First Look Book Review: Vader's Little Princess

Here at IR towers it has been a hectic week but we have something of a real treat right now for you with a first look and review of the wonderful Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown.The delectable people at Abrams and Chronicle sent us over a copy to show you guys as I'm sure everyone here knows and appreciates Jeffrey's work.

So lets get to it then, Vader's Little Princess is "the irresistibly funny follow up to the breakout bestseller Darth Vader and Son" so reads the press release, but hey if my job was to re-hash press releases I'd work in games...

This book is the sequel to one of the most elegantly executed viral breakouts that illustration has seen in the last few years. The extremely talented Jeffrey Brown has redefined what success for an illustrator looks like,  we can all take note, talent sells and you just have to be out there and keep on it. Cracking the mainstream gives you the freedom to do what he wants, which in anyone's book is a good thing. His charming work for Vader and Son was picked up the world over for both it's gentle truthful humour and brilliant subversion of one of the most recognisable pop culture villains of our generation, so in reviewing the sequel I'm mindful of the fact he has really tried to build on the formula with Vader's Little Princess and not just release a cash cow.

The book itself is lovely, crafted with care and slickly presented, Jeffrey Brown's illustration is top end. His work is both charmingly concise allowing the humour and humanity of his characters to shine through but also detailed in a Raymond Briggs sort of way that gives the viewer a real visual feast and classic children's book feel. He really is great at capturing character and expression which is a rare skill to master with simple line work and pared down characters. It's a really clever thing to get so much emotion into Vader, considering the full face helmet, this is the real key to the appeal of the series.

I feel like there is more character development here than the films as we have a beautiful selection of classic first world problems that is painfully familiar. This ease of understanding and universality strikes a chord with the arcade kids now grown up, his style, the icing on the cake.

Deliciously funny and bang on my demographic, what's not to love.

Vader's Little Princess is by Jeffrey Brown
Published by Chronicle Books
Available 4th May (National Star Wars Day!)

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