Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison, Haden Blackman, Agustin Alessio

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison
Haden Blackman, Agustin Alessio
ISBN: 978-1616550592
Graphic Novel: interstitial between Revenge of the Sith/Clone Wars and A New Hope.

I liked this.  I liked this a LOT.  This is what Star Wars fiction should be like.  The main character is horrid, but you somehow end up feeling for him, as he tries to find meaning in tragedy and betrayal by allying with and serving Vader.  Anyone the least familiar with that character will realize that this is a bad life choice, and you know it from the start, but you still hope for the "best" as the train rumbles inexorably down the tracks.

I loved that it was perfectly self-contained without seeming to try too hard to be so.  I liked that the art was solemn and dark and somehow regal and formal.  I liked that there were good guys and bad guys without even involving the Rebellion (except as inspiration/motivation).  I liked that Vader is a truly terrible person, and knows exactly how to keep himself irreplaceable. I liked that the plot was straightforward and motivated by character, and the character in question was motivated by understandable and universal human emotions.  I especially liked that the Emperor was essentially a deus-ex-machina, as that made for a lovely little meta-pun, and really what the evil bastard is good for after all.

I had been a long time since reading any Star Wars (since the Chewbacca Incident, to be exact) and I am very glad to see more work looking back to the universe before it was despoiled and ruined for me.  These, perhaps I can read and enjoy, and just remember my internal temporal cut-off at the end of the Young Jedi Knights series.  :)   Ghost Prison has been quite enjoyable, and reminded me strongly of what I enjoyed about this universe.  If this is the quality I can expect, I might even try some of the recent call-back novelizations like Scoundrels or Choices of One.   I'll most certainly check out any further Star Wars universe graphic novels by Mr Blackman.