Darth Vader #19: A Path of Red

Darth Vader is a man on a mission and he intends to beat Crimson Dawn out of the galaxy one way or another. To accomplish this he has manipulated every asset he has and then some. Similar to Vader’s usage of bounty hunters during The Empire Strikes Back, he employs a wide variety of scum and villainy to do what the Empire cannot. The group he has assembled certainly seem to be a mean and capable lot, and it time for them to prove it. This series since the first issue has used the device of showing Vaders red-tinted memories to give readers in insight to what Vader is thinking about. This issue portrays memories of the times he has shown resolve to be in control of his destiny and to gain as much power to inflict his brand of justice onto the galaxy. He and his team aim to do just that.

This particular issue revolves around Darth Vader’s brutality. He has made himself out to be a hero to the Revengers, a group of fighters who have all been hurt by Crimson Dawn. They would follow him into death if he asked, which he does in this chapter when he uses them a bait. He does not care for them as individual people, but eventually he protects them not to save their lives but to keep from squandering their fighting power. Vader goes as far as to threaten Valance’s love ones if he does not comply, knowing full well his family is his weakness. He also callously throws Ochi into direct harm even though Ochi has done everything Vader has asked of him. Somehow they all still follow him into more danger as the Sith Lord continues to cut a path through Crimson Dawn. Despite his brutality, the group knows Vader is the key to their victory.

This issue is refreshingly action packed. Many of the more recent Star Wars titles have been more deep and story driven lately, which meant a serious lack of action. This issue manages to cram a ton of action in, and still made room for a few pages of Vader’s red memories and some establishing conversations between Ochi, Valance, and Vader. Because the group Vader has put together is so diverse,  the action is as well. This chapter flies all over the place with explosions, blaster fire, lightsabers, Force powers, and even a Sith Lord riding a murder droid. This issue gets back to the core fun aspect that Star Wars comics are known for. If this story arc can keep up on the explosions and mayhem, it could turn out to be a very enjoyable collection of issues.