After the crazy, brain breaking kyber crystal arc and then the Jocasta Nu Chronicles, Darth Vader #11 and #12 are nice, self-contained story that serve almost as a palette cleanser before Soule and Camuncoli send the dark lord off on his next adventure. For now though, his Jedi hunt continues as Vader and Ninth Sister head out to Cabarria after hearing rumors of a Jedi there… only for the hunt to turn against him and the originator to be very highly placed within the Empire…

These two issues make sure that we don’t forget several things about the relatively young Darth Vader. First, that he is far from an established presence within the Empire and its power structure. Second, that Palpatine is incredibly twisted and has no problem beating Vader down verbally. Third, there is still a little bit of Anakin Skywalker left within Darth Vader. In a way, all three of these things have been key to the entire book so far and will likely remain so in future issues.

This isn’t the first time the Camuncoli has depicted how Vader sees himself in the Force while meditating but it’s still jaw-dropping nonetheless. Those panels need very little to no dialogue to convey so much and I hope that they continue to be a thing throughout this book. I also strongly appreciated that Camuncoli made it a point to depict both men and women within the Imperial ranks. Hopefully this continues to be a trend in the Star Wars comics.

If you’re looking to start reading the Darth Vader comics, issues #11-12 aren’t a bad way to jump on to the book or to test the waters a little and see if it’s your thing. There’s plenty here to enjoy for both new and established readers alike.

Darth Vader #11+12: Charles Soule/Writer, Giuseppe Camuncoli/Pencils, Daniele Orlandini/Inks, David Curiel/Colorist, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor