Disney Does Darth Vader Correctly

 Disney Star Wars has been largely hit and miss. The sequel trilogy was poorly handled, miss. Rogue One has been a hit, and is the one most fans enjoy the most. While I liked Solo (for the most part), it was a box office miss. The Mandalorian has been a huge hit, and the jury is still out on The Book of Boba Fett. But one character has benefitted from Disney's takeover and it's one I never expected Disney to get right: Darth Vader. I'm not just talking about the Rogue One hallway scene, they have actually handled him perfectly.

Let's go back to 2015. That year, Marvel began putting out monthly comic books for Star Wars, their first time in 30 years. The Star Wars monthly was highly anticipated and issue 1 was one of the best selling comic books that year. But, Marvel dropped something else: a monthly Darth Vader series. For the 1st time, Vader would not only get a monthly series, he would be the main character. This was a comic book first. Vader had starred in a couple mini series from Dark Horse, but never had a monthly series. Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larocca handled the writing and art duties respectively and the series would last 25 issues.  This series, like the Star Wars monthly series picks up after A New Hope. In it, Vader is downgraded by the Emperor for losing at Yavin. However, this is how Vader gets his position back, and makes a fee enemies and an unexpected ally on the way back to being Palpatine's Apprentice. The highlight is the Vader Down crossover event which is one of the most exciting Star Wars comic book stories out there, Canon or Legends. It's also notable for the debut of Cheli Lona Aphra, aka Dr Aphra who has her own monthly series and has been a popular character, even getting a Black Series and Vintage Collection action figure. Vader goes against a character named Cylo, who can pass his mind into Clone bodies after he dies. He has minions who have exceptional abilities including Karben, a Mon Calamari who has General Grievous's body. But we see a different side of Vader: just how far he is willing to go to get what he wants. Vader commits treason against the Empire, plain and simple. In the final issue, Aphra gives Palpy a run down over what happened. And Palpy couldn't be more pleased. Aphra nearly dies (but is rescued) and Vader takes command of his super star destroyer after killing the recently promoted Grand General Tagge. But we get other cool revelations. When Boba Fett tells Vader the name of the X-Wing pilot who destroyed the Death Star, he gets so angry the glass in his private room of his destroyer cracks. It's a great lead up to The Empire Strikes Back. Sadly, the series ended at issue 25.

Two years later, Marvel gave us another Darth Vader monthly series. Except this time it takes place just after Revenge of the Sith. In it, writer Charles Soule and artist Giuseppe Camuncoli put Vader into a new light, and into an era where even in Legends had been very limited. If there is any Vader comic book you should read, it is these 25 issues of the 2nd Vader monthly series. I am not exaggerating when I say it is among the best Star Wars comic book stories ever written. The 1st storyline covers how Vader would get his red bladed lightsaber. In Legends, the Sith would make their own crystals for their lightsabers. In Canon, they must take the kyber crystal of a Jedi and "bleed" it red by using all their anger and hate. Also seeing a Jedi whip up on Vader is just fun reading! Vader also takes down a couple Jedi, and even some of his Inquisitors when 2 of them fall in love with each other. Get the trade paperbacks, it's good stuff!

But that doesn't mean that there hasn't been cringe. I'm looking at you Vader: Dark Visions Issue 3! In it, a woman falls in love with Darth Vader and is finally able to see him without the mask, and then he quickly kills her. Once done he orders droids to come in and dispose of the trash. Even in a cringe worthy comic, Vader's evil is on full display. So the question is, with most of the main characters being handled so poorly (Luke, Han, Leia in the Galaxy of Adventures shorts), how have they handled Vader so well?

It's simple: they realize he is the bad guy. They treat, and write him that way. It's probably a reason why the 3rd Vader monthly series hasn't quite resonated with fans as the 1st 2 did. In this, leading up to Return of the Jedi, we see the signs of Anakin Skywalker slowly beginning to emerge thanks in part to his confrontation with Luke, and meeting Padme's double Sabe on a mission where he was hunting Rebels. Of course the current mega crossovers have affected Star Wars comics just as they have super hero titles so it is harder to read the newer comics as the storylines the writers put together have been on hold for War of the Bounty Hunters and Crimson Reign. Sigh. But back to my point, when Vader is in a story, he is well written. Although my mind is still whacked out over his journey to Exegol and how when after he is redeemed and dies THAT HE DOESN'T TELL LUKE ABOUT EXEGOL!!! But, despite that, Vader is a character Disney has for the most part gotten right. Now once Disney can recognize that Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are heroes and not quitters...but I'll gripe about Disney later. When they do good, they should be praised for it. Let them take the W on Darth Vader. It's earned.