In the first issue of Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions, we saw a Vader perceived as a heroic, ebony knight by a naive, oppressed alien race.

This second issue takes us into much more familiar territory, albeit from another unusual viewpoint – that of Imperial Commander Tylux.

Having witnessed – and being the only survivor of – the terrifying way Vader deals with underlings who disappoint him, Tylux is well aware that he cannot fail the Dark Lord of the Sith. So when a target escapes the Empire’s clutches on Tylux’s watch and Vader is sent to assist, Tylux must pull out all the stops to turn the situation around – before Lord Vader’s arrival.

This second tale is such a marked contrast to the first, but it works just as well. In place of the naive optimism and hero worship on display in the first issue is a tense, frightening tale of trauma, stress and fear.

Dennis Hopeless is once again on scripting duties, but this time the responsibility for the art is in the very capable hands of Brian Level. Level does an incredible job of making the reader feel every drop of sweat and tremor of fear in the shaky artwork; every hasty, ill-considered decision taken under the intense pressure of imminent failure is felt all the more thanks to the brilliant, unconventional art.

Once again, I’d highly recommend the Vader – Dark Visions series based on the strength of the first two issues alone, both of which shine remarkably different spotlights on the former Anakin Skywalker.

You can purchase Star Wars: Vader – Dark Visions Volume 1 (which collects the entire five issue series) from Amazon here.