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Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020)
Star Wars: Darth Vader, Vol. 3: War of the Bounty Hunters
Collects Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) #12-17.
What will a raging War of the Bounty Hunters mean for the Dark Lord’s ongoing schemes? Returned to the fold after his rebellion against the Emperor, Darth Vader faces the horrors of reconstruction in the secret laboratories of Coruscant. As he blacks out under the knife, does the Dark Lord of the Sith still dream of revenge against his master? Or do his thoughts drift toward his son…and the friends who make Luke Skywalker so vulnerable? Don’t miss this next critical new chapter in Darth Vader’s ongoing evolution — featuring the revelation of the first time that Vader learned the name Han Solo! As Vader and Ochi of Bestoon embark upon a search for Solo’s carbonite-frozen body, who is the Umbaran? What happens when she emerges from the darkness?
What will a raging War of the Bounty Hunters mean for the Dark Lord’s ongoing schemes? Returned to the fold after his rebellion against the Emperor, Darth Vader faces the horrors of reconstruction in the secret laboratories of Coruscant. As he blacks out under the knife, does the Dark Lord of the Sith still dream of revenge against his master? Or do his thoughts drift toward his son…and the friends who make Luke Skywalker so vulnerable? Don’t miss this next critical new chapter in Darth Vader’s ongoing evolution — featuring the revelation of the first time that Vader learned the name Han Solo! As Vader and Ochi of Bestoon embark upon a search for Solo’s carbonite-frozen body, who is the Umbaran? What happens when she emerges from the darkness?
136 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2021
55 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
Greg Pak
1,649 books581 followersGreg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
January 29, 2022
Qira has arrived!!!
March 27, 2025
A great book. Since surviving his masters trial, Darth Vader is even more galvanised to what he wants. He is more powerful than ever. He is in for the long game, but he has not forgotten about Luke.
This book takes place during the War of Bounty Hunters. There are a lot of games and strings being pulled. Yes, Vader is a kick. The front door opens and kills everyone, but he knows about strategy. Though he is there to make people fear him. A few people might need a reminder.
I really enjoyed the study used in Star Wars Volume one. There, Luke keeps looking back at his fight with Vader. This time, it us Vader reminiscing about his past and making promises.
This book has a lot of intrigue and lots of action. This is a great reminder that Vader is the man. I can't wait for volume three. I look forward to seeing who else needs a personal reminder from him.
This book takes place during the War of Bounty Hunters. There are a lot of games and strings being pulled. Yes, Vader is a kick. The front door opens and kills everyone, but he knows about strategy. Though he is there to make people fear him. A few people might need a reminder.
I really enjoyed the study used in Star Wars Volume one. There, Luke keeps looking back at his fight with Vader. This time, it us Vader reminiscing about his past and making promises.
This book has a lot of intrigue and lots of action. This is a great reminder that Vader is the man. I can't wait for volume three. I look forward to seeing who else needs a personal reminder from him.
May 6, 2022
A decent Star Wars comic but I've come to feel that the push/pull between Vader and Palpatine has become repetitive in this title, and naturally the story feels like it jumps around a fair bit on account of it being part of the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event.
March 24, 2025
This volume was a little confusing.
April 4, 2022
Greg Pak's Darth Vader series continues to be the strongest Star Wars comic running. Even while being derailed into the War of the Bounty Hunters event, there's plenty of enjoy in this volume. Vader has been humbled by his experiences on Exegol and is doubly determined to see the Emperor's will through. Interestingly, it seems as if he's no longer interested in turning Luke to the dark side, an intriguing development that leads into Return of the Jedi.
Vader ends up playing something of a secondary role in this volume, since he spends most of War of the Bounty Hunters in his TIE fighter, chasing Luke in his X-Wing. Snippets of that confrontation are mixed in with the affairs of Ochi and Administrator Moore. I'm not sure what to make of Ochi yet, but I continue to be happy to see his story fleshed out. Moore showed up in the main event in a limited role, so it's nice to see her in full form here, tangling with Vader and Mas Amedda. The internecine warfare amongst the Emperor's council is endlessly interesting to me - and presumably to Greg Pak too, since he keeps focusing on it.
One sore spot in this volume: the artists simply cannot draw Hutts. These bulging frog men are not the Hutts I know and love.
