The Dark Heart of The Sith story arc by writer Greg Pak and artist Raffaele Ienco has been a thrilling adventure so far, chronicling Darth Vader's journey after the events of The Empire Strikes Back.
The story has seen a different side to the imposing villain, with Vader having to form an unlikely alliance in Sabé, Padme's former handmaiden. The previous issue of the Darth Vader comic saw the Sith Lord journey to Padme Amidala's grave, forcing him to reconcile with his wrongdoings against his former lover.
Actions have consequences, however, even for Lord Vader. The next issue centers on just that, with the Emperor not being too pleased with Darth Vader's recent escapades...
NEWS
Star Wars released a new preview of Darth Vader #6 which will show Anakin dealing with the consequences of letting Luke Skywalker live and journeying to Padme's grave with the handmaidens of Amidala.
In this exclusive 5 page preview, Darth Vader faces Emperor Palpatine, knowing all too well that he has betrayed his master's orders.
Following directly from where the previous issue left off, Vader is met with resistance on his return to Coruscant.
The comic calls back to Darth Vader's past betrayals, first with Luke and second with Sabé and the handmaidens.
Grand Vizier Mas Amedda sets the Imperial Guards onto Vader.
Palpatine shows his cruel teachings as a master, taking away Vader's lightsaber.
Greg Pak also spoke about the surprising freedom he was enabled on this book:
“With every single issue of this series, I’m astounded by what we’ve been given the green light to explore...A brutal showdown between Vader and Palpatine? Yes, please! With massive repercussions for Vader that result in a total status quo upheaval? YES, PLEASE!”
This preview was accompanied by a look at this issue's cover art, by InHyuk Lee
What Vader may have gained in self-reflection and reconciliation over these past few issues has certainly come at a cost, with this next issue demonstrating his and Palpatine's rocky relationship going into Return of the Jedi . The new issue wastes no time in following on from the previous issue, so it should provide a satisfying continuation as to where it left off.
This preview shows the sheer power of Emperor Palpatine, with him knowing that Vader's allegiance to the Dark Side and to Palpatine himself may not be fully there. This provides more context for Vader's turn in Return of the Jedi , which he seems to be more conflicted on than previously thought.
Issue #6 of Darth Vader arrives on October 14, and is now up for pre-order here .
