What do you think?
Rate this book
Star Wars Adventures
Star Wars Adventures: The Will of Darth Vader
Darth Vader on a mission for the Emperor When the Rebellion's hit-and-run attacks on Imperial cargo ships become too audacious to be ignored, Darth Vader is sent in to find the Rebel base and destroy it. But the base, hidden in the center of a constantly shifting asteroid field, cannot be attacked directly. To reach his target, Vader will have to team up with a recently captured smuggler named Zika - and dealing with an unwilling, wisecracking partner may be more of a trial for the Dark Lord than the actual mission
80 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
About the author
Tom Taylor
1,292 books1,084 followersOnce a professional juggler and fire eater, Tom Taylor is a #1 New York Times Bestselling, multi-award-winning comic book writer, playwright and screenwriter.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
Well known for his work with DC Comics and Marvel, Taylor is the co-creator of NEVERLANDERS from Penguin Random House, SEVEN SECRETS from Boom Studios and the Aurealis-Award-winning graphic novel series THE DEEP. Taylor is also the Head Writer and Executive Producer of The Deep animated series, four seasons of which is broadcast in over 140 countries.
He is perhaps best known for the DC Comics series, DCEASED (Shadow Awards Winner), NIGHTWING (nominated for 5 Eisner Awards), SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL (GLAAD Award Nominee), INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, SUICIDE SQUAD, EARTH 2 and BATMAN/SUPERMAN as well as Marvel's FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN, ALL NEW WOLVERINE, X-MEN: RED, DARK AGES and SUPERIOR IRON MAN. Taylor is also the writer of many Star Wars series, which include STAR WARS: INVASION and STAR WARS: BLOOD TIES (Stan Lee Excelsior Award winner). Taylor has written for Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Boom Studios, Wildstorm, 2000 AD and Gestalt Comics.
He can be followed on twitter @TomTaylorMade.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 30 reviews
February 9, 2015
Totally biased rating, as I and my husband are long-time friends of the author. I don't have any experience with graphic novels so I'm hardly qualified to review one, but I needed a graphic novel for a reading challenge and of course I wasn't going to try anyone else's work before I tried Tom's. The art was great, the story tragic. That Tom was able to convey the tragedy of it in so few words is what, I suspect, has made him so successful.
Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/110746...
Full review: http://jenn.booklikes.com/post/110746...
May 27, 2023
I've read Tom Taylor's writing before with his Batman stories. So, when I checked this book out, I was excited to see how he would write Vader. I was not disappointed. He did a great job in Vader's characterization. Not surprisingly, we see Vader being an unstoppable force with great skill and immense power. Yet, at the same time, we also see how subservient to the emperor. The book is very short, but Taylor excels in capturing the essence of Darth Vader in a concise manner.
Taylor is superb in his characterization of Luca. He's a fun character, but he's also very brave. He thinks well on his feet and became my favorite character for this book. He has a solid backstory as well. I like how Taylor ties Luca's backstory with Vader himself. I haven't heard of Luca being in other stories, but he's a good and well-developed character.
The story itself is straightforward and a bit predictable at the end, but I love it. I was engaged throughout. The pacing is fast, but not too fast. From what I can see, it is likely intended for a younger audience, but it works well for me as an adult too (and would be a great introductory Star Wars book for young fans of Star Wars).
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It has a good story and good characters. I think the art could be a bit better, but it's a good book.
Taylor is superb in his characterization of Luca. He's a fun character, but he's also very brave. He thinks well on his feet and became my favorite character for this book. He has a solid backstory as well. I like how Taylor ties Luca's backstory with Vader himself. I haven't heard of Luca being in other stories, but he's a good and well-developed character.
The story itself is straightforward and a bit predictable at the end, but I love it. I was engaged throughout. The pacing is fast, but not too fast. From what I can see, it is likely intended for a younger audience, but it works well for me as an adult too (and would be a great introductory Star Wars book for young fans of Star Wars).
