What if Darth Vader, in addition to his duties to the Galactic Emperor, had to juggle the responsibilities of fatherhood? Namely, looking after his 4-year-old son, Luke Skywalker. That's the premise of a new comic book from Chicago indie cartoonist, Jeffrey Brown. Yep, it's as funny and nerdy as it sounds. And it's further evidence that parenthood has a profound effect on everyone, even if you're the Dark Lord of the Sith.

The original idea for Darth Vader and Son came about from a special design for Google's homepage on Father's Day that was ultimately scrapped. Brown liked the concept so much he decided to develop it into a book. From his perspectives as a father and a huge fan of the Star Wars universe, Brown drew inspiration from experiences with his 4-year-old son and seasoned his narrative with geeky inside jokes and Star Wars movie references.

Luke tries to convince his dad to keep Salacious Crumb as a pet, Vader attempts to use the Jedi mind trick to dissuade his son from choosing a Jar Jar Binks toy, and the two of them watch a Bantha at the zoo's Tatooine exhibit. Leia makes a brief appearance (seen putting dresses on Luke's Star Wars figures), but Brown is hoping to save her for a follow-up book.

Find out more about the book here, where you can listen to James Earl Jones narrating the book trailer, and download a printable pro-literacy poster of Vader reading books to Luke.

• Darth Vader™ and Son, Chronicle Books, April 2012

(Images: Ben Partridge)

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