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Star Wars Legends: Comics
Star Wars - Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin
Collects Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1-5. A ninth assassin—more deadly than the eight who came before—has been hired to murder Darth Vader. Elsewhere, another threat to the Empire has made itself known, and will take Vader on a hunt for an ancient evil… All the while, the ninth assassin lurks, waiting for the perfect moment to strike! Collects the five-issue miniseries.
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
April 12, 2017
3.5 Stars
Vader in the house!
This non-canonical (Oh, Disney) star wars story tells an action-packed tale of Dark side Vs uh..headless snake cult?
Oh, wait! Don't go away. It's not as silly as it sounds.
As you know, Vader has no problem making enemies of various caliber across the galaxy. But when one of those enemies are wealthy and not aware of Vader's full strength, they might just try to hunt the alpha predator... foolishly.
This is the story of the deadly assassin who gets hired by that wealthy foolish man to hunt Vader down.
Why do every assassin in every single fiction say the exact same lines?
To make the matters worse for the Empire, a faction of a mysterious cult is trying to get Vader's attention by attacking them.
There are no saints in this story. So basically, you are with Vader, all the way. The premise is interesting, especially the idea of a chaos worshiping cult in a world ruled by order. While art and story are good, the writing lacks in places.
What? Since when?
I actually felt the cult was the main plot here and the assassin was the subplot. But since Vader and the mysterious cult sounds a bit vague (since Sith lords itself is a mysterious cult), I guess they went with the assassin!
Overall, this is a quick read with a great ending.
Vader in the house!
This non-canonical (Oh, Disney) star wars story tells an action-packed tale of Dark side Vs uh..headless snake cult?
Oh, wait! Don't go away. It's not as silly as it sounds.
As you know, Vader has no problem making enemies of various caliber across the galaxy. But when one of those enemies are wealthy and not aware of Vader's full strength, they might just try to hunt the alpha predator... foolishly.
This is the story of the deadly assassin who gets hired by that wealthy foolish man to hunt Vader down.
Why do every assassin in every single fiction say the exact same lines?
To make the matters worse for the Empire, a faction of a mysterious cult is trying to get Vader's attention by attacking them.
There are no saints in this story. So basically, you are with Vader, all the way. The premise is interesting, especially the idea of a chaos worshiping cult in a world ruled by order. While art and story are good, the writing lacks in places.
What? Since when?
I actually felt the cult was the main plot here and the assassin was the subplot. But since Vader and the mysterious cult sounds a bit vague (since Sith lords itself is a mysterious cult), I guess they went with the assassin!
Overall, this is a quick read with a great ending.
March 7, 2017
Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin was a fun read. Is it ground breaking or thought provoking? No. Is it a fun read and an entertaining story, especially for Darth Vader fans, that never fails to entertain? Most assuredly yes.
The plot is rather simple. Vader, being Vader, manages to kill the son of a mining magnate. The magnate hires the services of an elite assassin to eliminate Vader. Meanwhile, there is a dark side organization, though not Sith, that has a powerful weapon and is in a state of rebellion against the Empire. Lord Vader is sent to quash the issue and figure out what the weapon actually is.
Once on the moon, Vader learns about the desire of the Dark Siders and their view of him as the Savior. In time , both the Dark Siders and the Assassin find that it is unwise and unhealthy to play dark side games with Sith Lords. The final battle between Vader and the Dark Siders and the Assassin is an excellent view of why Vader is one of the most feared of the Dark Lords.
Again, not a groundbreaking story. But it is fun. Vader going about his business is a pleasure to watch. Tom Siedell's Vader is a calm and emotionless killer. No matter how dangerous or bizarre the situation Vader's persona is always calm. No matter what Vader feels no fear and is always in control of the situation. The artwork is quite decent and never detracts from the story.
All in all this is an entertaining read for any Star Wars fans, but for those who prefer Sith to Jedi and have a fondness for Darth Vader-then this is a must read. Highly recommended for those particular readers. But even if you don't rank among those types you will enjoy this fun, action packed Vader story.