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It has a good story and good characters. I think the art could be a bit better, but it's a good book.
September 22, 2020
Defiance in the face of destruction and a more...human?...side of DV combine for a great tale.
October 12, 2016
Incredible, and the elements of comedy are well used, instead of being nothing but blood and gore. I enjoyed the book and the characters personalities grasped my interest.
March 11, 2019
Another short Star Wars comic, this one follows Darth Vader and a smuggler named Luca. Whatever else happened with the Star Wars films, people always seemed fascinated with exploring Vader and what made him tick. This one looks at his relation to the Emperor and to free will. OK.
If I'm being honest, I never found Darth Vader all that interesting. He made for a fine villainous henchman, but as a core character or heaven forbid, a protagonist, he doesn't capture my imagination. This isn't a bad comic, but it doesn't change my opinion.
If I'm being honest, I never found Darth Vader all that interesting. He made for a fine villainous henchman, but as a core character or heaven forbid, a protagonist, he doesn't capture my imagination. This isn't a bad comic, but it doesn't change my opinion.
May 18, 2024
Now this is what I was waiting for. This adventure carries Taylor's signature humour and somehow even manages to evoke sympathy for Vader being under the Emperor's leash, all while maintaining his fearsome image. The other comics in this line - so far - hadn't dug deep enough below the surface to interest me, but this one did.
December 19, 2024
Darth Vader is a horrible, sad, tortured person. This story tries to do a bit of revision of his character. I think it's not completely true to his character. He would let the main character go because he was beneath him and no longer worth considering.
October 12, 2017
Very quick, pretty instantly forgettable story. Decent art.
November 2, 2017
Very fund read if you like Star Wars and want a quick read.
March 24, 2018
decent. interesting star wars story.
January 26, 2019
A fun read of seeing Vader be Vader, while also tackling the issue of whether he has a will of his own or not.
April 1, 2019
While the art took some getting used to, I really liked this story.
October 25, 2019
Meh, okay story, but below average art work.
August 2, 2021
Star Wars Legends Project #281
Background: The Will of Darth Vader was published in July 2010, the fourth in the Star Wars Adventures series of graphic novellas. It was written by Tom Taylor and drawn by Brian Koschak. Taylor has written a few other Star Wars comics, including one other in this series. Koschak also drew for about half a dozen issues of Clone Wars-related comics.
The Will of Darth Vader takes place 3 years after the Battle of Yavin, presumably shortly after The Empire Strikes Back. The main character is . . . Darth Vader. The story takes place on and around Annamar.
Summary: When Rebel ships that have been targeting Imperial cargos become a little too successful, Darth Vader decides to put a stop to the raids, personally. But a chance encounter with a mouthy smuggler leads to a more introspective mission than the Dark Lord is comfortable with.
Review: So, obviously this is one of those Darth Vader stories where he just single-handedly rolls in and decimates a ridiculous number of adversaries. Generally these stories aren't very interesting because they lean almost entirely on action in place of any character work, and they suggest that Darth Vader is so ridiculously powerful on his own that it's laughable for anyone to stand against him. Like, why would the Empire even have a military if Darth Vader can hunt down and destroy entire Rebel bases alone?
So, I don't love that aspect of this story, but I was surprised and intrigued by the way it handled the smuggler character, Luca. He seems like a complete throw-away upon first introduction, but he ends up being a really interesting foil to Vader here. I really liked the way the title seems to suggest that this is a story of Darth Vader's implacable resolve, but that it instead calls into question the degree to which Vader has or exhibits any genuine free will at all. There's more to that than can be fully explored in a story this short and this juvenile, especially when the focus really is ultimately on Darth Vader battling ridiculous odds, but this definitely felt like a cut above some of the other stories in the series. Might be worth checking out.
