★★★★★ 5
Charles Soule's Series Continues to Impress and is Arguably the Best of Marvel's New Canon
Format: Paperback
Darth Vader leads the invasion of Mon Cala. With the Empire tightening its grip across the galaxy, Vader is dispatched by his master to the aquatic world of Mon Cala to track down a rogue Jedi who may be advising the planet's king. With the Inquisitors in tow, Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin face off with one of the first open acts of rebellion in their new Empire. Soule is at his absolute best with this series as he continues to explore a version of Vader haunted by his own inner goodness and memories of the past (the book does contain some references to events of the Clone Wars television show, but you don't need to have seen it to grasp the story). Likewise, his exploration of the seduction of the dark side is fantastic with a new Jedi target willing to use deception and war in order to light the sparks of a future rebellion. The final issue of the book may be one of the best Star Wars comics of the entire new canon with Tarkin hunting Vader for sport (on the latter's request oddly enough) across a desolate and hostile planet. The issue isn't what one expects but makes a great deal of sense when exploring the relationship between these two characters (while also explaining why Vader is so deferential to Tarkin during A New Hope). The final addition is a decent annual that sees Vader investigating the Death Star and sabotage of its construction. The annual isn't the best addition to the series (the artwork isn't up to the standards of the rest of the series), but it does introduce some intriguing ideas about Tarkin and Vader's relationship and the events that set up the Rogue One movie.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2018
