Comics Darth Vader #20: End of Games, part 1 (of 6) & The Misadventures of Triple-Zero and Beetee

I don't know if anyone cares, but I don't think that i'm going to review the individual issues anymore, instead I'll just post some brief thoughts on the issue or some speculation. Reviewing the individual issues feels more like a chore at this point so I'll instead post a full review of the arcs once they are complete.
I didn't want to revive the old Sho-Torun War Arc thread so I'll just post my thoughts on it here.

Overall it was an enjoyable arc with great action and story, and I'm looking forward to the epic conclusion in End of Games 8/10

+Vader was a complete badass in this arc
+I love the design of Sho-Torun and how they made it look similar to Mustafar but not so much that it becomes a total rip-off *COUGH* Jakku *COUGH*
+I also enjoyed the culture and traditions of Sho-Torun, and it feel unique and different from the other worlds we've seen in the Canon
+The action in this arc was awesome
+The art continues to be great
+That final battle was short but satisfying and I liek that they kept it all ambiguous if Vader killed Aiolin out of mercy or if he simply tying up a loose end.
+I love that they're finally speeding up the Cylo/cyborgs plot and I can't wait for the final confrontation. And I actually liked all of the scheming and plotting in this arc
-/+ I'm kinda split when it comes to the droids, on one hand they have their creppy, funny and awesome moments but on one hand I can't help but wonder how and why Vader even puts up with them at this point. Triple-Zero disobeys a direct order and all Vader does is saying ''Triple-Zero...''. I guess I expected a more threating response from a man that chokes his officers to death as soon as they fail him even once.

Favorite Quote of the Arc
''Now is the time to explain the protocol of your immediate surrender....unless once more, you wish to dance.'' -Darth Vader

 

So Vader is getting canceled after issue 25. I guess it makes sense but the fact that Star Wars is gonna still be going when we are nearing ep 5 makes me wonder if that book will do a jump to post Empire stuff. I kinda wish that book would become an anthology and then Vader would get replaced with a PT era book. Maybe keep going with gap filling between OT films for star wars but honestly I dont want to see shadows of the empire to get re done.

 

I'm not sure. I have a feeling Stat Wars and Darth Vader are still pretty close to ANH. I think Stat Wars was more of a general bridge, whIle Darth Vader was focused on Vader's character development. In the interview, Gillen mentioned that Vader was now ready to hunt for Luke, so I suspect he will become the main antagonist of Star Wars now and the series will merge as the OT comic.

 

I think you are right. I think Vader will start becoming much more prevalent in the Star Wars series than he is currently. The reasoning they give for ending the Vader line does make sense as it is just the story of Vader becoming the character we see from Empire. The Empire will likely start going on the aggressive much more than they are now and the Rebels will be on the run like we see at the beginning of Ep. V.

I personally though feel we are about a year removed from Ep. IV currently. Also I know now not to buy a box for just one series. I recently bought one just for Vader and now it is ending.

 

I think we're still in 0 ABY, and it's maybe three or four months after Yavin now. Darth Vader #7 happened just a few weeks after the Lars homestead was burned, and there's also some weeks between Vader Down and Rebel Jail. But it can't be more than a few months after Yavin.

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re: the timeline.....

You are all now on Marvel Time, or as they like to term it - "eternity"....

Which is....

 

A couple days ago on Twitter, Jason Aaron, the writer of the Star Wars series, was asked "Will Star Wars always be set between Episodes IV and V, or do you have plans to explore further down the timeline?"

His response was "No such plans on my part right now. Not to go further at least. But going backwards so we can... well, you'll see."

With Vader ending, the main book doesn't need to keep up the tandem timeline anymore. Seems like they might take a more anthology approach.

 

I wonder if they will start an ongoing about Vader shortly after ROTS or after ESB.

 

Now that would be a treat

 

Ahh. Wonder if that means they are being give free reign to explore the old republic era (Aaron already has given a few hints about the old republic era in the comic already).

 

Vader? Where are you, my apprentice? Look, when you're quite done blubbering about killing that shrew of a wife, we do have an Empire to run....

Oh wait.. that's the old version....

 

Preview for next issue
http://www.comicbookresources.com/a...i-darth-vader-agents-of-shield-axel-in-charge

 

only 5 issues left.

