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Star Wars: Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith
Star Wars: Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith, Vol. 1: Imperial Machine
Picking up where Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith ends, follow Darth Vader as he receives his legendary red lightsaber and begins his ruthless rise! Anakin Skywalker is now more machine than man. Having lost everything once dear to him, he must forge a new future--as a Dark Lord of the Sith! Join Darth Vader as he learns the way of Darth Sidious and his newly formed Empire--the way of the dark side. And on his first mission, Vader sets his sights on a Jedi who avoided Order 66, a Master who's long lived in seclusion--one more powerful than any he has faced before! Nobody said the path to power was going to be easy.
COLLECTING: STAR WARS: DARTH VADER 1-6
COLLECTING: STAR WARS: DARTH VADER 1-6
154 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2017
946 people are currently reading
3075 people want to read
About the author
Charles Soule
1,520 books1,691 followersCharles Soule is a #1 New York Times-bestselling novelist, comics author, screenwriter, musician, and lapsed attorney. He has written some of the most prominent stories of the last decade for Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm in addition to his own work, such as his comics Curse Words, Letter 44 and Undiscovered Country, and his original novels Light of the Jedi, The Endless Vessel, The Oracle Year and Anyone. He lives in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 609 reviews
January 23, 2018
How did Darth Vader get his red lightsaber? Better question: who fucking cares?! That said, while this may be the flimsy plot of Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s first volume in the rebooted Vader series, Imperial Machine surprisingly wasn’t that bad.
I liked that Soule didn’t write any internal monologue for Vader so he remains aloof from the reader, as mysterious, cold and menacing as he is in the movies. In fact, there’s a good balance throughout between writer and artist with Soule knowing when to step back and let Camuncoli tell the story with his impressive, sweeping cinematic visuals.
And I also liked that Vader is not the invincible force of nature that we’ve seen in other books like Vader Down. Imperial Machine takes place directly after Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, so Anakin has only just been reborn as Vader (the widely-mocked “NOOOO!” scene opens this book - a bold move). We see him still dealing with the immense physical, mental and emotional trauma he endured in that movie, as well as getting to grips with his unfamiliar new robot body. There are also the remnants of the struggle within him between the Light and the Dark Side of the Force. Vader remains formidable but it was interesting and refreshing to see his moments of vulnerability here.
Despite his minor setbacks, it’s still a predictable story with Vader smashing through the contrived obstacles Soule throws in his path like the new rogue Jedi, Master Infil’A, who’s as flat and unmemorable as any of the new characters Soule’s created during his Marvel tenure for the Inhumans, Daredevil et al. Most of all, I couldn’t shake the impression that I was reading a mountain of a molehill with the big “climax” taking place on Mustafar as Vader created his lightsaber and leaving me thinking “… meh.”
It’s no must-read or especially memorable but Darth Vader, Volume 1: Imperial Machine is entertaining enough in a shallow, mindless way.
I liked that Soule didn’t write any internal monologue for Vader so he remains aloof from the reader, as mysterious, cold and menacing as he is in the movies. In fact, there’s a good balance throughout between writer and artist with Soule knowing when to step back and let Camuncoli tell the story with his impressive, sweeping cinematic visuals.
And I also liked that Vader is not the invincible force of nature that we’ve seen in other books like Vader Down. Imperial Machine takes place directly after Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith, so Anakin has only just been reborn as Vader (the widely-mocked “NOOOO!” scene opens this book - a bold move). We see him still dealing with the immense physical, mental and emotional trauma he endured in that movie, as well as getting to grips with his unfamiliar new robot body. There are also the remnants of the struggle within him between the Light and the Dark Side of the Force. Vader remains formidable but it was interesting and refreshing to see his moments of vulnerability here.
Despite his minor setbacks, it’s still a predictable story with Vader smashing through the contrived obstacles Soule throws in his path like the new rogue Jedi, Master Infil’A, who’s as flat and unmemorable as any of the new characters Soule’s created during his Marvel tenure for the Inhumans, Daredevil et al. Most of all, I couldn’t shake the impression that I was reading a mountain of a molehill with the big “climax” taking place on Mustafar as Vader created his lightsaber and leaving me thinking “… meh.”
It’s no must-read or especially memorable but Darth Vader, Volume 1: Imperial Machine is entertaining enough in a shallow, mindless way.
April 24, 2018
Vader rises!
This run is different than the previous with the same title, also by Marvel Comics, moreover it’s set in a different time period too. This run is set right after the end of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”.
Creative Team:
Writer: Charles Soule
Illustrator: Giuseppe Camuncoli
WANTED: LIGHTSABER
This is a good run, but I felt quite better the previous run by Gillen & Larroca, set between Episodes IV & V.
Now, Darth Vader is right after Episode III, inside of a strange armor and without lightsaber.
Therefore, you’ll witness the path of the new Dark Lord of the Sith, testing and making adjustment to his armor, along with the challenge of finding a new lightsaber, that in the Sith Way it shouldn’t be given but…
…TAKEN from a beaten enemy, and then the Kyber Crystal should be corrupted with feelings of anger and pain until making it…
…BLEED, and got its crimson tone.
Of course, the Order 66 is giving some trouble to the young Sith since there aren’t many live Jedi left…
…and while it’s not said clearly, I think that Vader doesn’t want to get a lightsaber from a Jedi that went into hiding after the Order 66, since what worthy can be to beat a coward Jedi that it’s saving his/her butt in a hole? But, thankfully there is an old Jedi custom that when an active Jedi finds troublesome to be part of the Jedi order, they can opt to go into seclusion and they can’t interfere anymore in any matter of the Jedi Order…
…and if the Jedi went into seclusion before the Order 66, it’s another matter, it was a choice, and also it’s recorded on the Jedi Archives, the whereabouts of the secluded Jedi.
And what better if the chosen Jedi wasn’t a puny diplomat but a true fighter?!
However, Emperor Palpatine doesn’t trust blindly in the abilities of his new apprentice, especially since he isn’t the same man than before, barely a man actually, and Palpatine knows that any single Jedi out there still alive is a dangerous threat to his new Empire, so…
…the INQUISITORS come in scene! Loyal enforcers of the Dark Lord of the Sith!
This run is different than the previous with the same title, also by Marvel Comics, moreover it’s set in a different time period too. This run is set right after the end of “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”.
Creative Team:
Writer: Charles Soule
Illustrator: Giuseppe Camuncoli
WANTED: LIGHTSABER
This is a good run, but I felt quite better the previous run by Gillen & Larroca, set between Episodes IV & V.
Now, Darth Vader is right after Episode III, inside of a strange armor and without lightsaber.
Therefore, you’ll witness the path of the new Dark Lord of the Sith, testing and making adjustment to his armor, along with the challenge of finding a new lightsaber, that in the Sith Way it shouldn’t be given but…
…TAKEN from a beaten enemy, and then the Kyber Crystal should be corrupted with feelings of anger and pain until making it…
…BLEED, and got its crimson tone.
Of course, the Order 66 is giving some trouble to the young Sith since there aren’t many live Jedi left…
…and while it’s not said clearly, I think that Vader doesn’t want to get a lightsaber from a Jedi that went into hiding after the Order 66, since what worthy can be to beat a coward Jedi that it’s saving his/her butt in a hole? But, thankfully there is an old Jedi custom that when an active Jedi finds troublesome to be part of the Jedi order, they can opt to go into seclusion and they can’t interfere anymore in any matter of the Jedi Order…
…and if the Jedi went into seclusion before the Order 66, it’s another matter, it was a choice, and also it’s recorded on the Jedi Archives, the whereabouts of the secluded Jedi.
And what better if the chosen Jedi wasn’t a puny diplomat but a true fighter?!
However, Emperor Palpatine doesn’t trust blindly in the abilities of his new apprentice, especially since he isn’t the same man than before, barely a man actually, and Palpatine knows that any single Jedi out there still alive is a dangerous threat to his new Empire, so…
…the INQUISITORS come in scene! Loyal enforcers of the Dark Lord of the Sith!
June 21, 2022
“There is no need. I know where they are. I can sense them. Their fear. Their pain. Their end.”
Charles Soule & Giuseppe Camuncoli had some tough shoes to fill after Kieron Gillen & Salvador Larroca’s incredible run on the Darth Vader book before them, but they somehow managed to exceed my already high expectations and deliver an incredible first arc that may be even better than the already amazing first volume of the aforementioned Gillen run. Picking up right where Revenge of the Sith ends, Imperial Machine details how Darth Vader obtained his red lightsaber and how the Inquisitor program was formed. If Gillen’s series set between ANH and ESB was “The Fall and Rise of Darth Vader” then this one is just detailing “The Rise of Darth Vader.”
The book starts with the pretty goofy and widely mocked “Nooooooo” scene from ROTS, but Soule somehow manages to frame it in a way that makes sense and turn it into something that’s genuinely compelling and tragic. From there we get 6 incredible issues of Vader coming into his own as a new Sith lord, with him encountering a Jedi who has forsworn the order and only lives to fight, experiencing a different path in life than the one he chose, as well as meeting the Grand Inquisitor for the first time. The best part about this entire book is the more subtle and quiet character moments with Vader, because while we can’t see his face or hear his inner monologue, Soule & Camuncoli are able to convey so much emotion just through his actions. Vader also takes quite a beating in this book, yet he never felt weak or nerfed at any point. It was just very cool to see a more vulnerable Vader who is still able to be a menacing badass. Just shows how much Soule gets this character.
The art by Giuseppe Camuncoli is also gorgeous and deserves all the praise it has gotten, because it is THAT good. I fucking love how this dude draws lightsabers and the action in this book. Whenever someone ignites a lightsaber, you can see it’s not in a perfect line yet and still in the process of firing up. When lightsabers clash with other lightsabers or even random weapons, you see all the sparks of energy flying off in crazy ways. Camuncoli is drawing these dynamic pages that look like someone took a screenshot of the action at the perfect moment, and it is incredibly satisfying to see. Some of the best Star Wars art I’ve ever seen along with Chris Scalf’s work from both the original Blood Ties mini and it’s sequel Blood Ties: Boba Fett is Dead. I can’t stress enough how impressive it is.
