Vader deals with one betrayal while another is revealed in Star Wars: Darth Vader #17 written by Greg Pak, art by Raffele Ienco, colored by Alex Sinclair and lettered by Joe Caramagna.
The series’ involvement in the “War of the Bounty Hunters” comes to a close this issue, and while that conclusion may feel a bit anticlimactic in terms of the macro plot – Vader neither acquires Han Solo nor kills Luke, his ostensible goals throughout the crossover – readers always knew that was going to be the case (because we know where these characters ultimately end up). Yet Greg Pak does use the overall thrust of the crossover to both setup the series’ next big narrative arc and pull off a hell of a last page reveal.
First things first, Vader’s issues-and-series-spanning dogfight with Luke comes to an abrupt end when the Emperor himself orders Vader off the pursuit, ostensibly so Vader can personally quell the Hutt rebellion that broke out in the wake of Crimson Dawn’s Han Solo auction. Yet in doing so, the Emperor tips his hands to Vader, making him realize that the Emperor does have some designs on Luke, as his intervention essentially saves Luke’s life. How this revelation impacts Vader’s relationship with Luke and what he’s going to do about it is unclear at the moment, in part because Vader’s feelings towards Luke – does he want to kill him, turn him, or team-up with him? – remain frustratingly unclear. But regardless of that, anything that drives a wedge between Vader and Palpatine promises narrative delights: as earlier issues of the series established, fun is had whenever those two get catty with one another.
With Luke allowed to escape and the Hutt rebellion put down, the Emperor then gives Vader his next mission: with the ascendance of Crimson Dawn over the course of the crossover and their notion that a million (Crimson Dawn) is stronger than one (the Emperor), Palpatine sets Vader to ferreting out and hunting down the sleeper Crimson Dawn agents he believes to have infiltrated his Empire. It’s a smart way to use the events of the crossover to push the series forward and provide a new narrative arc, which helps the series’ involvement with the crossover feel more organic and prevents the crossover from being nothing more than narrative cul-de-sac before the book moves on to other things (especially with Vader essentially failing to do the thing that led him to be involved in it in the first place).
By referencing the notion of “sleeper agents”, Vader’s new mission also sets up the stunning last page reveal that Ochi of Bestoon is an agent of Crimson Dawn. While shocking simply based on previous happenings in the book (much of Ochi’s character arc since throwing in with Vader earlier in the series has been about him either proving his loyalty to Vader or proving to others his loyalty to Vader, which, of course, in hindsight, now reads like the work Pak was doing to make this reveal land with more force), it is beautifully set up throughout this issue. Early on Ochi is once again offered the opportunity to betray Vader by Administrator Moore, who wants Ochi to help her defeat Vader for the good of the Empire. Ochi refuses, freshly confirming for readers his loyalty to Vader.
Then, later in the issue, Bokku the Hutt is revealed to be part of Crimson Dawn, as he announces his association with the group and moves openly against Vader. Not only does this build up Palpatine’s later assertion of Crimson Dawn sleeper agents, it lulls readers into false confidence: the story has already provided its big twist, so we’re less likely to be looking for another shocking reveal. Thus, even though we were just told about secret Crimson Dawn agents, when Vader dispatches Ochi to win over the support of the Assassins Guild and he comes across a captive Qi’ra, there’s no reason to suspect anything: the story already went out of its way to confirm Ochi’s loyalty, and it already revealed a high-profile Crimson Dawn traitor. As a result, that last page reveal hits even harder.
Not everything about this issue works quite as well as the Ochi setup, of course; Raffele Ienco’s art continues to be hit-or-miss. His sequences of vehicular battle and scenes of Vader mowing down the Gamorrean guards working for the Hutts land, but he struggles with the Hutts themselves (perhaps because they’re almost entirely organic, with little in the way of clothing, armor, masks or robotics), who come across looking more like goofy googlely-eyed aliens than imposing, sinister slug monsters, and his action storytelling gets muddied at times.
It’s not entirely clear, for example, where Bokku’s ship is in relation to Vader’s Executor prior to when Bokku blows it up, and thus it’s not clear whether it’s meant to be a threat to the larger vessel or just an (ultimately futile) attempt to take out Vader until the moment passes and it becomes clear it’s not a threat to the Executor simply because the Executor is continuing to chug along just fine. The Ochi reveal, surprising though it is, also risks becoming problematic down the road, as Ochi’s recent standalone adventure confirmed the character works best as a sidekick to Vader rather than a protagonist in his own right, and the threat of tearing that dynamic asunder thus doesn’t bode well for Ochi’s continued viability once his treachery is exposed.
Ultimately though, that is a problem for future stories, and the art concerns in this one are minor enough to not distract from the more successful elements of the issue. The series’ forays into “War of the Bounty Hunters” have been a mixed bag – and those forays were largely at their best when the book engaged with the crossover from something of a distance. But in the end, it’s hard not to feel that the series is coming out of the crossover stronger than it went in. Vader’s perspective on Luke remains more unclear than ever, but he’s got a new mission, a new outlook on Palpatine, and the looming threat of betrayal from a (relatively) trusted confidant. If nothing else, “War of the Bounty Hunters” leaves the series primed for even more entertaining and exciting stories than ever.
Austin Gorton also reviews older issues of X-Men at the Real Gentlemen of Leisure website, co-hosts the A Very Special episode podcast, and likes Star Wars. He lives outside Minneapolis, where sometimes, it is not cold. Follow him on Twitter @AustinGorton
