SPOILER Marvel's Star Wars #13 VADER DOWN PART THREE

Well, if you wanted a break from the seemingly endless slaughter of Rebel soldiers by the hand of Darth Vader, this issue gives you a little chance to catch your breath. That's not to say the pace of this addition to the Vader Down series slowed it down, by any stretch. There is still plenty of blaster bolts flying around to keep fans of this series happy. I still can't imagine a fan that would not be onboard for this series. Writer Jason Aaron and artists Mike Deodato and Frank Martin Jr. are at the wheel this week. It's been nice to see the consistency between the two Star Wars and Vader teams. It's also nice to see a different artist's impression of Dr. Aphra.


Last week we were left dangling after Luke was knocked out cold by Triple-Zero posing as C-3PO. Dr. Aphra and her droid duo have arrived on Vrogas Vas in an attempt to prove to Vader he was not being set-up, at least by them. Aphra has come across as a skilled mercenary figure since her introduction in the Vader series, but something has always seemed a little off in the way she was portrayed. There is a sort of benevolent quality given to her; as if her naivety in admiring a Sith Lord as much as she does should make us all view her as misguided, thus the terrible things she is a part of don't make her quite as bad as anyone else involved. I'm happy that she is portrayed as a much cooler, more ruthless ally of Vader's. It's almost like she is the anti-Ahsoka. It's fun to see BEETEE and Artoo exchange profanity via droidspeak.


Han and Chewbacca are on the search for Luke. If you remember from last week, Han was the only person on Vgras Vas willing to go search for Luke instead of trying to take out Vader. That determination has not changed this week. Han may be a scoundrel, but he's not about to leave his friends high-and-dry. As soon as BEETEE starts his assault on Artoo, Han and Chewbacca have all of the signals they need to locate where Luke is. They head that way, taking them right into the crosshairs of Aphra and her droids.



Recognize that face? Yeah, me too. That's Han's "OH blast"-face, and he made it upon Aphra's introduction. This was another nice nod to the fact Aphra is an absolute badass. If you make Han's brow furrow like that, you're on a shortlist, in my opinion, at least. There is not much more of a pleasantry exchange between the two. They both have blasters, neither one is easily scared off (even with an expression like that), and there is a lot at stake. It doesn't take much for these two to dive straight into a firefight.


Leia Organa and her platoon of soldiers head out to meet Vader. Revenge is the underlying motivation Leia is heading straight into the desert to find Vader. Sure, it would be great for the Rebel Alliance and many others in the galaxy if Vader was reduced to a pile of ashes, but we readers know that's not the only motivation she has. Leia made it clear last week that the decimation of her home world, done merely to taunt her and as a demonstration, is still very fresh in her mind. Since Tarkin was swallowed up in the destruction of the Death Star, the Sith Lord he held on his leash will have to do for Leia's vengeance. I like that the comics have tapped into this trauma of Leia's. It was never mentioned again in the films and I think it fits nicely in these tales that take place before TESB.


Take note, kids. One thing you don't do when you are trying to sharpshoot a deadly mercenary is post up under a nest of wasp worms. If you are a deadly mercenary in a standoff with the galaxy's greatest smuggler, don't take your position under a nest of wasp worms. You know what worms are, you know what wasps are, meet the combo. The mutual exchange lands both of these folks in a world of trouble, and the wasp worms are the only ones who win, leaving Han and Dr. Aphra unconscious. Pretty anti-climactic, so thank goodness that wasn't the end of the issue.

I forgot to mention Chewbacca showed up and was only marginally effective in dealing with the two droids. Triple-Zero wasn't even playing a game to beat Chewbacca at, and the Wookie still tore his arms out of his sockets. The droid didn't go down without a fight, neither did BEETEE, so the sleeping Jedi-hopeful finally woke up and dealt with both droids. The tables turned once again, with Luke stepping into save the day. I wonder if Han is going to count this against the "That's two you of me"-count. Luke pretty much takes over from here, getting Han back on his feet. As they prepare to leave....well, I won't spoil that for you. You shouldn't need that kind of trickery to be incentivized, but just in case you do, go get the issue and read it for yourself. You're welcome.


Oh yeah, this is Vader Down. What's Vader Down without Vader? Good thing we didn't have to find out. This glimpse into where the series goes next week was just enough to tide me over, but I still want more. The artwork in this issue, courtesy of Deodato/Martin, is my favorite in the series so far. That's not to say other issues were not great, it's just this one really caught my attention. Anytime I spend more time examining each frame, slowly and carefully, instead of devouring the issue, makes me feel like it's something extraordinary. Once again, the team of writers and artists that are putting this series out should be applauded on the quality and consistency of work. Well done, folks! Once again, if you are looking for a Star Wars comic to read, this would be the one. It's December, we have The Force Awakens at our fingertips, but you would have a damn fun time passing those days with this series.

 

Thank you! I'm glad they are spreading the story out amongst all of the characters. Should be interesting to see them come together, which I anticipate two issues from now. I wonder if Vader is going to get a sense of Leias real identity. Probably not but I could see them alluding to something, or Leia picking up Anakin vibes.

 

I understand that Deodato is not for everyone. Now that you mention it, it was a bit heavy handed in the shading. I'm glad the issue was not a complete bust for you, though!