There’s just nothing bad I can say about this book, it is one of the best starts to any Star Wars run I’ve read, and I recommend this to any fans of the franchise or the character of Vader. Soule manages to build off the not-so-great prequels in amazing ways with a fun story that is carried by incredible, yet subtle character moments and gorgeous artwork. This genuinely feels like watching Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker fully turn into Darth Vader, and it’s so depressingly beautiful to experience, like I really can’t stress enough how much this felt like witnessing Vader’s full rise to power. It’s incredible and I don’t know how this creative team managed to pull this one off, but I actually want to watch ROTS now. I’m so happy this book exists and even happier I’ve finally gotten around to it. I don’t know what else to say besides the fact I’m beyond impressed and can’t wait to get to the rest of this run.
Charles Soule & Giuseppe Camuncoli had some tough shoes to fill after Kieron Gillen & Salvador Larroca’s incredible run on the Darth Vader book before them, but they somehow managed to exceed my already high expectations and deliver an incredible first arc that may be even better than the already amazing first volume of the aforementioned Gillen run. Picking up right where Revenge of the Sith ends, Imperial Machine details how Darth Vader obtained his red lightsaber and how the Inquisitor program was formed. If Gillen’s series set between ANH and ESB was “The Fall and Rise of Darth Vader” then this one is just detailing “The Rise of Darth Vader.”
The book starts with the pretty goofy and widely mocked “Nooooooo” scene from ROTS, but Soule somehow manages to frame it in a way that makes sense and turn it into something that’s genuinely compelling and tragic. From there we get 6 incredible issues of Vader coming into his own as a new Sith lord, with him encountering a Jedi who has forsworn the order and only lives to fight, experiencing a different path in life than the one he chose, as well as meeting the Grand Inquisitor for the first time. The best part about this entire book is the more subtle and quiet character moments with Vader, because while we can’t see his face or hear his inner monologue, Soule & Camuncoli are able to convey so much emotion just through his actions. Vader also takes quite a beating in this book, yet he never felt weak or nerfed at any point. It was just very cool to see a more vulnerable Vader who is still able to be a menacing badass. Just shows how much Soule gets this character.
The art by Giuseppe Camuncoli is also gorgeous and deserves all the praise it has gotten, because it is THAT good. I fucking love how this dude draws lightsabers and the action in this book. Whenever someone ignites a lightsaber, you can see it’s not in a perfect line yet and still in the process of firing up. When lightsabers clash with other lightsabers or even random weapons, you see all the sparks of energy flying off in crazy ways. Camuncoli is drawing these dynamic pages that look like someone took a screenshot of the action at the perfect moment, and it is incredibly satisfying to see. Some of the best Star Wars art I’ve ever seen along with Chris Scalf’s work from both the original Blood Ties mini and it’s sequel Blood Ties: Boba Fett is Dead. I can’t stress enough how impressive it is.
There’s just nothing bad I can say about this book, it is one of the best starts to any Star Wars run I’ve read, and I recommend this to any fans of the franchise or the character of Vader. Soule manages to build off the not-so-great prequels in amazing ways with a fun story that is carried by incredible, yet subtle character moments and gorgeous artwork. This genuinely feels like watching Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker fully turn into Darth Vader, and it’s so depressingly beautiful to experience, like I really can’t stress enough how much this felt like witnessing Vader’s full rise to power. It’s incredible and I don’t know how this creative team managed to pull this one off, but I actually want to watch ROTS now. I’m so happy this book exists and even happier I’ve finally gotten around to it. I don’t know what else to say besides the fact I’m beyond impressed and can’t wait to get to the rest of this run.
August 7, 2018
Have you ever wonder how a Sith's Lightsaber ends up being red. Well, they make it bleed. This is after Revenge of the Sith ends and Darth Vader goes on a quest for his new lightsaber. Now, I want to know how all the colors come about. Green and Blue seem to be the most popular for Jedi. I know there are Grey Jedi also and what color are their blades?
I think it's a fascinating story. I am a Star Wars geek I suppose. This book continues the sad story of Vader. The man is so lost and in so much pain. I think it's a good story and continues the line well. I'm sure many people are over exposed to Star Wars, but I wish they would make a live action version of these stories and really make it EPIC. Go all out.
Anyway, this is a great run and I am a little hooked on these. The art is great and the writing is good. I'm pleased so far.
I think it's a fascinating story. I am a Star Wars geek I suppose. This book continues the sad story of Vader. The man is so lost and in so much pain. I think it's a good story and continues the line well. I'm sure many people are over exposed to Star Wars, but I wish they would make a live action version of these stories and really make it EPIC. Go all out.
Anyway, this is a great run and I am a little hooked on these. The art is great and the writing is good. I'm pleased so far.
November 12, 2018
This is how I wish Kieron Gillen’s series would have started. Not just rehash and nostalgia, but introspection and aggrandizement.
Anakin Skywalker finishes his dark journey to become Sith Lord Darth Vader. And it’s amazing. Vader embraces the pain and suffering to test, increase, and improve his power. And the Star Wars mythos expands with the history of the Sith light saber being explained, as Vader journeys to the Outer Rim to procure a light saber from the very last Jedi.
