Star Wars: Darth Vader #39

Part of Marvel's 2023 Dark Droids crossover event, this issue pits the Dark Lord of the Sith against a towering Octuptarra Droid, its multiple spider-like limbs spread wide and a single glowing eye fixed menacingly downward as Vader stands his ground, red lightsaber blazing. Leinil Francis Yu's cover composition does a remarkable job of conveying the sheer scale of the mechanical threat looming over an unflinching Vader. With Greg Pak writing and Raffaele Ienco on art, "Crucible of Hate" promises the kind of intense, machine-versus-Sith confrontation that makes this ongoing series such a compelling read.