Earlier this year the Bulgarian hardcover edition of Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s “Star Wars: Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith, Vol. 1 – Imperial Machine” was crowned Comic Book of the Year at the prestigious annual awards hosted by Ozone.bg, Bulgaria’s largest online entertainment retailer.
Securing a commanding 1,129 votes, the title outperformed a diverse list of heavy hitters, published in Bulgarian throughout the last year. Among the nominated titles were modern classics such as Alan Moore’s Watchmen, Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize winner Maus, and Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead. This victory is a testament to the surging popularity of the Star Wars franchise in Bulgaria and the high quality of the local publishing efforts by Artline Stidios. The winning volume follows the immediate aftermath of Revenge of the Sith, chronicling Anakin Skywalker’s final descent into the mantle of Darth Vader. In 2025 the volume launched a new collection of hardcover editions of Marvel’s canon titles and marks the return of Star Wars comics in Bulgarian bookstores after almost two decades of absence.
The success of this publication is deeply rooted in both the talented team of storytellers behind the original and the passion of its local creative team. Readers praised the work for its psychological depth and serious tone. Rather than relying solely on action, the series provides a visceral look at Vader’s internal transformation, cementing his status as the galaxy’s most iconic antagonist.
From acclaimed writer Charles Soule comes a brand-new, exhilarating series exploring Darth Vader’s early history. Picking up directly where Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith ends, follow Vader as he receives his legendary red lightsaber and witness Vader’s rise to power as a Dark Lord of the Sith!