The plot is rather simple. Vader, being Vader, manages to kill the son of a mining magnate. The magnate hires the services of an elite assassin to eliminate Vader. Meanwhile, there is a dark side organization, though not Sith, that has a powerful weapon and is in a state of rebellion against the Empire. Lord Vader is sent to quash the issue and figure out what the weapon actually is.
Once on the moon, Vader learns about the desire of the Dark Siders and their view of him as the Savior. In time , both the Dark Siders and the Assassin find that it is unwise and unhealthy to play dark side games with Sith Lords. The final battle between Vader and the Dark Siders and the Assassin is an excellent view of why Vader is one of the most feared of the Dark Lords.
Again, not a groundbreaking story. But it is fun. Vader going about his business is a pleasure to watch. Tom Siedell's Vader is a calm and emotionless killer. No matter how dangerous or bizarre the situation Vader's persona is always calm. No matter what Vader feels no fear and is always in control of the situation. The artwork is quite decent and never detracts from the story.
All in all this is an entertaining read for any Star Wars fans, but for those who prefer Sith to Jedi and have a fondness for Darth Vader-then this is a must read. Highly recommended for those particular readers. But even if you don't rank among those types you will enjoy this fun, action packed Vader story.
February 6, 2022
This was a fun read tbh.
Its a very quick read and its less talk and more action and even the caption bubbles are very less so makes for a smooth read and shows you that nothing can challenge Vader and the way he commands the force and uses his lightsaber was inventive and just reaffirms his skills and danger. My only complaint is that the assassin didn't really do anything cool and we didn't learn much about him so that kinda makes you bore of the story having the title of "assassin" and the fight was one-sided and all but nevertheless if you are a fan of Vader and wanna see him in cool action, slicing and dicing his enemies and also with great art, I recommend this one!
Its a very quick read and its less talk and more action and even the caption bubbles are very less so makes for a smooth read and shows you that nothing can challenge Vader and the way he commands the force and uses his lightsaber was inventive and just reaffirms his skills and danger. My only complaint is that the assassin didn't really do anything cool and we didn't learn much about him so that kinda makes you bore of the story having the title of "assassin" and the fight was one-sided and all but nevertheless if you are a fan of Vader and wanna see him in cool action, slicing and dicing his enemies and also with great art, I recommend this one!
March 4, 2024
vader's anakin was showing in this one
August 31, 2014
Bullet Review:
I must admit, this line is impressing me! It started out fairly mediocre with Darth Vader and the Lost Command but Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison really impressed me and made me glad I stuck with the series. (See, people? Sometimes it *IS* good to stick with a series even when you didn't like the first book.)
This book is a bit more standard fare. Someone is mad because Darth Vader kills his son, hires an assassin, you know the drill. Now the assassin hunts down Vader in a fairly elaborate plot to draw Vader alone.
The artwork is good. I love how most of the story is visual - not pages and pages of paragraphs of narration or the characters thinking Deep Thoughts of Darkness.
Overall, a good installment; I look forward to what else Vader will be going through.
I must admit, this line is impressing me! It started out fairly mediocre with Darth Vader and the Lost Command but Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison really impressed me and made me glad I stuck with the series. (See, people? Sometimes it *IS* good to stick with a series even when you didn't like the first book.)
This book is a bit more standard fare. Someone is mad because Darth Vader kills his son, hires an assassin, you know the drill. Now the assassin hunts down Vader in a fairly elaborate plot to draw Vader alone.
The artwork is good. I love how most of the story is visual - not pages and pages of paragraphs of narration or the characters thinking Deep Thoughts of Darkness.
Overall, a good installment; I look forward to what else Vader will be going through.
June 5, 2020
The artwork is beautiful, but the story is unfortunately too bland to recommend. And Vader isn't supposed to have sarcastic remarks. Ever!
