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Star Wars: Darth Vader (2015) (Single Issues)
Star Wars: Darth Vader (2015-2016) Annual #1
The planet Shu-Torin has gone against the will of the Empire. It's time for Vader to bring them in line. A great, evil jumping-on point for fans of the Dark Lord!
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2015
12 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Kieron Gillen
1,474 books1,911 followersKieron Gillen is a comic book writer and former media journalist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 6, 2016
Fear the Empire!!!
This is the first Annual of the new canonical “Star Wars: Darth Vader” comic book. It features a stand-alone tale about Darth Vader visiting a planet under Imperial control.
Creative Team:
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Illustrator: Leinil Yu
THE RISING OF THE DARK SIDE
…the Empire is both a powerful friend… …and a dangerous enemy.
When Star Wars got into the popular culture in 1977 was a game changer for several reasons. The one that I want to comment here is how it helped to change the way that people see villains.
I don’t know you, but when I was a kid, and we were playing in group, you didn’t want to be the villain. The villain would lose! You want to be the hero! The hero would win! It was an easy choice. Naive, but easy and even logical at that age.
Always there has been villains, and certainly before Star Wars there had been many cool villains. However, I think that the status quo that heroes always win was still quite strong, and since losing isn’t any fun, I guess most of the people wouldn’t find appealing to support in any way to the villains of the story. After all, not only the heroes win, but also they were the ones that look cool.
The expanded universe of Star Wars proved to be fruitful in prose novels and comic books focusing in villains such as Darth Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, Darth Maul, Asajj Ventress, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, Darth Bane, Darth Plagueis, General Grievous, etc… and not only one-shot rare opportunity, but several times for each villain, in both formats of publications. The villains had their names in the title of the books, they were the very reason why readers were eager to read the books, and in many, many cases since the they were the protagonists of the stories… they went out triumphant.
The game changed.
Star Wars changed it all and it lead the way in the 80’s to other franchises like Transformers, G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe and Thundercats to create villains that they were as appealing (if not more) as the heroes, and kids then weren’t only interested in the heroes but also in the villains. Even other franchises like Doctor Who have an anthology dedicated to the Daleks; and in Star Trek, you can find a trilogy focused in the life of Khan Noonien Singh, for not saying of a book series focused in the Mirror Universe; and of course, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer have novels and comics dedicated to Spike & Drusilla.
The game changed and now you can play the villain…
…and who knows? Maybe you’d win.
DOUBLE-CROSS THE EMPIRE AT YOUR RISK
What is the need for so much ore so swiftly?
The Empire is building. It is always building.
The Rebellion made a hard blow against the Empire destroying the dreaded Death Star.
Some planets under the rule of the Empire started to think that challenge it was possible.
That was…
…a very, VERY dangerous thought.
Darth Vader is sent by the Emperor Palpatine to Shu-torun, a world with a rich ore mining operation, to make the necessary changes, in order to keep up the requested ore quotas, along with crushing any slim foolish attempt of insurrection.
Darth Vader traveled in his Advanced Tie Fighter, but not alone…
…He concealed the droids: 0-0-0 (Triple Zero) (a protocol droid who enjoys to torture) and BT-1 (Blastomech with a deceptive look of astromech), which had been tasked with a secret operation to secure the success of Vader’s missions.
Shu-torun’s Royal Family will never forget Vader’s visit and they will keep a little souvenir to ensure that.
This is the first Annual of the new canonical “Star Wars: Darth Vader” comic book. It features a stand-alone tale about Darth Vader visiting a planet under Imperial control.
Creative Team:
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Illustrator: Leinil Yu
THE RISING OF THE DARK SIDE
…the Empire is both a powerful friend… …and a dangerous enemy.
When Star Wars got into the popular culture in 1977 was a game changer for several reasons. The one that I want to comment here is how it helped to change the way that people see villains.
I don’t know you, but when I was a kid, and we were playing in group, you didn’t want to be the villain. The villain would lose! You want to be the hero! The hero would win! It was an easy choice. Naive, but easy and even logical at that age.