Epic, beautiful in his tragedy and resolve, Imperial Machine is the beginning of something great.
Anakin Skywalker finishes his dark journey to become Sith Lord Darth Vader. And it’s amazing. Vader embraces the pain and suffering to test, increase, and improve his power. And the Star Wars mythos expands with the history of the Sith light saber being explained, as Vader journeys to the Outer Rim to procure a light saber from the very last Jedi.
Epic, beautiful in his tragedy and resolve, Imperial Machine is the beginning of something great.
March 1, 2019
Charles Soule has a hard act to follow. Keiron Gillen's Vader series was aces. One thing he has going for him is Giuseppe Camuncoli. His art is divine. It looks amazing (as in Spider-Man) in a Star Wars book. For this series, we're looking at when Anakin first becomes Vader, right after the end of Revenge of the Sith. The plot for this one was a bit strange. Sith must create their light sabers by taking them from a jedi and making the kyber crystal bleed. I found that last part a little hokey. What I did like was the jedi master who Vader goes after. He's devoted to only one thing, fighting, and has a very neat look about him. The way Vader beats him is badass, using a jedi's weaknesses against him. Then we get introduced to the Inquisitors, lesser Sith who will be hunting down the remaining jedi in hiding.
June 22, 2022
For obvious reasons, I've been more interested in new post-Disney canon Darth Vader content which ties in to the prequel trilogy. Guess why?
So on a whim I got the first volume of Marvel's modern Darth Vader series. Taking place immediately after Revenge of the Sith, it fills the gaps in the storylines well. Vader is the Emperor's apprentice, who sends him to go do evil, and he grows as a character to become the big villain we all love. The book even makes the infamous "NOOOOO!" scene work.
As Star Wars prequels are wont to do, every little thing gets an origin. Here, it's his red lightsaber. After the initial arc, the series then introduces the Grand Inquisitor and more minions from the animated--and now live action--fandom. It feels fitting, as if all this was going on in the background of the movies all along.
Specifically, this is good reading for anyone who wants more after watching Obi-Wan Kenobi. One might argue like it's a bit superfluous, to constantly add spinoffs that go on forever, but expanded Star Wars stories have always felt more appropriate in comic and novel forms than the current era of hit-or-miss streaming. I say nothing wrong with that.
It's not essential reading, but it is satisfying if you crave ever more science fiction fantasy universe material... I still may miss the Dark Horse comics from before Marvel and Disney overdid it, yet I have to admit this particular Darth Vader is quite high quality as it goes.
So on a whim I got the first volume of Marvel's modern Darth Vader series. Taking place immediately after Revenge of the Sith, it fills the gaps in the storylines well. Vader is the Emperor's apprentice, who sends him to go do evil, and he grows as a character to become the big villain we all love. The book even makes the infamous "NOOOOO!" scene work.
As Star Wars prequels are wont to do, every little thing gets an origin. Here, it's his red lightsaber. After the initial arc, the series then introduces the Grand Inquisitor and more minions from the animated--and now live action--fandom. It feels fitting, as if all this was going on in the background of the movies all along.
Specifically, this is good reading for anyone who wants more after watching Obi-Wan Kenobi. One might argue like it's a bit superfluous, to constantly add spinoffs that go on forever, but expanded Star Wars stories have always felt more appropriate in comic and novel forms than the current era of hit-or-miss streaming. I say nothing wrong with that.
It's not essential reading, but it is satisfying if you crave ever more science fiction fantasy universe material... I still may miss the Dark Horse comics from before Marvel and Disney overdid it, yet I have to admit this particular Darth Vader is quite high quality as it goes.
January 8, 2018
I've been a huge fan of Star Wars ever since I was a child but it's weird that this is the very first Star Wars graphic novel I've read. I'm glad though, because it's amazing and I want to read more.
Darth Vader will always be one of, if not the most, iconic figure of Star Wars. This new graphic novel series aims to give us a background of Vader's past. It starts off where Episode III ends. This first volume generally shows how Vader got his lightsaber. It also gives a bit of information on how he joined the dark side (although this is common knowledge already). This graphic novel is a lot of fun and I can't wait to read more of it. To be honest, Darth Vader is not even my favorite villain of the Star Wars franchise. Darth Maul is my favorite but we don't get to read/watch/hear much about him, unlike Vader. Vader comes in second though, it's great how we see his early dark side days here in this series. I can't wait to read more.
5/5. What a great first graphic novel read of 2018! The artwork is one of my favorites out there coupled with a terrific plot. You can't go wrong with this new series!
Darth Vader will always be one of, if not the most, iconic figure of Star Wars. This new graphic novel series aims to give us a background of Vader's past. It starts off where Episode III ends. This first volume generally shows how Vader got his lightsaber. It also gives a bit of information on how he joined the dark side (although this is common knowledge already). This graphic novel is a lot of fun and I can't wait to read more of it. To be honest, Darth Vader is not even my favorite villain of the Star Wars franchise. Darth Maul is my favorite but we don't get to read/watch/hear much about him, unlike Vader. Vader comes in second though, it's great how we see his early dark side days here in this series. I can't wait to read more.