Vader ends up playing something of a secondary role in this volume, since he spends most of War of the Bounty Hunters in his TIE fighter, chasing Luke in his X-Wing. Snippets of that confrontation are mixed in with the affairs of Ochi and Administrator Moore. I'm not sure what to make of Ochi yet, but I continue to be happy to see his story fleshed out. Moore showed up in the main event in a limited role, so it's nice to see her in full form here, tangling with Vader and Mas Amedda. The internecine warfare amongst the Emperor's council is endlessly interesting to me - and presumably to Greg Pak too, since he keeps focusing on it.
One sore spot in this volume: the artists simply cannot draw Hutts. These bulging frog men are not the Hutts I know and love.
October 26, 2022
Darth Vader Vol. 3 War of the Bounty Hunters collects issues 12-17 of the Marvel Comics series written by Greg Pak with art by Guiu Vilanova and Raffaele Ienco.
After his failed coup against the Emperor, Vader is rebuilt and back to obeying his master. With his son Luke still obsessing his mind, Vader comes to the realization that he can lure another encounter with Luke by taking back Han Solo.
Vader joins the hunt for Han Solo which seems kind of silly as he had just given him away at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Like the main Star Wars series, this Vader arc also repurposed a lot of the same scenes and dialogue from the War of the Bounty Hunters and then told side stories of double and triple crossings betweena the Empire, the Hutts, and Crimson Dawn. Vader doesn't seem near as bad ass as he does in other volumes. He comes off as more driven by obsession. I do like the addition of the assassin Ochi playing a sidekick role in this volume.
After his failed coup against the Emperor, Vader is rebuilt and back to obeying his master. With his son Luke still obsessing his mind, Vader comes to the realization that he can lure another encounter with Luke by taking back Han Solo.
Vader joins the hunt for Han Solo which seems kind of silly as he had just given him away at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Like the main Star Wars series, this Vader arc also repurposed a lot of the same scenes and dialogue from the War of the Bounty Hunters and then told side stories of double and triple crossings betweena the Empire, the Hutts, and Crimson Dawn. Vader doesn't seem near as bad ass as he does in other volumes. He comes off as more driven by obsession. I do like the addition of the assassin Ochi playing a sidekick role in this volume.
July 18, 2023
Este volumen está inscrito en el arco La Guerra de los Caza Recompensas. Empieza cuando Vader es reconstruido y va con Ochi (su nuevo secuaz) a buscar a Solo. En el camino se ve inmiscuido en la búsqueda del congelado Han Solo quien ha sido robado por una asociación secreta que nuevamente está saliendo a la luz. En el camino Vader se enfrentará a Bokku the Hutt, Umbarana y su corte y por supuesto al Alba Escarlata que tiene un papel importante en la serie de la Guerra de los Caza recompensas. Como siempre, Vader en sus pensamientos tiene diálogos ficticios permanentes con su hijo Luke al que siempre trata realmente de hijo.
February 23, 2022
I wrote this as one giant review for War Of The Bounty Hunters as a whole, so feel free to jump to the relevant section(s).
Han Solo, trapped in carbonite, is still somehow the most wanted man in the galaxy. Boba Fett has a mission - to transfer the captive Han to Jabba's palace. But the mysterious Crimson Dawn has other plans, and a shady figure from Solo's past is out to make her mark on the galaxy once again, even if she has to involve literally everyone in Star Wars comic-dom to do it.
War Of The Bounty Hunters - 3 stars
First off, War Of The Bounty Hunters is a bit of a misnomer. Aside from maybe one or two fights, this is less of a War Of The Bounty Hunters and more of a fight for Han Solo, and even that's not really a fight. But I digress.
The problem with stories like this is that we know how they're going to end. I've said it before, but telling stories in this era of Star Wars is so difficult, because we already know where all of the characters are going to end up. So when Boba Fett loses Han Solo's body at the beginning of the series, we know for a fact that he's going to get it back again, because otherwise Han won't be at Jabba's palace for Return Of The Jedi. And sure enough, that's how it all goes.
The stuff in the middle is interesting, I'll give it that. The return of Crimson Dawn is well executed, and a good way to salvage some usable story material from Star Wars' only box office flop (Wikipedia's words, not mine), but I don't think we really needed a massive vehicle like a 34 part crossover to facilitate said return.
