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Star Wars: Darth Vader (2015)
Star Wars: Darth Vader, Vol. 4: End of Games
Darth Vader has been secretly pursuing his own agenda, but now it is time for the End of Games. As Inspector Thanoth returns with some startling information, it seems that Vader may have passed his master's tests. But even after finding favor in the eyes of the Emperor, the Dark Lord's schemes may yet prove his undoing... Plus, the killer droids Triple-Zero and Beetee wreak havoc in their own homicidal adventure! Marvel's in-depth exploration of the Dark Side of Star Wars goes from strength to strength!
COLLECTING: DARTH VADER 20-25
COLLECTING: DARTH VADER 20-25
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2016
About the author
Kieron Gillen
1,377 books1,826 followersKieron Gillen is a comic book writer and former media journalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
February 7, 2017
Darth Vader’s final volume!
I got this storyarc on its single comic book issues but I chose to make the review using this TPB edition to make a better overall review. The story is set after the events of “Star Wars IV: A New Hope” but before the events of “Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back”. This TPB edition contains from the title of “Star Wars: Darth Vader” #20-25 in its new Marvel Canonic run, including an art gallery featuring all covers (even variants) of the whole title’s run.
Creative Team:
Writer: Keiron Gillen
Illustrators: Salvador Larroca & Max Fiumara
THE WAYS OF THE SITH
A long, long time ago, there were many Sith. We rose up against the simpering light… We warred with the Jedi… and lost as we also warred amongst our own kind. For a thousand years we have kept to the shadows, not afraid of the Jedi… but ourselves. – The Dark Side is powerful. It is too powerful. The weak will meekly stand in regimented orde. The Sith… One Master, one Apprentice. No more.
The Dark Lords of the Sith are many things, many of those are despicable, but no one can’t deny that the “Rule of Two” has some insightful logic, and even in a philosophy that embraces the treachery, still there are rules to follow, since while the apprentice can kill his/her master, he/she will do it until the master would be unable to teach him/her anything more, and the master is entitled to kill his/her apprentice if the pupil isn’t able to learn and/or doesn’t follow orders…
…but what is following orders in the ways of the Sith?
You’ll learn that things that in any other structure that could be seen as improper behavior, in the Order of the Sith is precisely what a proud master can expect (even to demand, in a tacit way) from his/her apprentice.
After all, none Dark Lord of the Sith is immortal (not for lacking for trying but even...), so…
…each master must choose wisely the right apprentice, obviously powerful, strong in the Force, but that’s just evident requisites…
…the right apprentice must possess not only vision, but ambition, if the Sith truly wants to prevail, to remain in power, to preserve their legacy.
VADER’S VILLAINS
What are you running from? – It can’t be that bad.
Lord Vader has plans, many plans, and even he can’t do everything by himself.
That’s why in this epic run, you meet the secret little army of rogues, willing to do anything, if the pay is enough…
…or if Vader can motivates them to do his biding.
Dr. Aphra, a human female with a deep knowledge about arqueology and droid’s programming; the insidious droids, 000 (Triple-Zero) and BT (Bee-Tee), respectively, a protocol droid (with knowledge of six million of killing techniques) and a blastodroid disguised as astromech (with a vast supply of weapons); the bounty hunter Black Krrsantan (a huge Wookie of dark fur); and a battalion of good ol’ Battle Droids (those “roger-roger” skinny ones from the Clone Wars).
This unlikely band of sassy raiders are resourceful, deceitful and…
…adaptable…
…since not all the time, the members of this merry gang will be in the same side!
Even fighting each other if money or higher orders are in between.
WHAT’S LEFT IN VADER’S ARMOR?
How could you do this?
You were a child. – I am well accustomed to killing children.
Children. Words have power. Words have impact.
And that’s why in Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith, the writers used the word “younglings”, to avoid an upper age rating, since you may not be aware, but certainly there are things you can “say” in a book (or in this case, a comic book), that you can’t get away in a theatrical film, not if you want to keep a “PG-13” rating (but of course, if you see how successful was Deadpool in 2016 with an “R” rating, I don’t know why most movie studios are so pussy about doing films as they deserved to be).
So, when you read the lines, that I quoted in this review’s section, you know without a doubt how low fell the soul of Darth Vader, that by the way, one should wonder how the heck he could be able to unite with the Force in Return of the Jedi, since honestly I don’t think that even with the Pope’s absolution, a Catholic person can kill so many children (not “younglings”), and still able to cross the Heaven’s Gates, oh no, no siree.
I don’t blame Luke’s goal to save the soul of his father, after all, he is a naive idealist farm boy, who never met his dad, and obviously he wants to do the right thing, he wants to believe that there still something good inside Vader’s armor…
…but sometimes, certain people should be punished, not only in this life, but in the other one too, when they commit certain kind of unforgivable crimes.
But don’t get us so ahead in Vader’s story.
In this title, I am glad that the creative team decided to give it an “ending” to the comic book’s run, since any good story (even a good story about evil) should have a closure, and you know that the creative team were able to pull out their goal that was to show how the Vader of A New Hope became the Vader of Empire Strikes Back, that for the casual eye can be seen as the same character, but the keen eye can tell you that it’s not the same character, he must passed through certain trials, he must adquire certain knowledge, he evolved, he changed, and here, you know how and why.
After all, there is a reason why the central character in a story shouldn’t be sloppily called “hero” but instead “protagonist”, since Star Wars showed us how a villain can be the main character of an epic adventure.
I got this storyarc on its single comic book issues but I chose to make the review using this TPB edition to make a better overall review. The story is set after the events of “Star Wars IV: A New Hope” but before the events of “Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back”. This TPB edition contains from the title of “Star Wars: Darth Vader” #20-25 in its new Marvel Canonic run, including an art gallery featuring all covers (even variants) of the whole title’s run.
Creative Team:
Writer: Keiron Gillen
Illustrators: Salvador Larroca & Max Fiumara
THE WAYS OF THE SITH
A long, long time ago, there were many Sith. We rose up against the simpering light… We warred with the Jedi… and lost as we also warred amongst our own kind. For a thousand years we have kept to the shadows, not afraid of the Jedi… but ourselves. – The Dark Side is powerful. It is too powerful. The weak will meekly stand in regimented orde. The Sith… One Master, one Apprentice. No more.
The Dark Lords of the Sith are many things, many of those are despicable, but no one can’t deny that the “Rule of Two” has some insightful logic, and even in a philosophy that embraces the treachery, still there are rules to follow, since while the apprentice can kill his/her master, he/she will do it until the master would be unable to teach him/her anything more, and the master is entitled to kill his/her apprentice if the pupil isn’t able to learn and/or doesn’t follow orders…
…but what is following orders in the ways of the Sith?
You’ll learn that things that in any other structure that could be seen as improper behavior, in the Order of the Sith is precisely what a proud master can expect (even to demand, in a tacit way) from his/her apprentice.
After all, none Dark Lord of the Sith is immortal (not for lacking for trying but even...), so…
…each master must choose wisely the right apprentice, obviously powerful, strong in the Force, but that’s just evident requisites…
…the right apprentice must possess not only vision, but ambition, if the Sith truly wants to prevail, to remain in power, to preserve their legacy.
VADER’S VILLAINS
What are you running from? – It can’t be that bad.
Lord Vader has plans, many plans, and even he can’t do everything by himself.
That’s why in this epic run, you meet the secret little army of rogues, willing to do anything, if the pay is enough…
…or if Vader can motivates them to do his biding.
Dr. Aphra, a human female with a deep knowledge about arqueology and droid’s programming; the insidious droids, 000 (Triple-Zero) and BT (Bee-Tee), respectively, a protocol droid (with knowledge of six million of killing techniques) and a blastodroid disguised as astromech (with a vast supply of weapons); the bounty hunter Black Krrsantan (a huge Wookie of dark fur); and a battalion of good ol’ Battle Droids (those “roger-roger” skinny ones from the Clone Wars).
This unlikely band of sassy raiders are resourceful, deceitful and…
…adaptable…
…since not all the time, the members of this merry gang will be in the same side!
Even fighting each other if money or higher orders are in between.
WHAT’S LEFT IN VADER’S ARMOR?
How could you do this?
You were a child. – I am well accustomed to killing children.
Children. Words have power. Words have impact.
And that’s why in Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith, the writers used the word “younglings”, to avoid an upper age rating, since you may not be aware, but certainly there are things you can “say” in a book (or in this case, a comic book), that you can’t get away in a theatrical film, not if you want to keep a “PG-13” rating (but of course, if you see how successful was Deadpool in 2016 with an “R” rating, I don’t know why most movie studios are so pussy about doing films as they deserved to be).
So, when you read the lines, that I quoted in this review’s section, you know without a doubt how low fell the soul of Darth Vader, that by the way, one should wonder how the heck he could be able to unite with the Force in Return of the Jedi, since honestly I don’t think that even with the Pope’s absolution, a Catholic person can kill so many children (not “younglings”), and still able to cross the Heaven’s Gates, oh no, no siree.
I don’t blame Luke’s goal to save the soul of his father, after all, he is a naive idealist farm boy, who never met his dad, and obviously he wants to do the right thing, he wants to believe that there still something good inside Vader’s armor…
…but sometimes, certain people should be punished, not only in this life, but in the other one too, when they commit certain kind of unforgivable crimes.
But don’t get us so ahead in Vader’s story.
In this title, I am glad that the creative team decided to give it an “ending” to the comic book’s run, since any good story (even a good story about evil) should have a closure, and you know that the creative team were able to pull out their goal that was to show how the Vader of A New Hope became the Vader of Empire Strikes Back, that for the casual eye can be seen as the same character, but the keen eye can tell you that it’s not the same character, he must passed through certain trials, he must adquire certain knowledge, he evolved, he changed, and here, you know how and why.
After all, there is a reason why the central character in a story shouldn’t be sloppily called “hero” but instead “protagonist”, since Star Wars showed us how a villain can be the main character of an epic adventure.
July 3, 2017
Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca wrap up their disappointingly mediocre Darth Vader run with the instantly forgettable Volume 4: End of Games.
Maybe because it’s been ten months since I read the last book or maybe because Gillen’s failed to make it memorable, but I’ve no clue what’s going down in this one. Vader’s hunting down a rival called Cylo - who? Whatever. It’s not in the least bit interesting! Ugh, and the Revenge of the Sith flashbacks? Fuuuuck you, Gillen!
I’ve never liked Dr. Aphra and the evil droids so I continued not shiving a git about them and their tedious antics. Ooo, what will the Emperor do after he discovers that Aphra’s secretly been Vader’s ally??? Care about as much as I did reading this drek, which is to say not at all. Wow… what a story arc... also Aphra and the derivative evil droids are getting their own spinoff, again scripted by Gillen, so that’s definitely one to ignore. And that’s the book: awful.
Salvador Larroca’s art is faultless and slick, as it’s been throughout. He’s been the constant bright spot in the series and the comic has looked amazing and eye-catching thanks to his work. Is it enough to recommend this title though? Nah.
End of Games is the suck. While I’m glad a new writer’s taken over the title because Kieron Gillen wasn’t doing Vader any favours, that new writer is Charles Soule so any hope that the quality might improve now is dead in the water. These be dark times for fans of the Dark Side…
Maybe because it’s been ten months since I read the last book or maybe because Gillen’s failed to make it memorable, but I’ve no clue what’s going down in this one. Vader’s hunting down a rival called Cylo - who? Whatever. It’s not in the least bit interesting! Ugh, and the Revenge of the Sith flashbacks? Fuuuuck you, Gillen!
I’ve never liked Dr. Aphra and the evil droids so I continued not shiving a git about them and their tedious antics. Ooo, what will the Emperor do after he discovers that Aphra’s secretly been Vader’s ally??? Care about as much as I did reading this drek, which is to say not at all. Wow… what a story arc... also Aphra and the derivative evil droids are getting their own spinoff, again scripted by Gillen, so that’s definitely one to ignore. And that’s the book: awful.
Salvador Larroca’s art is faultless and slick, as it’s been throughout. He’s been the constant bright spot in the series and the comic has looked amazing and eye-catching thanks to his work. Is it enough to recommend this title though? Nah.
