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August 6, 2008
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 It's good to see the much-hyped Vector story arc finally living up to its advance billing. What started as a pretty pedestrian yarn finally exhibited some signs of life in its fifth installment, and now, in making the cross-series jump from Dark Times to Rebellion for its seventh part, is in full-fledged ass-kicking mode from the opening panels.
When last we saw Jedi Master Celeste Morne, she found herself thawed from a 4000 year beauty sleep and staring down the malevolent muzzle of everyone's favorite Sith Lord, Darth Vader, as he attempted to coerce her into being his apprentice and claiming the power of the Muur talisman that held sway over her in the process. Though she managed to resist the Dark Lord's advances (and later, his lightsaber), he left her stranded in the company of a Sith spirit on a deserted moon as the Clone Wars consumed the galaxy.
Twenty years passed, and it is here that Rebellion #15 picks up, quickly gathering a head of steam on account of Rob Williams' excellent script. Rebellion has always done a bang up job depicting the cast of the original trilogy, and this issue is no different, as it starts off swimmingly with a flashback to Vader and Ben Kenobi dueling on board the Death Star, then cuts to a somber Luke as he remembers his mentor while gazing out the window of a Rebel frigate in a gorgeous homage to the final shot of The Empire Strikes Back.
Williams also makes good use of fan favorite Deena Shan, and recurring characters Wil Tarson and Clone Trooper Able round out the solid supporting cast. Despite appearances by Han Solo, Vader, and other celluloid heavy hitters, Williams' big guns are Morne and her monstrous horde of rakghouls, sweeping over the plains of the desolate moon to overwhelm our heroes in a horrifyingly macabre scene on par with some of the very best Star Wars comics.
Equally superb are Dustin Weaver's pencils. From his partial reveals of Morne (evoking a feeling that can only be called cinematic), to the glistening sheen of Vader's armor and the slobbering jowls of the rakghoul host, its easy to lose yourself in this issue, and rarely has an artist not named Duursema or Dorman drawn Star Wars this well. Travis Charest's cover art (featuring Morne and a portrait of her Sith spirit companion) also deserves kudos, though its cluttered by the excessive sub-titling and teaser text.
Perhaps the best thing about Rebellion #15 is that there's more to come, as the Vector story will grace one more issue before jumping ship to the Legacy series to close out the year. With Williams and Weaver at the controls, followed by the Legacy creative team, Vector looks to be wrapping up with both style and substance, no small feat given its hype factor and a less than auspicious start.
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