 

I walked into my comic shop today to buy the new Vader issue and got the news. I was flabbergasted!!! But realizing that this was the plan for the most part I'm okay with it. The old Star Wars Legacy book from Dark Horse was only 50 issues. Then they did volume 2. I would love to see a bounty hunter anthology book, that would be great. Do it like the old Marvel Comics Presents where you get 3 or 4 different issues each issue spanning 5 or 6 issues. You could get 2 light side and 2 dark side stories of lesser characters then if the popularity is there hit us with a new ongoing!!!!

Anyway this was a great issue and I will really, really miss this book!!!

 

As long as we get a new series that is great I don't care about Vader ending.

I would rather more original content than getting stale on any one specific idea if that makes sense.

 

On the bright side of this whole deal is that issue #25 will be released in August meaning we will get two issues a month in June-August.

 

That would be cool.

 

One of the strange things about the US comic market is that anthologies have rarely been successful, whereas over here 2000AD has been going for over 35 years with exactly that model!

 

People here like getting attached to one cohesive story. It's why tv viewers will watch eight years of a tv show with over a hundred episodes. Grey's Anatomy is in it's twelth season and is nearing episode 300 and it still gets over 7 million viewers an episode.

Walking Dead will be entering its seventh season and it still gets about 13 million viewers an episode.

 

Which is why an anthology likely won't work in the US market.

DHC tried it with Star Wars Tales years back, but gave up in the end.

 

I hope the twin survives and becomes a character in the main series. Luke needs a sparring partner.

 

This issue was fantastic.
I loved Sidious talking about the Sith and making love with his ego. I don’t think he was bull****-ing all his feelings regarding Vader, he did go through a considerable trouble to rescue him from Mustafar and fix him up, whereas had it been any other apprentice he would be like “too bad, I’ll get another one”. But it’s true that he has no qualms about replacing Vader for a stronger one.
Speaking of it, my favorite part:

Spoiler

Sids: Do you understand, Vader?
Vader: I do. If any of Cylo’s toys had succeeded, you would be making this speech to them.

*awkward silence*

(Seriously, the way Larroca drew those panels was perfect. Yes he sometimes struggles with perspective and motion, but he nails it when it comes to giving a palpable sense of tension).

I loved how Thanoth figured all out even to the point of identifying Vader’s true identity. Sad to see him go, but at the same time, I liked how he died on his own terms.
I don’t think Aphra will be killed by the murder droids, it would be quite anticlimactic. It still doesn’t mean Vader won’t kill her at the end. But I thought it was interesting that Vader’s first order was to bring her to the Executor - Tagge’s ship. I wonder what is he planning?

The short story with the droids was fun. I like how creepy Triple Zero looked when he said “Reattach my arms, sir.”

On the news about cancelling the series: I’m so bummed out. It’s definitely one of my favorite comic series. Not just because it’s my favorite character; I don’t always enjoy Vader in everything, but Gillen actually writes a perfect in-character Vader all the while managing (but not overdoing) the Anakin part in him and keeping the mystique. But most importantly, I do really love the overall plot and the supporting cast. It’s very rare for me to linger between rooting for and against Vader when it comes for him to kill off the author’s OCs. It saddened me that Vader killed Thanoth and I really really don’t want to see him killing Aphra.

However, I would rather these series to end in a high note than dragging out for sake of sales. Still, I’m hoping to see another Vader series in the future set between ESB and ROTJ.

 

I think Morit, Tulon and Cylo will die and Vader is the one to kill them. Regarding Tagge - I believe he will bite it, but I'm not so sure if Vader will kill him. Maybe he's murdered by Cylo or one of his creations?

It's possible that Aphra may die - but I don't want it. Cylo, his creation and Tagge have all served their purpose in the context of Vader's story, but there's so much they can do with Aphra. A mini series about her origins or a post-TESB story where she meets Vader again would be cool.

And let's also not forget that she is one of the very few persons in the Galaxy who know that Padmé is Luke's mother. We already know that Luke and Leia will find out everything about their real mother in the post-ROTJ period - Aphra could provide them everything she knows.

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It definitely is true that there might not be a whole lot of story left to tell. It looks like this series will end with Vader taking control of the Executor (which will basically of completed the arc of turning him from the character blamed for the Death Star being blown up into the character in charge of the entire Imperial army). There wouldn't be a whole lot of other major plot lines they could do. Sure they could cover the Rebels being driven from one base to another but we will likely get that anyways in the Star Wars series and no need to have two different viewpoints of those events.

Whatever they choose to replace it with though I am sure it will be something that they feel will sell just as well as the Vader series did. You could understand them scrapping Kanan for Poe Dameron because Kanan didn't have near the selling potential that a series about Poe Dameron and his X-Wing squad would.