End of Games is the suck. While I’m glad a new writer’s taken over the title because Kieron Gillen wasn’t doing Vader any favours, that new writer is Charles Soule so any hope that the quality might improve now is dead in the water. These be dark times for fans of the Dark Side…
January 3, 2018
This marks the end of the run for these Darth Vader comics, but all good things must come to an end…. Uh, I mean Darth Vader isn’t good, of course. Guy’s a Sith Lord after all. But this was a generally good title so I’m sad to see it go.
This provides a satisfying end to the plot, and overall it ends up being a solid story of what kind of shenanigans Vader was up to in between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. It also provides some interesting context to his relationship to the Emperor as well as how he reacted to finding out that he had a son. It doesn’t succeed as well at making us sympathize with Vader despite some attempts to give us a glimpse into what the guy behind the mask is feeling.
It’s worth reading for the murderous droids Triple-Zero and Beetee who are the best part of the series, and this features a side adventure they have that also functions as the origin story of how two robots ended up so blood thirsty.
This provides a satisfying end to the plot, and overall it ends up being a solid story of what kind of shenanigans Vader was up to in between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. It also provides some interesting context to his relationship to the Emperor as well as how he reacted to finding out that he had a son. It doesn’t succeed as well at making us sympathize with Vader despite some attempts to give us a glimpse into what the guy behind the mask is feeling.
It’s worth reading for the murderous droids Triple-Zero and Beetee who are the best part of the series, and this features a side adventure they have that also functions as the origin story of how two robots ended up so blood thirsty.
April 20, 2017
While this volume wasn't quite up the standard set by the earliest issues of this book (I really didn't like the whole dream-sequence thing and Dr. Voidgazer sounds like a GI Joe villain) this Vader run has easily been the best of Marvel's new Star Wars books. Overall, I enjoyed it a great deal and it will be missed now it's come to an end.
There were a couple of loose ends that will still need to be dealt with, though. I wonder where they'll be resolved?
P.S. It's really tricky typing while cupping your hands around your mouth to do the trademark Vader heavy breathing...
There were a couple of loose ends that will still need to be dealt with, though. I wonder where they'll be resolved?
P.S. It's really tricky typing while cupping your hands around your mouth to do the trademark Vader heavy breathing...
March 14, 2018
A more than satisfying ending to a more than good series, but Vader's opponents were just too much lame for me ("Voidgazer"??? Oh good grief...) and I don't liked very much the dream sequence because it reminded me Episode III, a Star Wars movie that is never going to be a fan favourite of mine because of the greatest continuity issue ever (not mentioning Hayden Christensen's awful acting...): In "Episode VI: Return of the Jedi," Luke asks Leia if she remembers her real mother and she replies that her mother died when she was very young, but she was "very beautiful. Kind, but...sad." So... how Leia could remember her mother when Padmé died in childbirth???
The misadventures of Triple-Zero and Beetee chapter was too much hilarious and my most favourite one of this volume, the two evil sadistic droids really need their series!
June 15, 2022
After a bit of a misstep last volume, Kieron Gillen closes out his Darth Vader run out with a strong & satisfactory conclusion that is probably the strongest arc of this already impressive run. I’ve gushed about this book in pretty much all my other reviews covering it, but it finally got me into Star Wars comics, and I’m now worried nothing will be as good as this was. The last volume of Vader sees the culmination of all the arcs that Gillen started setting up back in volume 1, with Vader finally confronting Cylo, who has now taken control of the Executor Star Destroyer.
We finally see how things turn out for Inspector Thannoth and Doctor Aphra as well, both of which were incredibly satisfying to see especially since those were two of the new characters that I absolutely loved. Vader ends up in the position of power he is in by the time we see him again in ESB, which we knew was coming, but that didn’t make it any less satisfying to witness the how. I have no doubt that reading all this will make watching the Original Trilogy next time even more satisfying now that I know what happened in between all of these movies. And as someone who unironically loves Revenge of the Sith, that Mustafar issue was like a fucking dream come true.
This collection also contains the 10-page short story entitled “The Misadventures of Triple-Zero and BeeTee” which was alot funnier than it had any right to be. I’ve liked these characters since they were introduced back at the beginning of this run and have always found them pretty hilarious, but this may have some of their funniest moments yet. Kinda wish Gillen did more of these. Another short story this collection contains is “Coda” which bookends the volume. It takes place during and after the events of Darth Vader #1 back in Volume 1, where he slaughters a village of Tusken Raiders while on Tatooine. This insanely dark story follows the one survivor of that massacre as he meets a different tribe of Tuskens, who view Vader as this almost Satanic-like figure. They then try to ward off the Sith Lord by performing a Tusken Raider sacrifice with said survivor in a giant Vader wickerman. Very creepy.
This was an enthralling conclusion to a fantastic Darth Vader run that had everything I could possibly want out of a Star Wars comic. Gillen’s writing, as always, was top-notch and he always had a fantastic voice for Vader. Larroca’s art, while not my favorite of the Star Wars comics I’ve read, has really grown on me since I read the first couple of issues. It was always very consistent and the action scenes were always paced well and easy to follow, which I can’t always say about a lot of Star Wars comics art, even by artists I like. That Mustafar sequence was enhanced by his incredible art as well. Just an amazing conclusion to an amazing run that I’m pretty sad is over. At least I still have Soule’s Vader run and Gillen & Spurrier’s time on Doctor Aphra to look forward to.
We finally see how things turn out for Inspector Thannoth and Doctor Aphra as well, both of which were incredibly satisfying to see especially since those were two of the new characters that I absolutely loved. Vader ends up in the position of power he is in by the time we see him again in ESB, which we knew was coming, but that didn’t make it any less satisfying to witness the how. I have no doubt that reading all this will make watching the Original Trilogy next time even more satisfying now that I know what happened in between all of these movies. And as someone who unironically loves Revenge of the Sith, that Mustafar issue was like a fucking dream come true.
This collection also contains the 10-page short story entitled “The Misadventures of Triple-Zero and BeeTee” which was alot funnier than it had any right to be. I’ve liked these characters since they were introduced back at the beginning of this run and have always found them pretty hilarious, but this may have some of their funniest moments yet. Kinda wish Gillen did more of these. Another short story this collection contains is “Coda” which bookends the volume. It takes place during and after the events of Darth Vader #1 back in Volume 1, where he slaughters a village of Tusken Raiders while on Tatooine. This insanely dark story follows the one survivor of that massacre as he meets a different tribe of Tuskens, who view Vader as this almost Satanic-like figure. They then try to ward off the Sith Lord by performing a Tusken Raider sacrifice with said survivor in a giant Vader wickerman. Very creepy.
