Darth Vader #17: Allies and Enemies

With this week’s release of this issue, as well as the IG-88 one-shot issue, the mighty “War of the Bounty Hunters” has ended. Each main series has tied up loose ends as best as they could and it is time to get back to normal adventures in the galaxy. “Crimson Reign” is the mini-series that will follow up “War of the Bounty Hunters” as a sequel of sorts, but “Crimson Reign” will not intersect between series the same was it did. Vader is eager continue his own mission to destroy Luke, but his Imperial duties get the best of him. Vader has been beaten into submission countless times, and quite brutally very recently. He does not wish to go against his master at this point, so he complies when Palpatine tells him to. He actually halts almost killing Luke with a volley of Tie Fighter bolts the very second the Emperor tell him too. He is a true dog on a chain to his master now, and that master has other plans for Vader.

Ochi of Bestoon and Sly Moore have had a lot of character development in this series lately. Ochi has been in this series for quite some time, spanning almost a full year, but it is still very hard to place his exact allegiance anywhere. Moore on the other hand, is actively trying to bring Vader down in service to the same master. Bokku the Hutt has pretty much played every side, including his own people’s to further his own ambition. Mas Amedda, Vice Chair of the Galactic Senate, and Emperor Palpatine himself also make an appearance. There is a lot of the worst of the baddies present all in this one issue, each one revolving around Darth Vader. None of them are particularly trustworthy. Vader must tread lightly among them. This further drives the overall point of this particular Vader series from its first issue. Darth Vader is not only the main character in this title, he is all the protagonist. He is absolutely a bad guy, in fact a very bad guy. However this entire series has played up to his emotions and drives and punishments as viewed directly by the readers, which conjures up sympathy for even such an abominable character as he very much is. This issue marks a point in his character development where he must truly and finally understand that all the allies he has surrounding him could turn on him at any point. This is a stark point in which to focus on Vader as an almost sympathetic character considering he is in the last dwindling months of his life, before having a sudden shift in his own allegiance.

With this current mission finished, its hard to tell what’s next for Vader as the events of Return of the Jedi draw near. The Rebellion still remains loosely spread among the galaxy, and coming together more and more. Despite his most impressive efforts to torment, terrorize, and kill Luke Skywalker, Vader says he is not a true threat. However the fight might have ultimately pushed Luke toward finally becoming a true Jedi. As much as this series gave readers a glimpse of Vader’s thoughts, memories, and emotions, his inner beliefs are basically silent in this issue. On the outside he is obedient and merciless, but its anyone’s guess as to what he is truly thinking. The message this series has had from the beginning is that there is a little bit of Anakin Skywalker still there inside. If this issue is any indication of what’s to come, Vader might not be as easy to read for not only his allies, but to the readers as well as he begins to play his hand much closer to his chest.