B-
Background: The Will of Darth Vader was published in July 2010, the fourth in the Star Wars Adventures series of graphic novellas. It was written by Tom Taylor and drawn by Brian Koschak. Taylor has written a few other Star Wars comics, including one other in this series. Koschak also drew for about half a dozen issues of Clone Wars-related comics.
The Will of Darth Vader takes place 3 years after the Battle of Yavin, presumably shortly after The Empire Strikes Back. The main character is . . . Darth Vader. The story takes place on and around Annamar.
Summary: When Rebel ships that have been targeting Imperial cargos become a little too successful, Darth Vader decides to put a stop to the raids, personally. But a chance encounter with a mouthy smuggler leads to a more introspective mission than the Dark Lord is comfortable with.
Review: So, obviously this is one of those Darth Vader stories where he just single-handedly rolls in and decimates a ridiculous number of adversaries. Generally these stories aren't very interesting because they lean almost entirely on action in place of any character work, and they suggest that Darth Vader is so ridiculously powerful on his own that it's laughable for anyone to stand against him. Like, why would the Empire even have a military if Darth Vader can hunt down and destroy entire Rebel bases alone?
So, I don't love that aspect of this story, but I was surprised and intrigued by the way it handled the smuggler character, Luca. He seems like a complete throw-away upon first introduction, but he ends up being a really interesting foil to Vader here. I really liked the way the title seems to suggest that this is a story of Darth Vader's implacable resolve, but that it instead calls into question the degree to which Vader has or exhibits any genuine free will at all. There's more to that than can be fully explored in a story this short and this juvenile, especially when the focus really is ultimately on Darth Vader battling ridiculous odds, but this definitely felt like a cut above some of the other stories in the series. Might be worth checking out.
B-
September 7, 2021
Does Vader have a soul left?
January 26, 2023
While the art and story was aimed at a younger audience it was a decent story with some ok artwork.
March 9, 2011
SCRIPT: Tom Taylor
PENCILS: Brian Koschak
INKS: Dan Parsons
COLORS: Michael Wiggam
LETTERING: Michael Heisler
COVER ART: Sean Mcnally
DARK HORSE BOOKS
When I started this book which I got on loan from the library I thought the humor and characterization would keep me from enjoying it. I didn't know if I would like the art style either because animated type styles are kind of hit and miss for me.
That didn't happen here and I so love it when you go in thinking I might not enjoy this book but it really surprises you and leaves you happy you picked it up.
I enjoyed the art by Brian Koschak and overall the story really keep me within the Star Wars universe while also adding to it; which is what tie-in stories are suppose to do isn't it?
The story moves along very quickly which suits the younger audience it is directed at but it also has plenty for older readers. Long time Star Wars fans should enjoy this but you can also come into it with only a brief knowledge of the universe and still enjoy it.
A great read by the pool or while out to dinner. Good for a trip in the car with the kids, for the kids, or the co-pilot. Don't read while driving.
3 out of 5 Stars
Review by Brian C. Williams
(c)2011
PENCILS: Brian Koschak
INKS: Dan Parsons
COLORS: Michael Wiggam
LETTERING: Michael Heisler
COVER ART: Sean Mcnally
DARK HORSE BOOKS
When I started this book which I got on loan from the library I thought the humor and characterization would keep me from enjoying it. I didn't know if I would like the art style either because animated type styles are kind of hit and miss for me.
That didn't happen here and I so love it when you go in thinking I might not enjoy this book but it really surprises you and leaves you happy you picked it up.
I enjoyed the art by Brian Koschak and overall the story really keep me within the Star Wars universe while also adding to it; which is what tie-in stories are suppose to do isn't it?
The story moves along very quickly which suits the younger audience it is directed at but it also has plenty for older readers. Long time Star Wars fans should enjoy this but you can also come into it with only a brief knowledge of the universe and still enjoy it.
A great read by the pool or while out to dinner. Good for a trip in the car with the kids, for the kids, or the co-pilot. Don't read while driving.
