Yet Another Great Issue
"At Vader's side you will only learn how to serve. Come to me when you're ready to learn how to lead." Moff Trachta to Lt. Tohm
It's writing like this that helps illustrate why this series continues to be top-notch. Through a glorious combination of great scripting, layout, pacing, dialogue, and art, we are, yet again, swept up in a story that, sadly, must some day end. Picking up from where the last issue left off, Vader decides to have the prisoners cull themselves, leaving only the best fit for service to the Empire. We get to see both Lord Vader and Tohm mix it up with the prisoners and it is through this mesh up that we are introduced to two new supporting characters. These introductions are skillfully done so I won't describe them as you should read and enjoy them for yourself. In my opinion, some of the best combat scene art in the series thus far takes place here. Tohm's somber narration really goes very well with this initial unfolding scene.
After it's all said and done the issue maintains its pacing and momentum by having Moff Trachta deliver a compelling speech to rally the mere 33 (out of an initial 207) survivors. Once again, narrative smoothly and delightfully moves in to introduce the most powerfully moving scene in the series to date. One of the most surprising strengths of this book and series in general is that it doesn't focus on one character for too long, but rather all of the characters receive an appropriate amount of focus. It's good that Vader isn't the shining star and that he and his "close" followers distinctly feel like a unit. Well, as much as one could feel like a unit when working with Lord Vader. Another nice touch that I didn't even consciously notice until this issue was that Vader's talk bubble is the same as everyone else's. At first I found this slightly strange as I'd expect him to have something more distinctive given his obvious speech differences. However, having him have the same talk bubbles does a nice job of grounding the character, making him more believable, and actually helps to emphasize his god-like abilities whenever he uses them.
The overall mood of the book is consistently dismal, but even so it's a fantastic read. With a little bit of back story this issue's plot will fall right into place but even without it it is a good stand alone. Good writing + good art + good pacing + contained story = Great book. Final rating: 5/5