Always there has been villains, and certainly before Star Wars there had been many cool villains. However, I think that the status quo that heroes always win was still quite strong, and since losing isn’t any fun, I guess most of the people wouldn’t find appealing to support in any way to the villains of the story. After all, not only the heroes win, but also they were the ones that look cool.
The expanded universe of Star Wars proved to be fruitful in prose novels and comic books focusing in villains such as Darth Vader, Grand Moff Tarkin, Darth Maul, Asajj Ventress, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, Darth Bane, Darth Plagueis, General Grievous, etc… and not only one-shot rare opportunity, but several times for each villain, in both formats of publications. The villains had their names in the title of the books, they were the very reason why readers were eager to read the books, and in many, many cases since the they were the protagonists of the stories… they went out triumphant.
The game changed.
Star Wars changed it all and it lead the way in the 80’s to other franchises like Transformers, G.I. Joe, Masters of the Universe and Thundercats to create villains that they were as appealing (if not more) as the heroes, and kids then weren’t only interested in the heroes but also in the villains. Even other franchises like Doctor Who have an anthology dedicated to the Daleks; and in Star Trek, you can find a trilogy focused in the life of Khan Noonien Singh, for not saying of a book series focused in the Mirror Universe; and of course, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer have novels and comics dedicated to Spike & Drusilla.
The game changed and now you can play the villain…
…and who knows? Maybe you’d win.
DOUBLE-CROSS THE EMPIRE AT YOUR RISK
What is the need for so much ore so swiftly?
The Empire is building. It is always building.
The Rebellion made a hard blow against the Empire destroying the dreaded Death Star.
Some planets under the rule of the Empire started to think that challenge it was possible.
That was…
…a very, VERY dangerous thought.
Darth Vader is sent by the Emperor Palpatine to Shu-torun, a world with a rich ore mining operation, to make the necessary changes, in order to keep up the requested ore quotas, along with crushing any slim foolish attempt of insurrection.
Darth Vader traveled in his Advanced Tie Fighter, but not alone…
…He concealed the droids: 0-0-0 (Triple Zero) (a protocol droid who enjoys to torture) and BT-1 (Blastomech with a deceptive look of astromech), which had been tasked with a secret operation to secure the success of Vader’s missions.
Shu-torun’s Royal Family will never forget Vader’s visit and they will keep a little souvenir to ensure that.
January 31, 2025
Barely 4 stars.
I like that they are not trying to make the empire or Vader for that matter look good during this series.
It's an evil empire, it should be ruthless.
He is its enforcer, he should be ruthless and deadly. He is both.
This is one of the stories that you find in the middle of a series and pretty much disrupts its flow.
That's why they usually get a mediocre rating.
I like that they are not trying to make the empire or Vader for that matter look good during this series.
It's an evil empire, it should be ruthless.
He is its enforcer, he should be ruthless and deadly. He is both.
This is one of the stories that you find in the middle of a series and pretty much disrupts its flow.
That's why they usually get a mediocre rating.
April 10, 2017
Artist Salvador Larocca did almost all of the interior art for their Darth Vader series with Marvel, except for the annual, which was done by Leinil Yu and Gerry Alanguilan. This was a great opportunity for this reader to get on the ground level of this series; plus the fact that this was done by two of my countrymen whose work I followed ever since they broke into mainstream comics a generation ago.
Storywise, it a great sample of writer Kieron Gillen utlized Darth Vader; make sure the Sith Lord is menacing and make him use his tactical brain aside from his Force powers and lightsaber. This was a fun read.
Storywise, it a great sample of writer Kieron Gillen utlized Darth Vader; make sure the Sith Lord is menacing and make him use his tactical brain aside from his Force powers and lightsaber. This was a fun read.
August 11, 2016
Absolutely brilliant. The joy of a good comic is that not only do you get the joy of reading a well written story but you have a visual medium to enjoy as well. This story as it all. Danger, menace, humor (albeit dark), honor and duty.
Darth Vader is sent to a planet in the Mid-Rim. It mines a precious ore the Empire needs. Vader is there to meet with the King and offer him "incentive" to improve production. From the start, this story had a dark undercurrent of menace. The King is planning a trap. Except he has severely misjudged his prey.
There are some great lines in this story. From Vader first claiming an elegant ball to be "unnecessary" to dealing with an indignant Duke about Vader's refusal to dance by flinging the guy around the ball room whilst muttering "Let us dance then". When the Princess chooses to sacrifice her life in an assassination attempt on Vader, he appreciates her devotion to duty and spares her life. There are many classic Vader moments in this. But the best is when at the end when all the enemies are defeated, Vader presents the Princess, now Queen, with a "gift". It is a piece of Alderaan, all that is left of a planet, to remind her about the Empire's power.
The art while not as detailed as the norm, is still very good. The artist's vision of Vader has him in a more bulky form. He looks like he lifts weights. But this massive entity is still remarkably fast and graceful. There is a great deal of red, as this is a mining planet with a red dust. It makes for some interesting panels as Vader stalks around in black against the reds.
A great story by a good writer who truly understands his character- Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. Highly recommend this to any fan of Star Wars and most especially to anyone who likes a good Vader story.
Darth Vader is sent to a planet in the Mid-Rim. It mines a precious ore the Empire needs. Vader is there to meet with the King and offer him "incentive" to improve production. From the start, this story had a dark undercurrent of menace. The King is planning a trap. Except he has severely misjudged his prey.
There are some great lines in this story. From Vader first claiming an elegant ball to be "unnecessary" to dealing with an indignant Duke about Vader's refusal to dance by flinging the guy around the ball room whilst muttering "Let us dance then". When the Princess chooses to sacrifice her life in an assassination attempt on Vader, he appreciates her devotion to duty and spares her life. There are many classic Vader moments in this. But the best is when at the end when all the enemies are defeated, Vader presents the Princess, now Queen, with a "gift". It is a piece of Alderaan, all that is left of a planet, to remind her about the Empire's power.
The art while not as detailed as the norm, is still very good. The artist's vision of Vader has him in a more bulky form. He looks like he lifts weights. But this massive entity is still remarkably fast and graceful. There is a great deal of red, as this is a mining planet with a red dust. It makes for some interesting panels as Vader stalks around in black against the reds.
A great story by a good writer who truly understands his character- Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith. Highly recommend this to any fan of Star Wars and most especially to anyone who likes a good Vader story.
July 27, 2017
Comic annual issues has the reputation of being a bad and unnecessary read. Darth Vader annual, though it has truly amazing art by Leinil Yu is another example of why people do not bother reading annuals.
It tells the story of Star War's middle east, a resource-rich planet of Shu-Torun whose great culture and proud monarchy has been reduced to rubble and blind obedience by the Empire. Mind you, this is post Death Star 9/11.
The story is too generic. Vader's personality is all over the places. I just read it in order to gain more information about the Darth Vader Shu-Torun war arc.
It tells the story of Star War's middle east, a resource-rich planet of Shu-Torun whose great culture and proud monarchy has been reduced to rubble and blind obedience by the Empire. Mind you, this is post Death Star 9/11.
The story is too generic. Vader's personality is all over the places. I just read it in order to gain more information about the Darth Vader Shu-Torun war arc.
December 30, 2015
Vader! He's such a weirdo and this book is a good example of how (his response to being asked to dance!) and then
It's a good read, self-contained but representative of the book as a whole, so if someone were interested in checking the comic out without getting involved in an ongoing story, it'd be a good place to start.
It's a good read, self-contained but representative of the book as a whole, so if someone were interested in checking the comic out without getting involved in an ongoing story, it'd be a good place to start.
January 1, 2016
A fine stand-alone story about Darth Vader proving that he earned his reputation.
October 24, 2025
[3.5]
December 17, 2015
December of 2015 is Star Wars month so I decided to read the new Darth Vader series. The art and the dialogues are great and Darth Vader continues to be bad and awesome. Can't wait for the second issue!
January 19, 2016
Homicidal androids are fun. Darth Vader being the best villain is also great. He set this one up nicely, perfectly aware of what was coming and what was happening.