3 out of 5 Stars
Review by Brian C. Williams
(c)2011
October 8, 2016
GUYS. Guys. Oh my god. Wacky Sith Lord Roadtrip Hijinks is apparently a legit subcategory in the Star Wars EU. Can we talk about how happy that makes me.
That said, this particular entry in the subcategory is really more meh than it is lulzy, at least for me. It's good for a kids' graphic novel: the story is pretty suspenseful, with quite high stakes and an interesting message, and oh my god I love Luca. He's a one-shot character but he snarks Vader, guys. He snarks Vader, and Vader largely lets him get away with it, and it's beautiful. Also, point of interest, he's black.
Where it falls down for me is the art. It's just sliiiiiightly off for me. The angles are wrong or something, and some of the expressions are a little more cartoony than I think the artist may have been aiming for. It bothers me, so I can't really say I enjoyed myself as much as I'd like.
That said, this is an entry in the Wacky Sith Lord Roadtrip Hijinks subcategory and therefore I love it. Good for kids or people who are really interested in Vader or people who like Wacky Sith Lord Roadtrip Hijinks.
That said, this particular entry in the subcategory is really more meh than it is lulzy, at least for me. It's good for a kids' graphic novel: the story is pretty suspenseful, with quite high stakes and an interesting message, and oh my god I love Luca. He's a one-shot character but he snarks Vader, guys. He snarks Vader, and Vader largely lets him get away with it, and it's beautiful. Also, point of interest, he's black.
Where it falls down for me is the art. It's just sliiiiiightly off for me. The angles are wrong or something, and some of the expressions are a little more cartoony than I think the artist may have been aiming for. It bothers me, so I can't really say I enjoyed myself as much as I'd like.
That said, this is an entry in the Wacky Sith Lord Roadtrip Hijinks subcategory and therefore I love it. Good for kids or people who are really interested in Vader or people who like Wacky Sith Lord Roadtrip Hijinks.
November 1, 2020
I was absolutely blown away by how good this book was. It's positively chilling, especially towards the end as . I haven't yet looked at what else Tom Taylor has written, but I need to, because the man can tell a story. I'm not sure you'd even have to know Star Wars to understand and appreciate it.
(We read this when my son was four or five, and I was wondering if he'd be upset by the ending, but he wasn't. I suspect he might have missed the gravity of the situation. Other younger kids may find it too sad.)
(We read this when my son was four or five, and I was wondering if he'd be upset by the ending, but he wasn't. I suspect he might have missed the gravity of the situation. Other younger kids may find it too sad.)
October 5, 2010
Pleasantly substantial storyline for a kids' series. Thought-provoking and edgy but not too violent. Would have given it 4 stars but the art was a bit clunky- especially the space ships. Whoa, they were pretty badly drawn. You can't go "stylistic" with that stuff.
Read
January 17, 2016I loved the book. Especially the parts where Jedi's fight. My favorite part of the book is the beginning when Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers invaded the resistants team. I would rate this book 9/10.
November 15, 2012
No matter how young or old. You're nothing but your own toy soldier.
March 13, 2014
Luca is a funny guy and the story is amusing, but the art is something ghastly.
April 17, 2015
Darth Vader is sent on a mission to destroy a rebel base. On his way there he imprisons a freighter captain. It turns into an odd buddy road trip type book. There is a nice twist. A good read.
February 5, 2016
Y'know, if you are going to have a story involving spaceships and Darth Vader, it might be a good idea to get someone that can draw both well. Brian Koschak is not that person.
April 23, 2016
I really loved this! I read this first 4 years ago! Reading it now really sparked my love for graphic novels, comic books, and Star Wars... Of course!
February 1, 2017
Excellent story. Really showcases Vader's power and the fact that he has no will of his own and is just a toy soldier of the Emperor to be tossed away when he draws tired of it.
June 2, 2019
An interesting look at Vader's position as his master's enforcer
Displaying 1 - 29 of 30 reviews