Darth Vader #10, The Dying Light Part 4 Review

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Jocasta Nu fights for the fate of the Jedi in Darth Vader #10.

This review contains plot details for Darth Vader #10 – The Dying Light Part IV.

Darth Vader #10 – The Dying Light Part IV

Writer: Charles Soule | Pencils: Giuseppe Camuncoli | Inks: Danielee Orlandini | Colorist: David Curiel | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna | Cover Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli & Francesco Mattina | Assistant Editor: Heather Antos | Editor: Jordan B. White

Previously, Jocasta Nu invaded the conquered Jedi Temple and retrieved a data disk with the names of Force sensitive children located across the galaxy. However, Vader had a mission of his own. Emperor Palpatine commanded him to find and capture the former Jedi librarian. Jocasta had information the Emperor deemed crucial to the future of the Empire. In Darth Vader #10, The Dying Light Part IV, Vader and Jocasta Nu’s battle comes to a climax. The truth determines their fate.

The Action of Dying Light Part IV in Summary

Darth Vader acts pursuant to orders from the Emperor. Jocasta Nu must be taken alive. She has information “critical” to the Empire. Therefore, Vader intercepted the inquisitors and chose to confront Jocasta himself. The old librarian has a few tricks up her sleeve, including a blaster powered by her own lightsaber. Although she manages to keep Vader at bay for a time, eventually Darth Vader wears her down with the assistance of some clone troopers.

Jocasta openly admitted she knew Vader’s true identity as Anakin Skywalker, and she openly taunted him by repeatedly calling him “boy.” Unfortunately for the clones, she reveals Vader’s identity to some of them while in an Imperial transport. In response, Vader murders them by throwing them out a window. Then, with the witnesses to Jocasta’s revelation dealt with, Vader executes Jocasta herself.

However, that isn’t the end of the story. Once he determines the nature of the prize Jocasta carried, he destroys it and reports the “unfortunate” demise of the librarian to the Emperor.

Vader’s Motivation

The question Darth Vader #10, The Dying Light IV raises is “Why did Vader act as he did?” He prevented the identity of the Force sensitive children from falling into the hands of the Emperor. In addition, he slaughtered everyone that heard the name of his true identity. There are a few possibilities.

First, there is something of the light side left in Darth Vader. Previous issues have hinted at the scant remains of the light flirting with Vader’s soul. Perhaps this action was a small mercy to those children. Although Vader accepted his fate with the dark side, it is a life sentence that he might not care to see visited on anyone else. Working against this possibility was the certainty with which Anakin slaughtered younglings at the Jedi Temple during Revenge of the Sith.

Jocasta mentions the next possibility. She speculates that Emperor Palpatine wanted her list. The reason is clear to her: he wants to make more Darth Vaders. That list is an entire galaxy worth of potential replacements for Vader. Those children are his future competition. By destroying the list, Darth Vader eliminates a pool of candidates of potential rivals.

Another possibility is this: the Emperor wasn’t the only one with designs for that list. Remember, Jocasta Nu began a new Jedi school. To her, that list represented the pool of potential students and future Jedi. By destroying the list, Darth Vader not only keeps it from the Emperor, he prevents it from falling into the hands of any other Jedi. Among the many people Vader blames for his current situation, the Jedi are high on the list. The last thing he wants is a resurgent Jedi Order.

Alternatively, Darth Vader wants the list for himself. Before he destroyed the list, he scanned it. He certainly confirmed its contents, and potentially he stored them somewhere in his suit. That list has many potential uses for him. Should he need an apprentice, he now has a list of candidates. If he needs a secret Force sensitive assassin (think Asajj Ventress), he has a list he can recruit from. Plus, if the inquisitors need replacements, now he knows where to look.

Finally, there is the possibility that Vader is already planning his eventual confrontation with the Emperor. That is the nature of the Sith. There is one apprentice that craves the knowledge of the master, and there is the master that discovers everything worth knowing. Vader’s move is just an early step to his eventual and inevitable confrontation with Darth Sidious.

Jocasta’s Temple

Jocasta was not alone in creating her new archive and future Jedi school. She had an assistant. Evidently, he learned she wasn’t coming back. Therefore, he concluded his business there and destroyed the entrance to the school. The archive was intact and awaiting a future discovery by a Jedi acolyte. The final panels of this issue show the ruble at the entrance falling away as what appears to be an adult Luke Skywalker unearthing the archive.

Assuming this interpretation is correct, it is an incredible bit of storytelling. However, the panels don’t indicate any passage of time. The clue is the text boxes in the final panels which read, “When the time is right…the Jedi will rise again.” These messages are preceded by text about the eternal nature of the Force and how it finds its vessels. Therefore, this is most likely Luke.

Aurabesh Translated

Here are some of the names from the list of children appearing in The Dying Light Part IV, and the locations, translated from aurabesh:

• Darien Whit – Alderaan,
• Scape Loewig – Cathar,
• Devin Hvitur – Bespin,
• Alaytia Taverre – Kessel,
• Kris Elioup – Eadu,
• Annali Bissa – Corellia,
• Nik Lowe – Mustafar, and
• Jacque Porte – D’Qar.

Although these names are unknown, the planets are all part of the current continuity.

Final Thoughts on Darth Vader #10, The Dying Light Part IV

Charles Soule had a tough act to follow when he started the current volume of Darth Vader. Kieron Gillen created an amazing adventure for the dark lord with volume one. However, Soule was up to the task. By taking the story back to the days following Revenge of the Sith, he opened an entire volume of potential adversaries for Darth Vader most likely not available in the era succeeding A New Hope. Jocasta Nu is one such adversary, and what an adversary she was. A large part of the success of The Dying Light was how Soule turned audience expectations on their heads by making Jocasta Nu a formidable, but credible, foe.

This story established the secretive nature of Vader’s identity. Not only does the galaxy not understand who Palpatine really is, the galaxy does not understand Vader’s identity as a Jedi. Both of the Sith hide their true nature, only they do it in opposite fashion. Vader is openly a Sith. Palpatine is in secret. Both go to great lengths to protect those secrets. Darth Vader is an excellent source for the machinations of the Sith.