Nobody trusts Vader, and Vader trusts nobody. Tagge puts Vader under watch by an adjutant, thinking that Vader is more like his lightsaber, a dangerous weapon needed to be wielded by a skilled hand. What no one knew was that this adjutant was an informant to some pirates who smuggle Imperial cargo. During a mission Vader took on to infiltrate those same pirates smuggling Imperial cargo using a droid ship (which was activated by someone named Aphra) Vader finds out about the leak. Vader noticed how close he was to prying information about the activities of the pirates and so brings the adjutant back to Tagge, telling him that he should pick his adjutants more carefully.
This issue somewhat slows down from the speed of the 1st issue, but it doesn’t hurt. It merely introduces competition to Vader, showing that business is still business in the Empire. Tagge tried to keep Vader on a leash, only for Vader to break it. Darth Vader does not like being commanded by other men, but seeing that it was Emperor Palpatine himself who had Tagge fill in Vader’s role, he continues to submit, at least for now.
Adi Granov’s cover art is stunning & fabulous, making Darth Vader look like a runway model on The Sith Wears Prada (Not an actual movie). It’s somewhat hilarious, with Tagge in the background judging him along with a group of Stormtroopers. Larroca’s art seems murky in this issue, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the coloring. It’s as if the art wasn’t polished that well.
Again, this issue is a bit slow. When I first read it, it made me want to read the next issue already, but not in the good way. This issue just didn’t feel whole enough, but it’s getting somewhere.
Final Score: 7.7/10