By the end of this one, I was fully invested in CT-5539 as a character. I also have no idea where the story is going to go, but I don't mean that as a criticism at all. Instead, Siedell has given us a fascinating character embarking on a journey with limitless possibilities and outcomes. Read Full Review

Scott Snyder, the quill behind the madness, has applied his incredible story-spinning abilities to this unique tale, creating a truly strange story of men and monsters. To be fair, he has had a lot of practice as the voice behind SWAMP THING and AMERICAN VAMPIRE, and he has carried over that experience to this original work. His writing is sharp and on-point and he has smoothly established a depth of character for each individual even at this early stage of the story. If the first issue is any indication of the rest of the series, it's going to be a hell of a ride. Read Full Review

What's great about chronologically cataloguing careers this way is being given the opportunity to ingest an artist's painstaking progress all in one sitting, a luxury that was unavailable to the original public exposed to this work spread out over the many years contemporary to each story's actual release through disparate publications. Though every story has its moments of inimitable flourish, following KRIGSTEIN evolve the medium in increments makes it that much more explosive when we reach the game-changing works he's most renowned for. Read Full Review

That's part of the fun of this comic. Siedell has a good time throwing out hints and teases about Vader's legacy instead of just telling us things we already know. I will admit that this first issue feels a little on the light side as far as content goes, like there could have been more progression to the story, but it achieves what it sets out to do and does so in an entertaining way, so it's hard to complain. Read Full Review

You should be very excited for this new Vader series because it's actually the best Star Wars series that Dark Horse is publishing currently. That's right, the regular series or the George Lucas spec script can't touch this series. Come for Vader, but stay for the scarred Clone Tropper, trust me it's well worth it. Read Full Review

Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows #1 is a somewhat disappointing first issue because Darth Vader doesn't make an appearance, and the narration of a lone, former clone trooper isn't a gripping enough story for an entire issue. It wasn't a completely bland story as a clone trooper struggling to find his identity separate from the original purpose he was cloned for has some good moments. But as a series that's promoted as starring Darth Vader, his absence in this first issue ultimately made the story feel less than what it could have been if given a better context. Read Full Review

This mini-series is clone centric. Generally that is a good thing and if the series is done entirely from the first person point of view then that might enhance the reading. This is basically the clone's origin and it isn't anything too wild. This is a decent start to the mini-series and worth keeping an eye on. Read Full Review

That being said, it did pique my interest, and I'm curious to see whether or not CT-5539 reveals himself to be a complex character as the story progresses. I recommend Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Cry of Shadows #1 much in the same way that I recommend eating a handful of almonds to tide you over until you can eat a real meal. Read Full Review

I'm always a fan of the Star Wars stories that follow the clones more closely, and anyone who watched the Clone Wars animated series will probably agree that the instalments that focussed on the clones were often the best episodes. Going forward, Darth Vader & The Cry Of Shadows could have potential if it manages to channel some of that sort character development, but at the moment, there is a lot to improve upon. Read Full Review