Not-Very Deep Thoughts: The October 12 Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Clone Conspiracy #1:  At this point, I feel like Marvel is begging us to ignore the fact that Slott is just rehashing his own stories every few years.  Six years ago we had "Big Time," where Peter got the job at Horizon and upped his Spidey game, and now we have "Worldwide," where he took over Parker Industries and really upped his Spidey game.  Five years ago we had "Spider-Island," where the Jackal was turning everyone into spiders, and now we have "Clone Conspiracy," where the Jackal is doing...something.  Four years ago we had Otto Octavius taking over a new body, and now we have him getting a new body...again.  In other words, it's getting old.  This event holds promise only because Slott may be setting up the possibility that a number of characters -- so far, Marla Jameson, Dr. Octopus, Captain Stacy, and, most importantly, Gwen Stacy -- could be permanently resurrected.  After all, if the Prowler is going to exist as a resurrected character, as his new series implies, it means Peter has found some way to keep the resurrected people alive.  (I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if Uncle Ben is added to that list, much to my horror.)  Slott makes it clear in the back-up story that the new people aren't clones created from a drop of blood, but reanimated from their remains.  If Slott uses this arc as a way to reboot Peter's continuity in a way that corrects some of the worse stories of the last few years ("Sins Past," anyone?), I could be OK with it.  But, it would require a very deft touch lest it feel like a cheap ret-con.  In truth, I feel like only Ed Brubaker has really pulled off something of this scale with his resurrection of Bucky.  I'm willing to give Slott a chance, but I'll admit I'm not overly optimistic.

Darth Vader #25:  I wasn't aware of the fact "Darth Vader" was ending with this issue, and I'll admit I feel bereft.  (Maybe it's because Carrie Fisher died the day before I read this issue.)  Gillen and Larocca use all the tricks of the trade to maximum effect here, from the wordless sequence of panels building tension to the early use of a credits page to let us think Aphra was really dead.  It's a spectacular issue, from start to finish.  With Aphra spilling the beans about Vader's treachery to the Emperor (though keeping quiet about Luke), Vader raises in his esteem.  He has Vader replace Tagge, and Vader kills him for his failure to see Cylo's treachery.  Vader had also killed Cylo himself earlier in the issue, meaning he stands here with all his enemies vanquished...or, at least, so he thinks.  It isn't surprising that Aphra isn't on that list.  Gillen had me totally buy her panic when Vader throws her in an airlock and expels her from the ship; her tears as she cried about not wanting to die in the vacuum of space felt real.  But, Aphra is Aphra:  she expected Vader to do that, knowing he'd never be "kind" enough to give her the saber as she had asked.  As such, she stashed the droids nearby, and they rescue her.  With Vader now convinced of her death, Aphra is ready to fight another day.  This 25-issue series is absolutely a must-read for any "Star Wars" fan, and it just reminds me how lucky we all are to be here, reading monthly "Star Wars" comics.

Detective Comics #942:  I haven't reviewed any of the "Night of the Monster Men" issues, mainly because they've been pretty well constructed but not particularly notable stories.  It's mostly true of this issue as well, though I'll admit I got a little lost in the pop psychology at the end.  But, I felt the need to comment on the fact that the team Bruce assembled for Kate has started to feel like one.  Unfortunately, in modern comics, we'd now abandon this premise altogether.  How often has a "bold new direction!" lasted six issues?  How often does the "new roster!" get also immediately replaced to start yet another new series?  I hope DC doesn't do that here.  It wasn't until this issue that I realized it's essentially the B Team of the Bat-family, and it's a great way to see them all in action, particularly when they interact with the A Team, as they do here.  It provides a continuity to the Bat-books that we've rarely seen.  For example, this arc nicely sets up Bruce's upcoming war with Bane as he tries to figure out why Bane wanted Psycho-Pirate.  It's rare to see the loose ends from a previous arc (namely the "I am Gotham" arc in "Batman") actually get addressed.  I feel like the Bat-titles may finally have a solid editorial team.  I just hope they don't throw away this success in favor of the next new thing.

Han Solo #4:  Maybe it's because I just saw "Rogue One," but I teared up a bit when Loo Re Anno commented that we're all the last of something.  She had just explained how her race had found itself (and each other) in creating the Dragon Void, realizing the joy of racing through the stars with someone.  Han laments that she's the last of her kind -- and hence forced to fly on her own -- but Loo Re Anno turns that comment into an analysis of Han himself.  She had earlier noted he belonged to the stars, and it made me realize how much this series is setting up the solo film due in 2018.  We know nothing about Han, just that he's a man with "Solo" as a last name.  He came from somewhere, and the moment that passes between him and Loo Re Anno conveys the sense that he understands the isolation she's feeling.  It really gets you thinking about his past and how he fits into the larger "Star Wars" story.  It also helps you see him as a person and not just a caricature.

Uncanny Avengers #15:  I continue to like this title in spite of myself, or, more to the point, in spite of Duggan's somewhat uneven scripts.  Although he's not surprisingly adept at writing Deadpool, the other characters fare less well at his hand.  Rogue spends the issue simply shouting out demands for the Hand's agents to tell them where Bruce Banner's body is, forcing Elektra to speak for all of us when she exasperatedly tells her it's not helping.  Duggan does manage some moments of humor as the team members slowly realize, despite Deadpool and Rogue's best attempts, that Steve has disbanded the team.  But, the characters all still seem interchangeable at this point, with Johnny not sounding all that distinct from Synapse.  The good news is that Duggan is still telling a fun story; the team fighting a Hand-controlled zombie Hulk is as cool of a premise as I can imagine.  Moreover, the art is top-notch.  Curiel's colors are so well considered and executed that the characters really do seem to leap off the page.  It helps remind you you're reading a comic book and maybe expecting a little too much from it.  Just look at the art and relax.

Also Read:  All Star Batman #2-#3; Moon Knight #7; Reborn #1; Solo #1

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The August 10 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

All-New X-Men #12: For the most part, this issue is a solid look into Laura's psyche as she goes on a bunch of solo missions Cyclops original meant for himself.  He can't do them since he's still recovering from his encounter with Toad, and she can't relieve her boredom by playing video games.  However, she's frustrated to learn someone else has made his way through the hit list before her, and it's no surprise when she learns it was Warren.  Hopeless also provides us insight into Warren's thoughts, as we learn the powers he got from the Black Vortex are slowly consuming him.  Laura understands this need to engage in violence, and their shared bloodlust brings them together again.  Warren also apologizes for making her feel bad about said lust, explaining the "fire" is messing with his head.  This part is the only area where I raised an eyebrow.  Hopeless is essentially trying to make it seem like Warren was more scared by what he recognized of himself in Laura than by Laura herself.  It makes sense, but I also can't help but feel like it's a ret-con, like Hopeless hadn't originally intended to go this route.  We never really got a hint that Warren was motivated by anything other than his inability to be in a relationship with someone who he watched essentially get murdered every day or so.  If we had seen those hints, it would've been easier to accept what Hopeless does here.  But, since this issue is pretty much the first time we've mentioned Warren's new powers in this series, it feels like an overly convenient device to get them together, for whatever reason.  That said, I am glad to see them together again, so I shouldn't complain too much.

All-New, All-Different Avengers #13:  Whoa, I did not see that coming.  I figured Vision would learn a lesson about free will, recognizing his own struggles with emotion and logic and leaving Kang to live his life the way he saw fit, an enemy to face in his prime.  But, we do not get that ending here.  Instead, the wraith-like figure we've seen assisting Vision throughout his journey into Kang's past whispers a secret to him, leading Vision to kidnap an infant Kang and, presumably, put him in the wraith's care.  Waid makes it clear with this cliffhanger that he's playing a very long game here.  It's the type of story we used to see in the '80s and '90s, where we got hints of threats lurking in the background as the Avengers confronted more immediate problems.  It's more proof to me that Waid is going back to basics in this title.  Everything feels like the good ol' days, before Bendis made the title feel like a TV show written for people with ADHD or Hickman turned it into an art project.  On a side note, Waid gets ahead of the main series a bit when he reveals that Black Panther and Spider-Man both join Carol's side.  I'm not surprised about T'Challa, but Peter surprises me, particularly given the developments so far in "Civil War II:  Amazing Spider-Man."  I guess we'll see.

