Darth Vader (2020) #34
UNBOUND FORCE
PART II
After Darth Vader convinced Sabé to fully commit to the battle against the insurgent Jul Tambor, Sabé’s fellow handmaidens tried to free her from the Dark Lord’s control. But she returned to Vader, whom only she knows was once Anakin Skywalker.
Having joined the Imperials fully, Sabé tricked Jul Tambor into revealing his plan to take over Skako Minor, causing his followers to revolt.
But as Vader contends with a Force Wave that has caused him to lose control of his powers, Sabé must look deep inside herself to see whether she’ll return to the light or fall further toward the darkness….
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Adam Gorham
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Federico Blee
Cover artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Release Date: May 10, 2023
As issue 33 ended we were left with Sabé about to make a dark choice, and as issue 34 opens we return to the moment, Darth Vader giving us the flip side of an oft-repeated Jedi phrase. “Hate leads to suffering….or power.” That certainly wasn’t part of the teachings of Master Yoda, and as Sabé refuses the choice, blaming it all on Vader’s loss of control, he pulls her close as her visions rage, and we see Naboo, her fellow Handmaidens congregating around a statue of Queen Amidala as they remember her, and acknowledge the one who ‘made‘ them agree – Sabé. We see her in an open-faced Stormtrooper helmet and watch as she made the most of her power, subjugating the people of the galaxy in the name of the Empire. Sabé rails against the visions, calling for Anakin as Padmé appears and vanishes, followed by Luke.
Sabé realises he is Vaders son – he must be, here’s right there in Anakin’s mind – and then a memorable moment. Padmé reappears, and while she recognises her son, he has no memory of his mother. ‘There is still good in him‘ she says, as Vader suddenly appears, slashing at the ghost memories with his lightsaber, angrily telling her it’s her visions, not his. We’re back in the now, the real world as Vader tells her to forget the past, but his powers swell once again and she is hurled into the air, crashing on the ground meters away. She stands as Vader once again tells her to make a choice, that his powers are out of control and if she choses not to join him, he may well kill her. Her reply is potent – ‘How can I choose if I refuse to hate?‘
Sabé turns to walk away, but Vader is as good as his word and his powers erupt, hurling her into the air once more as a tidal wave swells, Sabé falling under the waves. His powers are so raw, his metal arms almost shredding with the strain, and using the Force through those arms he lifts the crashed Imperial Shuttle from the waters, dropping it onto the sand. Screaming in comes another ship, with five soldiers aboard eager to end Vader and as they approach Vader once again uses the Force to lift the salvaged shuttle to take the brunt of their blasts, his arms shredding even more as they circle for another attack. Using an energy shield on his wrist he deflects their blasts and as they swing back in he unleashes a fierce blast that cleaves their ship in half, crashing down as their bewildered leader, certain Vader was at his most vulnerable, lies in the wreckage. ‘No matter what, I am Vader and all I need is hate‘.
An ineteresting issue that seems to bring the current Handmaidens arc to a close, for now at least, and while it cements the determination of Vader to fuel his service to the Empire and his master, it does feel like it’s missing….something. Of course, we need to get everything in the right place for the events of Return of the Jedi, and the Padmé / Luke exchange which we assume Vader sees could well play into that, although it feels like Luke needs to see this as much as his father. If Sabé is dead, then it’s a grim ending for a character who has been nothing but fascinating to follow for the past few issues (although let’s hope she survives; Natalie Portman has to come back to play someone) and as the return of Doctor Aphra is teased in issue 35, we have to wonder just how far from Jedi we are. An interesting issue, but a dip on the sky-high levels of the past handful of issues, as transitional issues between arcs like this often are.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Pak, Greg (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 23 Pages - 06/14/2023 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
