Review: Star Wars Darth Vader #10

Anyone who thinks that Disney has a mandate against mentioning anything to do with the rise of Skywalker clearly is not reading the current Darth Vader comic arc. With Star Wars Darth Vader #10 Greg Pak continues to double down on acknowledging the sequel trilogy and connecting Darth Vader at the time just beyond the Empire Strikes Back to the stories and mythos found within the Rise of Skywalker.

Here Vader has brought Ochi of Bestoon to Red Space as he is making his way towards Exegol to deal with the Emperor after being left on Mustafar without his limbs or use of the force. It is interesting to see Darth Vader being so defiant against the Emperor at this early time. It will be interesting to see if the arc ends with the same level of defiance. In some ways the defiance robs the end of the original trilogy of its impact as Vader being so abused and rebellious makes the ultimate betrayal of the Emperor much more self serving.

This issue serves as a bridge between the last story on Mustafar and the upcoming promise of a trip to the heart of Exegol. But in and of itself it is still an amazing space battle and Vader battles past the empire and a monstrous blockade in order to reach the Emperor and the answers he seeks.

The art by Raffaele Ienco as well as the colors by Neeraj Menon are detailed and well crafted throughout the battle scenes, however they are nowhere near the level of skill with Vader himself that we have seen with previous Darth Vader runs. The focus is much more on the larger battles and creature and less on the individual characters and personalities. Vader just doesn’t carry the same gravitas and create the same aura of fear as he has in previous arcs.

The flashbacks do Vader no favors further making him feel more like Anakin Skywalker and less like Darth Vader. Hopefully this is all purposeful and the story will evolve to show Vader truly at the height of his power and assurance.

Writing: 3.8 of 5 stars
Art: 3.9 of 5 stars
Colors: 3.9 of 5 stars

Overall: 3.9 of 5 stars

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Raffaele Ienco
Colors: Neeraj Menon
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Author Profile

M.R. Jafri

M.R. Jafri was born and raised in Niagara Falls New York and now lives with his family in Detroit Michigan. He's a talkative introvert and argumentative geek. His loves include Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Transformers, GI Joe, Films, Comics, TV Shows, Action Figures and Twizzlers.