This was an enthralling conclusion to a fantastic Darth Vader run that had everything I could possibly want out of a Star Wars comic. Gillen’s writing, as always, was top-notch and he always had a fantastic voice for Vader. Larroca’s art, while not my favorite of the Star Wars comics I’ve read, has really grown on me since I read the first couple of issues. It was always very consistent and the action scenes were always paced well and easy to follow, which I can’t always say about a lot of Star Wars comics art, even by artists I like. That Mustafar sequence was enhanced by his incredible art as well. Just an amazing conclusion to an amazing run that I’m pretty sad is over. At least I still have Soule’s Vader run and Gillen & Spurrier’s time on Doctor Aphra to look forward to.
March 26, 2020
Kieron Gillen ties up all his plot threads going all the way back to the first issue in this volume. The confrontation with Cylo and his minions was terrific. I loved the design of the space whales even if they were stolen from the X-Men. The resolution with Dr. Aphra was fitting.
May 18, 2017
Vol 4 of Darth Vader brings to a completion of one of the finest Star Wars series out there. While it is a shame that it is ending, at least it goes out with a bang.
If you've been keeping up with the events of the Vader series you will truly enjoy this final part. Many of the loose ends are cleared up and there are some great conversations between Vader and the Emperor that shed fascinating light on his motivations for the Sith Order and his apprentice. Well done!
There are some great moments of Vader awesomeness and not to mention the brilliance of the Emperor. The number of times people seem to underestimate the Force and Vader is laughable, but it's always fun to see Vader remind people why it's kind of hard to kill a Sith Lord without the help of Jedi.
Gillen's writing coupled with gorgeous art have made this one of my all time favorite Star Wars series. I am sad to see it end, but am glad I was able to experience it. A top notch version of what Star Wars comics should be like. Great dialogue, wonderful plot and gorgeous art makes this a highly recommended piece of work. Enjoy it- I did.
If you've been keeping up with the events of the Vader series you will truly enjoy this final part. Many of the loose ends are cleared up and there are some great conversations between Vader and the Emperor that shed fascinating light on his motivations for the Sith Order and his apprentice. Well done!
There are some great moments of Vader awesomeness and not to mention the brilliance of the Emperor. The number of times people seem to underestimate the Force and Vader is laughable, but it's always fun to see Vader remind people why it's kind of hard to kill a Sith Lord without the help of Jedi.
Gillen's writing coupled with gorgeous art have made this one of my all time favorite Star Wars series. I am sad to see it end, but am glad I was able to experience it. A top notch version of what Star Wars comics should be like. Great dialogue, wonderful plot and gorgeous art makes this a highly recommended piece of work. Enjoy it- I did.
July 29, 2018
Fitting ending to the series arc. I especially enjoyed the Anakin-Vader confrontation in Darth’s mind.
December 21, 2019
More God-Level Vader fun.
Vader is sent by the emperor to take care of every loose end, that includes the one who built vader himself. So off Vader goes while the other side of the story is hunting down Dr. Aphra by her own evil robots. There's a big battle with Vader and Cylo and it all ends in...well you know it. Vader winning everything.
Again, the art is great here and there's some fun moments. Watching Vader tear through people is entertaining because he's a asshole. Also Dr. Aphra story takes a darker turn than even I expected here. On the flipside, Vader being God-like is really boring in terms of suspense. Just like the rest of the series Vader is too powerful.
Overall a decent series in the end, fun moments, if not a bit boring due to how strong Vader's super saiyan level is. A 3 out of 5.
Vader is sent by the emperor to take care of every loose end, that includes the one who built vader himself. So off Vader goes while the other side of the story is hunting down Dr. Aphra by her own evil robots. There's a big battle with Vader and Cylo and it all ends in...well you know it. Vader winning everything.
Again, the art is great here and there's some fun moments. Watching Vader tear through people is entertaining because he's a asshole. Also Dr. Aphra story takes a darker turn than even I expected here. On the flipside, Vader being God-like is really boring in terms of suspense. Just like the rest of the series Vader is too powerful.
Overall a decent series in the end, fun moments, if not a bit boring due to how strong Vader's super saiyan level is. A 3 out of 5.
January 16, 2017
Fantastic conclusion to Vader's dark adventures! Wasn't too fond of Cylo as an adversary, but the reveal of Executor in space dock and the fastidiously homicidal forays by Triple-0 proved high points to a rock solid conclusion. And the Mustafar vision sequence? Epic.
August 14, 2019
This book is totally great.
July 27, 2022
Rating: 3.5 stars
Tada! I finished the Darth Vader comics! Even though I read 1-3 two years years ago... I have finished them! Yay!
There was a sequence of 10 or so pages that was a mash up of the two Anakin/Vader vs. Obi-Wan duels (in Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope respectively) and it was great! Ahhh, I wasn't going to put it here because it was too long, but I don't care. I like looking back on my graphic novel reviews and seeing all the pictures, and this is just that - my review. So here it is: (sorry phone people)
Phew! That was a lot. I'll cut out all the other images I was going to put in because we already have had quite a few. But it's cool, right? You have to agree with me that that sequence is cool. If not, fine. I'll have my right opinion and you can have your wrong one. (Lol, jk)
One thing that Star Wars always has problems with is power levels. George Lucas tried to regulate this with midi-chlorians in the prequels, but because the Force is fundamentally a soft magic system, what the certain midi-chlorian levels actually allow each Force user to be able to specifically accomplish is left undefined. (For instance, there are no boundaries around the weight of items Jedi/Sith/Force people of varying strength can or cannot move using solely the Force: i.e. you need a midi-chlorian count at or above 15000 to lift objects up to 10,000 kg; you need a midi-chlorian count at or above 17000 to lift objects up to 15,000 kg etc. etc.) Yes, I know, this is simply the nature of a soft magic system. I am not saying that Lucasfilm needs to go in and Sanderson-ify their universe by adding strict guidelines in what people can or can't do with the Force. That would take away the whimsy that soft magic brings. Buuuuut... I do feel the occasional rule and/or limit with specifics would be useful for the franchise at large. Plus, then it could go between several creator's hands and there would be some kind of streamlined base throughout the wider universe and we wouldn't have this disconnect between what is accomplished in the movies, and these extra powers the same characters seem to gain when they appear in the SWEU (Star Wars Extended Universe).
