Greetings again Star
Wars fans! This week I'll be talking to you about the 3rd installment of “Darth
Vader and the Ghost Prison.” This was my entry point into the story, but I've
got to say, I wasn't lost for a second. Haden Blackman does an excellent job of
writing this issue in such a way that by the end of it, you forget you're
actually reading part 3.
To fill you in on
what happened before, the Headmaster of the Empire's military academies has
made an attempt on the Emperor's life. All of his students are behind him save
one, disabled Lieutenant Laurita Tohm. Tohm aids Darth Vader and Moff Trachta
in moving the Emperor to a secret hangar bay while they look for a place to get
Palpatine the care he needs. Perhaps the Jedi had such a place, and it is at
the beginning of this issue that we see Darth Vader has gone to the abandoned
Jedi Temple to find out.
It gave me such an eerie chill to see Vader standing in the
middle of the Jedi briefing room watching holograms of Jedi Masters long since
dead. We learn that the Jedi had a secret prison, secret even from the
Republic, and that they've been running it for years. It was Vader's former
self, Anakin Skywalker, who was in fact responsible for the capture of more
than half of its inmates.
Vader is enraged to find that this was kept
from him and hurls a chair out of a window with the Force. It was really
shocking to see Vader lose his cool like this. We're all used to seeing the
cold and collected Vader from the films, who very rarely shows his anger. So to
see him completely lose his shit, even if just for a moment, is pretty damn
awesome. To do it in such a recognizable location from the films just adds that
much more weight to the moment.
For those like me,
who haven't read the previous issues, we're then introduced to two more major
players, Lieutenant Laurita Tohm and Moff Trachtis. We get to see how each of
the characters suffered their own disfigurements, we get a good feel for the
balance of power between them, and we get the feeling that there is clearly no
love lost between these two, though there is at least respect.
In the next scene,
we see both new and familiar faces. Grand Moff Tarkin is being briefed by
Headmaster Gentis of the attack on the Emperor. When questioned, Gentis makes
it seem like he has the Emperor in his care and that Darth Vader has
mysteriously disappeared. This greatly interests Tarkin, who decides to come
visit Gentis on Coruscant to take over the investigation. It was cool to see
another familiar face from the films. I always thought Tarkin could have made a
better villain if Lucas had known his franchise was going to be popular enough
to continue past the first film, and so it's very nice to see him again here. Gentis is interesting because, while he is loyal to the Empire, he's not at
all loyal to its leader. His one-page scene later on, where he explains the
motivations behind the attack, really makes you root for the guy, because he
values each and every Imperial life. Well, you know, except for the Emperor's.
The last part of the
issue, when Vader takes over the Jedi prison Prism, moves at a quick pace.
Vader comes one step closer to the eradication of the Jedi, Trachtis shows just
how much a monster he really is, and Tohm comes up with a plan to help Vader
retake control of Coruscant. It sets up the next issue nicely and gives you a
better understanding of the newer characters. I'm definitely interested in
continuing this series. As a huge fan of the original trilogy, it's always nice
to read new stories that feature Vader. It also doesn't hurt that Agustin
Alessio's art here is absolutely incredible. This is the first time I've read a
Star Wars book that felt less like a comic and more like an extension of the
films, and that is due in no small part to the expertly drawn characters and
environments by Alessio. His characters are all very emotive and it really
lends a lot of weight to certain scenes when you can clearly see what the
character is feeling. I can't wait to see more of it.
Let us know if you enjoyed it too. Until next
time, may the Force be with you.
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