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Darth Vader: Issue 25: The Shadows Shadow: No Calm Before The Storm

What is it ? : Governor Tauntaza is a passenger on a speeder bike having escaped from her science colony, when she realises that Vader is following on Ochi's Speeder Bike. She reaches her starship hidden in the forest, saying that no matter how powerful Vader is, he cannot fly, and boards the ship and it launches.
Vader reaches the clearing, disembarks his bike, and reaches out with the Force, grabbing the ship and preventing it from leaving. The ships mighty engines struggle against Vader, and the governor proclaims that every whispers Vaders name, but there are more powerful things in the galaxy than even him. So Vader begins tearing up the systems of the ship, before letting it go and it escapes as a shuttle arrives for him.
Back at the science colony Ochi and Sabe are investigating the energy experiments which were being performed there, trying to determine what the Governor needs all this energy for. Ochi goes to leave, but Sabe orders him to remain and Zed-6-7 points out that Vader appointed her as a Lieutenant Commander and therefore she outranks them all.
In orbit, the Governors Star Destroyer is ordered by Vaders shuttle to stand down and prepare for Vader boarding, as Vader himself slices through their blast doors. Battle Droids and Imperial Officers resist his boarding, but he slaughters them, before the ships captain surrenders, telling Vader that the Governor has always been loyal, so this must be a misunderstanding which can be cleared up.
Vader contacts the Executor, and orders it to lock onto his signal and destroy the Star Destroyer in two hours unless he countermands it, and asks of the captain, where is the governor?
Kitster Banai arrives at the Science colony from the settlement, to inform Sabe that a storm is approaching unlike anything he's seen before, and Zed-6-7 points out that it is moving in a fashion contrary to the wind currents.
So Sabe, Ochi, and the rest of their team board Speeder bikes to investigate and discover a massive vehicle arcing energy into the sky at the storms centre. Vaders shuttle arrives, but is struck by the energy and crashes, and the group retreats back to the settlement. Vader asks where their ships are, only to be told they have none, and the only vehicle they have is Kitsters Pod Racer, which no one but him can pilot, and Vader walks towards it, telling them, we shall see. . . .

High Points : The story moves on fairly well, and it isn't as confusing as the last issue, but really there's not too much going on, and much of what does happen isn't explained.

Low Points : So much isn't explained, why can't Vader pull the governors shuttle back to him, is he weakened from the attack he suffered last issue? Why does the Star Destroyer resist Vader? Why is the Star Destroyer manned by Battle Droids as well as Imperial Forces? Where has the Governor actually gone? Why does Ochi resist Sabe's orders when he knows she's working directly for Vader?

So what do you really think ? : So probably the worst issue of the Vader comic so far, Vader goes to orbit, to come back, while a whole load of unexplained stuff goes on. And the next issues seem to be set up just to be silly, with Vader having to face off against sand, and will be using a Pod Racer, this seems more like an episode of Robot Chicken than anything serious. Will he say "Wizard"?

Final Words : The mystery of the Padme memories acting independently in Vaders head from last issue goes totally unresolved, replaced instead by a bunch more questions, and none of them particularly interesting ones. The exploration of Vader's Psyche seems to have been lost, and that has always been the most interesting part of these comics.

Score : 6/10

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