Darth Vader #4: Dark Heart of the Sith, Part IV by Greg Pak

"Darth Vader #4: Dark Heart of the Sith, Part IV" written by Greg Pak, illustrated by Raffaele Ienco and Neeraj Menon

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Hmmm, this issue was action packed to bursting! But the sentimentality was overshadowed by the fighting. In this regard, I much preferred issue #3. Still, we get to see more handmaidens appear plus Ric Olie, which is always a treat.

We start off with Sabe, Tonra, and Typho's trap having been sprung on Vader...a Sando Aqua Monster is on the offensive (see below)!! And as luck would have it, Vader gets swallowed up along with ZED-6-7 (his forensics droid) who is consistently trying to give him advice on how to get out of this dire situation. But it's Vader, of course he'll manage without any droid assistance.

Once free of the Sando Aqua Monster, Vader makes landfall and gets trapped in Gungan Bubble Wort Projectors (see below)--appear and seem to function similar to ray shields. This is when Ric Olie and the Amidalans appear, ready to destroy Vader for the accusation of having killed both Padme and Anakin...oh how little they actually know.

After Vader escapes from his bubble wort projector, he of course attacks, killing everyone in sight. Then, as Vader approaches Amidala's tomb, Eirtae, Dorme, Sache, and Rabe show up and THROW DOWN!! (see below, from left to right: Eirtae, Rabe, Sabe, Sache, and Dorme) They are certainly well trained in fighting. *heart* I do so love the handmaidens. Sabe is determined for Vader not to desecrate the sacred place. But despite the handmaidens' valiant efforts, Vader gets through. 

As he makes his way deeper into the tomb, he runs across the japor snippet he carved for Padme, set on a blue pillow (see below)...something I find incredibly sad because in Revenge of the Sith when she was being "wheeled" to her resting place, she had the japor snippet in her hands! I would have liked her to have actually been buried with that memory from little Ani. This removal of something so dear to the both of them probably didn't sit all that well with Vader either. 

Then it's off to the depths of the tomb...to be continued for next week! The blurb for the next issue mentions a journey to Polis Massa!!! Ahhh!!!! The birthplace of Luke and Leia. I'm so curious as to what secrets will be revealed to him there...

Definitely fun to see the handmaidens in intense action, but there was just A LOT of action in all...a little too much for my taste. Now don't get me wrong, there were plenty of flashback panels alluding to Vader's past as Anakin with Padme, but they were greatly overshadowed by the fighting taking place. Here's to hoping the next issue will be a little more character driven.