Booknote: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin

Tim Siedell, Star Wars. Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin. Milwaukie, OR: Dark Horse Comics, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-61655-207-7.

Genre: graphic novels and comics
Subgenre: Star Wars, science fiction
Format: Hardcover
Source: My local public library.

Dark Horse has been putting out a series of Darth Vader stories from Vader's early days, and I've been on the lookout. I finally found one of the volumes at my local public library, so I checked it out. The story for this one takes place shortly after the Clone Wars as the Empire is consolidating its power. In this tale, Darth Vader kills the son of a wealthy businessman. The man decides to get revenge, and hires an assassin to kill Vader. However, the Dark Lord is not an easy target, and by the time our story opens, the man is hiring the ninth assassin to attempt the task. It seems this assassin may be the one to put Vader away for good.

The art in this one is simply gorgeous. It is a high cinematic quality that makes it a pleasure to read. The art is vivid and colorful, allowing the reader to immerse into the story. That alone is a great reason to pick up this volume. The story is good too. Vader has more to worry than a possible assassin. The Emperor also sends him out to deal with a much darker threat. But does the Emperor have an ulterior motive? A neat element in the story is the insight in the relationship between the Emperor and Vader. At this point in time, we know the Emperor is using Vader, but Vader may not be as aware of that fact just yet.

I found the story had a good pace, some good suspense, and enough action. For me, this was an excellent work. I will definitely be looking for others down the road.

5 out 5 stars.