Reviews

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows by Michael Atiyeh, Felipe Massafera, Tim Siedell, Gabriel Guzmán

fandom4ever's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows was a fast-paced read that I was able to get into right away. I read nearly half of it in my first sitting! It’s a story of a clone trooper who was abandoned and forgotten by the Jedi, leading to his hate of them. He now looks for a powerful warrior to serve; he was bred for combat after all, and believes he’s found it in Darth Vader. I really enjoyed this story, particularly as it was from the point of view of a clone (who names himself Hock), briefly during the Clone Wars but mostly after the Empire has come to be. I also liked his memories from Kamino and the stories of the clone anomaly. 

The beginning feels a bit disjointed compared to the rest of the story, like we were moving too fast from one thought to the next. However, I think it’s meant to be like that because it’s during a time where Hock was barely surviving, going in and out of consciousness, and having fever thoughts. We’re supposed to feel that with him. It’s also told as the clone’s journal of some events that happened in his life which most likely would have been written as just significant thoughts and events, hence that feel. 

Hock’s transformation is definitely earned. The pivotal point reached during the reveal of a certain character near the end was perfect. I was completely thrown, taken off guard after all the stories and rumors that I had begun to take as fact. And with the subsequent destruction of the Separatist city, everything begins to hit Hock fast and hard. His attempts to reach Vader, a mirror of Vader reaching out to him, were beautiful; something that came off perfectly because it was a comic and you could see that in the art. 

This was a great story and I loved coming to realize what the title ‘Cry of Shadows’ meant. If you’re looking for the story of a clone in the Imperial Army, this is exactly what you need. 

anki47's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

publius's review against another edition

1.0

Well, I can't get the time back. At least it was short.

jljaina's review against another edition

2.0

A fast paced comic. Perhaps too fast in my opinion. We have an angry Clone trooper who was 'abandoned' by the Republic and he is forced to survive by other means. When he is finally off planet, the Empire is now in charge so he joins up with them in his admiration for Darth Vader.

I could not connect with characters in this graphic novel at all. The narration was dry and broken. Most of the book I felt as though I was simply reading a list of bullet points for a plot outline. In the end, very little came out and I was left feeling hallow. The concept has a lot of potential, especially as he gets to know Vader's true character. yet the bland script and jumpy images failed to portray that.

I think Vader was reasonably portrayed but original character creation needs a lot of work. The artwork was okay, but the panels did not flow together well on several occasions.

*I was loaned a digital copy of this graphic novel in exchange for a fair, honest review.*

tabman678's review against another edition

2.0

Though I can appreciate what the book was trying to say every other Star Wars media has already said it, and this is an admittedly entertaining way of it.

It’s about a clone trooper who gains the respect of Vader but then changes his mind and he is memorializing his thoughts in a journal.

It’s lackluster and the ending is unfulfilling. Maybe that’s the point to leave you unsatisfied, maybe to show how evil the empire is. But it just spins the wheels for five issues.

Art is good does its job with the Darth Vader money shots.

2 stars.

hobbes199's review against another edition

1.0

What a complete mess. Narrative is all over the place, the art is substandard, and characterisation is non-existant.

kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition

3.0

Freebie on ComiXology.

Nice seeing Leia in a X-Wing.