The Empire is still consolidating its power. Vader is a pivotal member in the Empire's goal to take control of the galaxy, primarily through brute force. Certain powers don't take kindly to having what they see as a mindless destroyer move in on their business. A merchant is willing to pay anything to avenge the death of his son at Vader's hands. The assassin he hires is a member of a cult even Sidious seems to fear.
The Empire is still consolidating its power. Vader is a pivotal member in the Empire's goal to take control of the galaxy, primarily through brute force. Certain powers don't take kindly to having what they see as a mindless destroyer move in on their business. A merchant is willing to pay anything to avenge the death of his son at Vader's hands. The assassin he hires is a member of a cult even Sidious seems to fear.
July 18, 2014
3.5 stars.
Set in the time between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope, Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin is a straightforward tale of Darth Vader kicking ass. Somebody's trying to kill him and eight hired killers have failed. The ninth assassin has a plan to finish the job, which leads Darth Vader to a strange cult away from the reach of the Empire. Chaos ensues and the Emperor's apprentice is in the middle of it all.
I loved the fast pace of this story and there was a lot more violence than I had expected. It's not meant to change how we look at the Star Wars universe or its characters; like a good action movie, it's meant to be enjoyed for what it is and without too much deep thought. Fun, but not totally satisfying.
Set in the time between Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope, Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin is a straightforward tale of Darth Vader kicking ass. Somebody's trying to kill him and eight hired killers have failed. The ninth assassin has a plan to finish the job, which leads Darth Vader to a strange cult away from the reach of the Empire. Chaos ensues and the Emperor's apprentice is in the middle of it all.
I loved the fast pace of this story and there was a lot more violence than I had expected. It's not meant to change how we look at the Star Wars universe or its characters; like a good action movie, it's meant to be enjoyed for what it is and without too much deep thought. Fun, but not totally satisfying.
December 29, 2015
Good! So this is my first Star Wars book, of course i have seen the movies but this is my first comic book! S0 the story we have here is an assassin is after Darth Vader, and he needs to stop him. Thats it for the story, not much but its still very entertaining! Artwork is good to! Overall the main selling point of this book is to see Darth Vader do really cool sith moves and powers that you never saw in the movies, thats good enough for me!
April 28, 2015
Kinda stupid.
September 25, 2021
Good read. Vader just after episode III. Kicking butt.
August 31, 2015
¿Justicia...? ¡¡Él es la justicia!!
Uy, te espoileé el final...
Uy, te espoileé el final...
January 8, 2019
Star Wars Legends Project #192
Background: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin was released in November of 2013, collecting the 5-issue series of the same title (April-August 2013). It was written by Tim Siedell with art by Stephen Thompson (Issues 1, 2, and 4) and Iván Fernández (Issues 3 and 5). This is Siedell's first Star Wars credit (and his first comics credit). He has written for television, but he is apparently best known . . . for his Twitter feed? Thompson did a small amount of work for the Republic series, but this is Fernandez's only Star Wars work.
The story takes place several months after Order 66 (18 years before the Battle of Yavin). The main character is Darth Vader, along with Emperor Palpatine.
Summary: Eight assassins have tried and failed to kill Darth Vader, in fact, he barely seems to have noticed their attempts, but the man who hired them has bottomless pockets. He turns to a ninth assassin, the deadliest in the galaxy, who sets about luring Vader into a trap that threatens the Empire itself.
Review: It's possible I'm being too hard on this story. If all you want is to see some gorgeous artwork in service of showing Darth Vader carve and smash his way through wave after wave of action, then you'll likely be satisfied by this. It feels almost more like a Darth Maul comic, honestly, but Maul never had Vader's gravitas.
That's what this has going for it. Against is the fact that nothing that happens really makes any sense, and it doesn't live up to the promise of the title. In fact, the titular "ninth assassin" is so grossly incapable of posing a threat to the Vader of this story that they have to layer in an entire, irrelevant second story in front of it to take up the other 90% of the comic that isn't Vader swatting the ninth assassin like a mildly-annoying fly.