War Of The Bounty Hunters Companion - 2 stars
This collection of four one-shots is almost entirely unnecessary. The Jabba The Hutt one-shot actually features Boba Fett, but it's all flashback stuff that has no bearing on WotBH at all. The 4-LOM & Zuckuss one-shot is nice, but hardly essential, while the Boussh one-shot is more of a set-up for Doctor Aphra's next adventure and has literally nothing to do with the rest of WotBH since Boussh doesn't even appear in that story. IG-88 fits in neatly at the end and was the one I wanted to see more of, but I guess he's being mothballed again for later.
Despite being a 'companion', you'll be fine not reading this at all, to be honest.
Star Wars - 4 stars
In terms of tie-ins, there's always one book that's more necessary than the others, and it's no surprise that it's the one also written by Charles Soule. Star Wars' WotBH arc fills in some gaps, gives us some more motivations for the mysterious Crimson Dawn leader, and has an epilogue issue that looks like it's setting up the next big crossover right away.
There's definitely an echo of 'we've done this before', with a lot of scenes replicated almost word-for-word with the main WotBH book, but it's not too distracting. They're there for context, but I feel like if you're reading any Star Wars book alongside WotBH, it's the main one.
Doctor Aphra & Bounty Hunters - 4 stars
These two books probably do the best of running with WotBH without derailing their own stories. Whether WotBH was planned earlier or not I'm not sure, but both Aphra and Valance's adventures dovetail nicely into the main story without losing any of the momentum that their own books have been building. Even the side stuff (Lucky & Ariole's story in Doctor Aphra, and T'Onga's story in Bounty Hunters) come into their own here, despite feeling a bit separate early on in the tie-ins.
Bounty Hunters especially has a really good final page hook that has me really excited to see where we're going, and I enjoyed Doctor Aphra's use of continuity by throwing her up against Darth Vader midway through and having to cope with some PTSD from their last meeting.
Darth Vader - 3 stars
Vader's story is hamstrung by the fact that all of his important plot points are covered in the main WotBH book, so the tie-ins are left to flit around the outside. We get some additional insight into Vader's thought processes, but the interesting stuff is over in Ochi Of Bestoon and Administrator Moore's court. It must be hard when your main character is essentially unable to do anything he hasn't already done, but the strength of these supporting characters makes up for it.
Like Bounty Hunters, there's a good final page hook here as well that has me intrigued about what Vader's going to be facing next.
Artwork
Almost every issue here is pencilled by the usual suspects from each series, which is nice - too often during crossovers do regular artists dip out in favour of fill-ins, but that's not the case here. Ramon Rosanas on Star Wars, Minkyu Jung on Doctor Aphra, Rafaelle Ienco on Darth Vader, and Paolo Villanelli on Bounty Hunters are all present and correct, while Luke Ross handles the main War Of The Bounty Hunters book (and the legendary Steve McNiven pencils the Alpha).
The one-shots are a bit more of a mess, though none of them are particularly bad. David Baldeon's Boussh one-shot lines him up as a good successor on Doctor Aphra if he wants, but the others are all kind of forgettable.
Overall
War Of The Bounty Hunters didn't need to be this big. It manages to maintain itself across the six trades without falling over under its own weight, but it's telling that I'm more intrigued by what's coming next than what's already gone. Each of the individual Star Wars ongoings manage to keep their own stories flowing with various degrees of success, but when the main event book is kind of the weakest of the bunch, I'd say something went a little wrong.
Han Solo, trapped in carbonite, is still somehow the most wanted man in the galaxy. Boba Fett has a mission - to transfer the captive Han to Jabba's palace. But the mysterious Crimson Dawn has other plans, and a shady figure from Solo's past is out to make her mark on the galaxy once again, even if she has to involve literally everyone in Star Wars comic-dom to do it.
War Of The Bounty Hunters - 3 stars
First off, War Of The Bounty Hunters is a bit of a misnomer. Aside from maybe one or two fights, this is less of a War Of The Bounty Hunters and more of a fight for Han Solo, and even that's not really a fight. But I digress.
The problem with stories like this is that we know how they're going to end. I've said it before, but telling stories in this era of Star Wars is so difficult, because we already know where all of the characters are going to end up. So when Boba Fett loses Han Solo's body at the beginning of the series, we know for a fact that he's going to get it back again, because otherwise Han won't be at Jabba's palace for Return Of The Jedi. And sure enough, that's how it all goes.
