Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command [Hardcover]

STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE LOST COMMAND does something that's been sorely needed since the prequel films: It actually attempts to show you how the whiny, petulant brat that George Lucas presented in the prequel trilogy could possibly become the baddest mutha in the Galaxy.

THE LOST COMMAND takes place shortly after Anakin's transformation in Darth Vader, and the psychological damage Vader suffered in the aftermath of the death of his beloved Padme is fully on display. The tortured Dark Lord is sent on a mission to find a missing Imperial expedition (The "Lost Command" of the title....) headed up by Garoche Tarkin, the Son of Vader's rival, Moff Tarkin. The mission does not go as planned, and as things go south, Vader frantically plots and maneuvers, desperate to reach the outcome desired by his Master, Emperor Palpatine.

Writer Hayden Blackman and Artist Rick Leonardi deliver a Vader I've never seen before: Driven, desperate, tortured by his actions, but stuck in the position those actions have put him in. This is gripping stuff, and any Darth Vader fan will find a lot to enjoy in STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND THE LOST COMMAND.

On a side note, Dark Horse continues to drive me nuts by not including a cover gallery in their collected editions. There is one cover from the original mini-series featured. That's just a disgrace, especially considering the price of this book. I was especially disappointed that they saw fit to leave the 25th anniversary variant of the first issue out. Please, PLEASE, start including a cover gallery, Dark Horse!

We all love the guys behind the masks! Boba Fett has always been a fan favorite and Darth Vader is the guy we love to hate. This graphic novel unmasks Vader just after he stopped being Emo Anikan and before he has completely become the deliciously dark Sith lord he "grows" into. The first/last three films gave us a good idea of how Vader was re-born, but this series gives you an insight what was going on in his post angst mind as he developed into one of the darkest dudes in the galaxy. These novels will help you fall back in love with an evil character that frankly became much less after the first three Star Wars films.
Dark Horse delivers when it comes to the art on this one and the single panel pages continue to take the readers breath away. There seems to be a trend with Dark Horse to use cold blues and stark whites for many of the background colors and then switch to warm earthy browns and tans for flashback sequences. I understand that colors played a big part of the first three Star Wars movies, but they might give it a bit of a rest in the comics.
There are a few frames that show just how messed up Vader is after his run in with hot molten lava and a light saber. Vader's shell of a body is truly symbolic of the shell of his physic. We see that while racked with physical pain, that pain is nothing compared to the mental torture he is feeling over the loss of the love of his life. But behind all of that pain is the mind that would make Machiavelli think twice. I enjoyed the way Vader used the mission the Emperor put him on, to appease his master, undermine his rival and up his stock as a right hand man. Not a small feat considering who he was up against. Vader's complete disregard for his life and his unashamed use of the Dark Side show that at this point he wanted to die, but cunning, deceit and a helping hand from technology keep him from that sweet release.
This is a great story with great graphics; of the two I would say that the story wins out by a saber tip. If you are a Star Wars fan this is a must read, if you lost your faith in Vader thanks to the movies, this book will keep Vader from finding your lack of faith disturbing.

This graphic book does a good job of showing a bit more of Vader as a new Sith Lord, especially the working of his vitality lifesuit lung and fake limbs. One gets the impression that the "experimental construct" known as Lord Vader requires quite a bit of routine maintenence as well as improvements and upgrades. It is also good to see that Vader is haunted, even tormented by the images and scenarios presented by the lurking ghost of Padme which add to his psycological downward spiral stacking onto his rage at some points making him exponentially volatile. The novel also shows that Vader still has some of that charge in recklessness of Anakin within him, which almost costs him dearly. My suggestion....this is a very quick, fun, good read and if you are really into Vader, then that makes it impressive.....MOST IMPRESSIVE! Hoping this helps the Star Wars Nation....MTFBWY