I think I'm even more annoyed that this was such an easy fix, because the B-plot is way more interesting, has way more potential, and is the main point of most of this comic, even though it's treated like a sideshow. Take out all of the stupid assassin stuff and call this "Darth Vader and the Heinsnake Cult" or something, give us some actual history and background on these cultists, and play up Vader actually being tempted by the power they offer him. That could have been a great book instead of a jumbled, muddled mess.
C-
Background: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin was released in November of 2013, collecting the 5-issue series of the same title (April-August 2013). It was written by Tim Siedell with art by Stephen Thompson (Issues 1, 2, and 4) and Iván Fernández (Issues 3 and 5). This is Siedell's first Star Wars credit (and his first comics credit). He has written for television, but he is apparently best known . . . for his Twitter feed? Thompson did a small amount of work for the Republic series, but this is Fernandez's only Star Wars work.
The story takes place several months after Order 66 (18 years before the Battle of Yavin). The main character is Darth Vader, along with Emperor Palpatine.
Summary: Eight assassins have tried and failed to kill Darth Vader, in fact, he barely seems to have noticed their attempts, but the man who hired them has bottomless pockets. He turns to a ninth assassin, the deadliest in the galaxy, who sets about luring Vader into a trap that threatens the Empire itself.
Review: It's possible I'm being too hard on this story. If all you want is to see some gorgeous artwork in service of showing Darth Vader carve and smash his way through wave after wave of action, then you'll likely be satisfied by this. It feels almost more like a Darth Maul comic, honestly, but Maul never had Vader's gravitas.
That's what this has going for it. Against is the fact that nothing that happens really makes any sense, and it doesn't live up to the promise of the title. In fact, the titular "ninth assassin" is so grossly incapable of posing a threat to the Vader of this story that they have to layer in an entire, irrelevant second story in front of it to take up the other 90% of the comic that isn't Vader swatting the ninth assassin like a mildly-annoying fly.
I think I'm even more annoyed that this was such an easy fix, because the B-plot is way more interesting, has way more potential, and is the main point of most of this comic, even though it's treated like a sideshow. Take out all of the stupid assassin stuff and call this "Darth Vader and the Heinsnake Cult" or something, give us some actual history and background on these cultists, and play up Vader actually being tempted by the power they offer him. That could have been a great book instead of a jumbled, muddled mess.
C-
July 3, 2023
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN
Darth Vader is always going to be the indestructible bad-ass. His dominating aura means there will be countless single adventure stories about him that fit neatly within its own pocket narrative in the broader Star Wars galaxy.
Clever insert into the Star Wars timeline, very Doctor Who-ish!
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #1
“I don’t think you’re safe here.” – mercenary
“I don’t pay you to THINK. I pay you and your men to ..” – wealthy angry father of a son murdered by Vader
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #2
“Look at his STOMACH. What is that?”
“It’s a bomb.”
“DEATH TO THE EMPIRE!”
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #3
“I’ve never seen data like that. The energy created by that beam surpasses any functioning weapon in the Imperial Army.”
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #4
“WELCOME! Welcome to the Temple of the Headless Snake. We’ve been EXPECTING you.”
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #5
Vader gives Palpatine the crystal that magnifies core energy.
“Grand Moff Tarkin will be MOST interested in your discovery. Perhaps he will find it useful for his .. special project.” – Palpatine.
Darth Vader is always going to be the indestructible bad-ass. His dominating aura means there will be countless single adventure stories about him that fit neatly within its own pocket narrative in the broader Star Wars galaxy.
Clever insert into the Star Wars timeline, very Doctor Who-ish!
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #1
“I don’t think you’re safe here.” – mercenary
“I don’t pay you to THINK. I pay you and your men to ..” – wealthy angry father of a son murdered by Vader
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #2
“Look at his STOMACH. What is that?”
“It’s a bomb.”
“DEATH TO THE EMPIRE!”
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #3
“I’ve never seen data like that. The energy created by that beam surpasses any functioning weapon in the Imperial Army.”