The stuff in the middle is interesting, I'll give it that. The return of Crimson Dawn is well executed, and a good way to salvage some usable story material from Star Wars' only box office flop (Wikipedia's words, not mine), but I don't think we really needed a massive vehicle like a 34 part crossover to facilitate said return.
War Of The Bounty Hunters Companion - 2 stars
This collection of four one-shots is almost entirely unnecessary. The Jabba The Hutt one-shot actually features Boba Fett, but it's all flashback stuff that has no bearing on WotBH at all. The 4-LOM & Zuckuss one-shot is nice, but hardly essential, while the Boussh one-shot is more of a set-up for Doctor Aphra's next adventure and has literally nothing to do with the rest of WotBH since Boussh doesn't even appear in that story. IG-88 fits in neatly at the end and was the one I wanted to see more of, but I guess he's being mothballed again for later.
Despite being a 'companion', you'll be fine not reading this at all, to be honest.
Star Wars - 4 stars
In terms of tie-ins, there's always one book that's more necessary than the others, and it's no surprise that it's the one also written by Charles Soule. Star Wars' WotBH arc fills in some gaps, gives us some more motivations for the mysterious Crimson Dawn leader, and has an epilogue issue that looks like it's setting up the next big crossover right away.
There's definitely an echo of 'we've done this before', with a lot of scenes replicated almost word-for-word with the main WotBH book, but it's not too distracting. They're there for context, but I feel like if you're reading any Star Wars book alongside WotBH, it's the main one.
Doctor Aphra & Bounty Hunters - 4 stars
These two books probably do the best of running with WotBH without derailing their own stories. Whether WotBH was planned earlier or not I'm not sure, but both Aphra and Valance's adventures dovetail nicely into the main story without losing any of the momentum that their own books have been building. Even the side stuff (Lucky & Ariole's story in Doctor Aphra, and T'Onga's story in Bounty Hunters) come into their own here, despite feeling a bit separate early on in the tie-ins.
Bounty Hunters especially has a really good final page hook that has me really excited to see where we're going, and I enjoyed Doctor Aphra's use of continuity by throwing her up against Darth Vader midway through and having to cope with some PTSD from their last meeting.
Darth Vader - 3 stars
Vader's story is hamstrung by the fact that all of his important plot points are covered in the main WotBH book, so the tie-ins are left to flit around the outside. We get some additional insight into Vader's thought processes, but the interesting stuff is over in Ochi Of Bestoon and Administrator Moore's court. It must be hard when your main character is essentially unable to do anything he hasn't already done, but the strength of these supporting characters makes up for it.
Like Bounty Hunters, there's a good final page hook here as well that has me intrigued about what Vader's going to be facing next.
Artwork
Almost every issue here is pencilled by the usual suspects from each series, which is nice - too often during crossovers do regular artists dip out in favour of fill-ins, but that's not the case here. Ramon Rosanas on Star Wars, Minkyu Jung on Doctor Aphra, Rafaelle Ienco on Darth Vader, and Paolo Villanelli on Bounty Hunters are all present and correct, while Luke Ross handles the main War Of The Bounty Hunters book (and the legendary Steve McNiven pencils the Alpha).
The one-shots are a bit more of a mess, though none of them are particularly bad. David Baldeon's Boussh one-shot lines him up as a good successor on Doctor Aphra if he wants, but the others are all kind of forgettable.
Overall
War Of The Bounty Hunters didn't need to be this big. It manages to maintain itself across the six trades without falling over under its own weight, but it's telling that I'm more intrigued by what's coming next than what's already gone. Each of the individual Star Wars ongoings manage to keep their own stories flowing with various degrees of success, but when the main event book is kind of the weakest of the bunch, I'd say something went a little wrong.
June 25, 2022
The story in this GN picks up after the Emperor has burned Vader back down to basics and had him rebuilt. He is back in the Emporor's good graces, for now, and has resumed being the second most feared member of the Empire. Parts of the story circle the Bounty Hunter War, and probably should have been included in that GN, but for the most part it stick from a peripheral angle, so as not to totally get away from the main Vader story line. However, everybody is still trying to back stab everybody, and it starts getting utterly ridiculous trying the patience of Vader and myself as well. This title has so much potential but is significantly weaker than the other SW books of this time.
