Darth Vader #23 Review

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In Darth Vader #23, the dark lord’s ruthlessness reaches news heights.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Darth Vader #23.

Darth Vader #23

Writer: Kieron Gillen | Artist: Salvador Larroca | Colorist: Edgar Delgado | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna  | Cover Artists: Salvador Larroca and Edgar Delgado

Summary

Dr. Aphra awakens to find that Triple Zero, who had just been trying to kill her, has awoken her. Cylo, through the Voidgazer’s treachery, had flooded the Super Star Destroyer Executor with a knock out gas. Triple Zero had administered an antidote of sorts. Aphra realizes this is her chance to escape. After a moment’s reflection, she thinks better of it. Instead, she decides this is an opportunity to regain Darth Vader’s good graces. She plans to rescue Emperor Palpatine from Cylo. Therefore, she leads the droids and Black Krrsantan on a rescue mission.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader has managed to survive the impact of his Star Destroyer ramming the Executor. He makes his way aboard the Executor. Once there, he sabotages the ships engines and informs Cylo that he is coming for him. Morit, Cylo’s cybernetically enhanced warrior, exits onto the Star Destroyer’s hull to confront Vader. After a brief duel, Vader is victorious and proceeds to the bridge of the Executor. As he prepares to pass judgment on Cylo, his adversary springs a trap. Cylo appears to have deactivated Vader’s mechanical components. As the issue concludes, Vader appears to be at Cylo’s mercy.

Aphra’s Plan for Redemption

Perhaps against her better judgment, Dr. Aphra decides not to flee from the Super Star Destroyer. Like Inspector Thanoth before her, she realizes trying to run from Darth Vader is pointless. She knows that Vader would not let her rest. After all, he had sent numerous bounty hunters after her. So, she has a choice to make: either face Vader now, or spend her life running.

She makes the decision more complex though. She has a “patented, never-go-wrong idea” to rescue the Emperor. Perhaps she thinks this will gain Vader’s favor. He did once state she would live as long as she were useful to him.

She, like many others in the galaxy, is under the misconception that the Emperor is powerless. As she, the droids, and Black Krrsantan fight Cylo’s forces she demands that the enemy, “leave the poor defenseless Emperor alone!” Does she really believe that? Also, she follows up with, “What has he ever done to hurt anyone?” It is hard to tell if she means that or if she is being sarcastic. At this point in the chronology, it is hard to imagine anyone is unaware of the Emperor’s totalitarian rule.

A Horrifying Death

Morit and Darth Vader finally have their ultimate encounter. Deluded by his own abilities, Morit insists that he be allowed to face and defeat Vader. Cylo forbids him to attack. Instead, Cylo orders Morit to avoid Vader and get the engines back online.  Morit ignores this order and hunts Vader down. They meet in the cold of space on the hull of the Executor. Cylo boasts that he is the “new” against Vader’s “old.” Predictably, his overconfidence is his undoing.

In the course of their brief confrontation, Vader slashes and disables the boosters in Morit’s boots. Thinking he had evaded a lethal attack from Vader, Morit begins to gloat. Vader then announces the fight is at an end and uses the Force to launch Morit towards a nearby planet. Morit suffers a horrific death as he burns up in the planet’s atmosphere.

Morit’s death is far different from how Vader handled Aiolinn, Morit’s twin sister. Or course, Aiolinn was betrayed by Morit. Still, Vader granted her mercy in the end. Perhaps it was the manner of Aiolinn’s death that moved Vader. Or, perhaps it was Morit’s arrogance. Morit relished his modifications. Vader considered them abominations, even though that meant he too was an abomination. The difference is, Vader was always strong. He had the Force. Morit was just a pretender gifted with modifications from Cylo.

One thing is for sure, going out like Morit is a horrible way to die.

Cylo and Vader’s Confrontation

Darth Vader #23 concludes with Vader and Cylo facing off. Cylo plays his ace. He uses a remote to seemingly deactivate Vader. Of course, like a good James Bond villain, he cannot resist the temptation to monologue. He was responsible for many of Vader’s cybernetic components. The only question in Cylo’s mind was whether his “private access” had been deactivated over the years. Apparently, it had not been.

That leaves the reader with a cliffhanger. Did Cylo really just deactivate Vader? If so, how will Vader recover? Of course, Vader will recover. He obviously survives this encounter. Two possibilities come to mind. First, Vader is playing along and this is a ruse. Do not forget, Vader still plans on supplanting the Emperor as the Sith Master. Perhaps Vader sees this as an opportunity to see if Cylo has any more secrets Vader can use. It would not be surprising to see more of Cylo’s monologue only to have Vader rise up and cut him down.

Alternatively, Vader may call on the Force for his survival. He is one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy after all. In addition, this series has a theme of technology versus the Force. Cylo has been counting on his technology and scientific advances to dispose of Vader, and now the Emperor. Vader has always championed the Force. It would be fitting for Vader to rise with the aid of the dark side and settle this issue once and for all.

Conclusion

Cylo’s forces have been eliminated. All that remains is Cylo himself. There are a couple of storylines to resolve for this series. First, how will Darth Vader overcome Cylo? Second, what will become of Dr. Aphra? She is doing her best to return to Darth Vader’s good graces. Will it be enough? She seems to have three options.  The first would seem she either returns to Vader’s service. He might not accept her, which leads to the second option. Darth Vader sees her as a loose end and destroys her. Alternatively, she dies in the attempt to rescue the Emperor. Third, she flees and goes on the run. This one seems less likely given that she has resigned herself in this issue to the fact that Vader would ruthlessly pursue her. Whatever the outcome, the final two issues have the potential to be explosive.

Darth Vader #23 Favorite Panel

As always, Larroca does a fantastic job drawing Darth Vader. The duel between Vader and Morit, although brief, is beautiful in its depiction. I selected as this issue’s favorite panel one of the more chilling panels of Vader in the entire series. Just before Vader sends Morit to a fiery death, Vader pronounces, “This is how it was always going to end.” Reflected in his eyes is an image of Morit perilously perched on a girder. The effect is perfect. Morit’s reflection is small and dark against Vader’s grey lenses. Somehow, Vader seems even more cold and calculating than usual. It is expertly done and the favorite panel for Darth Vader #23.