That's about it. I am behind on my reviews and this was meant to be the quickest one and yet here I am, 10000 paragraphs later.
Tada! I finished the Darth Vader comics! Even though I read 1-3 two years years ago... I have finished them! Yay!
There was a sequence of 10 or so pages that was a mash up of the two Anakin/Vader vs. Obi-Wan duels (in Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope respectively) and it was great! Ahhh, I wasn't going to put it here because it was too long, but I don't care. I like looking back on my graphic novel reviews and seeing all the pictures, and this is just that - my review. So here it is: (sorry phone people)
Phew! That was a lot. I'll cut out all the other images I was going to put in because we already have had quite a few. But it's cool, right? You have to agree with me that that sequence is cool. If not, fine. I'll have my right opinion and you can have your wrong one. (Lol, jk)
One thing that Star Wars always has problems with is power levels. George Lucas tried to regulate this with midi-chlorians in the prequels, but because the Force is fundamentally a soft magic system, what the certain midi-chlorian levels actually allow each Force user to be able to specifically accomplish is left undefined. (For instance, there are no boundaries around the weight of items Jedi/Sith/Force people of varying strength can or cannot move using solely the Force: i.e. you need a midi-chlorian count at or above 15000 to lift objects up to 10,000 kg; you need a midi-chlorian count at or above 17000 to lift objects up to 15,000 kg etc. etc.) Yes, I know, this is simply the nature of a soft magic system. I am not saying that Lucasfilm needs to go in and Sanderson-ify their universe by adding strict guidelines in what people can or can't do with the Force. That would take away the whimsy that soft magic brings. Buuuuut... I do feel the occasional rule and/or limit with specifics would be useful for the franchise at large. Plus, then it could go between several creator's hands and there would be some kind of streamlined base throughout the wider universe and we wouldn't have this disconnect between what is accomplished in the movies, and these extra powers the same characters seem to gain when they appear in the SWEU (Star Wars Extended Universe).
That's about it. I am behind on my reviews and this was meant to be the quickest one and yet here I am, 10000 paragraphs later.
February 10, 2017
"I will turn you to ash, you will fly into the sun" in other words Vader is kicking major ass in the final vol.4 from Gillen. I think this was the strongest series to come out of the new marvel star stuff, Jason Aaron's main star wars series is a strong second. Vader has reached the end of his journey and the showdown between him and Cylo is here. Cylo designed the suit vader wears and thinks he has the advantage going into the epic battle but we all know vader survives, still the battle with the enhanced Ranchor and Cylo's team is awesome. The little metal battle where Anakin thinks back to Revenge of the sith was also a cool bit. Overall I can only imagine the restrictions marvel put on this series and the level of thought Gillen put into these books is really remarkable. The bits where you see vader knocked down a few pegs after his failure on the death star was a cool perspective back in vol.2 and then his rebound to undermine the empire was genius. that relationship with the emperor was so cruical and I am glad Gillen highlighted it. Sad to see this series end with Gillen but he had a great run and i will miss triple zero and Beetee more than ever.
January 6, 2017
Not a great fan of the ending, but I did finally find the murder droids somewhat fun. Overall, this was a pretty decent series. Not great, but there were some really, really good moments here and there.
April 29, 2021
Great conclusion! Also I love Aphra she is everything
November 25, 2016
The conclusion to the long and sweeping Star Wars: Darth Vader has arrived with Kieron Gillen's fourth volume, End of Games.
Oh, how the mighty Sith have fallen. Vader launched one of the first comic book series in the new Star Wars canon to an incredible start, but it quickly went downhill following the release of subsequent volumes. Despite some entertaining moments and a smooth lead in to Empire Strikes Back, this ended up being a rather sloppy conclusion to a series that had been derailed for a long time.
THE STORY: The one-eyed tim curry-esqe figure Cylo has been revealed as a traitor, is now on a run, and Darth Vader, intent on restoring his place with the Emperor, is going after him. Cylo has gathered together the rest of the Emperor's surviving video game goons introduced in the first volume- the male saber twin (turns out the female actually did die in The Shu-torun War) and Dr. Voidgazer to make his stand. Dr. Aphra returns to make one last attempt at restoring her partnership with Vader for the sake of her own survival.
The rest is a combination of exposition and action sequences that tried its hardest to tie up all the convoluted threads this comic series had to offer during its overstayed welcome.
THE BAD: This final volume is an underwhelming ending to a disappointing series.
It feels like Gillen gave up a little bit with the writing, just trying to wrap up the numerous threads he introduced in earlier volumes and set up the beginning of Empire Strikes Back. The opening scene with Vader and the Emperor is a lazily done exposition dump that makes this story even more confusing than it already was. There will be other parts to it that will undoubtedly anger some readers. I wasn't too bothered by it, but even to me felt a little contrived.
.
It was like Gillen wast trying way to hard to make one of his game obstacle characters seem more important, but it really wasn't executed well. There are also some moments that felt like cheap conveniences, especially when Vader battled Voidgazer and Aphra was with the droids.
I also didn't like the very end sequence. Especially with the knowledge that a Dr. Aphra spinoff comic is being released, it felt like an advertisement for Gillen's next comic. I don't have a problem with the actual sequence, but it should have been included at the beginning of the Aphra comic or just as a separate one shot (I mean, the scene felt like an advertisement already so why doesn't Gillen just write a one shot to advertise the new comic instead? If its a money issue, we star wars nerds will hand over our cash regardless!). It made the ending of the Vader series weaker, much like how the ending scene with Nash Windrider in Lost Stars (despite being a great scene) took away from the powerful ending with Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree.
The art, even though it was done by Salvadore Larocca and Edgar Delgado once again, was dissapointing in that it did not seem to be as great as it was before. Maybe its just that I have gotten used to it, but the action especially, while not dull, does not reach the standards that they set themselves too even as late as The Shu-Torun War.
