“No, I am your father.” – Darth Vader

Darth Vader and Son

Darth Vader and Son

*Spoiler Alert* Darth Vader, antagonist of the Star Wars films, is the father of Luke Skywalker, protagonist of the Star Wars films.

Luke didn’t learn this until his father told him as an adult after a joint exercise session in the bowels of a floating city. But, what if Luke had enjoyed time as a child with his dad in typical father-son interactions? What exactly would that look like? Jeffrey Brown, himself a father and a damn good artist, decided to exercise his imagination and let us have a look.

Darth Vader and Son is a playful romp through the Star Wars universe with a four year old Luke Skywalker and his attentive father, the Dark Lord of the Sith himself Darth Vader. The book is a series of vignettes, beautiful and whimsical artwork with humorous dialogue, or sometimes the pages speak for themselves through the situations portrayed.

I don’t have children myself, but I have three beautiful nieces and two rambunctious nephews, and as an attentive, nerdy, Star Wars loving uncle, I am keen to introduce them into the world of X-wings and Death Stars and diminutive Jedi Masters as early as possible. Darth Vader and Son riffs on many of the iconic characters and locations of the films that any child who had the joy of flipping through this book before they viewed the saga would probably recognize favorite panels while watching. The jokes are easily understandable, the artwork is often silly and fun, and any child should be able to relate to fun time spent with dad. Bottom line: kids like this book. The jokes also operate on a higher level, satirizing or making fun of dialogue from the films or situations therein, that most adults reading through this book with their kids will laugh at things that the child won’t understand. Bottom line: adult fans of Star Wars will like this book. [Author’s note: I should know. I am a kid trapped in the body of an adult fan of Star Wars.]

In fact, the only problem I have with this book is a true dilemma that should affect all Star Wars parents. No, not the question of which order to show the saga to your children (any true Star Wars parent will do the right thing and start with A New Hope) but a deeper dilemma: if you read this book to your kid, you spoil the surprise and shock that Darth Vader is Luke’s father their first time watching the movies. That is a surprise that I believe should be preserved for any person being introduced to Star Wars for the first time. In this day and age of the interwebnets and easily available information, I wonder  how anyone is surprised by anything anymore, but the possibility at least exists. So, do you read your children a great kids story while they are still a bit too young for Star Wars, and thus potentially spoil the greatest secret of the galaxy far, far away or do you hold off until they’ve seen the films and then give them a great kids book? I guess that is a question that only you can answer for you and your children.

Whatever you decide, Darth Vader and Son is hilarious, whimsical, and definitely belongs on your book shelf. Just be sure to buy a copy for your little Jedi as well.

The excellent news for parents of nerds of both genders (or of either) is that Darth Vader didn’t just have a son, he had a daughter, and he spent quality time with his little princess as well. Jeffrey Brown, who maintains a website over at http://www.jeffreybrowncomics.com, has written a sequel to Darth Vader and Son entitled Vader’s Little Princess which you can pre-order right now on Amazon.com ahead of the given release date of April 23, 2013. I’ve already got my copy waiting in the pre-order queue, and you should too. Star Wars is a timeless story that translates to kids of all ages, and there is no better way to get your little nerd on the right path in life that to give them funny, well drawn Star Wars books while they are young.

[Author’s note: I will definitely review Vader’s Little Princess when it is released. Watch for that in a few months!]