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REVIEW: ‘Darth Vader #25′ rules!

 
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Overview
 

Story by: Kieron Gillen
 
Art by: Salvador Larroca and Max Fiumara
 
Publisher:
 
FG RATING
 
 
 
 
 
4.5/ 5


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To sum it all up..

Kieron Gillen’s entire run of Star Wars: Darth Vader can be summed up in one word: EPIC. I am both sad and happy on his take with one of the most iconic pop culture villains of the 20th century (and beyond). The former is he is ending his run when arguably he could write more […]

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Posted October 18, 2016 by

 
FULL REVIEW
 
 

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Kieron Gillen’s entire run of Star Wars: Darth Vader can be summed up in one word: EPIC. I am both sad and happy on his take with one of the most iconic pop culture villains of the 20th century (and beyond). The former is he is ending his run when arguably he could write more stores on the Dark Lord. And the latter because he is finishing it on his own terms, which both Marvel and Lucas Arts give him that kind of privilege. Thus, STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #25 is his final chapter of his illustrious (and definitive) run.

This finale is the conclusion of the last Darth Vader arc, resolving loose threads and tying loose ends that unarguably fill the gaps between Last Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Like a great storyteller, Kieron’s script focuses more on how powerful the Sith Lord really is without even uttering lots of dialogues. As a matter of fact, the good doctor has more word counts than him; even the targets of Vader’s wrath and Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine have more dialogues than him altogether. Gillen shows that Vader is more action than pep talks, more cunning than boisterous claims, and more dangerous when he’s focused with The Force. A great story arguably possesses drama and Kieron puts that particularly in the epilogue and the moments where Vader confronts his subordinates and enemies. The dialogue is sparse for the Sith Lord but the unfortunates say lots and lots of fruitless, if not futile, justifications, creating a necessary tension/suspense whether or not Vader would cease their respective existences. And, the writer adds a worthy “CODA” that presents how the Vader legacy goes beyond in his former homeland in Tattoine. Again, Gillen demonstrates how good his send-off is; even the story is entirely silent, presenting a degree of mastery of sequential paneling and trusting the artist’s graphic illustrations to show how influential the Sith Lord is to the numerous tribes and beyond.

Salvador Larroca’s interiors are clean, very detailed, majestic and defined. His Vader takes are still menacing and convincingly devastating. The facial portrayals are marks of his continuing improvement of emotional projections, especially the doctor’s alibis and the general’s futile justifications. And, the EXECUTOR is anything but sloppy; truly a force to be reckoned with, particularly under the Dark Lord’s command. The only thing I dislike with Salvador’s art is his facial drawings of Emperor Palpatine, even in close-ups. Perhaps, his face is really difficult to draw. Max Fiumara’s rendition in CODA is obviously different from Salvador’s but the former captures the fear of the entire tribe community on the message Vader wants to impose upon. Dark, brooding and layered with religiosity, the CODA is worthy to an almost perfect denouement to Gillen’s Darth Vader run.

Star Wars: Darth Vader #25 ends the remarkable Kieron Gillen run on the Sith Lord. The narrative fits nicely to the entire Star Wars canon (under the Disney format). Gillen shows why Darth Vader, no matter how villainous he is, remains one of the most dangerous (and influential) and iconic Dark Lords we have EVER!


Paul Ramos

 


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