5/5. What a great first graphic novel read of 2018! The artwork is one of my favorites out there coupled with a terrific plot. You can't go wrong with this new series!
January 9, 2021
I once collected star wars comics in german years ago when I was a teenager and I remember most if not all of the stories, after the new movies I kind of missed that feeling and what better way to get back into it than with vader? Thanks for the recommendations, this really is everything you would want to know about the direct aftermath of the prequels.
I am not a huge fan of vader nor the dark side but this is worth the read, as I'm not going to spoil anything about this book I will just say this, it's a tragic story and that is good.
Still in love with this universe, decades later! 4.5 out of 5 stars
I am not a huge fan of vader nor the dark side but this is worth the read, as I'm not going to spoil anything about this book I will just say this, it's a tragic story and that is good.
Still in love with this universe, decades later! 4.5 out of 5 stars
June 4, 2018
A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Where Every Iconic Prop Has An Origin Story...
Jokes aside I really enjoyed "Imperial Machine", it showed the shaky early days of the Empire and Vader's mopping up work for his demanding Master, and, yes, how he acquired a red lightsaber after Obi-Wan famously grabbed his old blue one after their duel in order to be able to give it to Luke 20 odd years later. Yay, continuity!
(Sidenote: After learning his father's true identity and deeds, I reckon old LS would have been glad to be rid of that weapon that killed all those younglings, even if it cost him a hand to do so!)
I'm particularly happy to see the Inquisitors introduced, they were a solid feature of the first seasons of TV's Rebels and I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to learn more about them.
Jokes aside I really enjoyed "Imperial Machine", it showed the shaky early days of the Empire and Vader's mopping up work for his demanding Master, and, yes, how he acquired a red lightsaber after Obi-Wan famously grabbed his old blue one after their duel in order to be able to give it to Luke 20 odd years later. Yay, continuity!
(Sidenote: After learning his father's true identity and deeds, I reckon old LS would have been glad to be rid of that weapon that killed all those younglings, even if it cost him a hand to do so!)
I'm particularly happy to see the Inquisitors introduced, they were a solid feature of the first seasons of TV's Rebels and I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to learn more about them.
February 2, 2021
Daenerys Targaryen, Scarlet Witch, and now Darth Vader are three of my favorite characters of all time. Anyone else spot the similarities??? Lol
Plus, I'm so happy to be getting the origins of the Inquisitors!
Plus, I'm so happy to be getting the origins of the Inquisitors!
January 19, 2019
"You are a monster." -- Jedi Master Kirak Infil'a
"Yes. I am." -- Darth Vader
Lightweight story that picks up just after the climax of the cinematic Episode III: Revenge of the Sith adventure, this volume has only Vader and The Emperor as far as known quantity characters from the SW universe. The major point of interest, just in my opinion, was Vader's bad (badass?) behavior as he executed his sort of silly or not very interesting mission regarding his Sith light saber. One sequence, running for several pages, had him violently clashing with a squad of troops at a remote outpost. After that the next big set piece were the repeated duels with Kirak, a reclusive but otherwise hyper-competent Jedi. Vader comes across as one dark and forceful (ha-ha) villain, but the plot drives home that some very unfortunate days and incidents led him to this stance.
"Yes. I am." -- Darth Vader
Lightweight story that picks up just after the climax of the cinematic Episode III: Revenge of the Sith adventure, this volume has only Vader and The Emperor as far as known quantity characters from the SW universe. The major point of interest, just in my opinion, was Vader's bad (badass?) behavior as he executed his sort of silly or not very interesting mission regarding his Sith light saber. One sequence, running for several pages, had him violently clashing with a squad of troops at a remote outpost. After that the next big set piece were the repeated duels with Kirak, a reclusive but otherwise hyper-competent Jedi. Vader comes across as one dark and forceful (ha-ha) villain, but the plot drives home that some very unfortunate days and incidents led him to this stance.
September 3, 2019
Finally, a Marvel Star Wars comic set in a much more interesting time period between the prequels and the original trilogy, instead of that beaten to death space between episodes IV and V. And it’s a surprisingly good comic, too! Starting immediately after the end of episode III, it shows Vader going on a quest to get himself a brand new Sith-red lightsaber. We find out where the red ‘sabers come from and how they’re made as we follow Vader on an action-packed trip to kill a certain Jedi master. It’s not a very deep story, but I had a lot of fun with it, and the artwork was quite nice. Recommended to all Vader fans!
April 24, 2025
Една мания се завръща 🥹
February 7, 2022
You know, when Marvel announced they were doing another Darth Vader series, I rolled my eyes a little. Did we really need another so soon after Gillens excellent run?
But I took advantage of ComiXology having the first volume on sale for 69p to give the first volume a read and it is such a good comic.
This is what I want from the Marvel Star Wars books. Some of my recent reviews of other Star Wars books have seen me moaning a lot about the art. This does not have that problem. It looks great! Camuncoli is someone I'm familiar with because he's done some work on Spider-man over the years (like some of Slotts Superior run), but he's not an artist that'd make a book an instant buy for me. But he's perfectly suited to a Darth Vader book. He gets the character perfectly from his lack of facial expression most of the time to his overall body language.
