Written by Greg Pak
Art by Raffaele Ienco
Published by Marvel Comics
Remember in Return of the Jedi when Darth Vader firmly told Luke Skywalker, “You DON’T know the power of the Dark Side. I MUST obey my master,” which was a far cry from Vader wanting to destroy The Emperor in the previous film?
Greg Pak reveals the cause of Vader’s change in tune as the finale of Into the Fire finally lands on Exegol.
This issue is filled with startling revelations, and some of them create more questions than answers.
SPOILER WARNING: I usually don’t include spoilers in my reviews, but there is too much to dive into this time around.
Darth Vader walks the same dark catacombs as his grandson Kylo Ren did in The Rise of Skywalker.
Surrounded by hissing Snoke clones, Vader comes across the dismembered right hand of Luke Skywalker. Palpatine refers to the hand as the “scalpel of creation,” stating he can use it to create anything.
This means Vader is not only responsible for Snoke but for Palpatine’s resurrection.
Of course, Vader doesn’t know what the future holds; however, none of the dark science on Exegol could have been accomplished without Vader chopping off his son’s hand.
How soon was the hand recovered after it landed in the Cloud City landfill?
Also, what was Palpatine’s original plan for Snoke?
While Palpatine likes to play the long game, it’s farfetched to believe his initial plan was to have Snoke corrupt Skywalker offspring, which may never exist, in the event he’s murdered. Greg Pak crafts a story that suggests Palpatine had no illusions of dying. This also marks the first confirmation of Palpatine’s involvement with cloning in the current canon since the prequels compared to the expanded universe (legends) where he was knee-deep in creation.
The origin behind the massive fleet of Star Destroyers with planet-killing cannons is also revealed.
While the source itself is highly intriguing, their construction questions the need for the second Death Star.
Also, since it’s now confirmed that Vader knew of Exegol and the Star Destroyers, why didn’t he warn Luke about them on his death bed? Now, it’s possible Vader felt Exegol was irrelevant since he “killed” The Emperor. It can also be argued that Vader knew he was about to die and was only concerned with giving a final message to his children.
Pak takes the reader on a ride through all of the revelations.
Darth Vader’s had enough of Palpatine’s deceit. He arrives on Exegol to show his master the true meaning of fear. Vader survives all of the roadblocks until he reaches the final stage and learns the true meaning of “UNLIMITED POWER.”
Raffaele Ienco’s artwork does a fantastic job of making the temple on Exegol even more menacing than in Episode XI. Clones, Sith worshipers, and various corridors all carry a frightening aura seen in full view without thunder and lightning as the only form of illumination.
Ochi of Bestoon is a total wuss in the presence of Palpatine. He constantly tries to convince Vader to stand down and together beg for forgiveness. Ochi gets wounded while learning Exegol’s greatest secret, to such an extent that it questions why he was employed to kill Rey’s parents.
The final page makes the ultimate statement when it comes to just how much power Palpatine wields.
After all the defiance, lessons, and anger, Vader has no choice but to bend the knee. This sole image provides even more context to Vader saving Luke in Episode VI. As Vader looked on while Palpatine tortured Luke, the struggle to act wasn’t based on loyalty but out of fear.
Pak and Ienco changed a decades-old question from whether Vader would act to if Vader could act. The definition of courage is doing something you fear. Vader feared he couldn’t defy or defeat Palpatine but found the courage from within to save his son.
Before this story arc, Greg Pak said he couldn’t believe Lucasfilm let him do the things he planned on doing with Exegol. Now that it’s all unfolded, it’s easy to see what he meant.
A graphic novel of this arc will be a must for every Star Wars fan’s collection. As for the issue itself, questions, answers, revelations are all laid out in a well-paced story with near flawless execution.
Rating: A-
