‘Darth Vader’ #32 Review: Are the Handmaidens Separated For Good?

Whilst the pacing of issue #32 of Darth Vader is a bit all over the place, its introspective focus does give it the necessary gravity to drive this arc home.

 

Spoilers ahead…

 

Darth Vader #32 full cover

 

Issue #32 begins right where we left off, with the handmaidens begging Sabé not to join Darth Vader. He takes his aggression down a notch and tries to convince Sabé with a surprisingly persuasive argument, playing off her desire to protect, a desire she always shared with her queen. You can almost hear Anakin in his words as he tells her of the plight of the Skakoan civilians.

 

Darth Vader #32

 

There is an image of Darth Vader’s iconic outstretched hand, followed by his memories of Padmé as well as Luke, after he urged them to join him in his fight to restore order to the galaxy. Readers are reminded that Darth Vader genuinely believes in his mission, though enraged by his pain. This issue does an excellent job of capturing that pain, almost longing for his family to be by his side as he reimagines Luke reaching for his hand, calling him father.

 

Darth Vader #32

 

Darth Vader #32

 

Before Sabé can accept his offer, Dormé pulls her away as the other handmaidens fire at Darth Vader. Sabé objects as they use anti-grav units to escape, and as they are flying towards their ship, she detaches hers. She says a final heartfelt goodbye to her sisters as she falls and stormtroopers begin to fire on them. As Vader slows her fall with the Force, he instructs the troopers to cease fire, another uncharacteristically merciful act and subtle indication of his lack of desire to see Padmé’s closest friends killed.

 

 

Once back with the Imperials, Sabé enacts her plan to bring a satisfying and overdue end to Jul Tambor by falsely informing him that Darth Vader was assembling his forces in a village that contained captured Skakoan refugees. Knowing he would destroy the village anyway in order to secure his rule of Skako Minor, she advertises his treachery to the refugees, discrediting him and eliminating his droid army, the latter of which we unfortunately do not get to witness.

 

 

As we are seeing a darker side of the Rebellion and what comes after in shows like Andor, it is interesting to see a somewhat lighter side of the Empire in characters like Sabé, as the Skakoans celebrate the end of Tambor’s rule.

 

Whilst the Empire itself may not have had pure intentions, Sabé herself did and used the power of the Empire for good. This dissonance is clearly reflected as Sabé tells Vader of Tambor’s fall back on the Executor. Claiming the Skakoans have a real shot at peace, Vader corrects her simply with the word “order”.

 

 

Sabé solemnly reflects on the loss of her sisters, imagining them moving on with their lives, and the extent of her sacrifice is revealed. In making the decision to work for Vader, she has made the difficult choice to do what is right for those who are suffering, to do what Padmé would do, while saving her sisters from such a dark path.

 

 

The chilling end of the issue comes as Vader declares Sabé is not the only one to have to lose their soul, and uses the Force to tear apart the Executor in anger. Will this be the end of Sabé? It’s hard to say (and probably unlikely given the cover art for the next issue). However, the images of the handmaidens enjoying a meal, content with one another, seem to indicate something very final, at least for this series.

 

I personally have thoroughly enjoyed following the journey of Sabé and the handmaidens as they are developed as their own characters whilst still echoing the strength and passion of Padmé Amidala herself. Their devotion even after her death is such a tribute to her, and illustrates clearly how her leadership was truly transcendent. If this is goodbye, I’ll accept that gracefully knowing that they stood a chance to achieve the warmth of peace and family that Padmé suffered and died for.

 

 

Overall, this issue had a very solemn and contemplative tone. Whilst the defeat of Tambor did feel rushed, his arc had been stretched out needlessly until this point, and the remainder for this last issue was only used as a catalyst for Sabé’s choice and its consequences to be given due weight.

 

 

With this arc wrapped up, I will be waiting with bated breath to find out what Sabé’s fate is, and am eager to see where this series takes us next.

 

Rating: 6/10 

 

 

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Rosalie Lambert is a law student from Australia with a deep love for Star Wars, fantasy, and epic stylistic storytelling. Growing up in the country, Rosalie has always loved nature and outdoor activities, and has a passion for human rights and social justice that she wants to work towards in her field of study.

Rosalie Lambert

Rosalie Lambert is a law student from Australia with a deep love for Star Wars, fantasy, and epic stylistic storytelling. Growing up in the country, Rosalie has always loved nature and outdoor activities, and has a passion for human rights and social justice that she wants to work towards in her field of study.

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