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #4
“WELCOME! Welcome to the Temple of the Headless Snake. We’ve been EXPECTING you.”
THE NINTH ASSASSIN #5
Vader gives Palpatine the crystal that magnifies core energy.
“Grand Moff Tarkin will be MOST interested in your discovery. Perhaps he will find it useful for his .. special project.” – Palpatine.
August 12, 2018
Очередной комикс из цикла приключений бывшего джедая Энакина Скайуокера, что в первые месяцы восхождения Империи сталкивается с различными проблемами.
Цикл зарекомендовал себя как неплохой, но не хватающий с неба вообще ничего. Просто хорошие истории без сюрпризов, зато с кучей экшена и зрелища. Лишь одна история из цикла была гораздо выше среднего — "Тюрьма Призрак", что была рассказана от лица простого курсанта Империи, а не темного лорда. Остальные же, как и "Девятый убийца", в центре истории держат Вейдера, и показывают его скорее как машину смерти, а не человека, поэтому минимум эмоций, минимум драмы, минимум истории, зато максимум действия.
Нравится вам такое? Смело читайте. "Девятый Убийца" рассказывает про то, как наняли фантастического наёмника для того, чтобы тот убил Вейдера. И на этом всё. Больше тут истории особо нет. Читать можно, всё красиво, всё как и раньше в серии, но на этом всё.
Цикл зарекомендовал себя как неплохой, но не хватающий с неба вообще ничего. Просто хорошие истории без сюрпризов, зато с кучей экшена и зрелища. Лишь одна история из цикла была гораздо выше среднего — "Тюрьма Призрак", что была рассказана от лица простого курсанта Империи, а не темного лорда. Остальные же, как и "Девятый убийца", в центре истории держат Вейдера, и показывают его скорее как машину смерти, а не человека, поэтому минимум эмоций, минимум драмы, минимум истории, зато максимум действия.
Нравится вам такое? Смело читайте. "Девятый Убийца" рассказывает про то, как наняли фантастического наёмника для того, чтобы тот убил Вейдера. И на этом всё. Больше тут истории особо нет. Читать можно, всё красиво, всё как и раньше в серии, но на этом всё.
December 3, 2020
Another story of the Empire, another mission for Darth Vader.
This one started out a little exciting (an assassination attempt on the Emperor!) but didn't quite live up to the hype. Especially given how they had built-up the so-called ninth assassin dispatched to try and kill Darth Vader, but in the end, it wasn't much of a fight. And I can only wonder if this is a consequence of the mythos of Empire-era Darth Vader - he was crafted to be practically impossible to defeat and thus every story that does feature him has to support this.
Outside the assassination efforts against the Emperor and Darth Vader, they threw in this sub-plot about a headless snake cult that just felt weird, especially since the assassin only used this as a premise for getting Vader where he wanted him. There was something there, but the idea still felt rather half-baked.
This one started out a little exciting (an assassination attempt on the Emperor!) but didn't quite live up to the hype. Especially given how they had built-up the so-called ninth assassin dispatched to try and kill Darth Vader, but in the end, it wasn't much of a fight. And I can only wonder if this is a consequence of the mythos of Empire-era Darth Vader - he was crafted to be practically impossible to defeat and thus every story that does feature him has to support this.
Outside the assassination efforts against the Emperor and Darth Vader, they threw in this sub-plot about a headless snake cult that just felt weird, especially since the assassin only used this as a premise for getting Vader where he wanted him. There was something there, but the idea still felt rather half-baked.
July 30, 2017
Celebro todo esfuerzo por completar la historia de Darth Vader, y este es uno de ellos. La idea es buena, aunque puede ser un poco contradictoria con los eventos de Rogue One, pese a que siempre existe y poderes existir una solución de continuidad. Los poderes de Vader se encuentran en su máxima expresión, y al parecer, no tiene oposición en l Galaxia. Entretenido y ágil relato, que enriquece con fuerza el Universo Expandido. Punto a parte para el Emperador, cuyo arte en el lado oscuro da cuenta de que siempre fue "maestro de su aprendiz". Recomendable.
