#Nicoletta Balderi

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Far Far Away Comics: 11/4/20-11/11/20

Phew. On the other side of the election and with three big Star Wars comics to review. Let’s get to it.

Star Wars #8 written by Charles Soule and art by Ramon Rosanas

Charles Soule really knows how to write a good villain. If the mainline Star Wars title has been lacking anything big over its last dozen or so issues, it’s an original antagonist to root against. Kieron Gillen found great success in Queen Trios of Sho-Torun in his take on the comic, but ever since ending his tenure the Dark Side has felt a little lacking in this series.

Last issue set up Commander Zahra’s vendetta against Leia and this chapter really lets this vengeful Imperial let loose. Soule positions Zahra as not only a tactician, but a woman that isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty by fighting on the frontlines. She proves herself a force to be reckoned with and Soule thankfully shows that Zahra will be around for the long game. She leaves a deadly impression on our heroes here and one that may eat away at Leia in particular for the foreseeable future.

As a whole, Star Wars #8 is wall to wall action spectacle. Whether it’s the evolving space battle unfolding outside Leia’s command ship or Zahra’s deadly boarding party, Soule and Ramon Rosanas rarely give the reader time to breath. More often than not it works and even if there are some areas where the art seems to falter in definition or clarity, they are few and far between.

This was a fun and effective little mini-arc. We move into Soule’s second big story after this, but the lingering damage from Zahra’s attack will be with us for a while. I await her return with eager anticipation.

Score: B+

Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader’s Castle written by Cavan Scott and art by Derek Charm, Nicoletta Balderi, Nick Brokenshire, and Francesco Francavilla

The Vader’s Castle seasonal miniseries from IDW Publishing have been a Halloween treat for going on three years now. The original Tales from Vader’s Castle remains my favorite product that IDW’s Adventures line has produced. While we only get one super sized issue this year, Shadow of Vader’s Castle is a standout and a worthy follow up to this continually satisfying anthology of creepy stories.

If anything negative can be said about Shadow of Vader’s Castle it’s that it tries to do a bit too much. It covers a lot of ground in it short amount of pages and while the end product feels a tad chaotic, Shadow of Vader’s Castle more than knocks it out of the park.

It begins with a story of a young Mustafrian boy stumbling upon Anakin Skywalker after his slaughter of the Separatist leaders and travels through time to a new generation of lava folk who have decided that they have had enough of the looming shadow of the Dark Lord’s palace. It tells a story of generational fear and rebellion that feels poignant but also provides revelations to key figures from this now iconic Star Wars locale.

Visually, Shadow of Vader’s Castle is a treat. It’s been so long since we’ve seen Derek Charm get to let loose on a Star Wars title and his two tales in this anthology are visually spectacular. Charm turns the vapors of Mustafar into swirling, crimson ghosts that arise to torture the living and the results are striking and sinister. Franceso Francavilla continues to be one of the eeriest and creepiest artists in the Adventures repertoire and his use of color in his segments is masterful. Nick Brokenshire and Nicoletta Balderi’s pages may not be as creepy or arresting, but they are still artistically engaging in their own way. All in all, Shadow’s of Vader’s Castle is an artistic treat and features some of the best visuals of a Star Wars comic this year.

Overall, Cavan Scott continues to prove that he can balance a tight tonal rope for these anthologies. They are undoubtedly darker and scarier than the standard Adventures piece, but never in a way that feels grim or oppressive. It’s fun Halloween macabre creepiness with a dash of Star Wars action and adventure. I truly hope we keep these going for as long as possible. What Halloween doesn’t deserve a trip to Mustafar?

Score: A-

Star Wars Darth Vader #7 written by Greg Pak and art by Raffaele Ienco

Battered and broken Darth Vader now has to do battle with weird plot points from The Rise of Skywalker! In the next stage of Palpatine’s punishment for his apprentice’s failures, Sith Assassin Ochi of Bestoon sets his sights on the wounded Sith Lord and Vader has to come face to face with the sins of his past and the mysterious secrets of the fiery world of Mustafar.

In many ways, “Into the Fire” continues much of what we have come to expect from this series. Raffaele Ienco’s all-red flashback panels return and Vader is put to the test in some brutally rendered action sequences. In a way, Pak’s script feels like it’s playing with similar ground of Charles Soule’s first arc on our surly old Sith. Seeing Vader rebuild himself from the parts of discarded droids is neat, but it’s not inherently something new or unique.

Ochi Bestoon on the otherhand is an enjoyable antagonist. Raffaele Ienco’s armor design feels badass and classically Star Wars and the physical brawl between these servants of the Dark Side is brutal and entertaining. As a fight book, this is great, but it still feels like we are treading familiar ground of character and theme.

That may change next issue though. Looks like we are in for some weird shit on the horizon, and honestly I’m here for it.

Score: B