Darth Vader #2

by Kalem Lalonde on March 02, 2015

Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Salvador Lorroca 

Darth Vader #1 worked on many levels, but I thought the plot was definitely lacking. Issue #2 is quite similar to its predecessor in terms of strengths and flaws. Kieron Gillen writes a perfect Darth Vader, though the series doesn’t have a clear direction.

This issue is more or less a one-shot mission that establishes Vader’s relationship with the new Grand General, Tagge. Vader and Tagge played very well off each other with an underlying struggle for control. Vader is under the Emperor’s thrall but evidently struggles with some of the components that come with that. This creates a great human conflict at the core of this issue that Kieron Gillen writes wonderfully. He also writes Vader fantastically. Gillen’s portrayal of Vader is by far the best aspect of this comic. He’s as imposing and menacing as he was in the original trilogy on top of being written with great subtlety that sets Vader aside of the crowd of common boasting villains.  

Though, Vader wouldn’t be the same without the amazing Salvador Lorroca to pencil him. Lorroca isn’t the best at drawing human faces but his rendition of Vader is astounding. It’s the sort of character design that makes me want to pause my reading so I can marvel at the wondrous art before me.

Overall, Darth Vader #2 solidified this series as one of the best possible series for Vader in terms of character. The character-driven approach is a solid choice and propels this issue to a strong quality, but there isn’t enough going on for this book to reach amazing heights.

Our Score:

8/10

A Look Inside