The clone/storm troopers are the iconic cannon fodder of the “Star Wars†universe. One thing that has never occurred to anyone is making a story out of one these troopers. The main reason could be that there really isn’t much to them. Tim Siedell has looked at the clone/storm trooper, saw a story at of it and came up with “Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows.†The end result is nothing short of spectacular.
The story is an introduction to the main story. It is about and narrated by a clone trooper who was left to die after a battle that took place in Episode 3. This clone trooper is infatuated with Darth Vader and, after living in the desert for two years, he’s off to find him.
Though only a prologue, the story instantly grips the reader from the first word. For once a “Star Wars†story that actually reads like the writer actually cared about writing a halfway decent story. On top of that, we get a story from a clone trooper which is a nice change of pace. This clone trooper’s plight doesn’t feel all tacked on as is usually expected. It reads genuine, like this is a real person and not a plot device.
The art by Gabriel Guzman is another bright spot of the comic. You can see the talent in these images. The characters all look wonderfully done and the character movements all look fluid. Some of the best images are when we see silhouettes of Darth Vader look brilliant. They bring out the mystery and awesomeness in that character. One noteworthy example is where we see Darth Vader use the Force to crush two ships together.
“Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows†is one of the best “Stat Wars†comics to date. With excellent writing, art and an original idea that takes a completely different approach to the “Star Wars†universe this one is a must read.
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