There's also the story itself. Set just after Revenge of the Sith, it's a period we've not seen much. There is Rebels, but I always see that as something set closer to the original trilogy than the prequels. This is set in the wake of the Jedi purge, with Palpatine even tasking Vader to find a Jedi to take his kyber crystal for his lightsaber.
I think it's a good companion book to the Gillen Vader book. It has the advantage of being set early in Vaders time, he's only recently become Darth Vader in this, whereas Gillens is very much post A New Hope ultra pissed off Darth Vader.
It's also one of the stronger and better additions to the recent Disney/Marvel Star Wars library.
But I took advantage of ComiXology having the first volume on sale for 69p to give the first volume a read and it is such a good comic.
This is what I want from the Marvel Star Wars books. Some of my recent reviews of other Star Wars books have seen me moaning a lot about the art. This does not have that problem. It looks great! Camuncoli is someone I'm familiar with because he's done some work on Spider-man over the years (like some of Slotts Superior run), but he's not an artist that'd make a book an instant buy for me. But he's perfectly suited to a Darth Vader book. He gets the character perfectly from his lack of facial expression most of the time to his overall body language.
There's also the story itself. Set just after Revenge of the Sith, it's a period we've not seen much. There is Rebels, but I always see that as something set closer to the original trilogy than the prequels. This is set in the wake of the Jedi purge, with Palpatine even tasking Vader to find a Jedi to take his kyber crystal for his lightsaber.
I think it's a good companion book to the Gillen Vader book. It has the advantage of being set early in Vaders time, he's only recently become Darth Vader in this, whereas Gillens is very much post A New Hope ultra pissed off Darth Vader.
It's also one of the stronger and better additions to the recent Disney/Marvel Star Wars library.
June 27, 2018
Vote: 3, 5
Not bad at all and artworks were really good, but I enjoyed much more Gillen's Vader run.
My most favourite issue was the final humoristic one closing the volume... with the small droid cleaning floor of late imperial officers choked to death by the Sith Lord.
It was hilarious XD
August 17, 2018
I’m always in for a story about the aftermath of the Clone Wars and the first days of Darth Vader. Sure, this plot about how Vader gets his red lightsaber is a bit flimsy as the main arc, but the art is excellent, the overall story is interesting, and the character development of Vader is great. Looks like I’ve found some good, old fashioned Sith entertainment finally.
July 16, 2025
Vader being a savage!
January 9, 2020
Es bastante emocionante conocer lo que le sucedió a Anakin Skywalker ahora Darth Vader inmediatamente después de los sucesos del episodio III. Pues esta serie aunque no me acaba de llenar por completo cumple ese propósito por ello mi calificación además que la historia por lo menos es interesante y sobre todo explica muchas cosas que siempre todos hemos querido saber.
Nos cuenta cómo Darth Vader consigue su espada láser roja aunque para ello tenga que padecer de manos de un jedi retirado gracias a un voto o juramento Barash que lo comprometía a sí mismo a no interferir en ningún asunto de la galaxia osea a no combatir. Este maestro llamado Infil'a será el primer jedi al que enfrentará Vader en este cómic.
Nos cuenta cómo Darth Vader consigue su espada láser roja aunque para ello tenga que padecer de manos de un jedi retirado gracias a un voto o juramento Barash que lo comprometía a sí mismo a no interferir en ningún asunto de la galaxia osea a no combatir. Este maestro llamado Infil'a será el primer jedi al que enfrentará Vader en este cómic.
January 20, 2018
Kieron Gillen's Vader graphic novel series started strong and then fizzled out completely by the end. So I wasn't especially hopeful about the new series by Charles Soule. But I actually quite enjoyed this story. Soule introduces some new elements to Jedi/Sith mythology, and they all work just fine. (This is not usually the case with SW graphic novels--especially the recent Doctor Aphra series.) I also like that the book ends with a glimpse of the formation of the Inquisitors. Anything that connects to Rebels is great with me. (Except that I found it disappointing how easily Vader defeats the Grand Inquisitor, who is one of my favorite SW villains and should have been able to hold his own longer than he did.)
My only criticism of this first volume is that the dialogue doesn't feel like Anakin and Palpatine talking. Instead, it's just generic-Vader and generic-Emperor dialogue. The Lords of the Sith novel did a much better job of making me feel that it was Anakin speaking from within the Vader suit.
I hope this series will continue strong. I'm eager for the next volume, and that rarely happens with any SW graphic novel.
My only criticism of this first volume is that the dialogue doesn't feel like Anakin and Palpatine talking. Instead, it's just generic-Vader and generic-Emperor dialogue. The Lords of the Sith novel did a much better job of making me feel that it was Anakin speaking from within the Vader suit.
I hope this series will continue strong. I'm eager for the next volume, and that rarely happens with any SW graphic novel.
December 27, 2017
Love this series...more background on Vader's early days.
Not easy being an apprentice to the Emperor, who happens to be a Master Sith. This is my 2nd Vader collection that I have read this past week. I will look for more.
