Published in August 2010, The Will of Darth Vader is a short, one-shot graphic novel done in the cartoon style of Star Wars Adventures. The comic is written by Tom Taylor, with pencils by Brian Koschak and inks by Dan Parsons.
The Story of Star Wars Adventures: The Will of Darth Vader
The Will of Darth Vader is set around the time of The Empire Strikes Back. A rebel squadron, its base hidden in an asteroid field, is attacking Imperial ships. The Emperor sends Darth Vader to destroy the rebels. Vader's ship captures a smuggler, Captain Luca, who is on his way to resupply the rebels, and Vader forces him to help.
However, Luca manages to trick Vader, letting the rebels wipe out Vader's squadron. Vader and Luca, the only survivors of the Imperial attack, crash-land near the rebel base. The unlikely pair then journey to the rebel stronghold for a showdown – Luca thinks he can hand Vader over to the rebels, but Vader is confident he can wipe them out single-handed.
The Will of Darth Vader's Expressive Style
Star Wars Adventures: The Will of Darth Vader is drawn in an exaggerated, cartoon style. Koschak and Parsons's art – unlike that of other Star Wars artists, such as Cam Kennedy or Doug Wheatley – simplifies technological details of ships and weapons to a point that some might feel looks unfinished.
Furthermore, there are elements, such as Darth Vader's helmet, that are rendered quite expressively. (Though the helmet looks better than in Star Wars: Empire's first story arc.)
While this may further disappoint readers who prefer realism in comics, in The Will of Darth Vader, it is a justifiable choice – when the main character is behind a mask, subtle variety in the drawing helps convey mood in the comics medium.
Darth Vader: "Buddy" Hero?
But the writing style of The Will of Darth Vader is perhaps more polarizing. On the one hand, the character of Luca is set up as a comic foil to Darth Vader, cracking jokes that make Imperial stormtroopers giggle. Once Luca and Vader are stranded together, their relationship becomes like that in a "buddy" film. The comic doesn't veer into outright silliness, though it might try the patience of those who take their Star Wars spin-offs more seriously.
On the other hand, The Will of Darth Vader deals with the rather adult theme of free will. While the two are stuck together, Luca suggests to Vader that his will is not his own – he is beholden to Emperor Palpatine. Luca likens Vader to a toy soldier he played with as a boy, and dares Vader make a gesture of independence.
At fewer than eighty pages long, Star Wars Adventures: The Will of Darth Vader is a quick read. This graphic novella may feature an odd mix of cartoon action with grown-up themes, but its length, if not its genre-bending, will keep it from trying the patience of Star Wars fans.
Luke Arnott - Luke Arnott has a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Western Ontario, where he is currently enrolled in the ...
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