A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

Title: Darth Vader (2017-) Annual #2
Author: Chuck Wendig, Leonard Kirk (Illustrator), Mike Deodato (Illustrator)
Format: Epub
Rating: 4.2/5
Status: Finished
Reading Date: August 3, 2018
Book Summary: DARTH VADER intends for the Empire to hold no secrets for him — or from him. Which means it is time to dig into the pet project of GOVERNOR WILHUFF TARKIN and ORSON KRENNIC: the massive battle station being built on GEONOSIS. Opportunity arises when the project is hindered by sabotage from unknown forces. THE EMPEROR calls on his dark enforcer to root out the source of treachery that threatens to destabilize the Empire’s galactic ascent.
Book Review: This issue ties inbetween the book Catalyst and the Rogue One Storyline.

Here we find see a bit more of the relationship between Vader and that of Tarkin. There was time when these two were battling for the favor the Emperor. Now there seems to be a mutual bit of respect forming between the two. However, in this issue, we see a bit of a small change in that sort of relationship because as we find Tarkin arriving on Scarif, he also learns Vader is there and possibly snooping around for information upon Project Stardust. Tarkin is less than happy with this and demands that Vader stand down.

And Vader being Vader, well, you know that he doesn't take orders from almost anyone and tells Tarkin this. Of course, Tarkin is almost gleeful in his rebuttal and calls the Emperor to set things straight with Vader. In the end, the Emperor ends up being on Tarkin's side and this angers Vader to the point he envisions killing Tarkin.

Upon the conclusion of their scenes, we are pulled into another scene. This time with Lyra Erso on Alpinn. She is there collecting Kyber Crystals for Galen. While she is working, an unidentified droid appears and gives her a warning: that those crystals she is collecting are for a super weapon....that countless of lives will be at stake if she continues her work...and what would her daughter think if she knew that her parents knew? Before Lyra can even ask about the droid's owner, the thing unexpectedly self-destructs. Without a second thought, Lyra runs off to give warning to Galen.

So who was it that gave Lyra the warning? Many fans believe that it was Vader behind the warning because he was simply jealous of the Death Star. We never knew what his thoughts were completely on the thing in the trilogy because he was not the focus of the story itself. So getting a chance to see his way of thinking lets the reader believe this. Is it true? Or just wishful thinking on our part?

I believe that Vader being the one behind the warning is a possibility. My thought is that Vader doesn't like anything that could make him irrevelant later on and the Death Star would do just that. So being jealous of this weapon would have caused him a brief moment of humanity relapse.

Overall this was a great annual. I quite enjoyed seeing this side of Vader and I am looking forward to seeing more of him to come in the next issues.