December 26, 2021
Usually the Darth Vader stories are highly intriguing to me, but I was somewhat disappointed in this one. After reading the other three War of the Bounty Hunters installments in publication order, I had some interesting expectations of what might happen, especially with Crimson Dawn. Perhaps the writers didn't want to get too repetitive?
It was still a great Vader story. He works with a bounty hunter to not only retrieve Han in carbonite, but to sway the bids and outcomes related to Crimson Dawn operations. This arc felt a little bit all over the place at times, perhaps not fully in chronological order, and any time shifts were rather unclear. Vader still seeks Luke, but seemingly wants to kill him at this point, which felt out of character to me.
As per usual with the Vader comics, the art is phenomenal. Sometimes I find myself just admiring the details, especially on Vader himself, for a good solid few minutes before moving on. There is quite a bit of promise with where Vader's story might go, as he has his ties with Luke, and now finds a new adversary in the return of Crimson Dawn.
It was still a great Vader story. He works with a bounty hunter to not only retrieve Han in carbonite, but to sway the bids and outcomes related to Crimson Dawn operations. This arc felt a little bit all over the place at times, perhaps not fully in chronological order, and any time shifts were rather unclear. Vader still seeks Luke, but seemingly wants to kill him at this point, which felt out of character to me.
As per usual with the Vader comics, the art is phenomenal. Sometimes I find myself just admiring the details, especially on Vader himself, for a good solid few minutes before moving on. There is quite a bit of promise with where Vader's story might go, as he has his ties with Luke, and now finds a new adversary in the return of Crimson Dawn.
May 28, 2025
This is Darth Vader's part in the War of the Bounty Hunters, as he's trying to get Carbonite Han Solo to use as a trap for Luke Skywalker. The Emperor has his own plans for Luke, and at times Vader finds himself at cross purposes with his Master. Great to see Darth Vader interacting with the bounty hunters. One of the coolest parts was a Darth Vader vs. IG-88 battle.
One thing I will note. I read every issue in this crossover, and there were a lot. However, unlike most Marvel crossovers, these issues didn't feel like throwaways. The continuity was tight, and it did mostly read like one long story rather than a main story with a bunch of "cash grab" tie ins. Probably the tightest continuity on a comic crossover this size Ive read in years.
One thing I will note. I read every issue in this crossover, and there were a lot. However, unlike most Marvel crossovers, these issues didn't feel like throwaways. The continuity was tight, and it did mostly read like one long story rather than a main story with a bunch of "cash grab" tie ins. Probably the tightest continuity on a comic crossover this size Ive read in years.
June 10, 2024
Entertaining for hard core fans
Pak brings a lot of creative energy to this plotline and it's enjoyable for a long time fan, though arguably indecipherable for anyone who isnt. The only real down side is that its a bit too "Marvel Movie" in its humor, which undercuts the natural comedic flavor of Star Wars. But I won't fault Pak too hard because it's largely that he's working overtime to make a sequel trilogy non-character engaging and memorable.
Art continues to be fantastic. Inking work is especially great - terrific, clean lines with the right amount of detail. Great colorist work, too.
Pak brings a lot of creative energy to this plotline and it's enjoyable for a long time fan, though arguably indecipherable for anyone who isnt. The only real down side is that its a bit too "Marvel Movie" in its humor, which undercuts the natural comedic flavor of Star Wars. But I won't fault Pak too hard because it's largely that he's working overtime to make a sequel trilogy non-character engaging and memorable.
Art continues to be fantastic. Inking work is especially great - terrific, clean lines with the right amount of detail. Great colorist work, too.
February 21, 2022
I have enjoyed these books. But I always struggle because when a backstory is told it sheds light on the history that had been dark and unimaginable, and no matter how well the extra stuff is told it does not match to the fear and foreboding from a totally unknown history. However, this was still enjoyable.
July 13, 2022
War of the bounty hunters tie-in so holes all over the place. Less well handled than Soule’s flagship title though. Not to be dismissed because of the internal plots within the Empire and some cool Vader moments.
July 28, 2022
Darth Vader: Skywalker im Visier zeigt die Ergebnisse rund um Han Solos Auktion in Darth Vaders Perspektive.
Nachdem der Dunkle Lord Zeuge von Imperator Palpatines wahrer Macht wurde, muss er seine Pläne schleunigst anpassen.