November 21, 2017
First choice book.......................................................
I enjoy this book a considerable amount. There's Vader just chopping up cultists. That's one cool thing about this book, it also has him go and fight an assassin, also cool. And then they also make subtle references to the killing machine called the death star, also really freaking cool. All of this comic was fun to read. Here's one of my favorite parts. Darth Vader has his first encounter with the assassin, he toys with the assassin a little bit and he shows a bit of Anakin Skywalker inside of him but then the assassin says something and goes full Vader and defeats the assassin. Overall this book is ridiculously fun to read and i'm glad i chose this as my first choice book.
I enjoy this book a considerable amount. There's Vader just chopping up cultists. That's one cool thing about this book, it also has him go and fight an assassin, also cool. And then they also make subtle references to the killing machine called the death star, also really freaking cool. All of this comic was fun to read. Here's one of my favorite parts. Darth Vader has his first encounter with the assassin, he toys with the assassin a little bit and he shows a bit of Anakin Skywalker inside of him but then the assassin says something and goes full Vader and defeats the assassin. Overall this book is ridiculously fun to read and i'm glad i chose this as my first choice book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2017
2.5 - 3 stars
Interesting concept and lovely art. The first half of the book was very interesting, but the second half with the strange, mutated people was weird and confusing. I honestly didn't think much of the Ninth Assassin either; not very impressive. It's worth a read, but I'd recommend borrowing it from a library rather than purchasing a copy.
Interesting concept and lovely art. The first half of the book was very interesting, but the second half with the strange, mutated people was weird and confusing. I honestly didn't think much of the Ninth Assassin either; not very impressive. It's worth a read, but I'd recommend borrowing it from a library rather than purchasing a copy.
November 23, 2017
What an awesome Darth Vader story! Tim Siedell did a fantastic job capturing the person behind the mask! This tale is set between episodes III and IV and Anikan (with all his bravado and attitude) are very much present in the character of Vader, but intricately weaved so as not to diminish the Dark Lord's persona. Well done Mr. Siedell! A must read for Star Wars fans!
June 10, 2018
I enjoyed the hell out of this Vader story. Unlike all the legend stories I’ve read before this, this one is from the point of view of Vader and not just someone’s encounter with him.
And it shows rather than telling.
The idea of showing how the Emperor has control of him is simple, but the execution is very good and interesting.
I’d recommend this one.
3 stars.
And it shows rather than telling.
The idea of showing how the Emperor has control of him is simple, but the execution is very good and interesting.
I’d recommend this one.
3 stars.
November 16, 2023
Było parę fajnych (niepokojących nawet) scen, znowu rysowanych dosyć ciekawą kreską, chociaż sama fabuła mam wrażenie nie do końca dokądś prowadziła, a sam tytułowy dziewiąty zamachowiec w sumie to nawet nie przeprowadził zamachu, tylko łaził za Vaderem, żeby później zginąć w bezpośredniej konfrontacji. Chyba nie do końca na tym polega zamach.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2014
Curiously Flat STAR WARS Tale Feels Like An All-Too-Obvious Retread
Think what you may, but I’ve always believed that Darth Vader is one of the most interesting characters in all of movie fiction. Why? Well, it could be primarily because he’s such a tragic character: when audiences first meet him, he’s this bubbly little boy with somewhat of a girl’s name (Anakin?), and – through choices of his own making – he ends up instilling much of the galaxy with an almost paralyzing fear. Granted, there are other contributing characteristics that make him a player worth exploring more closely, but when all is said and done I think most of us know and accept him best as the Dark Lord of the Sith … that guy at the far end of the table who’d Force-choke you for simply looking at him with a crooked eye … that guy who tortured his own daughter and never so much as said ‘sorry.’