THE GOOD: I may not have been expecting much, but I did get some good out of reading this.
Gillen actually managed to return some charm to the evil droid duo, in that I actually chuckled at some of Triple Zero's dialogue. Sure the "murder everything" schtick is still a beaten dead bantha by now and BT isn't an entertaining character anymore, but there were actually some decent new jokes that took advantage of the proper and cultured talking style that is synonymous with a protocol droid, that again, didn't use killing and maiming as a punchline. .
Dr. Aphra remains a charming and fun character, and I'm glad Gillen didn't wear out her charm like he did with the droids in the previous volume. I'm looking forward to seeing her adventures continue in her upcoming series.
Once again, Darth Vader's character is written well, with the cruel villainy in his dialogue and he gets to be awesome in his action sequences. I think Gillen actually did a really good job developing his character and adding a new layer to him with the dream sequence that shuffles around some of the ending scenes in Revenge of the Sith.
Finally, Gillen did manage to deliver satisfying closure in this volume. Not because it was good or anything, but we can finally put this over-bloated and colossal disappointment of a comic book series to rest. It is there, it is canon, we learned about some new locations, it has little impact going forward, and we don't have to worry about dragging these comics any farther to wrap up lose threads. . It was satisfying to see the final connections to Empire Strikes Back, we see all of the Emperor's minions dealt with, and there was even a bit of depth added to Vader.
Finally, I did like seeing that Old Republic war droid model make a cameo and get recanonized.
THE CONCLUSION: What in the galaxy happened, Kieron Gillen? The first volume was SO GOOD. This series had SO MUCH PROMISE! Why did you have to make your incredibly compelling story so convoluted and such a mess? Why did you have to wear out such a loveable anti-R2D2 C3PO duo?
Oh well, you still have Dr Aphra. And it's canon, so I'll buy and read your next comic regardless.
The Darth Vader series was not completely awful- Gillen did an excellent job with portraying Darth Vader, he introduced a very likeable and enjoyable female character in Dr. Aphra, and Salvador Larocca and Edgar Delgado always delivered great artwork, even if they didn't do as good of a job in the final volume. However, as the series dragged on and the initially phenomenal story became more and more of a convoluted mess, I ended up being massively let down.
I loved the first volume but I unfortunately would not recommend Star Wars: Darth Vader. YOu can follow Gillen's sections in Star Wars: Vader Down well enough without reading the earlier volumes of Darth Vader. In Vader down, the signature villain gets to be a badass, Aphra is enjoyable, the droids will be funny if that is the first place you meet them (ie, you don't read the first two volumes of Darth Vader first), and the integrated plot threads from the larger vader series don't muddle the storyline of Vader Down in a way that takes away from the fun.
So if you really want to see a comic book version of Vader in action in the new canon, just read Jason Aaron's much better ongoing Star Wars, and read Vader Down once you get to it chronologically after Vol. 2: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon- the glimpse you'll get of Darth Vader and Gillen's other characters in the cross over should be enough.
Oh, how the mighty Sith have fallen. Vader launched one of the first comic book series in the new Star Wars canon to an incredible start, but it quickly went downhill following the release of subsequent volumes. Despite some entertaining moments and a smooth lead in to Empire Strikes Back, this ended up being a rather sloppy conclusion to a series that had been derailed for a long time.
THE STORY: The one-eyed tim curry-esqe figure Cylo has been revealed as a traitor, is now on a run, and Darth Vader, intent on restoring his place with the Emperor, is going after him. Cylo has gathered together the rest of the Emperor's surviving video game goons introduced in the first volume- the male saber twin (turns out the female actually did die in The Shu-torun War) and Dr. Voidgazer to make his stand. Dr. Aphra returns to make one last attempt at restoring her partnership with Vader for the sake of her own survival.
The rest is a combination of exposition and action sequences that tried its hardest to tie up all the convoluted threads this comic series had to offer during its overstayed welcome.
THE BAD: This final volume is an underwhelming ending to a disappointing series.
It feels like Gillen gave up a little bit with the writing, just trying to wrap up the numerous threads he introduced in earlier volumes and set up the beginning of Empire Strikes Back. The opening scene with Vader and the Emperor is a lazily done exposition dump that makes this story even more confusing than it already was. There will be other parts to it that will undoubtedly anger some readers. I wasn't too bothered by it, but even to me felt a little contrived.
.
It was like Gillen wast trying way to hard to make one of his game obstacle characters seem more important, but it really wasn't executed well. There are also some moments that felt like cheap conveniences, especially when Vader battled Voidgazer and Aphra was with the droids.
I also didn't like the very end sequence. Especially with the knowledge that a Dr. Aphra spinoff comic is being released, it felt like an advertisement for Gillen's next comic. I don't have a problem with the actual sequence, but it should have been included at the beginning of the Aphra comic or just as a separate one shot (I mean, the scene felt like an advertisement already so why doesn't Gillen just write a one shot to advertise the new comic instead? If its a money issue, we star wars nerds will hand over our cash regardless!). It made the ending of the Vader series weaker, much like how the ending scene with Nash Windrider in Lost Stars (despite being a great scene) took away from the powerful ending with Thane Kyrell and Ciena Ree.
The art, even though it was done by Salvadore Larocca and Edgar Delgado once again, was dissapointing in that it did not seem to be as great as it was before. Maybe its just that I have gotten used to it, but the action especially, while not dull, does not reach the standards that they set themselves too even as late as The Shu-Torun War.
THE GOOD: I may not have been expecting much, but I did get some good out of reading this.
Gillen actually managed to return some charm to the evil droid duo, in that I actually chuckled at some of Triple Zero's dialogue. Sure the "murder everything" schtick is still a beaten dead bantha by now and BT isn't an entertaining character anymore, but there were actually some decent new jokes that took advantage of the proper and cultured talking style that is synonymous with a protocol droid, that again, didn't use killing and maiming as a punchline. .
Dr. Aphra remains a charming and fun character, and I'm glad Gillen didn't wear out her charm like he did with the droids in the previous volume. I'm looking forward to seeing her adventures continue in her upcoming series.