Luke Skywalker ist und bleibt Darth Vaders einziger Gedanke. Der Imperator hegt Interesse an dem jungen Machtnutzer. Entweder gelingt es Vader seinen Sohn schlussendlich zu überzeugen oder ihm bleibt keine andere Wahl als ihn zu vernichten...
Währenddessen greift der Dunkle Lord auf Ochi von Bestoon zurück, um seine Pläne zu verwirklichen.
Meine Meinung:
Ich habe sehr lange auf dieses Sammelband gewartet und bin echt froh, es nun endlich in den Händen zu halten!
Ich mag das Krieg der Kopfgeldjäger-Event wirklich sehr! Das Szenario empfinde ich als äußerst interessant! All die verschiedenen Perspektiven dieses Ereignisses zu erleben, ist spannend!
Mir gefällt die "Chemie" zwischen Ochi und Vader! Vader ist eher ein Mann weniger Worte und Ochi ist nun ja...eben etwas gesprächiger.
Ein sehr gefährliches Team. Vertrauen gibt es allerdings nicht. Denn beide haben ihre ganz eigenen Pläne.
Dieses Sammelband war sehr unterhaltsam und hinterlässt eine Vorfreude auf das nächste Band!
Ein Punkt Abzug, da man des öfteren bestimmt Panels zwei Mal lesen muss, um die Geschichte gut zu verstehen.
Fazit: Darth Vader wird seinem Namen als Dunkler Lord der Sith gerecht! Toller Comic mit top Action!
[
Nachdem der Dunkle Lord Zeuge von Imperator Palpatines wahrer Macht wurde, muss er seine Pläne schleunigst anpassen.
Luke Skywalker ist und bleibt Darth Vaders einziger Gedanke. Der Imperator hegt Interesse an dem jungen Machtnutzer. Entweder gelingt es Vader seinen Sohn schlussendlich zu überzeugen oder ihm bleibt keine andere Wahl als ihn zu vernichten...
Währenddessen greift der Dunkle Lord auf Ochi von Bestoon zurück, um seine Pläne zu verwirklichen.
Meine Meinung:
Ich habe sehr lange auf dieses Sammelband gewartet und bin echt froh, es nun endlich in den Händen zu halten!
Ich mag das Krieg der Kopfgeldjäger-Event wirklich sehr! Das Szenario empfinde ich als äußerst interessant! All die verschiedenen Perspektiven dieses Ereignisses zu erleben, ist spannend!
Mir gefällt die "Chemie" zwischen Ochi und Vader! Vader ist eher ein Mann weniger Worte und Ochi ist nun ja...eben etwas gesprächiger.
Ein sehr gefährliches Team. Vertrauen gibt es allerdings nicht. Denn beide haben ihre ganz eigenen Pläne.
Dieses Sammelband war sehr unterhaltsam und hinterlässt eine Vorfreude auf das nächste Band!
Ein Punkt Abzug, da man des öfteren bestimmt Panels zwei Mal lesen muss, um die Geschichte gut zu verstehen.
Fazit: Darth Vader wird seinem Namen als Dunkler Lord der Sith gerecht! Toller Comic mit top Action!
[
January 16, 2022
Nice to see a new angle here with the Crimson Dawn and Qi'ra. I'm excited for the next wave of titles.
August 26, 2024
My G-d, with all the backstabbing happening in the Empire's highest echelons, it's amazing it lasted two decades.
March 1, 2022
Book 3, tying-in to the War of the Bounty Hunters event storyline.
As factions within the Empire continue to undermine Vader, he sets out to acquire the carbonite-frozen Han Solo from Crimson Dawn in order to lure Luke to him.
The War of the Bounty Hunters is, like many of Marvel's event stories, something of a jumbled mess. This book takes that as its starting point and really runs with it, producing a mixture of pointless and nonsensical twists and turns that adds nothing to either the event itself or, more importantly, to Vader's personal story.
In fact, Vader's actions here are so unfathomable that their only justification is simply that his behaviour had to be twisted to fit the needs of the event. For no good reason he suddenly decides he wants to kill Luke, when the whole father/son plot is set up and paid-off in 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' to show that Vader wants Luke to join him and that's what gives Luke the opening to redeem Anakin. On top of that, Vader also suddenly decides that possessing Han is really important. For some reason. Despite having had possession of Han in Episode V and allowing Boba Fett to take him.
