Darth Vader (2020) #32
HANDMAIDEN NO MORE?
Following Jul Tambor’s kidnapping of Sabé, the
remaining former handmaidens of Padmé Amidala formed an uneasy alliance with Darth Vader to stage a daring rescue.Throughout the battle against Jul’s droid army, the handmaidens realized that they were simply
being used as Vader’s pawns so he could rescue Sabé and fully immerse her into his dark machinations.Now Sabé must decide if she is to remain loyal to the sisterhood of the handmaidens or join Vader in his violent crusade against Jul Tambor….
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Ibraim Roberson
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Federico Blee
Cover artist: Rahzzah
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Release Date: March 22, 2023
Arguably the most cinematic of all current Star Wars titles, thanks to grand writing and judicious flashbacks from Greg Pak and some lush artwork by Ibraim Roberson, we open with the terrible choice laid at the feet of handmaiden Sabé at the end of the last issue. In order to stop Jul Tambor, Vader tells her that she can only do that in his service, and we skip momentarily to Padmé and her moment of horror as she told Anakin he was breaking her heart, of Luke and his heart-wrenching cry at Bespin and offers his hand again as he did then, the visions of Padmé and Luke reaching out to accept as the remaining handmaidens grab her and run, Vader igniting his blade and giving chase. They use anti-grav pads to rise up towards a waiting vessel above, but Sabé unclips hers, falling back towards the ground and a waiting Vader as she bids her sisters goodbye. Blaster fire ripping past her and towards her sisters, Sabé is caught by Vader using the Force as the handmaidens watch in horror as they roar away.
Onboard, Ochi turns from the controls, reminding them that they were supposed to rescue her as the sisters tear up, aware that Sabé’s loyalty was always to Padmé, and we cut to the Executor as Vader makes it clear to his officers that Sabé is leading the mission as she contacts Tambor to warn him of Vaders attack but also of how she knows Jul has something special planned for Vader. She also tells him Vader has 12 Skakoan hostages to stop Tambor attacking, but that doesn’t stop him and believing he has sacrificed them in order to kill Vader, we learn that they actually survived and saw his eagerness to sacrifice them and rule Skako like his grandfather Wat did during the Clone Wars. His chance at rule scuppered and his reputation in tatters, Sabé explains and in return Vader asks her what it feels like to wield power, and she replies that she once asked what Padmé would do, and how she now has no idea.
Here she makes a bold move. With her sisters fleeing, she explains to Vader how they only left because she kept Anakin’s secret, and how they will eventually move on while she is the only one to lose her soul. It seems she expects Vader to end her, but she walks away as Vader roars in rage, the walls and floor of the ship crumpling at he reaches into the dark side.
This really is high-end storytelling, a story that on paper seems far-fetched (even within the realms of a galaxy far, far away) but works superbly. The handmaidens have been a treat, the call backs to Padmé illuminating and Pak continues to nail the voices while Ibraim Roberson delivers one of the most attractive issues of Star Wars art in recent memory. More, more, more of this please, an absolute treat.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Pak, Greg (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 23 Pages - 03/22/2023 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