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
The real business of building a Galactic Empire truly took place in those fitful days following the events depicting cinematically in STAR WARS: EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH. That’s when Darth Vader – at Emperor Palpatine’s behest – went about the thuggish business of bringing rebellious star systems under Imperial control. In the process, Vader naturally broke a few eggs – meaning to say that he killed innocent people in order to instill fear – and it’s this fertile time that Tim Siedell and his creative crew seek to mine in DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN.
Essentially, the story boils down to these elements:
A. Vader kills a powerful businessman’s son, and that father wants his vengeance.
B. Said angry dad hires his very own lethal assassin to put Vader six feet under.
C. Eight failed attempts later, said angry dad finally finds a ‘Ninth Assassin’ who just may be up to the task (hence the miniseries’ title).
D. Vader and the Ninth Assassin play a game of galaxy-wide cat-and-mouse, attempting to bring all of this to closure in five issues.
I guess there’s nothing wrong with the idea of plunking a lumbering menace like Vader into the unlikely position of conducting a police procedural – which is basically how a large chunk of NINTH ASSASSIN plays to the audience – but what Siedell accomplishes here is a very far cry from anything that could be called “Vader, P.I.” This largely nameless assassin crafts a compelling idea – he needs to get the Dark Lord out of his element and into foreign territory, away from the Empire’s prying eyes, where the deed can be done in quiet; so he hatches a plot to imperil the Emperor (or so we’re lead to believe). Unfortunately, for all of the man’s cunning, more time is spent with this somewhat goofy subplot – there’s a secret cult on a distant deserted world that somehow has foreseen Vader’s rise to power (it’s never quite clear, but, in the end, comes off more as a fabrication than anything else). When the two finally go mano-a-mano for the big finish (or what seems like a big finish), it’s a surprisingly short and ineffectual showdown, so much so one wonders what so much ado was about.
The artwork is perpetually appealing, as is the case with most of Dark Horse’s forays in the galaxy far, far away, which only underscores why this NINTH ASSASSIN is little more than a one-time affair.
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN is published by Dark Horse Comics. The script is written by Tim Siedell; the pencils are done by Stephen Thompson and Ivan Fernandez; the inks have been provided by Mark Irwin, Denis Freitas, Drew Geraci, and Jason Gorder; the colors have been done by Michael Atiyeh; and the lettering was completed by Michael Heisler. As you well should know by now, STAR WARS is the creation of George Lucas. The volume collects individual issues previously published in five installments, and all of this comes with a cover price of $24.99 (USA).
(MILDLY) RECOMMENDED. Meh. As much as I liked some of the elements leading into DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN, where it eventually took readers was through a web of ideas and themes that have already been amply explored in the vast STAR WARS Universe. Yeah, we know Palpatine is always pulling Vader’s strings. Yeah, we know that Vader is always looking for another way to please his master. If the only tweak you can bring to the material is that you posit the Dark Lord into a set of circumstances that require him to behave like Sherlock Holmes, then maybe the tale isn’t one worth exploring further after all. It’s fine for a one-off read; trust me when I conclude it has virtually zero re-read quality.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with a digital reading copy of STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
Think what you may, but I’ve always believed that Darth Vader is one of the most interesting characters in all of movie fiction. Why? Well, it could be primarily because he’s such a tragic character: when audiences first meet him, he’s this bubbly little boy with somewhat of a girl’s name (Anakin?), and – through choices of his own making – he ends up instilling much of the galaxy with an almost paralyzing fear. Granted, there are other contributing characteristics that make him a player worth exploring more closely, but when all is said and done I think most of us know and accept him best as the Dark Lord of the Sith … that guy at the far end of the table who’d Force-choke you for simply looking at him with a crooked eye … that guy who tortured his own daughter and never so much as said ‘sorry.’
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last three paragraphs for my final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
The real business of building a Galactic Empire truly took place in those fitful days following the events depicting cinematically in STAR WARS: EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH. That’s when Darth Vader – at Emperor Palpatine’s behest – went about the thuggish business of bringing rebellious star systems under Imperial control. In the process, Vader naturally broke a few eggs – meaning to say that he killed innocent people in order to instill fear – and it’s this fertile time that Tim Siedell and his creative crew seek to mine in DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN.
