Tag Archives: Salvador Larroca

Review: Darth Vader #14

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Look.  Do you know what’s not okay?  That cover to the right by Mark Brooks because MY HEART STARTED POUNDING WHEN I THOUGHT THAT JUST MAY HK-47 WAS BACK BUT NOOOOOO IT’S JUST SOME OTHER RANDOM DROID.  *breathes*

Vader Down is back this week with Darth Vader #14 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca.  When last we left our heroes, Leia was facing off against Darth Vader… which always goes well for people.

Despite this issue being action packed, it felt a little bit slower in comparison to the last few.  That’s not a bad thing though because honestly? I can only take Vader terrifying me so many times in a row.  What Darth Vader #14 does do really well is put some solid character moments into the mix.  I recently read an interview from Gillen where he mentioned that Vader Down is testing out how some of the characters react to each other in this three year gap between films and no where was it more evident than with Leia and Vader.  Not only is there a difference between how they react to each other now but this is an incredibly telling moment for Leia.  In just a few pages, her commitment to the Rebel Alliance coupled with the permanent weight of Alderaan that she carries around have never been more evident.  It’s very well done.

The levity breaks are still around in this issue.  As per usual, the Murder Bots are turning out to be worth their weight in gold and poor Threepio is going to need a vacation after this.  Gillen did a good day’s work when he came up with the idea for Dr. Aphra and the Murder Bots.  (That’s the name of my cover band, by the way.)

Vader Down continues to be fantastic and I can’t wait to pick up the next issue!

Review: Darth Vader #13

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Look, let’s be honest: Vader Down is essentially Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen sitting across a table from each other while grinning diabolically and going “Oh, you had your artist draw Vader doing that cool thing? JUST WATCH WHAT I’M GOING TO HAVE MY ARTIST DRAW!” Alternatively, just imagine this as a Pokemon fight with Larroca and Dedato as the Pokemon and Aaron and Gillen as the trainers.  (I should probably admit that I never played Pokemon or watched it or… this metaphor has gotten away from me.)  (Ten thousand bonus points go to the first person to photoshop this.)

Point is, Vader Down continuing to be an awesome crossover event with the release of Darth Vader #13 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca.  As you may have guessed from the opener, this comic is filled with plenty of instances of Vader being badass.  Moments like these really emphasize why people are scared of the Dark Lord of the Sith.  Of course, it wouldn’t be a Vader issue if we didn’t get more of Dr. Aphra and the Murder Bots.  They have some particularly fun parts in this issue that I won’t spoil for you.

One of the best moments in the comic was when Gillen got to play with characters he previously hasn’t been able to: Han and Leia.  Their disagreement about whether to go after Vader or to send a rescue mission for Luke really just nails the essence of who they are especially in these early months after the Battle of Yavin.  Leia is focused on the Alliance’s mission and vengeance for her people while Han’s more concerned about this farmboy he’s taking a liking to.

Oh yeah.  And did I mention all those glorious pages of Vader just stomping all over everyone?  Because those were pretty great.

Review: Darth Vader #12

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You know what’s a good sign that a comic book is awesome? When you turn a page and audibly say “OH $#!*” Darth Vader #12 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca not only has one of those moments but it’s a sequence that would make the Battlefront game jealous.

It’s difficult to point to one element that makes this book work more than any others. Is it Gillen’s great grasp of Vader? Is it the supporting cast of characters? Is it Larroca’s artwork? Is it how Palpatine’s manipulating hand can be felt in so many of the pages? Is it how badass Vader is? Is it Dr. Aphra’s ridiculous facial expressions when things aren’t going the best?

Darth Vader has been a beautiful example of how an entire team can come together to make a book gel. I’ve been remiss in mentioning everyone on that team in the past so let’s rectify that now and give some accolades to Edgar Delgado on colors, Joe Caramagna on lettering, and the editing skills of Jordan White and Heather Antos. This is the last issue before Vader Down kicks off and it feels like a good time to look back and appreciate how virtually flawless this book has been.

This issue may not have had the emotional impact of the ones where Vader realized Luke was his son but it certainly packs a punch. All the pieces are moving into alignment and, like I said before, it’s hard not to see Palpatine sitting back to see what all of his pawns will do next. I’m particularly interested to see how things go with Thanoth and to see if he’ll eventually become wise to Vader’s plan.

Darth Vader #12 is another well-down issue by the entire team that perfectly sets up the forthcoming crossover and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Oh and those pages. Those amazing four pages. You’ll know them when you see them.

Review: Darth Vader #11

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Right so let me explain to you a thing: Kieron Gillen is clearly in league with Chuck Wendig to give me multiple heart attacks in the space of mere minutes while reading their work. Darth Vader #11 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca is out today and is definitely a high stakes and stressful ride.

