“The Tambor Gambit.” The Tambor Gambit. The Tambor Gambit. I just keep repeating it over and over to myself. It might be my favorite title for a comic-book story ever, and it graces the imposing cover of Star Wars: Darth Vader #31, released yesterday by Marvel Comics.
Anyway, Darth Vader #31 starts– like writer Greg Pak seemingly loves to do– with a flashback to Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker’s life before he donned the black armor. We see Anakin reaching out to his wife Padmé Amidala, attempting to persuade her to join him so they can rule the galaxy together, much like Vader would eventually do with his son Luke Skywalker two decades later.
Then we cut to the “present” of this story (the period set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), where Darth Vader has arrived on the planet Brentaal IV, accompanied by Padmé’s loyal former handmaidens Rabé, Saché, Eirtaé, and Dormé. They’re here to rescue Sabé, who has been taken hostage by the titular Jul Tambor– a Skakoan nationalist intent on reclaiming the planet Skako Minor from the grasp of the Empire. But first Vader and Imperial Administrator Sly Moore have some toying to do with the handmaidens. Sly lists off each of their wants and desires (bonus points for the including a number of the details first presented in author E.K. Johnston’s Queen’s Shadow novel trilogy), and Vader uses this information as leverage to attempt to lure these four Naboo women into serving at his side. But when they deny him, he forces them into battle against Tambor’s army of Separatist battle droids and dropships. They emerge victorious, but the conflict isn’t over quite yet– Vader uses Jul’s forces as bait to distract the handmaidens while he rescues Sabé, though it turns out the Dark Lord of the Sith might actually be the one who needs saving in this case. Anyway, the issue concludes on the cliffhanger question of whether Sabé will choose to continue working for Vader and the Empire, or if she will shun the dark side and rejoin her Naboo handmaiden compatriots.
It’s a choice that mirrors the events from Revenge of the Sith we saw at the top of the issue, but we’ll have to wait until March to find out which side Sabé ends up on. Perhaps there’s an obvious answer to that, and I think that’s maybe the problem I’ve had with this lengthy handmaiden arc as a whole– I’ve never really doubted the outcome. I’d be shocked (though very pleasantly surprised) if Sabé ultimately chose to continue serving Emperor Palpatine, and even more flabbergasted if any of the handmaidens don’t make it out of this whole tangled mess alive. Even though there aren’t any appearances by them at any point further on in the timeline just yet, these characters just feel protected by so-called “plot armor,” as though a comic book isn’t worthy of doing any real lasting damage to the Amidala legacy. I’ll be thrilled if I’m eventually proved wrong, but right now my guess is that Sabé and friends will return to their status quo before too long. Either way, Pak and this month’s fill-in artist Ibraim Roberson are still capable of producing an entertaining story with some well-choreographed action and plenty of memorable character moments. I just think it’s time for the handmaidens (or their story, at least) to end.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #31 is available now wherever comic books are sold.