Added to the massive plot holes are more of the irritating flashbacks to scenes from the movies we're all already familiar with, a series of entirely predictable 'twist' betrayals and, inexplicably, a comedy sidekick for the Sith Lord.
Now, some people might find Ochi of Bestoon amusing or charming, but I definitely wasn't one of them and couldn't fathom for a second why Vader would keep him around.
Whilst by no means unreadable, this is definitely the worst book of the series so far, primarily because of it's painfully awkward attempts to fit in to the plot of War of the Bounty Hunters (of which the main book is by Charles Soule)
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
As factions within the Empire continue to undermine Vader, he sets out to acquire the carbonite-frozen Han Solo from Crimson Dawn in order to lure Luke to him.
The War of the Bounty Hunters is, like many of Marvel's event stories, something of a jumbled mess. This book takes that as its starting point and really runs with it, producing a mixture of pointless and nonsensical twists and turns that adds nothing to either the event itself or, more importantly, to Vader's personal story.
In fact, Vader's actions here are so unfathomable that their only justification is simply that his behaviour had to be twisted to fit the needs of the event. For no good reason he suddenly decides he wants to kill Luke, when the whole father/son plot is set up and paid-off in 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' to show that Vader wants Luke to join him and that's what gives Luke the opening to redeem Anakin. On top of that, Vader also suddenly decides that possessing Han is really important. For some reason. Despite having had possession of Han in Episode V and allowing Boba Fett to take him.
Added to the massive plot holes are more of the irritating flashbacks to scenes from the movies we're all already familiar with, a series of entirely predictable 'twist' betrayals and, inexplicably, a comedy sidekick for the Sith Lord.
Now, some people might find Ochi of Bestoon amusing or charming, but I definitely wasn't one of them and couldn't fathom for a second why Vader would keep him around.
Whilst by no means unreadable, this is definitely the worst book of the series so far, primarily because of it's painfully awkward attempts to fit in to the plot of War of the Bounty Hunters (of which the main book is by Charles Soule)
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
March 3, 2022
The Darth Vader books have been my favorite Star Wars title on the market, until now. This volume absolutely cannot be read as a standalone as it ties directly into the bigger events of War of the Bounty Hunters. Reading it alone is completely confusing, which is a terrible strategy to get people to buy the other Star Wars books, which isn't necessarily feasible for all people, understandably. And, it appears Vader will continue to be part of a bigger story as referenced at the end of this volume. Hopefully after that story, we can get some standalone Vader stories and get back on track. Only recommended if you're able to read the entire War of the Bounty Hunters story.
March 9, 2023
This was an uneven book after a stronger start to the series, which probably worked better in terms of the rest of the crossover that I read last year but forgot the details.
April 3, 2023
Vader has been pushed back into line, and he’s back on track to do his masters bidding (or is he?).
August 9, 2023
"The boy has hope. But hope is not enough."
QI'RA!!!
QI'RA!!!
October 3, 2023
This was good. Unfortunately, I didnt read this one in order, so it felt a little out of context, but it did fill in some gaps in the cross-over. I'm glad I picked it up.
Read
May 30, 20248/40 — 2024 reading challenge
December 9, 2021
**Review is for all six volumes (34 collected issues across 6 titles)
A jumbo-sized crossover that fulfils its promise and brings four line together, tells a cohesive story, and leaves each thread set to go off in it's own direction again. And yet, and yet... Whether it's a little too big, or a little too repetitive (several times half an issue is a near repeat of an earlier one from a different title) or a little too predictably predestined (the plot can hold no real surprise since we all know the events of Return of The Jedi are coming). Because of that, the most interesting and entertaining bits were the side-quests and filler one-shots, places where character could be developed without the burdens of the plodding plot.
A jumbo-sized crossover that fulfils its promise and brings four line together, tells a cohesive story, and leaves each thread set to go off in it's own direction again. And yet, and yet... Whether it's a little too big, or a little too repetitive (several times half an issue is a near repeat of an earlier one from a different title) or a little too predictably predestined (the plot can hold no real surprise since we all know the events of Return of The Jedi are coming). Because of that, the most interesting and entertaining bits were the side-quests and filler one-shots, places where character could be developed without the burdens of the plodding plot.
May 5, 2022
The chaotic tragedy of Darth Vader continues...
Highlights:
- After Exegol, Vader finally returns to Coruscant for rebuilding and healing, yet refuses to be shut down. The rebuild and pain allow him time to reflect on Solo, and his desire for revenge, and Luke, who is starting to consume his every thought.