Not easy being an apprentice to the Emperor, who happens to be a Master Sith. This is my 2nd Vader collection that I have read this past week. I will look for more.
June 12, 2022
6 issues of Darth Vader being an absolute and iconic badass. What more can one ask for?
March 1, 2019
Whenever I come across a Star Wars book or comic I must admit to a moment of trepidation as I ascertain if this is "woke" Starw-Warsiney of just Star Wars. Thankfully it is the latter. There is some of the newer age stuff but Charles Soule works it into the story of normal Star Wars very well. Most of all it is obvious that Soule actually understands Star Wars and important concepts like the Force, the Sith ( Darth Emoticon or whatever Kylo's name is wouldn't last 15 seconds against THESE Sith) and the Empire. Soule also gets the hero of the story- Darth Vader.
The story takes place immediately after the events of the Rise of the Sith. Sidious is now Emperor and Skywalker has become Darth Vader. After showing a bit more displeasure towards Sidious for Padme's demise, than in the movie, Vader learns the hard fact that Sith Master's are not kindly Jedi Masters. Now Vader must walk the dangerous path of the Dark Side and the Sith Order. As the Empire begins to take control, Vader is sent out to create his own lightsaber. To do so he must first take the lightsaber from a Jedi. Once this is done he must travel to Mustafarr to change the crystal to the Sith red-make it "bleed" in the words of Sidious.
That without giving away major spoilers is the gist of this volume. Vader gets a lightsaber. But please don't let that banal summation make you think there isn't a heck of a lot of interesting things going on here. From Sith teachings, to some truly great fights as all manner of people have the joy and pleasure of meeting Vader for the first time (and last). We are introduced to the concept of the Inquisitors and meet the Grand Inquisitor himself. These are fallen Jedi who joined the Empire and are no match for a true Sith. It is always a pleasure to see the machinations of the Emperor and Tarkin even livens up the story. But this is really all about Vader. Take a walk with him as he carves a path of destruction towards getting his lightsaber. Good Star Wars story.
The story takes place immediately after the events of the Rise of the Sith. Sidious is now Emperor and Skywalker has become Darth Vader. After showing a bit more displeasure towards Sidious for Padme's demise, than in the movie, Vader learns the hard fact that Sith Master's are not kindly Jedi Masters. Now Vader must walk the dangerous path of the Dark Side and the Sith Order. As the Empire begins to take control, Vader is sent out to create his own lightsaber. To do so he must first take the lightsaber from a Jedi. Once this is done he must travel to Mustafarr to change the crystal to the Sith red-make it "bleed" in the words of Sidious.
That without giving away major spoilers is the gist of this volume. Vader gets a lightsaber. But please don't let that banal summation make you think there isn't a heck of a lot of interesting things going on here. From Sith teachings, to some truly great fights as all manner of people have the joy and pleasure of meeting Vader for the first time (and last). We are introduced to the concept of the Inquisitors and meet the Grand Inquisitor himself. These are fallen Jedi who joined the Empire and are no match for a true Sith. It is always a pleasure to see the machinations of the Emperor and Tarkin even livens up the story. But this is really all about Vader. Take a walk with him as he carves a path of destruction towards getting his lightsaber. Good Star Wars story.
December 15, 2017
How do you follow Kieron Gillen's amazing Darth Vader series? By going back to the beginning of the journey and filling in the blanks, of course.
Starting right from the end of Revenge Of The Sith (complete with NOOOOOOOOOO), these six issues follow Darth Vader's quest to find his first lightsaber, which takes him to the Jedi Library, back to Mustafar, and beyond. Soule's characterization as the last human parts of Anakin Skywalker die away (at least until Return Of The Jedi, I guess) is spot on, and the Emperor is deliciously manipulative, despite being in the book very briefly.
I like that Soule remembers that Anakin was a master engineer, which comes up more than once across the story, too. He really gets put through the ringer in this story, and I mean that pretty literally.
Giuseppe Camuncoli has graduated from Amazing Spider-Man over to the Star Wars side of Marvel, and his work is phenomenal. It's very difficult to portray emotions with Darth Vader's helmet, but his body language and the way he frames panels so that his face is cast into different shadows is superb. He also has a good inker/colourist team in Cam Smith and David Curiel, who work to make his art really pop. Camuncoli is an artist who is made or broken by his partners, but these three are a powerhouse.
This is a very different animal to the last Vader series, but is definitely out to carve itself a well deserved place in Star Wars canon.
Starting right from the end of Revenge Of The Sith (complete with NOOOOOOOOOO), these six issues follow Darth Vader's quest to find his first lightsaber, which takes him to the Jedi Library, back to Mustafar, and beyond. Soule's characterization as the last human parts of Anakin Skywalker die away (at least until Return Of The Jedi, I guess) is spot on, and the Emperor is deliciously manipulative, despite being in the book very briefly.
I like that Soule remembers that Anakin was a master engineer, which comes up more than once across the story, too. He really gets put through the ringer in this story, and I mean that pretty literally.
Giuseppe Camuncoli has graduated from Amazing Spider-Man over to the Star Wars side of Marvel, and his work is phenomenal. It's very difficult to portray emotions with Darth Vader's helmet, but his body language and the way he frames panels so that his face is cast into different shadows is superb. He also has a good inker/colourist team in Cam Smith and David Curiel, who work to make his art really pop. Camuncoli is an artist who is made or broken by his partners, but these three are a powerhouse.
This is a very different animal to the last Vader series, but is definitely out to carve itself a well deserved place in Star Wars canon.
April 18, 2025
Ударно начало на новата Star Wars колекция комикси и романи, стартирала под издателската шапка на обичайните заподозрени - ентусиастите от Artline Studios. Проследяваме първите стъпки след появата на един от най-харизматичните злодеи в съвременната попкултура - Дарт Вейдър, а именно мисията му да се сдобие с джедайски меч и да покори кейбър кристала му.
May 8, 2025
2025 година е изпълнена с вълнуващи събития, новини и кръгли годишнини за феновете на „Междузвездни войни“, а месеците април и май достигнаха точката на кипене. Заедно с провеждането на Star Wars Celebration в Токио, почти накуп дойдоха премиерата на вторите сезони на „Андор“ и „Light & Magic”, анимационните истории „Tales of the Underworld“, обявяването на нови проекти от „Star Wars Visions“, началото на снимките на следващите епизоди на „Асока“, новините за филма „Star Wars: Starfighter“ и новия анимационен сериал „Maul: Shadow Lord“… Феновете определено не скучаят! Но за родните почитатели една от най-вълнуващите новости е завръщането на „Междузвездни войни“ в родните книжарници с логото на „Артлайн“! И какъв по-хубав начин да отбележим 20-годишнината на Епизод III от един култов комикс, който започва там, където свършва „Отмъщението на ситите“? Тръпнете! Настъпва нова епична поредица, чието начало бележи „Дарт Вейдър: Тъмен ситски лорд, том 1 – Имперска машина“ от Чарлс Соул и Джузепе Камунколи, с превод и ексклузивен предговор от Ненко Генов. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...
January 16, 2018
This is a collection that takes place right after Anakin becomes Darth Vader. In fact, we get the infamous (not in a good way) scene of Vader yelling "NOOOOOOO!" when he finds out Padme is dead. That is the beginning of this collection.
I liked this collection and it is a nice story of how Anakin is getting use to being Darth Vader. He is now part of the dark side but the suit that he needs because of his injuries is new. He needs to get use to fighting again and I liked how this collection portrayed that. It was weird seeing Vader fallible but it makes sense. This collection also reinforces that Anakin is responsible for his decisions even though we get to see The Emperor playing his mind games. This collection also ties in with Star Wars Rebels and Episode II and neither tie-in was forced.
I liked this collection and I am looking forward to seeing more stories about Vader. We can never have too much of his character. The artwork is really good (I did have issues with The Emperor as he was a little too troll-like for my taste) and the cliffhanger at the end really entices me because you know it cannot be good for that character.
I liked this collection and it is a nice story of how Anakin is getting use to being Darth Vader. He is now part of the dark side but the suit that he needs because of his injuries is new. He needs to get use to fighting again and I liked how this collection portrayed that. It was weird seeing Vader fallible but it makes sense. This collection also reinforces that Anakin is responsible for his decisions even though we get to see The Emperor playing his mind games. This collection also ties in with Star Wars Rebels and Episode II and neither tie-in was forced.
I liked this collection and I am looking forward to seeing more stories about Vader. We can never have too much of his character. The artwork is really good (I did have issues with The Emperor as he was a little too troll-like for my taste) and the cliffhanger at the end really entices me because you know it cannot be good for that character.
December 11, 2020
This was such a great book, focusing on Darth Vader and his origins after the 3rd movie, now he is serving the great emperor Palpatine and as he is the apprentice, he wants him to reforge his own Lightsaber, as the LS of a Sith is taken from a Jedi and he does and he fights Jedis here and there, has a great tie fighter battle with some of the Empire's own troops showing his piloting abilties and then he goes to a planet where a Jedi named Master Infil'a has taken the Barash Vow (sage) and that fight is epic, like he tells him he will exact revenge for the death of Jedi's and then they fight and at first it seems he has lost, then he comes in dismantling the droid and their second battle is ruthless as he drowns the planet, chokes the Jedi and goes to Mustafar and channels his very pain into the Khyber crystals and emerges as the true Sith and makes his own armor. His next quest: Train the Inquisitorians! This volume was just epic from the get go, be it scope or motives, exploring the fall of Anakin to dark side, his ruthlesness and the art just compliments it so well, the scene on Mustafar, the art told the whole story and its so well done! Amazing read!
June 15, 2022
Highly enjoyable. Vader's early days and the story of how he corrupted a Kyber crystal.
The sith now reign supreme. Gone are the days of the Jedi, and the rise of the formidable Vader starts here.
What's not to like?
The sith now reign supreme. Gone are the days of the Jedi, and the rise of the formidable Vader starts here.
What's not to like?
August 2, 2021
First Star Wars comic I've read, and it was pretty good!
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