Star Wars #13

Star Wars #13: Five Days of Sith (Part 1 of Two)

Writer: Brian Wood
Penciller: Facundo Percio
Inker: Dan Parsons
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Cover Artist: Hugh Fleming

Star Wars #13 is quite simply awesome. Breaking away from the multi-threaded storytelling of the previous issues in this series, Star Wars #13 focuses solely on Vader and elite team he’s pulled together to track down the traitors responsible for the Rebel agent Bircher. With an elite squad of stormtroopers in unique armor and a special officer placed in command, they travel across the galaxy to vent their justice.

The story in this issue really shines. Here we see Vader actually defying the Emperor in order to exact his own will and vengeance. Vader ignores comm messages from Palpatine as he jumps from planet to planet killing anyone who was to blame for Bircher’s infiltration of the Empire. This is not a side of Vader we see very often. Typically loyal to the Emperor to a fault, it’s very interesting to see Vader break off and do what he sees as the best way to rule the galaxy.

Then there is Vader’s retribution. His elite team, adorned in special armor similar to sandtroopers, carry out orders with no questions asked. They take out imperials, Bothans, anyone who is to blame. The officer put in command of the squad is Ensign Nanda, who also acts as the narrator for the issue. She’s not quite as cold blooded as Vader and the stormtroopers, but she’s also not squeamish about their mission.

The execution of the story is perfect. There’s action, great viewpoint characters, and unexpected surprises. Very unexpected surprises. This isn’t a throw away comic or a simple interlude in the series. This issue packs a punch. I couldn’t help but be swept away as the story unfolded and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next issue.

It’s worth noting that there is an art changeup in this issue. Penciller Facundo Percio takes over for Carlos D’Anda. While Facundo isn’t quite on par with Carlos, it’s still pretty good. Gabe Eltaeb adds his gorgeous coloring which helps bridge the gap between the two. On top of that, the turns the story takes allows for some shocking visuals.

With a gripping story focusing on Darth Vader, Star Wars #13 proves to be a great issue. Brian Wood does some things with Vader that pushes beyond the normal stories we get with the Dark Lord of the Sith. He also delves into some dark subject matter as revenge is dealt out and blame is cast. Intriguing characters, dramatic tension, and shocking surprises place this issue as a standout in the series. This could be the best Star Wars issue from Brian Wood we’ve seen thus far and definitely worthy of a five out of five metal bikinis.

Reviewed By: Skuldren for Roqoo Depot.