- Taking Ochi of Bestoon with him, as he is now his loyal servant, Vader goes to see Bokku the Hutt for information on Solo's whereabouts (see the main title for that). Bokku takes him to Hutt Space where he sets a trap involving IG-88 and the codes to Vader's suit. Yet that can still not take down the Sith Lord.
- The Emperor sends Administrator Moore to the auction for Solo, but she fails at procuring him.
- To test his loyalties, Vader has Ochi face off against members of the Crimson Dawn alone.
- Vader finally tracks down Luke and is intent on killing him, so to not be replaced as the Emperor's apprentice. The space battle is intense, but Moore steps in and helps Skywalker escape, knowing that Palpatine would rather keep Luke alive. Moore ends up in shackles.
- Vader amasses an army to go to take out Crimson Dawn. Before the army attacks, a trio of assassins tries to give their captive Qi'ra to Ochi as a present to gain Vader's favor... but it is turned around on them as Ochi reveals he serves Qi'ra and the Dawn, only working as a Crimson Dawn double agent to stay close to Vader.
With Vader's involvement in the main title of WotBH, I thought we would see more of that here, but I'm glad it wasn't all rehashing.
This title continues to be excellent. Can't wait to see how this whole thing with Crimson Dawn will shake out.
Recommend.
Highlights:
- After Exegol, Vader finally returns to Coruscant for rebuilding and healing, yet refuses to be shut down. The rebuild and pain allow him time to reflect on Solo, and his desire for revenge, and Luke, who is starting to consume his every thought.
- Taking Ochi of Bestoon with him, as he is now his loyal servant, Vader goes to see Bokku the Hutt for information on Solo's whereabouts (see the main title for that). Bokku takes him to Hutt Space where he sets a trap involving IG-88 and the codes to Vader's suit. Yet that can still not take down the Sith Lord.
- The Emperor sends Administrator Moore to the auction for Solo, but she fails at procuring him.
- To test his loyalties, Vader has Ochi face off against members of the Crimson Dawn alone.
- Vader finally tracks down Luke and is intent on killing him, so to not be replaced as the Emperor's apprentice. The space battle is intense, but Moore steps in and helps Skywalker escape, knowing that Palpatine would rather keep Luke alive. Moore ends up in shackles.
- Vader amasses an army to go to take out Crimson Dawn. Before the army attacks, a trio of assassins tries to give their captive Qi'ra to Ochi as a present to gain Vader's favor... but it is turned around on them as Ochi reveals he serves Qi'ra and the Dawn, only working as a Crimson Dawn double agent to stay close to Vader.
With Vader's involvement in the main title of WotBH, I thought we would see more of that here, but I'm glad it wasn't all rehashing.
This title continues to be excellent. Can't wait to see how this whole thing with Crimson Dawn will shake out.
Recommend.
July 25, 2022
This doesn't really stand alone very well, but as another facet of the big cross over, it serves its purpose, showing how Vader gets into position for the key points in the larger story, even if some of it feels a bit contrived. Especially the whole Vader/Luke side-plot, where Vader just sort of stops in the middle of his mission to go chasing after Luke, rather than completing one mission before moving his focus.
We also get to see more of Ochi and some other side characters, and nobody comes off in a particularly great light. Still, it's all interesting and the pieces do help explain how the larger crossover comes together. For that it gets three stars, but if you're not reading the crossover, you're going to be pretty lost with what's going on, and seeing a lot of holes in the plot provided here.
We also get to see more of Ochi and some other side characters, and nobody comes off in a particularly great light. Still, it's all interesting and the pieces do help explain how the larger crossover comes together. For that it gets three stars, but if you're not reading the crossover, you're going to be pretty lost with what's going on, and seeing a lot of holes in the plot provided here.
December 29, 2021
Somehow manages to play along with the War of the Bounty Hunters event without totally sidetracking the character development Pak had been working towards, which isn't a minor victory. But if this is what that event is like, call me wildly uninterested. I am, however, interested in seeing what else happens with Moore and Ochi.
February 6, 2022
I am just not digging Greg Pak's take on Vader at all, which is a surprise to me, because normally I really like his work. Maybe I'm judging the story before it's complete, but this version of Darth Vader feels to me at odds with his narrative arc between Empire and Jedi.
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