Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader's Castle

By: Kyle Scully

Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader’s Castle #1

Written by: Cavan Scott

Art by: Derek Charm, Nicoletta Baldari, Nick Brokenshire, Francesco Francavilla 

Letterer: Valeria Lopez

Cover Artist: Francesco Francavilla

Published by: IDW

THE STORY: The book features three stories centered around Vader’s Castle. Intertwined throughout, two Mustafarians dare to enter the foreboding castle and destroy it once and for all. It’s worth noting, this all takes place after the battle of Endor. 

THE REVIEW: Darth Vader’s Castle has been part of Star Wars lore ever since Ralph McQuarrie drew the fortress in advance of The Empire Strikes Back. It found life in the expanded universe and Rogue One marked its first film appearance. Its legacy lives on in comics. Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader’s Castle, Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle (both written by Cavan Scott) and now a new entry Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader’s Castle #1 continue the haunting tales of the mysterious castle.   

The book opens right before Obi-Wan lands on Mustafar to confront Anakin during the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. I loved these pages. A young Mustafarian dares a glance of Anakin only to find he’s not the Jedi he expected but an agent of evil. The art is big and energetic. It boasts a lot of red and yellow swaths of color. Giant panels easily convey Anakin’s pain and guilt. His former allies are ghostly images that taunt Anakin towards the dark side.  

Diving into the three short stories, I found the first entry to be the most compelling. It gave some insight into the origin of Vanee, Vader’s servant who appears in Rogue One and some of the previous Vader’s Castle books. It also serves to showcase Vader’s immense power and his innate ability to manipulate and control. It’s clear the castle’s location wasn’t an arbitrary choice. Charm’s art is superbly stylistic and meshes well with the overall aesthetic of the story. Anything darker might make the proceedings too scary for children. At the same time, Charm’s art handily works with the script to form a perfect artistic combination. 

The next yarn felt like the book’s weakest point. A young Twi’lek retrieves a jewel for the Emperor. It reminded me a lot of Aladdin but without much of its charm. The art feels unfinished and messy. Character images don’t quite fit with some of the dialogue and the tale ends as abruptly as it starts. It also didn’t feel terribly connected with the castle or Vader. 

The final narrative about a wayward scientist was a bit off the beaten path but it continued to explore Vader’s psyche. The quick plot manages to squeeze in a few twists and the way Vader handles the situation proves how cunning he really is. The art is a bit lacking. It feels busy with too many lines and the colors are a little too pastel for such a dark story. 

The whole book ends on some dramatic action and a well-crafted turn that puts a firm grip on the book’s horror aspirations. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: This comic is a bit of a mixed bag but I don’t regret picking it up. I enjoyed the art, the horror elements and the it’s skill in highlighting Vader’s strengths and what makes him a true monster. 

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #5 Review

By: Kyle Scully

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #5

Written by: Ethan Sacks

Art by: Pablo Villanelli 

Colors by: Arif Prianto 

Letters by: Travis Lanham 

Published by: Marvel Comics 

THE STORY: 

Bounty hunters Valance and Boba Fett square off in a fight over the lives of Vash, a fellow hunter who betrayed them years ago and her young ward. 

REVIEW: 

Bounty Hunters are some of the most intriguing and colorful characters populating the Star Wars universe. Ever since Greedo met his fate, bounty hunters have held a certain sway over fans of a galaxy far, far away. 

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters is meant to sedate this interest and give the audience a swath of bounty hunter exploits while they wait for shows like The Mandalorian. The last issue ended with T’onga’s death at the hands of Boba Fett. It was a moment that left a bad taste in my mouth. She was the book’s best character and to be killed so unceremoniously felt like a tragic waste. 

This issue opens with a flashback highlighting Nakano Lash’s back-story. She lives but her mother is seemingly killed off-frame. This continues the comic’s trend of killing women without a second thought. It’s a troubling repetition that hangs like a cloud over the rest of the book and without spoiling the ending it’s safe to say it doesn’t end there. 

In the present, Boba Fett wants his revenge against Lash for betraying him and the rest of the team years earlier. Valance fights Fett to protect Vash and the child she’s been harboring from the syndicate. The fight is the issue’s biggest strength. It features some great banter, terrific artwork and bright colors. The artwork is easy to follow and the action continues the book’s ability to utilize the hunters’ personalities in their fighting styles. There are also some beautiful splash pages littered throughout the book that deserve special merit. 

Otherwise, the book is fairly simplistic. Characters don’t develop and we never find out why Valance is so determined to protect Vash or see her mission through. Fett feels more like a company note than a needed inclusion in the story. I’m still waiting to find some depth to Valance’s character but I’m not holding my breath. 

The savior child trope found in this book isn’t particularly unique especially in the Star Wars landscape and they have yet to really explain why or how this child despite her lineage will unite the different clans. 

The next issue teases more familiar bounty hunters, and I’m a sucker for anything Star Wars so I’m certain to buy it, but thus far the book is fairly run of the mill in its story and characters. It also feels terribly cruel to its female characters so I find it difficult to recommend unless you absolutely must collect every Star Wars comic book on the shelf.