Booknote: Darth Vader and the Lost Command

W. Haden Blackman, Darth Vader and the Lost Command. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Comics, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-59582-778-4.


Genre: comics and graphic novels
Subgenre: Star Wars, space opera
Format: Hardcover
Source: Got it via Interlibrary Loan (ILL) from my library.  It came from the Warren County Public Library in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

I finished reading this during my forced Chronic Bronchitis Staycation 2015 (last month). Having read it almost right after Tarkin (link to my review), I could not help but compare how Moff Tarkin is portrayed in the two works. He comes out looking better in Luceno's novel. It is interesting to note that the machinations of the Emperor towards Moff Tarkin  are fairly consistent in both works.

The premise here is that the Emperor orders Vader to find a lost fleet. Why is this particular fleet so important? It was commanded by Moff Tarkin's son. Vader travels to the Ghost Nebula, only to find traitors in his midst, a religious leader who may or not be friend or foe, and that he is still tormented by the memories of Anakin Skywalker's dead beloved Padme.

For readers interested in Vader's psyche and his early days right after the fall of the Republic, this is a good read. The story combines intrigue, plots, and suspense with plenty of action. Sure, Vader has emerged as the Emperor's most fearsome enforcer, but he is not totally invincible. He is discovering more and more the true cost of taking the path of the Dark Side of the Force.

The art on this is excellent, and it is a big reason to read this. You cannot help but wish that stories like this got made into new Star Wars films instead of the crap we got the prequels (and I am not holding much faith in the upcoming movie neither). The art is colorful with good attention to detail.

This is one I would add to my collection. Libraries that already have Star Wars comics and graphic novels should add this one as well.

Giving it the full 5 out of 5 stars.

This book qualifies for the following 2015 Reading Challenges.