STAR WARS ADVENTURES: RETURN TO VADER’S CASTLE #5, out this Wednesday from IDW, concludes that strange and eccentric tale of Thom Hudd and his journey within the infamous Vader’s Castle.
***SPOILER WARNING***
Once again we find ourselves back in Vader’s Castle in Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle #5. Honestly, given how fascinating Vader’s Castle is, it’s really no surprise that so many series have popped up focusing on it.
However, all things must end. And that means that Thom Hudd has time for only one story left. Like the rest of the issues in this series, there is the main plot, but inside that, there’s always a short story being told. This time around, Hudd is the listener instead of the storyteller. But it’s still functionally similar.
What’s fascinating is the fact that this final tale is about Vader himself. Better yet – the story is set at Mustafar and Vader’s Castle. This is the moment fans have been waiting for.
Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle #5 has been an interesting series, on the whole. The original storytelling style allowed for multiple characters to get a chance to shine, all while being connected in some surprising ways.
Given that the series was based at least partially on Mustafar, we all knew that eventually, one of the stories told would have to be about Vader. And Cavan Scott lived up to the promise made there, with this final issue.
This tale fits in well, both with the other stories told and with what we know of Vader. It’s also a potent reminder for why one should never underestimate a man as determined and vicious as Vader. It just seems like a good rule to live by.
As for Hudd and the rest of the characters set in the real-time? Let’s just say that the story played out exactly as expected. So at least we know that the promise of the series was kept nice and safe.
Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle #5 had a decent sized art team working on the project. Perhaps that’s the reason why it has such an iconic and vibrant look to it. The artwork doesn’t specifically match the movies or the other comics out there about Star Wars.
Francesco Francavilla and Charles Charles Paul Wilson III provided the pencils and inks for this issue. And Francavilla stepped up once again to also work on the coloring as well, alongside David Garcia Cruz. And as always, Andworld Design provided the lettering.
The colors in this issue are especially vibrant, but then again. This is Mustafar we’re talking about. If you can’t come up with an excuse to show off some amazing lava scenes, odds are you’ve done something wrong.
Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader’s Castle was a fun and creative take on a character and world fans have been obsessing about for years. It may not have been quite what fans expected, but it wasn’t afraid to have fun and never took itself too seriously. And thus, it made for a series of memorable moments.