With each passing issue, Darth Vader shows itself to be more and more of a character study; taking it up a notch from a book that could’ve just been Vader killing things for 22 pages every month. Gillen highlights Vader’s strengths and his weaknesses without hitting readers over the head with it. This current arc has been reinforcing that while Vader is smart, he’s not the smartest person in the room and it’s only a matter of time before that has consequences… consequences that he may or may not have to personally pay the price for.

On the other side of things, Dr. Aphra continues to be a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe and Triple Zero and BeeTee are delightful despite being homicidal. There’s just something about them being in a book as a contrast to Vader that works incredibly well. It would be interesting to have seen more of Aphra from before she started working with Vader and see if this is how she’s always worked and been. I suspect the answer is yes but still. She’s smart and she can adapt to a situation fast. It’s a good combination but I can’t shake the feeling that it will also contribute to her eventual downfall

There’s nothing new to say on the artist front because clearly Larroca is still rocking it. He did, however, draw the BEST Dr. Aphra facial expression ever a little less than halfway through the issue. If that face doesn’t show up as at least one person’s Twitter icon within a week, I’ll be shocked.

Darth Vader #11 gets another Hell Yeah! on my new sliding scale of enthusiasm.

Review: Darth Vader #10

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Following up on last issue’s mic drop, Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca show no signs of slowing down or lessening the quality of this great book with the release of Darth Vader #10 today.

Darth Vader #10 is the issue that really lets Dr. Aphra shine. Readers have certainly gotten to know her for the last six or so issues but this is the one where it really made sense to me why she is the way she is. Or, in other words, why she continues to work for Vader. We’ve known that her character was grounded in the idea of a darker version of Indiana Jones but never has it been more evident than here. Not only do we get some of her backstory but we get a little more clarity into how she views the galaxy. Her conversation with Than is absolutely fascinating. My only question is how Commodex Than knows everything that he knows. (It’ll make more sense when you read the issue.)

Larroca clearly had a ton of fun with getting to design a Naboo house and it makes me wish we could see more of the planet more often. My only artistic complaint is that there’s one really weird panel with Aphra’s butt that just looks… odd and unnecessary? Oh. And I’m pretty sure that taking selfies is canon in Star Wars now unless I interpreted a panel completely wrong. So that’s cool. (Not a complaint, just a comment!)

The issue isn’t all Aphra though. Inspector Thanoth is going to be a problem and that in turn is going to be a problem for him. Just wait… I can feel it.

Gillen and Larroca continue to knock it out of the park and #10 gets a very strong recommendation from me this week.

Review: Darth Vader #9

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Not content with all the new Star Wars material we got on Force Friday? Good because Marvel has plenty more to share. Out today is Shattered Empire #1 (which we’ll be reviewing once it’s collected in November) and Darth Vader #9. Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca return to the adventures of Darth Vader, Doctor Aphra, and the two lovable murderbots.

Vader is still under the thumb of Admiral Tagge after his failure at Yavin 4 and must work with Thanoth instead of devoting himself to his own side project. Thankfully, he has (for now) an ally and useful tool in the form of the one and only Aphra who is running down some leads for him at a very expensive rate…

And then Kieron Gillen dropped the f*$&ing microphone. Thus ends the review. Dear Marvel: Give me issue #10 right now.  Please.

(No seriously. That’s all this review is going to say. Go buy Darth Vader #9 either at your local comic store or through a digital shop right now. Trust me.)

Review: Darth Vader #8

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I’d ask you to guess what comic is out today but given the title of this review, you already know that Darth Vader #8 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca is in comic stores everywhere now. We now return to our adventure show about a Sith Lord, an archaeologist, and two murderous droids.

The fun thing about this issue is that it’s definitely Aphra heavy and given that she’s been one of the best parts of this book that is a-okay by me. It takes until about halfway through the issue for Vader to show up. Again, this is not a problem which is a testament to what a strong supporting cast Gillen has built up in only a few issues. We are, however, getting to the point where I ask myself, “What exactly are Aphra’s motivations for continuing to work for Vader besides not wanting to, y’know, die?” She seems to be enjoying herself but this latest mission seems a little more out of her wheelhouse.

One of the neat things that this book has been doing is showing that Vader does still share that mind for strategy that Anakin Skywalker but that he still can’t beat a true master. He tries to be careful but he’s not perfect. This book has done a fantastic job at really integrating those last remnants of Anakin into Vader without sacrificing anything in terms of showing the Vader that we first met in the Original Trilogy.

Nothing much to say about the art this week. Larroca continues to do a fantastic job and is clearly having fun with character design. No wait, I’m sorry. I lied. I do have to point out that I appreciate the efforts towards diversity that the comics are making. It would have been very easy to make this new Inspector another white male and instead, we get an older black man so kudos to Larroca for that decision. I do miss the Adi Granov covers though.

Do we even need to say it? Darth Vader #8 gets out recommendation again this month.

