Vader’s inner turmoil when he is meditation mode. Describing it here won’t do it justice; in this case, a picture really does tell a thousand words.

But this series is by no means perfect. There are momentary lapses in the quality of the art; the pacing is a little inconsistent across some of the story arcs; a couple of character endings were a tad abrupt and/or unsatisfying; some plot points are seemingly dropped between issues, perhaps to be continued elsewhere; and a number of issues had glaring continuity errors when they were first released, though many of these have been (or will be) corrected in the trade paperback releases.

There were also some complaints that Soule had delved into dangerous, almost canon-breaking territory where Force lore was concerned but, personally, I feel that the series’ constant attempts to push boundaries and explore the Star Wars universe’s more mystical aspects was one of the series’ greatest strengths. If you weren’t a fan of The Clone Wars’ Mortis trilogy or Star Wars Rebels’ World Between Worlds, you might find the kookier elements of the “Fortress Vader” arc a little hard to swallow. It all comes down to personal taste.

So, let’s get to the crux of the matter: Is Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith worth reading? I’d say that it’s not just worth reading, it’s essential reading. If you’re looking for a comic series that ties the entire Star Wars saga together, explores the saga’s mystical side, provides an insight into the early days of the Empire’s rule and Rebellion, touches upon Sith power politics, introduces some memorable secondary characters, lays the foundation for future storytelling, and delves into Vader’s inner psyche, you need look no further. THIS is the series you’re looking for.

If you’ve been meaning to check out the series but haven’t gotten round to it yet, then, in the words of Ol’ Sheev Palpatine, “Do it.”

Mini Reviews from Fans

If you need further persuasion, here’s what other fans have said about it:

Steve Galloway - Literature Editor, Jedi News: Charles Soule takes us on Anakin Skywalker’s epic journey of discovery of who he has now become after his defeat to Obi-Wan. From his first steps as the half man, half machine, Darth Vader; through to the construction of his fortress castle on Mustafar. The series shows the trials and tribulations of Vader’s burgeoning relationship with the Emperor, the Jedi purge, the inception of the Inquisitorius programme, and his own transformation from fallen Jedi to a true Dark Lord of the Sith. Accompanied by amazing artwork from Giuseppe Camuncoli, Javier Tartaglia, David Curiel, Francesco Mattina, Elia Bonetti, to name a few. This is by far the best series released since the 2015 Marvel/Disney reboot of the comic book timeline to date.

@JacK_O_SauRus: The recent Darth Vader series captures the important events that leads to the transformation of “The Hero with No Fear” to “Dark Lord of the Sith”. From the beginnings of the Empire’s dark agents, the Inquisitorius, and how the legendary Red Lightsaber was created to the building of the shadowy castle on the fiery planet where Anakin lost it all, Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith brings even more action, adversarial intrigue, and emotional depth to this decade-spanning tragic character.

@korpil: Several Dark Horse miniseries and a previous Marvel one that gave us Doctor Aphra, one of the most beloved characters in the new canon, are no match for the power of Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith. Fresh off from the operating table, he must demonstrate he is worth of the Sith title and Darth Sidious apprenticeship. Hunting Jedi and crushing rebellions will prepare him to conquer his biggest threat as the second most powerful being in the universe: himself.