Bookworms: Vader’s Little Princess (2013) by Jeffrey Brown
Posted By Phil Redbeard on April 29, 2013
“No, I am your father.” – Darth Vader
Vader’s Little Princess
Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa were never meant to be siblings, despite anything that George Lucas says these days. A convenient bit of foreshadowing and a little bit of clever writing later, the Star Wars universe acquired a brother and a sister, separated at birth, heirs to the Galactic Empire their evil father helped to build. But, what if Leia grew up with her father, an ordinary little girl in love with her caring, dark father? What if Leia’s teenage rebelliousness and fondness for scruffy-looking space smugglers ended up having unfortunate side effects on Daddy Vader’s job? What would that look like? A few months ago I reviewed a whimsical little book by Jeffrey Brown, Darth Vader and Son (published last April) which explored Luke’s imaginary childhood with Vader. Today I am happy to bring you a review of the sequel Vader’s Little Princess, which shows a precocious little Leia and her doting Darth daddy.
Illustrated superbly and humorously by Jeffrey Brown, Vader’s Little Princess presents Leia first as a little girl, in little white gown and adorable cinnabon hairdo. She hides Vader’s keys in a small Artoo unit, jumps on the bed with her brother, and is embarrassed to be dropped off at school in her father’s conspicuous AT-AT. Soon, though, she is a teenager, learning to fly her dad’s TIE fighter, refusing to do the dishes, and bringing home a young smuggler to meet dad. Brown riffs on many of the iconic scenes and events in the Star Wars trilogy, even referencing the prequels when Leia wears a midriff showing outfit a la Padme in Attack of the Clones (Vader tries, futilely, to get Leia to pull up her pants). The result is hilarious, heartwarming, and totally geeky.
I love Jeffrey Brown’s artwork, and his insight into the foibles and fun of parenting are sharp and witty. Vader’s Little Princess is a perfect book to give to a little geek girl, as artwork is fun to look at, and the words easy to read for young readers. Together with Darth Vader and Son, these two little books belong on any nerd’s shelf, and Star Wars fans are missing out if they don’t pick up a copy of each. I proudly display both, and really hope that Brown continues the series, perhaps imagining Annie’s Little Droids or maybe even Jango and Son. [Author's note: I firmly believe that, in his unique style, Brown could redeem the prequel trilogy.] We’ll just have to wait and see what Brown dreams and draws up next.
Jeffrey Brown can be found on the world wide web at Jeffrey Brown Comics. Check it out, he’s got way more cool stuff over there.
Comments
Leave a Reply
Please note: Comment moderation is currently enabled so there will be a delay between when you post your comment and when it shows up. Patience is a virtue; there is no need to re-submit your comment.