Once again, Darth Vader's character is written well, with the cruel villainy in his dialogue and he gets to be awesome in his action sequences. I think Gillen actually did a really good job developing his character and adding a new layer to him with the dream sequence that shuffles around some of the ending scenes in Revenge of the Sith.
Finally, Gillen did manage to deliver satisfying closure in this volume. Not because it was good or anything, but we can finally put this over-bloated and colossal disappointment of a comic book series to rest. It is there, it is canon, we learned about some new locations, it has little impact going forward, and we don't have to worry about dragging these comics any farther to wrap up lose threads. . It was satisfying to see the final connections to Empire Strikes Back, we see all of the Emperor's minions dealt with, and there was even a bit of depth added to Vader.
Finally, I did like seeing that Old Republic war droid model make a cameo and get recanonized.
THE CONCLUSION: What in the galaxy happened, Kieron Gillen? The first volume was SO GOOD. This series had SO MUCH PROMISE! Why did you have to make your incredibly compelling story so convoluted and such a mess? Why did you have to wear out such a loveable anti-R2D2 C3PO duo?
Oh well, you still have Dr Aphra. And it's canon, so I'll buy and read your next comic regardless.
The Darth Vader series was not completely awful- Gillen did an excellent job with portraying Darth Vader, he introduced a very likeable and enjoyable female character in Dr. Aphra, and Salvador Larocca and Edgar Delgado always delivered great artwork, even if they didn't do as good of a job in the final volume. However, as the series dragged on and the initially phenomenal story became more and more of a convoluted mess, I ended up being massively let down.
I loved the first volume but I unfortunately would not recommend Star Wars: Darth Vader. YOu can follow Gillen's sections in Star Wars: Vader Down well enough without reading the earlier volumes of Darth Vader. In Vader down, the signature villain gets to be a badass, Aphra is enjoyable, the droids will be funny if that is the first place you meet them (ie, you don't read the first two volumes of Darth Vader first), and the integrated plot threads from the larger vader series don't muddle the storyline of Vader Down in a way that takes away from the fun.
So if you really want to see a comic book version of Vader in action in the new canon, just read Jason Aaron's much better ongoing Star Wars, and read Vader Down once you get to it chronologically after Vol. 2: Showdown on the Smuggler's Moon- the glimpse you'll get of Darth Vader and Gillen's other characters in the cross over should be enough.
June 30, 2021
See my review of the other edition.
December 6, 2016
Darth Vader's ongoing series comes to a close as his (and the Emperor's) machinations reach their stunning conclusion.
This volume is basically 'what happens if you piss off Darth Vader?' as a comic book storyline. The result is a six issue story that has Vader kicking ass and taking names as the last few plot twists of the series come to centre stage. Seeing the Emperor, Vader, and Cylo's plans all revealed helps put a lot of the previous stories into perspective, and the conclusion to Doctor Aphra's storyline is great fun too - it's no wonder she's getting her own ongoing, as Gillen has proven numerous times over the course of this series that she's a great character.
Salvador Larocca spins out some more fabulous space battles, including giant whales, a close-up of the sun, and 'that' issue set inside Vader's head (which is probably the best issue of the entire run).
A rock solid end to a rock solid series. Marvel's Star Wars books have set a high bar with this one, and I expect it won't be long before Vader becomes the centre of attention once again.
This volume is basically 'what happens if you piss off Darth Vader?' as a comic book storyline. The result is a six issue story that has Vader kicking ass and taking names as the last few plot twists of the series come to centre stage. Seeing the Emperor, Vader, and Cylo's plans all revealed helps put a lot of the previous stories into perspective, and the conclusion to Doctor Aphra's storyline is great fun too - it's no wonder she's getting her own ongoing, as Gillen has proven numerous times over the course of this series that she's a great character.
Salvador Larocca spins out some more fabulous space battles, including giant whales, a close-up of the sun, and 'that' issue set inside Vader's head (which is probably the best issue of the entire run).
A rock solid end to a rock solid series. Marvel's Star Wars books have set a high bar with this one, and I expect it won't be long before Vader becomes the centre of attention once again.
August 3, 2019
"Book IV, Part VI
END OF GAMES
It is time of rebuilding for the Empire. After the destruction of the Death Star, Darth Vader is atoning for his failure by destroying all who would oppose the Empire.
The droids Triple-Zero and Beetee have been sent to capture Vader's secret ally, Dr. Aphra-but taking advantage of their programming, she changes their directive. Choosing not to make her escape, Aphra goes to comfort Emperor Palpatine.
Meanwhile, Vader tracks down the traitorous scientist Cylo to end things once and for all. Though Cylo activates the kill switch for the Sith Lord's cybernetic suit, Vader uses the Force to overcome his control. But far more stands in Vader's way before his mission is complete...."
Obviously the comic got cancelled and they rushed the ending, but it was still a good ending, with a few loose ends to potentially carry on. I can believe he "killed" Aphra, it was good he did, or at least thought he did, I thought he was getting soft. This was a good series, but I'm sure he'll be back...3 🌟
Overall I will give the Darth Vader series 2.50🌟
END OF GAMES
It is time of rebuilding for the Empire. After the destruction of the Death Star, Darth Vader is atoning for his failure by destroying all who would oppose the Empire.
The droids Triple-Zero and Beetee have been sent to capture Vader's secret ally, Dr. Aphra-but taking advantage of their programming, she changes their directive. Choosing not to make her escape, Aphra goes to comfort Emperor Palpatine.
Meanwhile, Vader tracks down the traitorous scientist Cylo to end things once and for all. Though Cylo activates the kill switch for the Sith Lord's cybernetic suit, Vader uses the Force to overcome his control. But far more stands in Vader's way before his mission is complete...."
Obviously the comic got cancelled and they rushed the ending, but it was still a good ending, with a few loose ends to potentially carry on. I can believe he "killed" Aphra, it was good he did, or at least thought he did, I thought he was getting soft. This was a good series, but I'm sure he'll be back...3 🌟
Overall I will give the Darth Vader series 2.50🌟
December 17, 2019
This series is really getting good. Most excellent. Top notch art and story. Vader is such a complicated character. Clearly not good, but always trying to find a way around the Emperor, yet still serve the Emperor. Very complex stories. Several newer characters that have not appeared in any of the Star War movies, yet play important roles in these collections.