Review: Darth Vader #7

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The one-two punch of Star Wars #6 and Darth Vader #6 was always going to be a tough act to follow but Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca do an admirable job of it. Darth Vader #7 is out today and answers the question of “Just how do you follow up Vader learning he has a son?”

The issue picks up on Tatooine with Vader visiting a very familiar place with Aphra and the Murder Bots in tow. Surprisingly quickly though, the plot moves on as Vader has other matters across the galaxy to deal with. While the back two-thirds of the issue don’t pack quite the same emotional punch as the first-third, it’s nice to see Gillen moving the story right along and not lingering overly long on the Skywalker issue. Marvel is clearly playing the long game here as the Darth Vader book alone has already set up the secret apprentice story and now the Skywalker reveal as ongoing plots that will likely weave in and out of the arcs. I’m interested to see where they go next which, when you think about it, is really what you want a reader to be saying at the end of the every issue.

As per usual, Larroca does a great job on the art front. I insist that he still draws one of the best Vaders. I also really love that he changes up Aphra’s look throughout the various issues. Not only does it keep things visually interesting but it’s nice to see that she has multiple changes of clothes and doesn’t have to wear the same thing every issue. Aphra may still be a new character but it never hurts to be proactive against Han Solo syndrome. (AKA: Wearing the same vest/shirt/pants for 40+ years.)

While Darth Vader #7 isn’t quite as fantastic as Darth Vader #6, it remains a solidly good book that every Star Wars fan should be reading. The series continues to get a 4/5 from me.

Review: Darth Vader #5

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The owner(s) of the lightsabers on the cover of this issue has been the subject of conversation for weeks and now the time has finally come for all to be revealed.  Darth Vader #5 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca arrives in comic stores today with the definitive answer to that debate.

Vader has an army.  And two murderous droids.  And the assistance of Doctor Aphra.  And the location of this facility where he suspects Palpatine is training his replacement.  It’s not difficult to predict his next course of action.  But when Vader arrives, lightsaber blazing, not everything is quite what it seems…

Darth Vader #5 has the distinct honor of being the first issue of the new Marvel comics to leave me going “Wait what?” and scratching my head while I try and figure out what’s going on.  Palpatine quietly training a new apprentice definitely seems logical and quite frankly, easy enough to hide in plain sight given that Inquisitors are a part of canon.  Without going into spoilers, the last half dozen pages or so has definitely left me not quite tracking Gillen’s plan here.  That said, this isn’t a black mark against the book.  I have no doubt that more will be revealed in the coming issues and quite frankly if I could predict everything that happens in this book, I’d get bored rather fast.

We don’t get to see as much from Aphra or our murder bots this issue (although Triple Zero does have a few great lines) but given that this a book about Vader, I’m content to see him be the star for an issue.  There’s actually not tons else to say about this latest issue though.  Darth Vader continues to be an enjoyable book with great art by Larroca who’s the perfect fit for this series.  Again, those final few pages left me both on the edge of my seat and scratching my head with confusion.  The next issue’s going to be an interesting for sure!

In the mean time, go pick up a copy of Darth Vader #5 as this book continues to get my stamp of approval!

Review: Darth Vader #4

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We’ve met Doctor Aphra, Triple-Zero, and BT and now they have their mission to further Darth Vader’s need for a secret personal force. In Darth Vader #4 by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca, the “team” is off to Geonosis… a place that Vader knows well.

Interestingly enough, the star of the issue, in my eyes, is Triple Zero. While he’s obviously an inversion of Threepio, it works surprisingly well and doesn’t come off as an evil parody. He’s still got the fussiness of a protocol droid but Triple Zero is also definitely fine with both murder and torture. It’s a great way to take the premise and build off of it in a way that doesn’t feel boring.

On a similar vein of character moving past their concepts, Doctor Aphra continues to be a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe. She’s a smart and capable woman of color who may babble when she’s nervous but doesn’t have any illusions about how this galaxy works. This is a galaxy that needs more realists and I definitely look forward to seeing how the working relationship between her and Vader evolves.

This is definitely a great book for some good old-fashioned Vader violence. Larroca draws a great Vader and he definitely has fun with all the action sequences. Edgar Delgado’s colors compliment his line work nicely. It’s also a testament to the work of both the artist and writer that the art of Vader still manages to be expressive and tell a story with his body language even though you can’t see his face.

Speaking of Vader, I haven’t discussed him much yet in a review of his starring book. This is definitely a great read for those who love the character. I find that Gillen’s allusions to Anakin are certainly obvious but they don’t feel out of place for the situation. It’s nice to see that despite Vader’s efforts, Anakin isn’t completely gone.

Oh. And that last page cliffhanger? I can’t wait until next month’s issue. It has the potential to be fantastic.

Darth Vader #4 gets another 4/5 from me this week.