Comic Book Review: Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions No. 1

Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions No. 1 kicks off a mini-series that focuses on the impact that Darth Vader has had across the universe and what kind of legacy he leaves behind.

Most Star Wars fans will be familiar with Darth Vader’s portrayal in the movies, which is one that always shows him as the big bad. Sure, the Empire is horrible, but no one who knew what he was capable of ever wanted to willingly come across Vader. He was feared, but the Rebels would face him anyway, though not many would live to tell their stories.

In Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions, Marvel is taking a look at how Darth Vader impacted various people and places throughout the galaxy. In this first issue, he finds himself on Cianap, which is full of ruined cities. The story is told through the perspective of one of the kids on the planet.

Vader goes up against what the kid calls “the ender,” which looks like some sort of combination between a shark and a dinosaur. It’s massive, but Darth Vader is so ruthless that he makes it look easy. In the process, the people are freed, but even more destruction is brought upon the already ruined cities, which forces almost everyone back into the tunnels.

Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum easily grasps what it is that makes Vader tick. If anyone or anything gets in his way, destruction ensues. The mannerisms of Vader shine through, even though the story is not told from his perspective and he doesn’t have all that much dialogue.

Paolo Villanelli’s art captures the brutality of Vader with extreme precision. He is work is a great fit for this comic and the colors by Arif Prianto help bring it to life even more. Overall, this creative team is off to a nice start and I’m looking forward to what Vader stories come out of the next four issues.