I have zipped thru the 4 volumes of the 2015-2016 Darth Vader collections. Really enjoyed them all. I have already read Vols I and II of the 2017-2018 collections, plus Vader Down. Looking around for more Star Wars Prime stories that I can read for free.
I have zipped thru the 4 volumes of the 2015-2016 Darth Vader collections. Really enjoyed them all. I have already read Vols I and II of the 2017-2018 collections, plus Vader Down. Looking around for more Star Wars Prime stories that I can read for free.
July 21, 2020
Rychlý, zábavný, skvělý, Takový mám pocit z Vaderovi sólo řady. Jsem velmi spokojen se zakončením a vlastně s celou sérií. Art tradičně na hovno ale to je tak jediný co tomu můžu vytknout, příběh se oproti předchozímu volume vrátil do starých kolejí a opravdu jsem se bavil protože to zase dobře balancuje na terminátor/kecající Vader.
Za mě spokojenost a teď jsem zvědavý jak na mr zapůsobí Charles Soule ve své sérii.
Za mě spokojenost a teď jsem zvědavý jak na mr zapůsobí Charles Soule ve své sérii.
August 25, 2020
I really liked this final volume.
This one basically paved the way for ESB, with Vader clearing up all of the remaining villains and sidequests that he made in throughout the series. Again, I really feel like Vader felt more like Darth Vader as this series progressed. He was awesome in here.
The final scene with the flashbacks was the best. I adore those moments so much.
5/5 stars. Onto the Skywalker Strikes series!
This one basically paved the way for ESB, with Vader clearing up all of the remaining villains and sidequests that he made in throughout the series. Again, I really feel like Vader felt more like Darth Vader as this series progressed. He was awesome in here.
The final scene with the flashbacks was the best. I adore those moments so much.
5/5 stars. Onto the Skywalker Strikes series!
December 11, 2019
Did not enjoy this series quite as much as the 2017 version. There's some good characters and situations, the occasional well-done battle or bit of scenery, and Triple-Zero is hilarious and carries much of the story all on his own - but on the whole it's all fairly flat, unnecessary, and I never could get into the art, especially with the faces of the characters, especially the faces of all the ones we know from the movies. Comic books with real-people faces is an unholy combination that must be purged off the face of the planet.
December 30, 2016
That was a wonderful volume! I wish this title was continuing! "Nothing is impossible for the force"
June 27, 2018
This collection is the finale of this run. In this one, the Emperor has ordered Darth Vader to take care of a specific problem. Meanwhile, Darth Vader is tying up some loose ends on his part so his schemes will never be discovered.
I enjoyed this collection as it really shows how Darth Vader is a badass. We get to see him destroy and outsmart his foes and we get to see his complete mastery of the force. This is the Vader that was hinted at during the original trilogy and why he is considered to be one of the top villains ever. This collection does a wonderful job of tying up all the loose ends including Doctor Alpha and her relationship with Vader. The second to last issue was absolutely amazing and might be one my favorite single issues of any comic. Once again, the artwork is perfect and the dialogue was top notch in this collection.
I enjoyed this series that was based on Darth Vader. It really isn't much of a surprise since Darth Vader is my favorite character from this universe. I am glad that this collection and the whole series lived up to my expectations.
I enjoyed this collection as it really shows how Darth Vader is a badass. We get to see him destroy and outsmart his foes and we get to see his complete mastery of the force. This is the Vader that was hinted at during the original trilogy and why he is considered to be one of the top villains ever. This collection does a wonderful job of tying up all the loose ends including Doctor Alpha and her relationship with Vader. The second to last issue was absolutely amazing and might be one my favorite single issues of any comic. Once again, the artwork is perfect and the dialogue was top notch in this collection.
I enjoyed this series that was based on Darth Vader. It really isn't much of a surprise since Darth Vader is my favorite character from this universe. I am glad that this collection and the whole series lived up to my expectations.
March 8, 2019
Se você estava esperando um final bombástico e impactante para as relações entre as manipulações de Darth Vader, do Imperador e da Doutora Aphra neste último encadernado da série do Darth Vader, vai se arrepender como eu. A série toda foi cheia de reviravoltas, surpresas e traições, mas esse último encadernado se contenta mesmo em fechar algumas pontas soltas que foram deixadas. Neste encadernado também Salvador Larroca começa a exercer seu peculiar estilo de hachuras em estilo pontilhismo de riscos intermitentes. Eu ainda não decidi se gosto dele. Na tela, com certeza é ruim, mas no papel ele reage diferente. Este encadernado abre espaço para a série da Doutora Aphra, primeira personagem criado nos quadrinhos de Star Wars a ganhar uma série própria. E não é só isso, ela é uma mulher asiática e lésbica. Ou seja, um grande avanço desde a trilogia clássica, onde a única mulher de destaque era a Princesa Leia, certo?! Mas ainda precisa muito mais. Então, no final, este encadernado de Star Wars: Darth Vader fica bastante aquém da qualidade que os demais álbuns da série vinham apresentando até então.
February 1, 2018
Pros
Vader's full evolution into the dark side
Vader feels sort of like a wounded, rage filled monster that just wants to lash out at everything
Vader feels physically challenged
Theme of technology vs humanity and how that plays into Vader being a cyborg
Aphra and Vader's relationship is perfectly ended
Some minor character that were efficient but enjoyable
You really want to see the antagonist fail
Cons
Some emotional moments I felt could have been more built up before hand
9/10 Great. A stellar finale that wraps up what is officially one of my favorite Star Wars stories ever. A must read for any Star Wars fan, whether or not you like comics.
Vader's full evolution into the dark side
Vader feels sort of like a wounded, rage filled monster that just wants to lash out at everything
Vader feels physically challenged
Theme of technology vs humanity and how that plays into Vader being a cyborg
Aphra and Vader's relationship is perfectly ended
Some minor character that were efficient but enjoyable
You really want to see the antagonist fail
Cons
Some emotional moments I felt could have been more built up before hand
9/10 Great. A stellar finale that wraps up what is officially one of my favorite Star Wars stories ever. A must read for any Star Wars fan, whether or not you like comics.
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