Lit Comics Darth Vader by Greg Pak, February 2020

Hmm, you've read the Queens trilogy books?

 

The Separatist Council members were never that well fleshed out even in Legends. This is one thing that the NU Canon should expand upon.

 

Who could forget about Shu Mai, representative of the Commerce Guild?

 

I haven´t, and if there is an in-universe explanation in those books for what bothers me about the handmaidens, I certainly welcome the news! I would have really liked for the comic to address this (at least tangentially) since we are apparently spending more time with them...

 

Some relatives appeared in Legends, like San Hill's father and Passel Argente's uncle.

Totally agree.

 

It pretty much covers exactly what you're finding hard to buy into. Whether you go with the explanation is a different question.

The short answer is they practiced the deception for years, having been chosen for it and they got very good at it.

 

The Queen's trilogy fleshes all of that out a lot. Like Jedi Ben said, they were basically hand-selected for their physical resemblance to Padme, then were trained and spent years learning how to imitate her in voice, mannerisms, etc. as part of the decoy program. It's not perfect and the novels themselves actually convey that aspect of it all fairly well, with certain characters seeing through the deception at different times.

Pak's Vader series actually serves as an odd, unexpected follow-up to the Queen's series in some ways. The trilogy isn't required reading, but it does enhance and contextualize Sabe's story in the comic.

 

Ahh, indeed, that what I was imagining. The thing is, they were selected in a young age, right? Padmé is dead for more than two decades... if they were trained to the point they simply can't stop being defined by this decoy persona, to the point that they lost their identity to imitate Padmé´s... it's an interesting approach, because it looks like fanaticism.

Still, physique, face structure, voice... it changes with age, and personal experiences make a great deal in generating differences as well. After all, we are in a universe where there was a whole series that delve deeply in the fact that clones could be very different from one another thanks to this.

Like @Jedi Ben said, I may or may not to be sold into it... but I feel I should absolutely read the novels to make my own mind about it first. That said, it's very appreciated that they address these issues properly in previous material. It gives what we see in this comic proper context, and shows consistency in the storytelling.

 

They manage it better than Nick Gillard did, though.

 

Indeed. Originally I felt the whole concept of the Amidalans a little far fetched, and still feel that way about certain situations of the comic... but Padmé was a young queen that united the people of her planet, fought for them, and whose actions led to Naboo to be free from a planetary invasion. That people that was already following her decided to keep her legacy after her dead and fight against a galaxy wide oppressive regime is certainly not illogical.

Something I can't remember if was addressed in the comic, but maybe some of you can help me. Where do these amidalans get their founding? Are people in Naboo (like Luthen´s circle in Andor) gathering resources to keep them functioning? I imagine that if they stealing resources from the Empire as a primary source of income, they should be notorious in the ISB archives by now...

@The Positive Fan

 

The handmaidens as decoys made a lot more sense when she was always covered in face paint while Queen.

 

I'm reading the Queen's Hope now and am really enjoying it. I do think, for those reading Vader, it's almost essential reading to understand them and who they were as a group.

 

I STILL often can't tell when it's Natalie and when it's Kiera in the paint in TPM!

 

You can tell it’s Keira when she has the robotic monotone “thank you magic trash can” voice

 

I'm wondering how long this arc will last & what the end result will be (I assume not good).

 

Spoiler: Issue #32 solicit

STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #32
GREG PAK (W) • IBRAIM ROBERSON (A) • Cover by RAHZZAH
Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE
Variant Cover by PEPE LARRAZ
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO
HANDMAIDEN NO MORE?
Few bonds in the galaxy are as strong as the sisterhood of the former handmaidens of Padmé Amidala. But all that was threatened when Sabé entered the service of Darth Vader, the man the handmaidens always believed was responsible for Padmé's death. Now Dormé, Saché, Rabé and Eirtaé are determined to save Sabé – or stop her, no matter what. But the influence of the Dark Lord is strong and dangerous – and not just to Sabé. What path will the handmaidens choose? And how does all this play into Darth Vader's true plans?
32 PGS./Rated T …$3.99

 

Preview is up for issue #30, via AIPT:

Spoiler: issue #30

 

Darth Vader and the bad bitches.

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-star-wars-april-2023-covers

Spoiler: Issue #33 solicit

STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #33

GREG PAK (W) • ADAM GORHAM (A)

Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU

Variant Cover by KHOI PHAM

Return of the Jedi 40th Anniversary Variant Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE

UNBOUND FORCE – Part One!

When the Dark Lord of the Sith loses control of the Force, nothing is safe — not even his own Executor-class Star Dreadnought. But in the face of total destruction, Commander Sabé finds an opportunity. Does Vader’s untrammeled onslaught expose a vulnerability? Or is it just another doorway to the terrifying tyranny of the Sith?

 

Preview is up for issue #31, via Multiversity Comics:

Spoiler: issue #31

 

Seems to me that Vader wants to make the handmaidens see his way of things as he's convinced Padme would have.
Vader and his wife's girl gang is so funny. I love it. I kind of know the set up has to be that they reject him and that has consequences but I hope they survive.

 

Can they stop referring to Sly Moore as "Umbaran" please? They don't call Mas Amedda "Chagrian", Dar Wac as "Rodian", Jabba the Hutt as "Hutt" or Prince Xizor as "Falleen".