LEIA IS A BADASS QUEEN AND I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT APHRA.

Or, in other words, Vader Down concluded today with a one-two punch and I have some spoiler-y thoughts under the cut about not only Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca’s Darth Vader #15 but the entire event.

Within the first three pages, Larroca does some amazing storytelling with his art. Leia’s emotions just jump out from the page as she makes the decision to temporarily forgo her revenge and save her friends. And she’s not just sacrificing vengeance for Alderaan by not taking her shot at a very distracted Vader—she’s potentially throwing away a chance to really hurt the Empire. Moments like these may not help the Rebel Alliance but it does show what makes them human and why they’re the good guys.

Aphra on the other hand… Things are not looking good for the doctor. She sacrificed her ship to save Vader and now oh crap she’s been captured by the Rebels. Their interrogation techniques are far kinder than a Sith Lord’s but I’m feeling really nervous for her fate. She could die while trying to escape or, even worse, Vader might kill her so she won’t reveal his secrets. None of this is okay. (This ignores, of course, the chance that she’ll actually escape and be just fine. Pessimism is the best defense.)

When Vader Down was first announced, I was mildly excited. I was sure that it was going to be a fun ride but wasn’t expecting anything earth shattering. Well congratulations to the entire Marvel Star Wars team because you did it. Vader Down blew me away from the very first issue when we got those AMAZING two page spreads from Mike Deodato and then never pulled its punches for the rest of the arc, right down to its conclusion. It’s one thing for a comic series to have a strong start and it’s another for it to crossover with another equally strong series almost a year down the line and knock it out of the park.

So should you pick up not only this issue but the entire arc? HELL YEAH. This is absolutely a comic that Star Wars fans should not miss.