Essentially, the story boils down to these elements:
A. Vader kills a powerful businessman’s son, and that father wants his vengeance.
B. Said angry dad hires his very own lethal assassin to put Vader six feet under.
C. Eight failed attempts later, said angry dad finally finds a ‘Ninth Assassin’ who just may be up to the task (hence the miniseries’ title).
D. Vader and the Ninth Assassin play a game of galaxy-wide cat-and-mouse, attempting to bring all of this to closure in five issues.
I guess there’s nothing wrong with the idea of plunking a lumbering menace like Vader into the unlikely position of conducting a police procedural – which is basically how a large chunk of NINTH ASSASSIN plays to the audience – but what Siedell accomplishes here is a very far cry from anything that could be called “Vader, P.I.” This largely nameless assassin crafts a compelling idea – he needs to get the Dark Lord out of his element and into foreign territory, away from the Empire’s prying eyes, where the deed can be done in quiet; so he hatches a plot to imperil the Emperor (or so we’re lead to believe). Unfortunately, for all of the man’s cunning, more time is spent with this somewhat goofy subplot – there’s a secret cult on a distant deserted world that somehow has foreseen Vader’s rise to power (it’s never quite clear, but, in the end, comes off more as a fabrication than anything else). When the two finally go mano-a-mano for the big finish (or what seems like a big finish), it’s a surprisingly short and ineffectual showdown, so much so one wonders what so much ado was about.
The artwork is perpetually appealing, as is the case with most of Dark Horse’s forays in the galaxy far, far away, which only underscores why this NINTH ASSASSIN is little more than a one-time affair.
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN is published by Dark Horse Comics. The script is written by Tim Siedell; the pencils are done by Stephen Thompson and Ivan Fernandez; the inks have been provided by Mark Irwin, Denis Freitas, Drew Geraci, and Jason Gorder; the colors have been done by Michael Atiyeh; and the lettering was completed by Michael Heisler. As you well should know by now, STAR WARS is the creation of George Lucas. The volume collects individual issues previously published in five installments, and all of this comes with a cover price of $24.99 (USA).
(MILDLY) RECOMMENDED. Meh. As much as I liked some of the elements leading into DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN, where it eventually took readers was through a web of ideas and themes that have already been amply explored in the vast STAR WARS Universe. Yeah, we know Palpatine is always pulling Vader’s strings. Yeah, we know that Vader is always looking for another way to please his master. If the only tweak you can bring to the material is that you posit the Dark Lord into a set of circumstances that require him to behave like Sherlock Holmes, then maybe the tale isn’t one worth exploring further after all. It’s fine for a one-off read; trust me when I conclude it has virtually zero re-read quality.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Dark Horse Comics provided me with a digital reading copy of STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE NINTH ASSASSIN by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review.
August 3, 2018
Darth Vader has some truly trololo lines (You might not want to mention the tree incident in your resume) and other out of character ones that sound like Batman soundbites: ("I AM JUSTICE"). Still a fun read.
July 15, 2022
Three stars for the artwork and Vader being a BAMF. But honestly...I don't know that I can agree with Vader's imperial loyalty here. We have plenty of evidence that he would have cheerfully killed Palpatine himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2017
I liked art
October 7, 2018
The last of the older Vader comics that I had to get - and it was pretty good!
March 17, 2020
Grim, gritty, and compelling take on the early Empire and the motivations of both Vader and the Emperor. I probably liked it more than average because it fits in the Legends continuity just fine.
May 24, 2020
This was a fun story but without spoiling anything, it didn't quite live up to the promise the title implied.
January 12, 2021
Ugh. The art was fine but the plot was just meh when it wasn't being actively terrible. This is mostly just an excuse to turn Vader loose on some wackos, with terrible dialogue.
April 28, 2021
I really enjoyed this story about Darth Vader.
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