Read
April 24, 2020Una historia independiente muy buena y sin depender demasiado de personajes o mundos ya establecidos, lo que la hace más extraña con la dependencia que tiene Star Wars a mirarse en el espejo en lugar de expandir hacia nuevos lugares. En esta fábula, Vader es una máquina imparable y el protagonismo realmente recae sobre la princesa que quiere tenderle una trampa. La manera en la que Vader muestra estar siempre preparado y pensando varios pasos por delante es excelente y el dilema moral con el que cierra lo convierte en una de las mejores historias independientes de Vader, a la altura de la partida de ajedrez que imaginó Alan Moore hace tiempo. Los golpes de humor con Triple Cero y BT-1 son la guinda del pastel.
July 5, 2018
So, apparently this one takes place between "Vader Down" and "#3 The Shu-Torun War". I should have read it in that order but... yeah... whatever... I'm still trying to wrap my mind around how comic books work.
#ShamelessNewbie
Anyway, this was really good... and made me laugh in more than one occasion. xD
#ShamelessNewbie
Anyway, this was really good... and made me laugh in more than one occasion. xD
December 21, 2015
In this issue, we are introduced to a king, as well as his son Monthan (meant to inherit the throne), his daughter Hollian (meant to be the celebrant warlord), and his other daughter Trios (meant to sacrifice herself in a plot to kill Darth Vader). An attempt on Vader's life fails as expected, but it is fun to watch. Especially when Vader refuses to dance. Also always fun to see Triple Zero and Bee-Tee. Still trying to figure out when this takes place in relation to Vader Down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2015
artwork 4 stars
storyline 5 stars
Darth Vader continues on as one of the most complex of villains. We know his beginning and we know his ending, and yet, those that love Star Wars can't get enough of his story.
Darth Vader Annual #1 continues on the course of the empire attempting to increase ore production for future war efforts as well as continued conflict with the Resistance.
storyline 5 stars
Darth Vader continues on as one of the most complex of villains. We know his beginning and we know his ending, and yet, those that love Star Wars can't get enough of his story.
Darth Vader Annual #1 continues on the course of the empire attempting to increase ore production for future war efforts as well as continued conflict with the Resistance.
December 31, 2015
This annual comic possessed much better execution than the Star Wars one. The plot was more interesting and featured a known character that most of us love reading about. Darth Vader's brutal efficiency was on display, but so was his ability to be fair. After all, he's not a chaotic character; He has an empire to help run.
February 5, 2016
Darth Vader is a bad ass. Homicidal droids are icing on the cake.
Read
February 28, 2017*มองอ่อน*
December 28, 2017
A bit of a different take on the story intrigued me at first... then went off the reservation a little (courtiers, etc) with respect to genre mixing in my view. This took away from my overall enjoyment of the tale and how it fits into the SW canon that I have come to be familiar with. This was also my first introduction to Leinil Yu’s art - which, while impressive, is not my favourite in the series given the others I’ve had the opportunity to see (like Angel Unzueta, for one).
July 20, 2023
Start of a new arc. This looks, in fact, very promising. I like the world building that's done here and it seems really promising. The ending is a reminder that, oh yeah, Vader is nasty. Love it.
January 31, 2017
I got excited when reading this. Plus Vader's characterization here is stronger than it's been in some of the ongoing issues.
August 2, 2017
Another good one off story.
November 20, 2017
Yet another comic where Vader is an invinsible badass, lest we forget. This was a stylish comic that falls in line with the Vader line of comics, yet it can stand alone.
November 7, 2017
Annual#1 - “This is a small reminder of what happens to worlds who resist the Emperor. This is what remains of Alderaan.” - Vader hands over a rock.
November 29, 2017
Una historia de lo más innecesaria. Lo único que puedo rescatar de ella, es la esencia de Darth Vader.
July 25, 2018
The lack of action from Darth Vader is a bit of a turn off for me. However, I love how the politics of the settings are well explained. Vader is still a mysterious badass.
August 11, 2018
BAMF vs royal family. No prizes for guessing the victor.
December 29, 2018
No es malo, pero es muy justito.
January 3, 2019
This took me a little bit to get into......
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews