Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith #22 Review: “And then the Jedi came”
By Meg Dowell
As Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith approaches its final installments, we learn more about the true motivations behind Vader’s quest on Mustafar.
The past few issues of Darth Vader Dark Lord of the Sith have introduced a new Sith Lord into Star Wars canon. He comes to Vader in the form of a mask that can take over the body of anyone Momin pleases – and with it, he can fulfill his true purpose.
SPOILERS AHEAD! You have been warned.
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The possessed Brenne presented Lord Vader with a fortress design he could not refuse. Now, he meets the mastermind behind the mask.
Momin’s backstory paints the perfect tale of an innocent-turned-Sith without repeating the stories we’ve heard before. He did not have any interest in following the normal protocols of a Sith Lord. He never took on an apprentice. He never wanted to destroy – only build.
In his recollections of the past, he essentially blames the Jedi for making him a murderer, claiming they interfered with his “plans.” We see that same bitterness and pain seemingly present in all Sith – but his character comes with a twist.
He has quickly become a unique example of what happens when a hunger for knowledge and pursuit of perfection consume and control someone. Momin never meant to hurt or terrify anyone. He became obsessed with completely harmless ambitions that drove him to the dark side.
His comments to Vader are saddening. All he wants is to create something better. That’s all he ever wanted, and look where it got him. Doomed and all but forgotten.
But the most heartbreaking discovery we made this week is the real reason Vader’s Castle was built: to bring Padmé Amidala back to life.
Theoretically, anyway. Momin promises Vader that opening up the door on Mustafar – the castle is apparently the “key” – will, in some way, allow the Dark Lord to see her again. Of course, this is a vague promise, and Momin and his mask are pretty much free to twist words into any meaning and outcome they want to.
Was Momin lying to Vader – manipulating him for one more chance to create the “perfect” masterpiece? It wouldn’t surprise me. Sith lie. And if you really think about it, as tragic as Padmé’s death may have been, it set the next two decades of Star Wars history – and beyond – in motion.
We know from both animated Star Wars TV series that a place “between life and death” does exist. But we also learned – sorry, Ezra’s parents – that even if it’s possible to bring some people back from death, it’s not always the right choice.
Photo Credit: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Marvel Comics/Disney.
Perhaps that’s how this phenomenal series will end – Vader realizing that bringing Padmé back won’t make him whole. After all, trying to save her from dying in the first place was what led him down the darkest possible path.
Three more issues to go. Will Momin follow through on his promise? Will he create something magnificent – only to destroy something else in the process? Will Vader reunite with the love of his life – only to realize he never should have let a deceased Sith Lord help him open up a big scary mystery door to who-knows-where?
Next. Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith #21 Review: There may be pain. dark
All of the above. Probably. This part of Vader’s story may be coming to an end, but his life as a Sith Lord has only just begun.