I seriously hope that Star Wars: Purge – The Tyrant’s Fist is just the first in many stories involving Vader and his eradication of the Jedi. Of course, given the Star Wars/Disney buyout and Marvel picking up the comics starting in 2015, the future of the galaxy far, far away at Dark Horse is still up in the air. But, until that happens, this is how I want my Star Wars comics. Both Ghost Prison and Purge are beautiful, shining examples of what a good Star Wars story can offer set during a time that most intrigues me in that universe: in between Episodes 3 and 4.

With the help of Major Namada, Vader continues his hunt for the lone Jedi Cho’na Bene, whose name I will now utter to express my delight over an Italian meal, on the planet Vaklin. The people of the planet hold the Jedi close to their heart, but Vader plans to not only destroy Cho’na Bene, but the townsfolk remaining memories of the Jedi altogether. This is easier said than done, and Vader has his work cut out for him, but in a brilliant confrontation between the Dark Lord of the Sith and the Jedi, and our knowledge of the later films, we have a pretty good idea how this is going to turn out. That doesn’t, however, mean the final outcome isn’t awesome. Vader is a tough character to write and he’s handled well here. We know Vader is evil, but he’s also clever. This man used to be one of the greatest generals the Jedi had ever seen, and I love seeing how he’s always one step ahead of his enemies.

As only a two-part story arc, I really enjoyed this quick little tale. As I mentioned from the top, this could easily be just the very beginning of an ongoing Vader series on the hunting and slaying of the Jedi. It’s something I have been eager to read about since my childhood, and I think with Purge – The Tyrant’s Fist they are off to a good start.