Comics Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader's Castle

In Shops: Oct 14, 2020

 

Nice! Post-ROTJ Fortress Vader. I assume we'll see how it becomes ruins as of TROS, whether these kids destroy it or not.

 

Is this a new comic or from that 5 issue series that came out last year?

 

That was Return to Vader's Castle. This is Shadow of Vader's Castle. The original was Tales from Vader's Castle. What's next? Bride of Vader's Castle?

 

Coming in 2021 from IDW Star Wars High Republic: Prophecies of Vader's Castle

'What are we doing on standing near this molten lake bed on Mustafar Master?'
'A feeling Padawan, as if some great evil will one day erect a castle here. By the way did I ever tell you the story about the Twi-lek werewolf...'

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/comic-con-home-lucasfilm-publishing-panel-recap

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2. Get in, we’re going back to Vader’s Castle! The spooky IDW comic series that previously brought us strange tales from Mustafar is back with Shadows of Vader’s Castle, a 30-page one-shot from IDW written by Cavan Scott, with covers by Francesco Francavilla and Derek Charm. Look for it to hit comic book store shelves in October!

 

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/marvel-comics-cancels-star-wars-rise-of-skywalker/

Bleeding Cool, for whatever it's worth, is claiming The Rise of Skywalker adaption has been cancelled.

 

More Vader's Castle yay... I need my Lina Graf fix! Post ROTJ Lina... please!

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/shadow-of-vaders-castle-exclusive-preview

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https://www.starwars.com/news/shadow-of-vaders-castle-interview

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StarWars.com: It seems like you’re the resident scary storyteller in Star Wars between Dooku: Jedi Lost, Adventures in Wild Space, and the Vader’s Castle series. How do you mix space-opera with horror so seamlessly?

Cavan Scott: Resident scary storyteller? I like that. Can I get business cards?

For me, horror and Star Wars go so well together as they’ve been part of my experience of the saga from the beginning. When I was a kid I was obsessed with monsters, whether that was classic gothic terrors such as Dracula and Frankenstein or alien creatures I saw on TV and films. And let’s face it, if there’s one thing Star Wars has, it’s creatures. I came to the films halfway between Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and the most thumbed pages of my copy of The Star Wars Storybook were the cantina aliens. That grainy picture of Trinto Duaba the Stennes Shifter literally gave me nightmares with his crazy sunken eyes. Of course, like an idiot after having the nightmare I took to drawing him in my exercise books along with every other patron I could find pictures of. Then when I saw Empire in the cinema, how did it start? With Luke hanging upside down in the larder of a massive abominable snowman. That’s literally horror right there (and of course, this was pre-special editions, so my over-active imagination made the wampa even scarier. There was probably a lot more blood). I do remember being absolutely terrified as the creature’s roars started echoing down the ice-tunnels and that’s before we got to splitting tauntauns in two, giant space slugs, and swarms of mynocks.

So, whenever I need to explore the more horrific sides of a galaxy far, far away, I try to remember what it was like sitting in that cinema, being absolutely terrified that Luke Skywalker wouldn’t make it out of the ice cave in one piece. That’s the sensation I want to get across.



However, there is one difference between traditional horror and Star Wars horror. Usually, horror is the story of characters not being able to escape their fate. Even the most competent characters fall prey to the monsters, who just keep coming. And even when victory comes, you just know that the evil hasn’t really been defeated. In Star Wars this is countered by the fact that hope is at the heart of every Star Wars story, or at least it should be. So, even at its darkest, Star Wars scares have a glimmer of hope. I have to admit it was something I struggled with writing Dooku: Jedi Lost. It’s actually quite a bleak story when you think about it; the literal creation of a monster. I kept hanging onto the fact that, as we know from Dark Disciple, Ventress does eventually find peace.

StarWars.com: Shadow of Vader’s Castle is the latest addition to the expanding Vader’s Castle series. What can readers expect from this issue?

