Booknote: Vader Down

Jason Aaron, et.al., Star Wars: Vader Down. New York: Marvel, 2016. ISBN: 978-0-7851-9789-8.

Genre: graphic novels and comics
Subgenre: Star Wars, science fiction, space opera
Format: trade paperback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

This volume is part of the Disney-owned Marvel's new run on Star Wars capitalizing on the recent film. The compilation is a cross-over between their Star Wars comics and their Darth Vader comic, and it contains a total of six individual issues. This compilation shows why it is usually better to wait for the set. Personally, I would not have had the patience to wait for each installment. The story flows quite well in the volume, and it still seems to tie in to the original films.

After the destruction of the first Death Star, Vader finds out that Luke Skywalker, his son, destroyed the station. Vader is determined to find him in order to turn him to the Dark Side of the Force. Vader finds out from an underground source, Dr. Aphra, that Luke is in the planet Vrogas Vas. When Vader gets there, he is confronted by a Rebel group of starfighters, and he is forced to crash land on the planet. Surviving the crash, he continues his quest. However, he is targeted by the Rebels, and he has a rival in the Empire hoping to capture Luke first.

The story is fast paced and very entertaining. It features the classic characters, but we also get some new ones along the way including a very vicious pair of droids. The race is on to find Luke, and the stakes are high. In addition, this volume's art is excellent and a great reason to pick it up. Overall, this is one I really liked, and I would consider reading others in the series.

4 out of 5 stars.

This book qualifies for the following 2016 Reading Challenges: