#Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader’s Castle

[jewishcissiekj]

Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, JarJar Binks, C-3PO and R2-D2 in Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle #1 - written by Cavan Scott with art by Megan Levens

[marvelstars]

Anakin Skywalker's first appearance in the comics came in Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle. In the fifth issue of the series, Lina Graf has led a crew to Mustafar to rescue a friend from Fortress Vader. However, the crew is captured by a former servant of Darth Vader who was trying to bring back the Sith Lord.

While escaping, toxic fumes started showing anyone who breathed them their worst fear. As the crew was lost in the mist, a blue light guided the crew to safety. While the crew assumed Lina provided the light, it was actually Anakin's Force Ghost.

I would love to see a comic dedicated to show Anakin appareances around the galaxy as a force ghost, something tells me he would be very present on Mustafar, Coruscant, Naboo, Tatooine, Endor as well as the world between worlds as he did in Ahsoka.

[geekcavepodcast]

"Vader's Castle: The Deluxe Library Collection" Announced at Dark Horse

Dark Horse is releasing a hardcover collection of Vader's Castle stories. Star Wars: Vader's Castle - The Deluxe Library Collection contains Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle, Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle, Star Wars Adventures: Shadow of Vader’s Castle, Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle, and "Droid Hunters" from Star Wars Adventures: Free Comic Book Day 2019. Creatives included in the collection are writer Cavan Scott, artists Francesco Francavilla, Derek Charm, Megan Levens, Kelley Jones, Corin Howell, Robert Hack, Nicoletta Baldari, Nick Brockenshire, and Charles Paul Wilson III, colorists Charlie Kirchoff, Michelle Madsen, Valentina Pinto, and Michael Devito, and letterers Robbie Robins, Tom B. Long, Andworld Design, Shawn Lee, and Valeria Lopez.

Rebel Commander Lina Graff, Lieutenant Hudd, and friends are forced to sneak through Vader's castle on Mustafar in search of an exit. On the way they "trade terrifying tales of Obi-Wan, Han, Chewbacca, the Ewoks, and other galactic heroes facing off against interstellar creeps such as menacing Sith, soulless stormtroopers, possessed droids, alien witches, mutant monsters, and more! When Hudd falls into the clutches of Vaneé, the castle's creepy caretaker, he is treated to further spine-chilling stories of the galaxy's most vile villains, including Darth Maul, Asajj Ventress, Jabba the Hutt, and Vader himself! Even after the band of rebels flee the fortress, they are pursued by nightmares of rampaging were-Wookiees, Dagobah swamp monsters, and other ghouls!" The locals of Mustafar also have their own legends about the citadel in their midst. (Dark Horse)

Star Wars: Vader's Castle - The Deluxe Library Collection, featuring a cover by Francesco Francavilla, goes on sale in bookstores on September 24, 2024, and in comic shops on September 25, 2024.

(Image via Dark Horse - Francesco Francavilla's Cover of Star Wars: Vader's Castle - The Deluxe Library Collection)

[beuteeview]

Discount Star Wars Adventures Ghosts Of Vader's Castle 1 Baseball Jersey only at Tagotee.com🔥 Get your product here

[thecomicon]

Star Wars Returns To Vader's Castle This Halloween With 'Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts Of Vader’s Castle' Weekly

Star Wars Returns To Vader’s Castle This Halloween With ‘Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts Of Vader’s Castle’ Weekly

For a fourth Halloween running IDW Publishing are producing a spooky Star Wars series that aims to send a shiver down your spine. Written by Cavan Scott, (the author of the Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space novels), Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader’s Castle will feature art from Francesco Francavilla, Derek Charm, Megan Levens, Robert Hack, Chris Fenoglio and more. Like the previous visits…

[reyturnofbensolo]

Francesco Francavilla!

[graphicpolicy]

Preview: Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle

Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle preview. Join Lina, Milo Graf, and Crater for one last adventure to Vader's Castle! #Comics #ComicBooks #StarWars

[cavanscott]

Update 25th January - The return of Shadow Service, MI666 on the Bram Stoker Awards Ballot and the end of Vader's Castle

Check out this week's newsletter: The return of Shadow Service, MI666 on the Bram Stoker Awards Ballot and the end of Vader's Castle

Hello there! How is it almost the end of January? What? You want to cut the small talk and jump straight to the news? Okay then (but please don’t forget that you can have these updates sent straight to your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter!) Onwards! THE INSIDE TRACK This is one of those frustrating times when I can’t really talk about anything that I’m doing! With very little of my…

[scavengersholocron]

Comic Releases for October 20, 2021

Comic Releases for October 20, 2021

[collectorscorner]

CC New Arrivals @ Collectors Corner : Wednesday 9/29/21

Collectors Corner Parkville - HQ : OPEN for IN STORE SHOPPING with Strong Safety Measures in Place (Hand Sanitizing Stations, Masks Encouraged for All) - 1-410-668-3353.

CC Parkville - 2020/2021 STORE HOURS, Sunday 12-6, Mon-Tues 12-7, Wed 9-8, Thurs 11-7, Friday & Saturday 11-8

Collectors Corner - Bel Air Outpost Location : OPEN for IN STORE SHOPPING with Strong Safety Measures in Place (Hand Sanitizing Stations, Masks Encouraged for All) - 1-410-838-1777.

CC Bel Air - 2020/2021 STORE HOURS, Sunday 11-5, Monday/Tuesday - Closed, Wednesday 11-8, Thursday 11-7, Friday/Saturday 11-8

Complete list of items shipping to the stores, some items may be limited in availability. If you see anything you want to purchase on the list and are not a subscription member at Collectors Corner, just contact us and let us know if you want an item held at the stores.

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PUBLISHER/TITLE/PRICE

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT Bigfoot Frankenstein #1, $3.99

AFTERSHOCK COMICS 10 Years To Death #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Cliff Richards), $6.99 10 Years To Death #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Michael Gaydos), AR Out Of Body #4, $3.99 Party And Prey GN, $17.99 Silver City #5, $3.99

AHOY COMICS Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter Of Death #1 (Of 6), $4.99

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Betty And Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #297, $7.99 World Of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #113, $7.99

AWA STUDIOS Resistance Uprising #6, $3.99

BEHEMOTH COMICS Cinnamon #3 (Of 3), $3.99 Turbo Kid Apple’s Lost Adventure #1 (Of 2)(Cover A Jeik Dion), $3.99 Turbo Kid Apple’s Lost Adventure #1 (Of 2)(Cover B Ryan Browne), $3.99 Turbo Kid Apple’s Lost Adventure #1 (Of 2)(Cover C Alberto Massaggia), $3.99 Turbo Kid Apple’s Lost Adventure #1 (Of 2)(Cover D Marvin Rodriguez), $3.99 Turbo Kid Apple’s Lost Adventure #1 (Of 2)(Cover E Djibril Morissette-Phan), AR

BOOM! STUDIOS BRZRKR #5 (Of 12)(Cover A Lee Garbett), $3.99 BRZRKR #5 (Of 12)(Cover B Giuseppe Camuncoli), $3.99 BRZRKR #5 (Of 12)(Cover C Lee Garbett Foil Variant), $4.99 BRZRKR #5 (Of 12)(Cover D Giuseppe Camuncoli Foil Variant), $4.99 BRZRKR #5 (Of 12)(Cover E Declan Shalvey Variant), AR BRZRKR #5 (Of 12)(Cover F Giuseppe Camuncoli Virgin Variant), AR BRZRKR #5 (Of 12)(Cover G Declan Shalvey Virgin Variant), AR BRZRKR #5 (Of 12)(Cover H Giuseppe Camuncoli Foil Virgin Variant), AR BRZRKR Volume 1 TP, $16.99 Firefly River Run #1 (Cover A Christian Ward), $7.99 Firefly River Run #1 (Cover B Adam Gorham), $7.99 Firefly River Run #1 (Cover C1 Christian Ward Foil Intermix Variant), $8.99 Firefly River Run #1 (Cover C2 Adam Gorham Foil Intermix Variant), $8.99 Firefly River Run #1 (Cover D Adam Gorham Virgin Variant), AR Firefly River Run #1 (Cover E Christian Ward Virgin Variant), AR Firefly River Run #1 (Cover F Adam Gorham Black & White Virgin Variant), AR Something Is Killing The Children #20 (Cover A Werther Dell’Edera), $3.99 Something Is Killing The Children #20 (Cover B Evyn Fong), $3.99 Something Is Killing The Children #20 (Cover C Valerio Schiti Virgin Variant), AR

COMIC SHOP NEWS Comic Shop News #1780, AR

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DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT Dejah Thoris Vs John Carter Of Mars #3 (Cover A Lucio Parrillo), $3.99 Dejah Thoris Vs John Carter Of Mars #3 (Cover B Joseph Michael Linsner), $3.99 Dejah Thoris Vs John Carter Of Mars #3 (Cover C Alessandro Miracolo), $3.99 Dejah Thoris Vs John Carter Of Mars #3 (Cover D Rachel Hollon Cosplay Variant), $3.99 Dejah Thoris Vs John Carter Of Mars #3 (Cover E Alessandro Miracolo Black & White Variant), AR Dejah Thoris Vs John Carter Of Mars #3 (Cover F Lucio Parrillo Tinted Variant), AR Sonjaversal #8 (Cover A Lucio Parrillo), $3.99 Sonjaversal #8 (Cover B Joseph Michael Linsner), $3.99 Sonjaversal #8 (Cover C Jae Lee), $3.99 Sonjaversal #8 (Cover D Junggeun Yoon), $3.99 Sonjaversal #8 (Cover E Gracie The Cosplay Lass Cosplay Variant), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #22 (Cover A Lucio Parrillo), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #22 (Cover B Ben Oliver), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #22 (Cover C Stephen Segovia), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #22 (Cover D Leon De La Chance Cosplay Variant), $3.99 Vengeance Of Vampirella #22 (Cover E Stephen Segovia Virgin Variant), AR

HUMANOIDS Lugosi The Rise And Fall Of Hollywood’s Dracula TP, $24.99 Space Bastards #8, $4.99

IDW PUBLISHING Art Of Pulp Fiction An Illustrated History Of Vintage Paperbacks HC, $49.99 EC Covers Artist’s Edition HC, $150.00 G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Yearbook #3 (Cover A Roi Mercado), $5.99 Godzilla World Of Monsters TP, $29.99 Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Artisan Edition TP, $39.99 Locke And Key Volume 1 Bienvenidos a Lovecraft TP, $19.99 Marie Curie A Quest For Light TP, $17.99 Read Only Memories GN, $17.99 Scarenthood TP, $15.99 Star Trek Voyager Seven’s Reckoning TP, $15.99 Star Wars Adventures Ghost Of Vader’s Castle #2 (Of 5)(Cover A Francesco Francavilla), $3.99 Star Wars Adventures Ghost Of Vader’s Castle #2 (Of 5)(Cover B Derek Charm), $3.99 Star Wars Adventures Ghost Of Vader’s Castle #2 (Of 5)(Cover C Francesco Francavilla Black & White Variant), AR Star Wars Adventures Volume 2 #10 (Cover A Francesco Francavilla), $3.99 Star Wars Adventures Volume 2 #10 (Cover B Stefano Simeone), $3.99 Star Wars Adventures Volume 2 #10 (Cover C Francesco Francavilla Black & White Variant), AR Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #121 (Cover A Jodie Nishijima), $3.99 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #121 (Cover B Kevin Eastman), $3.99 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #121 (Cover C Paris Alleyne), AR Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Last Ronin #1 (Of 5)(4th Printing Esau Escorza & Isaac Escorza Cover), $8.99 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Last Ronin #2 (Of 5)(3rd Printing Esau Escorza & Isaac Escorza Cover), $8.99 Transformers Halloween Special #1 (Cover A Nicole Goux), $5.99 Transformers Halloween Special #1 (Cover B Livio Ramondelli), AR Transformers Shattered Glass #2 (Of 5)(Cover A Alex Milne), $3.99 Transformers Shattered Glass #2 (Of 5)(Cover B Andrew Lee Griffith), $3.99 Transformers Shattered Glass #2 (Of 5)(Cover C Sara Pitre-Durocher), AR Usagi Yojimbo The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy #4 (Of 6)(Cover A David Petersen), $3.99

IMAGE COMICS Adventureman #5 (Cover A Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson), $3.99 Crossover #8 (Cover A Chip Zdarsky), $3.99 Crossover #8 (Cover B Megan Hutchison-Cates), $3.99 Crossover #8 (Cover C Geoff Shaw Virgin Variant), AR Crossover #8 (Cover D Megan Hutchison-Cates Virgin Variant), AR Department Of Truth #13 (Cover A Martin Simmonds), $3.99 Department Of Truth #13 (Cover B Alvaro Martinez Bueno), $3.99 Department Of Truth #13 (Cover C Maria Llovet), $3.99 Die #20 (Cover A Stephanie Hans), $3.99 Die #20 (Cover B Kim Jung Gi), $3.99 Echolands #1 (Raw Cut Edition)(Cover A J. H. Williams III), $4.99 Echolands #1 (Raw Cut Edition)(Cover B J. H. Williams III), $4.99 Echolands #2 (Cover A J. H. Williams III), $4.99 Echolands #2 (Cover B Alison Sampson), $4.99 Geiger #6 (2nd Printing Gary Frank Cover), $4.99 Good Asian #5 (Of 10)(Cover A Dave Johnson), $3.99 Good Asian #5 (Of 10)(Cover B Afu Chan), $3.99 Good Asian #5 (Of 10)(Cover C Afu Chan Virgin Variant, AR Good Asian Volume 1 TP, $14.99 Haha TP, $16.99 Head Lopper Volume 4 The Quest For Mulgrid’s Stair TP, $16.99 Lady Mechanika Volume 3 The Lost Boys Of West Abbey TP, $7.99 Mirka Andolfo’s Sweet Paprika #2 (Of 12)(2nd Printing Mirka Andolfo Cover), $3.99 Spawn #322 (Cover A Bjorn Barends), $2.99 Spawn #322 (Cover B Todd McFarlane), $2.99 Spawn #322 (Cover C Carlo Barberi), $2.99 Undiscovered Country #16 (Cover A Giuseppe Camuncoli), $3.99 Undiscovered Country #16 (Cover B Gerald Peral), $3.99

MARVEL COMICS Amazing Fantasy #3 (Of 5)(Cover A Kaare Andrews), $4.99 Amazing Fantasy #3 (Of 5)(Cover B Kaare Andrews), AR Amazing Fantasy #3 (Of 5)(Cover C E.M. Gist), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover A Patrick Gleason), $9.99 Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover B Patrick Gleason Virgin Variant), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover C Mark Bagley), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover D Marcelo Ferreira), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover E Sara Pichelli Miles Morales 10th Anniversary Variant), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover F Federico Vicentini), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover G Peach Momoko), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover H Marco Checchetto), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover I Leinil Francis Yu), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover J Ron Frenz), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover K Alex Maleev), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover L Carlos E. Gomez), AR Amazing Spider-Man #74 (Cover M Mike Dowling Foreshadow Variant), AR Black Cat #10 (Cover A Pepe Larraz), $3.99 Black Cat #10 (Cover B Pepe Larraz), AR Black Cat #10 (Cover C Emanuela Lupacchino Connecting Variant), AR Black Cat #10 (Cover D Dike Ruan Miles Morales 10th Anniversary Variant), AR Cable By Gerry Duggan Volume 2 TP, $17.99 Captain Marvel Volume 6 Strange Magic TP, $15.99 Darkhawk #2 (Of 5)(Cover A Iban Coello), $3.99 Darkhawk #2 (Of 5)(Cover B Ron Lim), AR Darkhawk #2 (Of 5)(Cover C Declan Shalvey), AR Darkhold Alpha #1 (Cover D Cian Tormey Design Variant), AR Darkhold Alpha #1 (Cover E Juann Cabal Stormbreakers Variant), AR Extreme Carnage Omega #1 (Cover A Dave Rapoza), $4.99 Extreme Carnage Omega #1 (Cover B Declan Shalvey), AR Extreme Carnage Omega #1 (Cover C Jeff Johnson Connecting Variant), AR Extreme Carnage Omega #1 (Cover D Skottie Young), AR Extreme Carnage Omega #1 (Cover E Symbiote Variant), AR Extreme Carnage Omega #1 (Cover F Rob Liefeld Deadpool 30th Anniversary Variant), AR Extreme Carnage Omega #1 (Cover G Joshua Cassara Stormbreakers Variant), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover A Jerome Opena), $5.99 Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover B Stanley Artgerm Lau), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover C Stanley Artgerm Lau Virgin Variant), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover D Carmen Nunez Carnero Stormbreakers Variant), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover E Mark Brooks Wraparound Variant), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover F Jeff Dekal), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover G Oscar Vega), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover H Peach Momoko), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover I R. B. Silva Homage Variant), AR Inferno #1 (Of 4)(Cover J Greg Capullo Hidden Gem Variant), AR Kang The Conqueror #1 (Of 5)(2nd Printing Cover), $4.99 Marvels #5 (Cover A Alex Ross), $3.99 Marvels #5 (Cover B Mahmud A. Asrar), AR Miles Morales Spider-Man #30 (Cover A Taurin Clarke), $4.99 Miles Morales Spider-Man #30 (Cover B Chase Conley Design Variant), AR Miles Morales Spider-Man #30 (Cover C Sara Pichelli), AR Miles Morales Spider-Man #30 (Cover D Javier Garron Miles Morales 10th Anniversary Variant), AR Moon Knight #2 (2nd Printing Cover), $3.99 Non-Stop Spider-Man #5 (Cover A R. B. Silva), $3.99 Non-Stop Spider-Man #5 (Cover B Kael Ngu), AR Reign Of X Volume 4 TP, $17.99 S.W.O.R.D. #8 (Cover A Stefano Caselli), $3.99 S.W.O.R.D. #8 (Cover B Russell Dauterman), AR Star Wars #17 (Cover A Carlo Pagulayan), $3.99 Star Wars #17 (Cover B Rahzzah), AR Star Wars #17 (Cover C Paolo Villanelli Bounty Hunter Ship Blueprint Variant), AR Star Wars #17 (Cover D John Tyler Christopher Action Figure Variant), AR Star Wars #17 (Cover E Chris Sprouse Lucasfilm 50th Anniversary Variant), AR Star Wars The High Republic #8 (2nd Printing Cover), $3.99 Star Wars War Of The Bounty Hunters #3 (Of 5)(2nd Printing Cover), $3.99 Thor #17 (Cover A Olivier Coipel), $3.99 Thor #17 (Cover B Nic Klein), AR Thor #17 (Cover C Todd Nauck Miles Morales 10th Anniversary Variant), AR Winter Guard #2 (Of 4)(Cover A Toni Infante), $3.99 Winter Guard #2 (Of 4)(Cover B Paco Medina), AR Wolverine #16 (Cover A Adam Kubert), $3.99 Wolverine #16 (Cover B Camuncoli Variant), AR Wolverine #16 (Cover C Tony Daniel Miles Morales 10th Anniversary Variant), AR

ONI PRESS Invader Zim Deluxe Edition Volume 5 HC, $49.99 Underground TP, $19.99

PLAID STALLIONS PRESS Toy-Ventures Magazine #5, $10.99

SCOUT COMICS Corset #1, $4.99 Corset Prestige Edition #1, $6.99 Night Of The Cadillacs #1 (Of 2)(Cover A Rob Prior), $3.99 Night Of The Cadillacs #1 (Of 2)(Cover B Laurent Jacques Spot Foil Riv Photo), AR

SOURCE POINT PRESS Darling #4 (Cover A Dave Mims), $3.99 Darling #4 (Cover B Alex Riegel), $3.99 Runes #3, $3.99 Suicide Jockeys #2 (Cover A Davi Leon Dias), $3.99 Suicide Jockeys #2 (Cover B Fabio Alves), $3.99 Touching Evil #17, $3.99 Unborn #1 (Cover A Maan House), $3.99 Unborn #1 (Cover B Simone Ragazzoni), $3.99 Unborn #1 (Cover C Ivan Tao), AR

TITAN COMICS Blade Runner 2029 #8 (Cover A John McCrea), $3.99 Blade Runner 2029 #8 (Cover B Syd Mead), $3.99 Blade Runner 2029 #8 (Cover C Giannis Milonogiannis), $3.99 Gun Honey #1 (Of 4)(Cover A Bill Sienkiewicz), $3.99 Gun Honey #1 (Of 4)(Cover B Robert McGinnis), $3.99 Gun Honey #1 (Of 4)(Cover C Ang Hor Kheng), $3.99 Gun Honey #1 (Of 4)(Cover D Andrea Camerini), $3.99 Gun Honey #1 (Of 4)(Cover F Bill Sienkiewicz Virgin Variant), AR Gun Honey #1 (Of 4)(Cover G Bill Sienkiewicz Pink Color Wash Virgin Variant), AR Gun Honey #1 (Of 4)(Cover H Adam Hughes), AR Star Trek Villains HC, $24.99 Star Wars Insider #205 (FOC Edition), $9.99 Star Wars Insider #205 (Newsstand Edition), $9.99 Star Wars Insider #205 (Previews Exclusive Edition), $9.99

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING Comic Book Artist Bullpen TP, $24.95

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ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT Grimm Fairy Tales #52 (Cover A Sean Chen), $3.99 Grimm Fairy Tales #52 (Cover B Igor Vitorino), $3.99 Grimm Fairy Tales #52 (Cover C Keith Garvey), $3.99 Grimm Fairy Tales #52 (Cover D Riveiro), $3.99 Robyn Hood Hunted #1 (One Shot)(Cover A Al Barrionuevo), $5.99 Robyn Hood Hunted #1 (One Shot)(Cover B Igor Vitorino), $5.99 Robyn Hood Hunted #1 (One Shot)(Cover C Derlis Santacruz), $5.99

TOYS - T-SHIRTS & COLLECTIBLES DC Gaming 7 Inch Scale Wave 4 Action Figure Assortment, AR DC Gaming 7 Inch Scale Wave 4 Dr Fate Action Figure, AR Golden Girls Series 3 24 Piece 3D Foam Bag Clip Blind Mystery Box Display, AR Marvel Shang-Chi 24 Piece 3D Foam Bag Clip Blind Mystery Box Display, AR Vinyl Soda Agent Carter Captain Carter With Chase, AR Vinyl Soda Bazooka Joe With Chase, AR Vinyl Soda Evil Dead Ash With Blood Chase, AR Vinyl Soda Super Friends Zan With Vamp Chase, AR

[jewishcissiekj]

Since Asajj Ventress appeared in recent media and is set to appear in future shows and Star Wars content, I've seen a lot of people starting to read Dark Disciple. but besides that book, there are so many stories featuring Asajj over her 22 years of existence. So if you are looking for some recommendations and entry points to Asajj outside of the TV shows, here are some recommendations to get to know her a bit better, in both the Canon and Legends timelines:

(for anyone looking for a definitive list of everything she's ever been in, I also have that)

for anyone looking for just the list of recommendations without all my babbling, scroll down to the bottom, it'll be there.

Canon

Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) Starting off, this masterpiece. Telling the dual story of Asajj and Dooku, Jedi Lost is genuinely some of the best Star Wars content out there, in my opinion. Taking place early in The Clone Wars, it tells Asajj's journey battling her ghosts and uncovering her Master's history. It requires only the context of the prequels and The Clone Wars, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes the Prequels, Dooku, or Asajj.

Brotherhood - by Mike Chen Continuing with the book that serves as an introduction to Asajj in canon (chronologically), Brotherhood presents an interesting take on her first meetings with Anakin and Obi-Wan. She's far from the main character here, only supporting the book's plot as the villain and the initiator behind some of the troubles Obi-Wan faces on Cato Neimodia. This Asajj is more calculated, working behind the scenes while still facing off face to face against Obi-Wan and Anakin, and it uniquely handles her character. The book is a Clone Wars adventure taking place before and it requires only the movies' and TCW's context, once again. *While technically taking place after Hyperspace Stories #5, it contradicts that issue's events and makes more sense if it takes place before, so I listed it first (for more info on the contradictions you can go here)*

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) Taking place shortly after Anakin's knighting, before The Clone Wars show, this is a short and interesting comic story for Asajj. While tying into an over-arching plot of the series, this issue stands alone well. Simply put, Asajj is sent to retrieve a mysterious item by Count Dooku and encounters Anakin and Obi-Wan in the process. It has fun art, fun dynamics, and it's really good.

Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok This one is not as set on the timeline, but we do know it takes place while Asajj is still working for Dooku. In short, without too many spoilers, Asajj falls into a pit and has to trust on a Clone Trooper's help to get out. The story is a part of an anthology, but it completely stand-alone on its own. If you can read it on its own, I recommend it, but the rest of the book is also very much worth it if you want to buy it for the story. Dawson captures a version of Asajj that rarely gets attention, before the Nightsisters, and manages to show her identity and tell a wonderful story without that tool that's often overly used (in my opinion).

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire Jumping forward in the Timeline, we have another Asajj story by Cavan Scott! It has Bounty Hunting, A baby Sarlacc, pretty art, fun coloring, and Asajj. So what's not to love? Like Hyperspace Stories, Return to Vader's Castle also has an over-arching plot, but that's 4 framing pages of Vaneé being a bitch and has no effect on the rest of it. Solid stuff. (it is also the source of the first picture in this post)

Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez Next, we have a wonderful short story taking place just before The Clone Wars episode "To Catch a Jedi". In just a few pages, Jody Houser brings conflict and personality to Asajj's time on Coruscant. And there's gorgeous art.

Legends

While Legends, and especially the comics, have some of my favorite stories with Asajj, it's hard to recommend individual issues. They can be stand-alone but still connected and ingrained in the ongoing story of the comics. But I tried to hand-pick the best for introduction and knowledge of who Asajj is a character there. So I won't recommend the 12 issues she's in, I set myself the limit of sticking with the same number of recommendations I had for canon.

Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello Although I'm assuming you all have at least a passing familiarity with Asajj's character, introductions are still important. And, yes, Asajj first appeared in a different comic and after a month or so in Clone Wars (2003), but chronologically, in-universe, this is her first appearance. The Face of War is comprised of issues #51 and #52 of the Star Wars: Republic comic series, and although Asajj is only in the last page of #51, it's necessary context. This one isn't a must for me, but it sets the ground for her. And it's good. Giorello's art brings a unique perspective to Asajj's character, and by that I mean it may not be to some people's taste. So take your pick with this one.

Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching If the last one isn't a must, this one is. It is a stand-alone adventure, almost feeling like a (better) TCW episode. Obi-Wan is off to infiltrate a Techno Union base with a team of all-star legendary Jedi that are introduced, and everything goes wrong when they run into the Confederacy's best, Durge and Asajj Ventress. I say it's a must because it establishes the nature of the rivalry between Obi-Wan and Asajj, and gives us such a sense of who those people are. It also lays the foundations to my next comic recommendation.

Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn This one, a 1784-word story, originally published on Wizards.com as a part of The Living Force roleplaying campaign, is definitely not a must, but it's barely 2k words, just read it. In all seriousness though, it captures Asajj's essence and I just. love it. You can read it right now, that's the link in the name, it's up online for free legally. While it is a part of the RPG campaign, I read it individually and had no trouble at all.

The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes (The Japanese cover is prettier and has Asajj, ok?) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto head to the planet Ord Cestus to try and convince Ord Cestus's government to ally with The Republic. But under the surface, a mysterious scheme had developed and it gets messy. Never ask me to write a publisher's summary. Asajj is the villain of this one, and I don't have much to say about it, but it is good. Fair warning: it hasn't aged the best in my opinion, and not even in a politically correct sense, some of the descriptions and relationships were questionable at best. If you like Kit Fisto and political adventuring and Clone Wars fights and a mascarade ball, if I remember correctly, this one's for you. It's not much of a story for Asajj but it is a fun read.

Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello I have never ever not once said it but this right here is my favorite Asajj story of all time ever. It does require context, though, so here's it: after the battle of Jabiim, Alpha-17 (Legends Arc Trooper, you may have heard of him) and Obi-Wan (a staple in Asajj's stories, he needs to gtfo women's business) are blown up and declared dead. Turns out Asajj Ventress has been holding them in her castle on the planet Rattatak and this is the daring story of their escape. In this issue, Asajj's origin story is revealed, before the Nightsisters had anything to do with her. More than any other Legends issue, it differentiates greatly from anything you know about Asajj in TCW/Canon. She's a warlord, with armies at her beck and call, a military commander, And it's fun. Her origin story is told in this issue, and it's such a great story that shifted my understanding of her a lot. The art, once again, is by Giorello, keep it in mind.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart (Japanese cover, once again) Last but certainly not least, the Legends Clone Wars book I've heard the most positive reviews of, and was not disappointed in the slightest. It is as good as they say. The story doesn't focus on Asajj, and she isn't even the main antagonist, but she gets a meaningful role in it and has her place and her arc in the story. It's also my favorite approach to how Asajj would act when she has to deal with children. Worth the hype and an excellent book to read unrelated to Asajj.

Alright, that's all! I hope you check out at least one of these, they're all great. As said before, I also have a complete list of everything Asajj in chronological order. Feel free to ask me anything about the list and the things in it. I can also give a complete comic reading list for her, since it's a bit more than just the issues she appeared in. For anyone struggling with the accessibility of these recommendations, I have a hopefully comprehensive guide in the complete appearances post. And now just this list because I promised that:

Canon 1) Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) 2) Brotherhood - by Mike Chen 3) Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) 4) Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok 5) Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire 6) Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez

Legends 1) Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc (Star Wars: Republic #51-52) - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 2) Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching 3) Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn 4) The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes 5) Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 6) Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart

tag list: @thechaoticfanartist @charmwasjess @metalatl @redsandspirit @slutshartsstuff @housepartyfortwo @karma-malfoy @thelivingforce

[clonewarsarchives]

TCW Comics Masterpost

~Legends~

this session only includes titles under The Clone Wars media project from 2008 onward

Webcomics 

S1 consists of preludes and extension for each episode with a variety of art styles. S2 & 3 follows Zabark Padawan Tyzen Xebec and Commander’s adventure and interaction with the TV cast.

Season 1: Tales from The Clone Wars**

1.5: Hunting the Hunters

Season 2: Act on Instinct

Season 3: The Valsedian Operation

Dark Horse (2008-2013)

Main cast

Shipyards of Doom

Crash Course

The Wind Raiders of Taloraan

Slaves of the Republic* (set earlier in the war than show)

Hero of the Confederacy

The Starcrusher Trap

The Smuggler's Code (S4)

Various Jedi

The Colossus of Destiny (Mace)

In Service of the Republic (Kit Fisto & Plo Koon)

2011 Free Comic Book Day: The Gauntlet of Death (Kit Fisto)

Deadly Hands of Shon-Ju (Aayla)

Strange Allies (tie-in with Secret Mission books)

Clones

The Enemy Within 

Defenders of the Lost Temple** (Glitch) (between S4-S5)

Maul & Savage

2011 Free Comic Book Day: Oppress Unleashed (between 3.13-14)

The Sith Hunters (post 4.22)

Darth Maul—Death Sentence (between Sith Hunters-5.01)

Publishing Order: Shipyards > Crash Course > Wind Raiders > Slaves > Colossus > In Service > Hero > Shon-Ju > Stracrusher Trap > Strange Allies > Enemy Within > Sith Hunters > Lost Temple > Smuggler

UK Magazine comics

54 original comic stories from Nov ‘09 to Dec ‘13

~Canon~

Dark Horse

Darth Maul—Son of Dathomir (2014)** (~between 6.04-7.08)

Hyperspace Stories (2022) - 12-issue anthology, all eras

#1: Anakin, Obi-wan, Padme, Grievous

#5: Ventress, Anakin, Obi-wan 

#9: Quinlan Vos, Cad Bane

#10: The Bad Batch

#11: Yoda, Mace

HS: The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents (Jan 2025) - 5-issue miniseries

Marvel

Jedi of the Republic – Mace Windu (2017) - 5-issue miniseries

Age of Republic (2018) - 9-issue anthology set during the prequels

Anakin Skywalker (between ep II and start of the series: 2.16)

Padmé Amidala 

Special - includes "The Weapon" (Mace Windu), "Sisters" (Ventress), "501 Plus One" (Captain Rex & Jar Jar)

General Grievous (post 1.10)

Halcyon Legacy (2022) - 5-issue miniseries

#3: Anakin, Padme, Ventress (#4: Hondo in OT time)

Obi-Wan (2022) - five-issue miniseries

#3: with Cody

#4: with Anakin

IDW

Most IDW comics are anthology series, so most are standalone oneshots  featuring TCW characters / characters in the Clone Wars era.

The Clone Wars: Battle Tales (2020)** - set before TCW movie, 5-issue miniseries

Forces of Destiny—Ahsoka & Padmé (2018) (featuring Barriss in extra scenes from the webseries)

Star Wars Adventures (2017)

#12-13: Anakin & Padmé

#12: Mace Windu

#18: Padmé & Jar Jar

#19: Rex & Obi-wan**

#20: Anakin & Yoda, Barriss**

Star Wars Adventures (2020)

#3: Maul & Savage

#5-6: Anakin & Padmé

#7: The Crimson Corsair

#8: Dooku & Clone “Jumpy”

#9-10: Mace Windu & Lightning Squadron

#12: Ventress vs. Aayla

Tales from Vader's Castle (2018)

#2: Dooku

Return to Vader's Castle (2019)

#1: Maul (pre 4.21)

#3: Ventress (post 4.20)

Ghosts of Vader's Castle (2021)

#1: Anakin, Padmé, Jar Jar

~~~ updated 12 Oct 2024

[fantomcomics]

What’s Out This Week? 9/22

Missed a week, but we’re back!

The Death Of Doctor Strange #1 (of 5) - Jed MacKay & Lee Garbett

Doctor Stephen Strange is the world's greatest neurosurgeon and Earth's Sorcerer Supreme. He defends our planet from the supernatural and interdimensional threats no other hero is equipped to handle. But what would happen if he unexpectedly died? Who would protect Earth and keep the mystical evils at bay? And most importantly...who killed Stephen Strange?!

Frontiersman #1 - Patrick Kindlon & Marco Ferrari

PATIENCE! CONVICTION! REVENGE! Classic Green Arrow-style adventure blends with the thoughtfulness of Concrete in a superhero odyssey for mature, but uncynical, readers! Frontiersman is coaxed out of retirement by an environmentalist group, only to find that being a spokesperson makes him a target for old and new enemies alike!

He Who Fights With Monsters #1 - Francesco Artibani & Werther Dell'Edera 

It's World War 2 and the struggle between good and evil is in full force. In Prague, the great Bohemian city is being oppressed by the Nazi occupation and the population lives in terror, while the resistance forces try to organize themselves in the shadows.  It is an almost impossible task. With the ruthless SS tightening their grip on every street and neighborhood with overwhelming might, only one hope feeds the struggle. A crazy hope, which rests on the fragile foundations of an ancient, monstrous legend...

X-Men Onslaught: Revelation #1 - Si Spurrier & Bob Quinn

YOU HAVE STRAYED FROM THE WAY OF X. THE ONSLAUGHT IS UPON YOU! •  The X-Men's greatest foe, mutantkind's primal evil, slithers in the minds of its most senior leaders... •  The kids whisper of the CRUCI-BALL: a party to end all parties. A party to end everything. •  The seals are broken, the trumpets have sounded; only a small band of eccentric mutants can hope to break the fall... •  Can Nightcrawler light the spark that will drive out the shadows... or will Krakoa slip into the abyss...?

Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts Of Vader’s Castle #1 (of 5) - Cavan Scott, Francesco Francavilla, & Megan Levens

Join Cavan Scott, Francesco Francavilla, and a host of classic Star Wars artists in the epic conclusion to the Vader's Castle saga! Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader's Castle is a horror-packed, star-studded, five-week event guaranteed to haunt your dreams.  

In issue #1, life is looking up for Lina and Milo Graf and Crater, but Milo has been having nightmares... about zombie droids! Find out what's causing these dreams and if Milo can handle being haunted by the GHOSTS OF VADER'S CASTLE.

Whatcha picking up this week, Fantomites?

[rebelsofshield]

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

[duhragonball]

Potpourri

I’ve been thinking about various storytelling things, not really Dragon Ball related, but I figured I could write them all down here and make something out of it.    Yeah, like an old school Livejournal post, except I can’t write a sassy message in the read-more cut.

Okay, first, I’ve been watching a lot of AEW Dark episodes on YouTube, because AEW puts out a new one every Tuesday and it’s easy to fall behind on them.   So it’s like reliving wrestling angles that I watched on AEW Dynamite back in June and July.    One of these angles was a world title match between champion Jon Moxley, and “The Machine” Brian Cage, who debuted by winning a ladder match in dramatic fashion, along with his new manager, Taz.

Taz does a lot of the color commentary for these episodes of Dark, and Cage debuted around the release of Episode 35, so after that, Taz started using his announcing job to promote the upcoming title match and gloat about how his guy Cage was going to destroy Jon Moxley and win the title.   Taz’s main argument was that Cage is absolutely jacked, which made him a success before, but now he’s got Taz coaching him in all the cool stuff Taz used to do in ECW: suplexes, submission holds, etc.    Taz sells you Brian Cage’s world title victory like a lawyer presenting a case to a jury.   At the center of Taz’s argument was his claim that Cage was simply too big, too strong, and too prepared for Jon Moxley’s finishing move, the Paradigm Shift.    Taz predicted that Mox wouldn’t be able to apply the Paradigm Shift properly, and even if he could hit it, it wouldn’t be enough to stop Cage. 

The plot twist came from real life, when Moxley had to stay home because his wife contracted COVID-19.   There was a lot of speculation that he might get sick, and even if he didn’t, that he wouldn’t be able to appear for the title match.   Fortunately, it didn’t come to that, and the match was simply postponed an extra week.    During that time, Taz accused Moxley of ducking Brian Cage, which I wasn’t crazy about, since I didn’t like coronavirus being used in a wrestling angle.   On the other hand, it did give Taz a couple of weeks to run down the champion unopposed.   At one point he reintroduced his old FTW title belt and gave it to Cage because the world title match had been postponed.    Good stuff.  

So finally, Moxley comes back, and he did one promo before the title match, and this was his chance to respond to all the shittalking Taz had been doing.   It was brilliant, because for weeks, Taz had been declaring victory, and he shut it all down in one quick segment.    He brought up Taz’s claim that the Paradigm Shift wouldn’t work on Cage, and Moxley just said “well maybe I won’t try to use my finisher on him.   No, instead, I’m going to target his left bicep, which was surgically repaired last year, putting Cage out of action for several months.”

And just like that, the tone of the show changed, where suddenly it looked like Cage might be in trouble, because his camp only seemed to have a perfect game plan, and here was the champion announcing his own counter-strategy in advance.   “You talked shit about my wife being sick, so I will reinjure your arm.” 

And it was awesome.    At one point Moxley went for a pin, and Cage kicked out, only for Moxley to reverse the pin into a submission move on the arm.    There were points where it seemed like he couldn’t decide which arm to target, and eventually I realized he was going after both of them, switching from one to the other as needed.   It’s smart, because if you go after the good arm, he’s gotta use the vulnerable one to fight you off, and by doing that Cage basically handed it to Mox for his next hold.  

Finally, Moxley had Cage trapped in an arm hold, and the whole time he was looking Taz in the eye, basically waiting for a submission or a ref stoppage, and Taz had no choice but to throw in the towel to save Brian Cage’s career.    It was a beautiful finish because it sewed up the whole story.   Cage never tapped out, so he still looks like a relentless badass, but Taz had to let discretion be the better part of valor.   He mocked Moxley for playing it safe when his wife got sick, so Moxley forced Taz to make the same choice.    Great stuff.   

Second.   I’ve been reading Darth Vader comics since Marvel started publishing new Star Wars stuff again.    Disney bought Marvel and Star Wars, so it was only a matter of time before the comics began to reflect this.   The smart thing they did was to give Vader his own title, which I like because I’m not that into the adventures of Luke and Han.   

The first Vader series was twenty-odd issues featuring his fall from grace after the Death Star’s destruction, and his rise to command of the Imperial Fleet.     Basically it charts Vader’s career between Episodes IV and V, though there’s plenty of room for other side-stories.   

The second series flashed back to the final scenes of Revenge of the Sith, and tracks Vader’s actions before A New Hope.   It doesn’t cover the entire period, but it hits a lot of the important notes.   How he got his red lightsaber, how he trained the Inquisitors and hunted down the surviving Jedi, and how he built the castle on Mustafar seen in Rogue One.   So it handles everything important Vader was known to have done between Episodes III and IV. 

The third series, currently ongoing, starts right after Vader’s final scene in Empire Strikes Back, and I would assume it’s going to lead him right up to his arrival at Death Star II in Return of the Jedi.   I’m really into this, because I feel like this is an especially overlooked stage of Vader’s career.    Starting out, it seems to be mostly about Vader investigating how his son survived Padme’s death, as he seeks revenge against anyone who hid the boy from him.    Of course, nearly everyone involved in that cover-up is already dead, so I’m not sure where this is going to lead.   

All three volumes of the Vader title focus on the utter futility of Vader’s quests for power and revenge.    His hunts for Jedi survivors was just something for him to do in his spare time, since the Jedi were no longer a threat to him.    His castle on Mustafar was designed to give him special knowledge of the Force, but it only revealed truths that he already knew, or had long since rejected.    His plot to regain the Emperor’s favor after Yavin was very satisfying to watch, but also pointless: The Emperor needed him too badly to dispose of him, and Vader’s still a patsy whether he’s the #2 guy in the Empire or the #5 guy in the Empire.    And now this new series sees him chasing ghosts, trying to make sense of Luke’s refusal to join him.     He wants some sort of answer to his dilemma, but the only answer he’s ever going to find is the one in ROTJ, where he sacrifices himself to kill the Emperor, the one thing he cannot bring himself to contemplate until the time comes.

What saddens me, a little, is the realization that there doesn’t seem to be anywhere else for Marvel to go with the guy.   We’ve got an arc of Vader between Episodes III and IV, an arc between IV and V, and now V and VI, and that’s it.    The only way to do another Darth Vader series after this would be to go back and cover one of those three periods of his career.   And I’d be up for that, but the three series Marvel has done seem a little too decisive for this.  Like they purposely planned these comics because they weren’t going to revisit the character again for a while.   At least, not as the star of his own feature.   

I guess I could deal with that.    Maybe Marvel could finally get around to exploring the Sith career of Count Dooku between Episodes I and II, or work out some loose ends with the Emperor between Episodes VI and IX.    The main thing that’s been on my mind about Vader, though, is this idea that the character could just be done, and laid aside.  

This is something I’ve often observed about Cell and Frieza in DBZ.   I still think it’s dumb how they brought back Frieza after Trunks killed him, because there really wasn’t anything left to do with the character after he got turned into a cyborg and instakilled.   There’s nowhere to go after that.    His character arc was to start as the Final Boss of the entire Universe and then to get reduced to a pathetic, minor threat.    You can bring him back, but your only choice, dramatically speaking, is to reset the character, which means putting him back on the same track he’s already covered.     There’s no way to bring back Frieza and not have it be a retread of stuff he’s already done once before.

Cell might have some interesting applications beyond his original story, but he’s too much of a slave to his purpose.    His job was to carry on Dr. Gero’s revenge scheme, and that all ended when the saga ended, so he just seems out of place whenever he appears after that.   This is why I’m glad Toei and Toriyama haven’t brought Cell back, although at this rate it feels like it’s only a matter of time.   The thing is, if they brought him back, what else could they do with him?

With Darth Vader, all of his most important moments have already been covered in the movies, so all that’s left is to produce some side-story content.    The old Expanded Universe tended to steer clear of Darth Vader, probably out of respect for George Lucas’ prequel plans.    Later, the Clone Wars projects gave us more Anakin Skywalker than anyone knew what to do with, which is basically Darth Vader content, but not quite.   That’s why I dig these Marvel books so much, because there’s never been such a sustained effort to tell a Darth Vader story like this.   But once it’s run its course, the only way to keep using the character would basically be to start over.     I have a hard time seeing Marvel do that.  They’d have to get a new writer to retell those years like the first set of comics didn’t happen.    That could be very entertaining, but it doesn’t sound likely to happen.  

I’m not terribly worried about getting my Darth Vader fix in the future.   They’ll keep making stories about him long after I’m dead.   It’s just that I’ve been thinking about the limits of what you can do with one character.    I’ve long thought that you can always find gaps in the narrative that can be filled in with new stories, but maybe that isn’t true.    Maybe at some point, for some characters, there’s a finite amount of things to do with them.    You look at all of the Anakin Skywalker Clone Wars stories, and I’m sure someone could write a few hundred more, but would it really accomplish anything that hasn’t already been covered?   Is it possible to “use up” a character?   I probably won’t know for sure anytime soon.  

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Preview: Star Wars Adventures: Ghost of Vader’s Castle #4 (of 5)

Star Wars Adventures: Ghost of Vader’s Castle #4 preview. Lina's dreams are visited by the ghost of the galaxy's most threatening villain! The GHOSTS OF VADER'S CASLTE are looming closer... #Comics #Comics #StarWars

Star Wars Adventures: Ghost of Vader’s Castle #4 (of 5) Cavan Scott (A) Chris Fenoglio (A/CA) Francesco FrancavillaIn Shops: Oct 13, 2021SRP: $3.99 Join Cavan Scott, Francesco Francavilla, and a host of classic Star Wars artists in the epic conclusion to the Vader’s Castle saga! Star Wars Adventures: Ghosts of Vader’s Castle is a horror-packed, star-studded, five-week event guaranteed to haunt…