Imperial inquisition.
By Jeff Lake
If Darth Vader #8 read like Ocean’s 11, issue #9 is its House of Cards, with Vader forced to navigate an increasingly tricky web to both keep appearances and avoid detection. It’s a balance Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca mostly pull off, their various machinations turning a brisk read into a tightrope walk. It’s not the most outwardly exciting issue of Vader we’ve see so far, but it’s certainly an interesting one.
With Dr. Aphra’s heist in the rear view, Vader is tasked with finding the presumed criminals that he himself hired. Considering Vader’s usual black and white leanings, it’s fun to see the character operate within the confines of his own agenda. It’s easier said than done, however, as the recently introduced Imperial Inspector Thanoth proves himself a most tenacious and formidable thorn. Vader has a temper, but there’s always a sense of intelligent calm to the character that makes him seem like the smartest man in the room. Not so with Thanoth. Gillen’s writing of the character is fantastic, as even though it’s never explicitly said, little comments and subtle wordings point to the Inspector being much more knowledgeable of the situation than he lets on. This puts Vader in a position we’re not used to seeing – one where he’s at a disadvantage.
Where Thanoth works well, the rest of the issue’s unfolding plot falls a bit shorter. The raid of the droid fighting den is a great tool to highlight Vader and Thanoth’s working relationship, but the characterization there is limited and the learned information even less. The scene mostly serves as a stepping stone for bigger plot points to come, and while necessary, it dominates a large chunk of the issue that could have been utilized for better things. Likewise, the end scene with Dr. Aphra feels truncated and tacked on, saved solely by the winking reveal issued in the very last panel. It’s a bit forced, but it also highlights the fine balance the creative team continually strikes between existing mythology and it’s ever expanding mythos.
Compared to the high stakes events of last issue, Larroca turns in a quieter, more self contained installment. The many conversation heavy panels serve to highlight both the artist’s strengths and flaws in equal measure. Vader is again pitch perfect in every way, shape and form, each subtle shift and ominous posture as character specific as the impressive armor he wears. Equally wonderful are the issue’s grand set pieces, particularly the large, imposing space structures contained within Anthan Prime. With so much detail given to these scenes, the more humdrum moments feel just that, the numerous speech heavy panels failing to garner any real visual investment. They aren’t bad structurally, but they also come off flat, rendering some of the scripts more heightened moments inert. Considering that Vader has all the facial complexity of a department store mannequin, it’s somewhat disappointing that he’s still the most emotive character of the bunch.
As a launching pad for bigger things to come, Darth Vader issue #9 delivers. We get some great adversarial content between Vader and Thanoth, and the sly memtion at issue’s end points the book in an intriguing new direction. That said, uneven pacing and flat character work prevent this issue from fully getting into hyperspace, even as the tension mounts.
