Star Wars: Final Issue of 'Darth Vader' Features Reference to Iconic 'The Phantom Menace' Poster

Star Wars fans' first look at the prequel trilogy debuted in 1998 with a poster depicting a young Anakin Skywalker's shadow taking the shape of Darth Vader. The evocative image heightened anticipation for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace to immense proportions, with few teaser posters in history effectively inspiring excitement as much as this one. The final issue of Star Wars: Darth Vader hit shelves today and drew direct inspiration from the image.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Darth Vader #25

The final arc of the series focused on Vader on Mustafar, using the power of the Dark Side of the Force to potentially resurrect Padme Amidala, a promise made to him by Palpatine through the manipulation of the Force. Vader's Castle on Mustafar serves as a conduit of the Force, allowing him to walk through his past and confront all of the good and bad events that led him to become the Sith Lord.

Vader's journey took him all the way back to his time as a child on Tatooine, seemingly confronting the shadow of what he would become.

Walking around Tattooine as a young boy, Anakin trips, allowing him to remind us just how much he hates sand. When he looks back, he's confronted with the shadow, though the scene doesn't end there. The shadow then reaches out to him, only for Anakin to wake up from the nightmare.

This sequence in the comic was incredibly effective, as we saw a surreal journey through all of the defining moments in Vader's life, while even hinting at his future with a reference to Kylo Ren's iconic Star Wars: The Last Jedi line, "Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to."

While it's not surprising to see a comic reference the events of the trilogy, it's much more rare to see the in-world narrative address marketing materials that didn't reflect a moment from the film. Previous posters for the saga typically feature a composition of exciting elements from each film, with this very first poster offering audiences something that hasn't been replicated in the two decades since its debut.

Fans might be disappointed that this series has come to an end, though a new series focusing on the Sith Lord is just over the horizon. Star Wars: Vader - Dark Visions is slated to debut in March of 2019.

Stay tuned for details about Darth Vader's future.

What did you think of this moment in the comic? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!