Cavan Scott: Well, it’s a slightly different format this time. Knowing it was a one-shot instead of a mini-series, we tried to give it a portmanteau feel, three shorter stories told within the frame of a larger story. Unlike the first two series, we’ve moved away from Lina Graf and her crew. Time has moved on to the fall of the Empire. News has reached Mustafar that the Emperor is dead and, like the rest of the galaxy, the planet is celebrating — all except two young Mustafarans who believe they will never be free of Vader while they live in the shadow of his castle. So, ignoring warnings from those older and wiser than themselves, they set out across the lava flows to raze the castle to its foundations. Of course, things don’t quite go to plan…

StarWars.com: IDW comics are targeted towards a younger audience. What sort of challenge does that present for you when writing these scary stories? Do you ever worry younger fans will get too scared?

Cavan Scott: That’s where you have to be responsible. I think the key I have to remember is that the IDW comic lines are considered all-ages, rather than for kids. That’s quite a big difference. It has to be something that anyone can pick up, whether you’re eight or eighty. The difference, of course, is that knowing that younger readers could and should pick them up, you have to be sensitive when it comes to writing scares. Excessive gore is out. We can suggest but not show the grislier side of the action. Saying that, isn’t that sometimes more effective? Again, I’m thinking about that wampa roar. You also have to really be careful about the intensity of the horror, judging when to ramp up the tension and, more importantly, when to release it. Humor is such a useful tool for this. Think of the times you’ve seen a scary movie and everyone screams or gasps and then suddenly laughs. It’s a natural reaction, so you try to pepper those moments into an all-age horror story, giving the younger readers a moment of respite before the next scare.



StarWars.com: The prologue of this issue was particularly exciting for me as a huge prequel fan. Without spoiling too much, can you speak to writing that opening scene?

Cavan Scott: I wanted to include Vader at various points in his life, both in his armor and before he had the need to wear it, just after his elevation to Dark Lord. The scene of Anakin on Mustafar is one that has stayed with me in the years since watching Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith; that tear rolling from his almost demonic yellow eyes. It’s an incredibly sympathetic and yet also completely horrifying moment, that proves he knows exactly what he’s just done.

Originally, that part of the story was written to act as a back-up strip in Star Wars Adventures, hopefully leading readers over to Shadows of Vader’s Castle. For various reasons we made the decision to shift it over to the one-shot and make it a prologue. I prefer that actually. I think it really helps the book.

StarWars.com: Halloween is just around the corner which obviously begs the question: what do you think Vader’s favorite candy is?

Cavan Scott: I’m not sure he has a sweet tooth to be honest, but if he turns up at your door, for star’s sake, just give him a treat! Don’t, whatever you do, ask for a trick. It would probably take your breath away.

 

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I found it quite enjoyable, specially the focus this whole series seems to have on Vanée. We even have an origin for him story for him now. Vanée is still nothing like what I pictured him in RO, but I found some references, like him being the "true" Acolyte of the Beyond, spot on.
I wonder, is this officially canon? there is nothing from canon contradicted here from what I remember, but there is a certain "what if scenario" feeling to it...

 

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Oooh, now I'm really looking forward to reading this.

In terms of canonicity, this is a series of people telling stories. So, the fact that they're telling the stories is canon, but the stories themselves probably run the gamut from verbatim truth to highly exaggerated to completely fabricated.

 

Makes one wonder if

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Vané

survived and went to

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Exegol

or if there is another story about how he perished in future Halloween tales.

This years installment though I enjoyed not much compared to the last ones. I prefer the Graf family involved in these tales.

 

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Okay, I've read this now. Are the lava fumes being psychedelic a new thing to this one? That puts literally every other thing that's taken place on Mustafar in a completely different context. Obi-Wan and Anakin's duel? They're both tripping on fumes. And I guess Vanee's basically the Joker. I think we'll see what comes of him in the next one, sort of a cliffhanger ending.

I for one am loving the Mustafarian Renaissance the new canon has been so far.