Amazing Spider-Man #16:  [Sigh.]  I'm really, really trying to keep an open mind.  After all, the revelation that the Jackal (or, at least, someone calling himself the Jackal) resurrected the loved ones of Spidey's rogues gallery makes sense.  Peter becomes aware of this technology when one of the Jackal's scientists -- representing "New U Technologies" -- approaches him, JJJ, Jr., and May about using it to cure Jay of his mysterious hereditary disease.  (Side-bar:  Jay apparently didn't tell JJJ, Jr. about said disease, despite the fact it appears early intervention can help.  That seems...dickish to me, but I'm trying to stay positive.)  Peter asks to vet the technology and excitedly declares to Anna Marie that he can basically cure death with it, since it regrows organs without any flaws an accident or disease might have caused.  It's here where the story (once again) goes off the rails for me, because it shouldn't take Anna Marie to warn Peter about the ethical issues this technology would cause.  But, Peter doesn't care, calling New U to use it on an employee hurt in an industrial accident.  The Jackal mentions to his minions it's not "part of his plan," making it clear that using it on Jay was part of the plan.  But, he does it anyway, in part to build up Peter's belief in the technology.  But, Peter realizes something might be wrong when the employee sparks his Spider-Sense.  Ruh-roh!  Maybe moved a little too fast there, huh, Parker?  At any rate, the stakes go up even further when the Jackal's scientist reveals to JJJ, Jr. that they've resurrected Marla.  Also, it's pretty clear that Doc Ock is going to use the technology to resurrect himself.  [Sigh.]  At least the letters page announces they're launching a "Renew Your Vows" series.  Can I just read that instead?

Black Panther #5:  The brilliance of what Coates is doing here is clear when you realize you pretty much agree with everyone but T'Challa.  When he interrogates the boy turned terrorist, I was totally on the side of the "terrorist" as he spat back T'Challa's indignation.  After all, T'Challa was gallivanting with the Avengers as Namor drowned his village and the Black Order made his brother beg for death.   The "evil men" behind the revolution are offering him something T'Challa is not:  security.  Similarly, when T'Challa looks down on the "counter-revolutionary" masterminds, I rolled my eyes as they did.  Again, T'Challa clearly thinks he can be feared and loved simply because he demands to be, while the masterminds remind him he actually has to provide the aforementioned security to be feared and loved.  T'Challa thinks that he can just dismiss the revolutionaries as dishonorable and be done with it, but it's not that simple, as I'm sure he's going to learn.

Darth Vader #24:  We learn two conflicting lessons in this issue.  First, Darth Vader is more man than machine, contrary to Cylo's comment at the end of last issue, as he uses the Force to will his body into motion, killing Cylo and reactivating the machine parts of his body.  But, that "man" isn't Anakin Skywalker, as we learn through a series of hallucinations where he not only kills Anakin but Padme.  He truly is Darth Vader.  We end the issue with Vader going after one loose end (Cylo-VI?) and Aphra appearing before the Emperor to tell him she knows some stuff he needs to know.  I have no idea where we're going from here, but it's going to be good.

Spider-Man 2099 #13:  Due to my move, I stopped reading comics the week I started this review; it's now December, not August.  As such, my recall of previous issues is a little...dim.  David is telling a fairly complicated story at this point, with numerous timelines in play, and I admit the delay in reading this issue left me fairly confused at parts.  After all, we're dealing with at least the third iteration of the 2099 Universe in just this run.  But, David seems to be implying this iteration of the 2099 Universe is close enough to Miguel's* that he has a shot of actual reconstructing his timeline.  Of course, he can't do that if he's in an Alchemax prison, where he seems to be headed after the Punisher quickly disposes of him.  (I added the asterisk here as a reminder that even the baseline timeline that Miguel is trying to resurrect is different from the one we saw in the original run.  But, you're all probably tired of me mentioning that, so I'll just stop here.)

Also Read:  All-New, All-Different Avengers Annual #1

Not-Very-Deep Thoughts: The July 20 Marvel Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Darth Vader #22-#23:  I had to re-read issue #21 to make sure that I hadn't lost the thread of the larger story, but I think that I eventually got there.  Put together, these issues reveal that Cylo has been playing a long game.  We still don't know (as far as I can tell) why he betrayed the Empire, but we have a better sense of how he did it.  Gillen reveals that Voidgazer used her time working with General Tagge to install a series of protocols on his flagship, the Executor.  After Vader delivers a killing blow, she puts the protocols into effect:  they shut down the controls and then release a gas that knocks all staff unconscious.  Cylo and Morit are then able to board the Executor and turn it into their new flagship.  She also sends the ship where she and Vader were fighting (Cylo's previous flagship) on a collision course into the Executor, hoping it would kill him.  It (obviously) doesn't; instead, it simply gives Vader a ride to the Executor...and Cylo.  Vader cuts the engines, and Cylo orders an eager Morit not to engage Vader as he goes to fix them.  But, Vader finds Morit and -- in a thrilling series of panels that Delgado's colors make amazing -- dispatches him by sending him hurtling to the nearby gas giant.  In so doing, Vader finally dispatches all of Cylo's potential rivals for his position and now makes his way to Cylo.  But, Cylo confirms what we by now know:  he created Vader.  In so doing, he also installed programming that no one ever disabled allowing him control over Vader's technology.  He shuts down the machines that keep Vader moving, commenting as he does that it answers his question whether Vader is really more machine than man.  My guess is that this theory will be tested next issue.  Again, it's a complicated story that requires some careful reading, but the payoff is worth it in the end, particularly for this insight into Vader's untold history.

Star Wars #21:  Of all the characters that Aaron has created for this series, you can tell that Kreel is his favorite.  He's thought through his back story, and he has a clear sense of how it guides Kreel's actions and beliefs in the present.  As such, he's a great character, and I was thrilled to see him return here.  In fact, Aaron does more with Kreel and his SCAR Squad in just this one issue than Soule has managed to do with Poe Dameron and Black Squadron in his title.  (I'm guessing that Soule is dealing with a lot more "notes" from the story team.)  At any rate, we learn that Kreel was raised on a planet where fighting in the pits was compulsory for anyone not rich enough to get an exemption, explaining why he was chosen to infiltrate Grakkus' arena.  Eventually, the Empire arrived to take over his planet, freeing the fighters and giving them jobs.  It explains Kreel's view of the Rebels as terrorists sowing chaos, since, to his mind, freedom comes with law and order.  It's really hard to argue with his position, and it's a testament to Aaron's storytelling skills that he's able to so convincingly present Kreel's position.  (In fact, I found it the most convincing of all the attempts by writers over the last 40 years to make the Empire less monolithically evil than it's portrayed to be in the original trilogy.)  As the new leader of SCAR, Kreel is responsible for taking out these terrorists; along the way, he also has to win the trust of his squad.  He might not win it in this issue, but he sure as hell impresses them when he pulls out his lightsaber to deliver the coup de grâce to the Rebels.  Along those lines, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Molina's excellent work here.  The last page -- of the Squad standing over the sole Rebel survivor, from the Rebel's perspective -- is chilling.  I could honestly read an entire series about Kreel and his team, and I hope Marvel is going in that direction.  If not, hopefully we'll see a lot more of them.

Uncanny X-Men #10:  Honestly, I still have no idea what the deal with Warren is.  We do get an answer to my question from last issue:  the Death Flight responded to Archangel's arrival; he didn't bring a separate one with him.  For reasons that are unclear to me, though, Archangel doesn't respond to Psylocke's request for assistance; he and Death Flight just start indiscriminately killing the townspeople.  Eventually Warren realizes that he has to merge with Archangel to give him a human grounding (so he's not just a predator drone, as Psylocke calls him).  But, I still have no idea who this version of Warren is.  Is it the Warren from "Wolverine and the X-Men?"  Moreover, Bunn seems to dismiss the idea that Magneto wanted to kill Psylocke (at least indirectly); Fantomex and Mystique are simply his own X-Force, there to help him take down Genocide and Clan Akkaba.  Was Fantomex just fronting when he told Psylocke that Magneto wanted her eliminated?  In other words, the storyline related to "Apocalypse Wars" is a confusing mess.  It's only Sabretooth's offer to allow Monet to feed on him, to satisfy Emplate (after he embeds himself in her), that really saves this arc, despite the fact that this Morlock sub-plot was a distraction in the first place.

Also Read:  Spider-Man #6

Darth Vader #15 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Favorite Quote:  "Leia!  I knew you'd never abandon us.  I mean, me."  "As if I could ever get rid of you this easily."  -- Han and Leia, with the banter

This event has been a bit uneven, veering from the hilariously chaotic to the confusingly vague.  But, Gillen sticks the landing, showing the emotional impact that it's had on the characters and, therefore, making it clear that it was definitely a "moment" in their lives.  In so doing, it also fleshes out some of the details about these lives that we've all craved.

For all her commitment as a commander in the issue -- where she told Han that she was willing to sacrifice Luke to take down Vader -- Leia is unable to do so as a soldier.  When Threepio describes the dire circumstances that her friends face, she passes up the opportunity to take out Vader, since she can't get pulled into his fight with Karbin:  she has other fights that she now has to win.  (Namely, she has to punch out Aphra as she's holding the guys hostage.)

In many ways, this issue is LaRocca's.  The pivotal moments all come by his hand.  He conveys the conflicting emotions that Leia feels as she contemplates taking out Vader but then finding her dead friends' corpses if she doesn't respond to Threepio's call for help.  He gets across Karbin's surprise to find himself in the middle of a trap himself, using a full page to show how small he is compared to Aphra's ship as it slams into him.  Finally, he makes clear the threat that Vader poses all on his own, standing on a rock outcropping, his cape whipping around him, and using the Force to take down the shuttle transporting Luke to Karbin's ship.

In the end, Vader is definitely the worse for the wear after this event.  Most direly, he's lost Aphra to the Rebels.  Although she did her best in this issue to try to win back his trust -- lest he think that she really did lead him into that Rebel fleet at the start of the event -- it's hard to see him ever trusting her after she spends some time answering the Rebels' questions about him.  That said, he has managed to defeat Karbin, striking off one more enemy from his list.  But, for a guy with a list as long as Vader's, does it really matter?

Meanwhile, Luke is similarly in a dark place.  Before this event began, he escaped Nar Shadda with only Ben's journal.  For reasons that aren't entirely clear to me, he leaves Vrogas Vas believing that he'll never be able to return to explore the Temple.  (Seriously, he couldn't just return after the Empire's troops leave?)  But, Gillen also makes it clear why Ben was so concerned that Luke would find the Temple last issue:  the last scene -- of Vader watching Luke depart on the Falcon -- makes it clear that Luke would've learned the truth about his father.  I have to agree with Ben, that he wasn't ready to learn that.  But, it also means that Luke has lost more answers about his -- and the Jedis' -- past than he even knows.

*** (three of five stars)

Darth Vader #14 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

We're in part 4 of the "Vader Down" event, but the momentum unfortunately stalls a bit in this issue.

It's not to say that stuff doesn't happen.  Luke, Han, and Chewie find themselves face-to-face with Black Krrsantan as he presumably seeks to claim the bounty on Luke.  However, Han sends Luke to save Leia after they hear her on the comlink ordering all fighters to her position, intending to sacrifice herself to take out Vader.  To complicate matters further, Commander Karbin arrives on the scene, ordering his troops to find Luke.  At this stage, his goals aren't completely clear (other than getting to Luke).  For example, he takes out a Y-Wing on arrival, even though he seems to be helping Vader in doing so.  (The Y-Wing was part of the group going to bomb Leia's location.)  However, Karbin later claims that Vader's fate isn't relevant to him, since if he dies or survives Karbin wins.  (I'm not really sure how he thinks that he's got that sort of advantage on a guy like Vader, but we'll see.)

But, the issue as a whole lacks the emotional punch that you'd expect at this stage.  Gillen doesn't really have the time to focus on Luke's attempt to get to Leia in time to save her, so it doesn't feel as desperate as you'd expect it to feel.  (It's almost like he's seen "Empire Strikes Back" and knows that Leia survives.)  Similarly, Leia's confrontation with Vader is incredibly brief:  she just threatens him and flees.  It's not a terrible issue, but it definitely feels like Gillen is stalling for time to make it to six issues.

** (two of five stars)

Darth Vader Annual #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Similar to the "Star Wars" Annual, this issue is the epitome of the type of story that we expect to see in Annuals.  Unrelated to the current arc of the series, we get more insight into the character than a traditional issue would allow.

On the planet of Shu-torun, an old king sends his youngest daughter, Trios, to escort Vader to a ball thrown in his honor.  Not surprisingly, Vader isn't exactly the dancing type, though Trios insists that he must appear to please the dukes that mine the resources that Vader is there to secure.  Vader really just wants to get to the king to deliver a box that will remind him how good of a friend -- and how deadly of an enemy -- the Empire is.  Not surprisingly, a group of assassins burst into the room, pretending to want to kill Vader and the king.  But, we quickly learn that the king is really behind the plot.  When Vader makes short work of the assassins, Trios leads him into another trap in a series of underground tunnels.  Vader is impressed by her willingness to sacrifice herself for her family, so he knocks her unconscious and carries her to the throne room (after, of course, escaping the trap).  There, she awakens before he can enter the room and tries to shoot him, but Vader cuts off his hand.  He opens the door to reveal that Triple-Zero and Beetee have already killed Trios' father and siblings.  She confesses to Vader that they wanted him killed because the dukes were rebelling against the taxes.  (It's not really much of a long game, to be honest.  Did they think that the Emperor would just let that stand?)  He presents her the gift -- a volleyball-sized rock that he says constitutes the remains of Alderaan -- and tells her that she may now rule Shu-torun, but that she should remember who she serves.

Gillen really shows Vader in all his glory here.  His refusal to play nicely with the dukes is a reminder that the Emperor and he really do see fear and power as the only necessary requirements to keep people in line; you don't need to dance if you can just kill everyone.  In fact, Gillen is hinting at why that approach doesn't work when fear and power wane, foreshadowing their end.  But, Gillen is careful not to go too far in implying that Vader simply rules by an iron fist.  We can see how calculating and insightful he is when he sizes up Trios and realizes that she'll be an acceptable ally.  (Moreover, sending in Triple-Zero and Beetee shows that he anticipated the king's ploy.)  Moreover, I realized in reading this issue that neither Aaron nor Gillen have made any hints that Anakin -- the good inside Vader that Luke eventually rescues -- exists.  If anything, this issue reminds us just how cold and deadly Vader is.

*** (three of five stars)

Darth Vader #13 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue doesn't really advance the ball too much, though it doest set the stage for future fireworks.

Gillen picks up the story immediately where "Vader Down" #1 ended.  Han leaves Leia in a huff after she refuses to help find Luke, while Vader (not surprisingly) makes short work of the Rebel troops that are trying to capture (or kill) him.  Aphra stumbles upon Luke and disguises Triple-Zero as Threepio to capture him, hoping to win back Vader's trust (still afraid that he thinks that she purposefully sent him into a trap).

Really, that's it.  In fact, the issue raises more questions than it should, given how little happens.  Luke seems legitimately surprised to find the ruins of the Jedi temple, even though I was pretty sure that he knew that it was on Vrogas Vas and he got himself attached to the Rebel base there to find it.  (I mentioned my confusion over this issue in my review of "Vader Down" #1.  I guess that he really didn't know after all, even though I swore that he did.)  Also, we have a weird moment here where Luke sees a light and dark image in the distance:  he's convinced that it's Ben and his father, Anakin.  But, how would he know that it was Anakin?  He's never seen an image of him, as far as I know.  Are we supposed to believe that he "feels" it?  Gillen isn't clear, but hopefully we'll get more details later.

** (two of five stars)

Darth Vader #12 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Gillen goes a different direction than I expected in this issue, and I can't say that I'm particularly thrilled with it.

In passing last issue, the Ante informed Vader and Thanoth that the "Plasma Devils" were on the "Thanteen Substrata on Anthan One."  We learn in this issue that the "Devils" are a squad of Rebel pilots.  Vader distracts Thanoth from chasing Aphra by getting him to agree to go after the Devils, an allegedly more serious target.  The surprising (and, frankly, difficult to believe) part is that Thanoth agrees to completely abandon his actual mission -- tracking down the thief -- to help Vader capture the Devils -- something no one ever told him to do.  General Tagge is ultimately pleased, if only because the Devils would've likely moved bases had Vader and Thanoth continued to pursue Aphra and allowed someone else to go after the Devils.  (I'm not 100 percent sure I buy that, but hence my problems with this issue.)  An additional bonus for Vader is that it makes the weird fake Jedi twins look bad, since they were the ones actually tasked with tracking down the Devils.  In even better news for Vader, the fake Jedi Mon Calamari, Karbin, hasn't yet located "the boy," prompting the scorn of one of Tagge's flunkies.

The story ends with Thanoth weirdly grateful to Vader, since Vader confirmed that it was his idea to go after the Devils when Tagge seemed annoyed.  (Thanoth noted that the Empire doesn't exactly create an environment where people defend each other.)  We also learn that Thanoth hasn't been spying on Vader:  it's been Karbin, revealed to have something up his sleeve for Vader on Vrogas Vas.  It's an odd bait-and-switch.  Gillen has put a lot of effort into showing Thanoth as a capable foil to Vader, but he essentially abandons that approach here:  Vader easily manipulates him, and Thanoth isn't ruthless enough to spy on him.  Instead, Karbin emerges as the secret threat.  In a similar vein, Vader unexpectedly lets Aphra off the hook, apparently because he's suddenly come to appreciate competence.  Sure he has...

Again, I can't say that I'm particularly thrilled with these developments.  The unexpected shift from Thanoth to Karbin as a threat doesn't feel organic; it feels more like a move intended specifically for us to feel surprised.  Instead, I'm left wondering why we spent three issues on the inquiry into the theft of the Son-Tuul Pride, if Vader was going to escape so easily.  Is Thanoth still going to try to find Aphra?  Or, is the Empire just going to put a warrant on her head and call it a day?  It all feels really anti-climactic, given how much time we've spent on this plot so far.

** (two of five stars)

Darth Vader #11 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

The title of this issue really should've been, "No More Mr. Nice Vader!"

Aphra makes an almost fatal mistake in this issue, throwing around the money that she made by ripping off the Son-Tuul Pride.  In doing so, she makes it clear to the Ante -- the crime lord that knows Luke's location -- that she was responsible for the hit.  After all, someone like the Ante would obviously question how she was able to outbid all the other important crime lords trying to get the identity of the boy that blew up the Death Star.  The fact that she gave him even more money than his asking price for this information, even jauntily telling him to "keep the change," certainly confirmed for him that she ripped off the Pride.  As such, when Thanoth storms the Ante's HQ asking for the identity of the perpetrator, she made herself a liability.  Vader had to kill her.  But, of course, he can't, since she tells him the one thing that would save her life:  she knows where the boy is.

There are a lot of great moments in this issue, and it's hard to chose which one I liked the most.  Is it Triple-Zero lamenting that he didn't get to kill the guy who cheated against him in holochess because the Storm Troopers arrived?  Is it Beetee randomly killing someone to spark a gun fight that led to the aforementioned cheater getting killed?  Is it Vader deflecting a blast to kill the Ante before he can reveal anything more than Aphra's identity?  Is it Vader ominously telling Thanoth that Aphra won't escape?  It's a very hard call.  But, the winner is probably the awkward moment between Aphra and Vader, after he tried to kill her and she played her trump card.  Gillen leaves a lot hanging in this moment.  Vader needs her alive to get Luke's location, but Aphra knows that the minute she gives it to him she'd dead.  Gillen irrevocably changed the dynamic between the two of them, and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

It will also be interesting to see what the characters learn from this episode.  I wonder if Aphra will realize that she was too rash.  All her brilliance does her little good if she's dead.  But, Vader also has something to learn here.  He knew that Thanoth was following the paper trail but did nothing to warn Aphra not to make herself more conspicuous than she needed to be in tracking down Luke.  On the heels of Vader's failure to save the Death Star, Gillen makes it clear that Vader is off his game here.  Is he over-confident?  Too emotionally involved?  It'll be interesting to see what Gillen wants us to believe.

**** (four of five stars)

Darth Vader #10 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

The plots, as they say, thicken.

First, Aphra finds the mortician that worked on Padme's body, and we learn why she's taken a sudden interest in him:  she uses Triple-Zero to get him to admit that Padme had a son.  Apparently the holographic images of her body made her appear that she was still pregnant, but Aphra knows that the son survived (since Vader knows that he did from Boba Fett).  Going into the search with that information, she gets the confirmation that she needs.  The interesting part is that the mortician expresses complete loyalty to Padme here and, as such, doesn't totally betray her:  he doesn't confirm that Padme delivered twins.  It's a reminder that Vader doesn't actually discover this information until "Return of the Jedi," and Gillen does, yet again, a perfect job of using this series to give us even more insight into the movies.  (I always wondered how Vader knew that Luke was his son, but didn't know that Leia was his daughter.)

Moreover, the audit of Vader's finances continues.  I still can't say that it's exciting, but Gillen uses a cool code-breaking sequence to again underscore Thanoth's talents and Vader's grudging respect for him.  Assuming that the device that we see hovering over Vader's shoulder at the end of the issue is a surveillance drone, then it appears that Thanoth knows exactly what Vader did.  I still don't see how it's going to result in anything interesting, since we know the outcome.  But, Gillen does a better job this issue of adding tension to this plot, showing Vader actually getting something like nervous as the noose tightens around his neck.  (Earlier, Thanoth came even closer to discovering who bought the explosives used on the Star Destroyer).

The issue closes with Vader sending Aphra after the rebel pilot that destroyed the Death Star.  He tells her that another imperial agent has been tasked with this responsibility, but he wants them to find him first.  I don't remember seeing anything about someone else on Luke's trail, so I'm not sure how Vader got this information.  But, it's interesting to watch Vader come step-by-step closer to finding Luke.  You have to wonder if they're going to have another confrontation, like they did in "Star Wars" #2.  I guess we'll see!

*** (three of five stars)

Darth Vader #9 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue is s-l-o-w.

First, Gillen has oddly decided to focus a lot of time on the Inquisitor's inquiry into the theft from the Star Cruiser (as we saw last issue).  First, we already know that Aphra stole the credits and gave them to Vader, so it's not like Gillen is using the inquiry as an expository device to reveal the culprits.  Moreover, we know that the inquiry isn't exactly going to result in Vader being charged with crimes against the Empire and locked in a basement somewhere.  Given the lack of mystery and stakes, it makes you feel like you're reading a comic about a tax audit.

Moreover, the inquiry reduces Vader to handling the clean-up work, like killing a bunch of rebels in this issue to create an alibi for why he was on Anthan-13 last issue (where he met Aphra to collect the credits).  Vader is just as annoyed as I am, telling Thanoth that the entire endeavor is beneath him.  But, Gillen persists, and we spend this issue trying to chase down the person that provided Aphra with the explosives, since the Inquisitor has deduced that the asteroid field that hit the ship was man-made.

Speaking of Aphra, her plot is equally odd.  She approaches someone that traffics in information to confirm that a person of interest served as a mortician on Naboo.  Presumably, she's tracking down information on Padme, but, if she knew the guy's name in the first place, why did she even have to bother with paying the trafficker?  Doesn't the Empire have Google?

In sum, this issue felt like we were spinning our wheels.  It's OK for it to happen every once in a while, but this series is about Darth Vader.  I don't really want to feel like I'm reading about some intern working for the Empire's equivalent of Mr. Wolf from "Pulp Fiction."  More action, please.

** (two of five stars)

Darth Vader #8 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I decided the other day that I was enjoying "Star Wars" so much that I should really also be reading "Darth Vader."  So, I bought all the back issues on Comixology, and I had a great time making my way through them this weekend.  Gillen is as amazing here as he was on "Young Avengers."  It's a real treat.

Somehow, this issue is even better than the previous ones.  We see Aphra on her own here, organizing a group of bounty hunters to steal "kerzillions" of credits from a vault on an imperial Star Cruiser.  It's always fun to read an issue dedicated to a great caper, and Gillen and Larroca do a solid job of taking us through it step-by-step.  Throughout the theft, I was wondering how Aphra was going to hide it from Vader, fearing for her that he would find out somehow.  This concern made it all the better when it was revealed that she was doing it for Vader.  Now, he not only has his own army, but his own treasury.  Clever.

One of the best parts of the issue is that the bad guys are actually competent.  Aphra pulls off two schemes virtually flawlessly:  invading the ship in the first place and then double-crossing her bounty-hunter partners to make sure that the lion's share of the score is saved for Vader.  (Sure, Tagge discovered the theft, but we don't know how yet.  Given the overwhelming force that she was facing, I'm still giving Aphra credit for almost pulling off the job without the Empire noticing.)  Moreover, Vader's new minder, Thanoth, proves himself "observant," and you've got to be damn good to make Vader pay you that sort of compliment.  Sure, it probably means that he'll wind up dead.  But, in the meantime, it's great to see Aphra and Thanoth portrayed as skilled at their professions and not the usual bumbling idiots that we usually see villains be in comic books (even the well written ones).

*** (three of five stars)