Review of "Star Wars: Vader Down," by Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen

Review of

Star Wars: Vader Down, by Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen ISBN 9780785197898

Five out of five stars

 This graphic novel tells a great story that fits well into the Star Wars storyline. The artwork is impressive and very descriptive of the battles that take place involving Vader and his human companion, ruthless droids, an army of the rebellion and the main characters of Han, Chewie, Luke and Leia.

 The timeframe is after the destruction of the first Death Star, when Darth Vader has learned the identity of the pilot that fired the killing shot. Determined to track Luke down and turn him to the dark side, Vader has followed him to the planet Vrogas Vas, where there is an old Jedi temple. The planet is also the site of a major rebel base.

 If there is a weakness to the story, it is the depiction of Darth Vader as a super soldier, capable of standing alone against entire armies, both on the ground and in the air. The inclusion of the two evil droids forms a sharp contrast with R2D2 and C3PO, although the relentless expression of bloodletting does grow tiring.

  Although the battle is still the fundamental one between good and evil as expressed by Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie on one side and Vader on the other, the additional characters add some needed spice. Despite the loss of the Death Star, the Empire is still powerful, with Darth Vader an extremely formidable force that must be dealt with.