Charles Soule: Darth Vader (2017-2019)

Charles Soule's 25-part run picks up the story where Star Wars: Episode III left off. Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, has fallen. The Dark side consumed his soul, and Obi-Wan Kenobi left his wreckage of a body on the burning planet of Mustafar to die. But Emperor Palpatine retrieved him and gave him a new cybernetic body and a purpose. His new un-life starts with his first task to lead a group of fallen Jedis, the Inquisitorius, to hunt and kill the remaining Jedis who survived the purge.


The classical theme of the young hero facing down his demons, ridding himself of the last slivers of doubt and taking his rightful place, juxtaposes brilliantly with Vader's character. His demons are the last flickering light left in his soul and the end of the run his hopes and not his doubts turn to ashes. And he emerges complete.

Vader is both appalling and intriguing. Ruthlessly effective, machine-likely single-minded, but burning with constant rage and pain. He kills not for joy, but for temporal relief. He overcomes every obstacle to achieve his goal. He is a great hero and a pathetic human wreck at the same time, living in a world of black and crimson. Conveying this for an extremely laconic character with an expressionless metal mask is no small feat for either the writer or the artists, but they accomplished it beautifully. Their depiction of the Dark side is praiseworthy as well. It's mighty, mystical, alluring, disgusting and ultimately betraying.

This comes from a lukewarm fan of Star Wars (at best): Darth Vader is one of the greatest villains of pop-culture and this story does him justice as such. It would have been all too easy to just let the guilty pleasure carry the story, as the badass anti-hero slices his way through other monsters. But unlike their hero, the creators resisted the siren song of the Dark side.