With 107 regular issues and 3 annuals, I have always wondered which story Marvel published is my favorite. I am a huge fan of the strong continuity that existed from Star Wars #7 - 37. In that run, there have been some great stories including the Wheel saga and the Valance the Hunter arc. After The Empire Strikes Back, we are treated to many powerful stories, with the Shira Brie story being a clear standout. In this run between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi is a story that I feel is the best Marvel story published. That story takes place in Star Wars #51 and 52 and deals with the Empire's superweapon, the Tarkin.
Star Wars #51a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 1981) NewsstandStar Wars #51b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 1981) Direct
Star Wars #51, titled Resurrection of Evil, beginning with a dead Rebel returning to the fleet with information that could destroy the Rebellion. Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, and Chewbacca are requested to return to the fleet from their missions and they are briefed on the Empire's latest superweapon under construction, the Tarkin. The Tarkin has all the offensive capabilities of the Death Star, but with none of it's weaknesses. Our heroes, without Lando Calrissian whom they do not trust, along with C-3PO and R2-D2 are sent on a mission to infiltrate the Tarkin and destroy it from within. They pilot the Millennium Falcon to the planet of Hockaleg where Luke and Leia equip themselves with uniforms and our heroes join a work detail being shuttled to the Tarkin. The first issue ends with the newly arrived Darth Vader sensing Luke's presence on the Tarkin and a group of Imperial officers onboard the Tarkin having a clandestine meeting where they are planning the assassination of Darth Vader.
Star Wars #52a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 1981) NewsstandStar Wars #52b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 1981) Direct
The action begins immediately in Star Wars #52, titled To Take the Tarkin, as our heroes are propelled to move quickly. C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca go to take out the shield generator, Princess Leia is to secure the escape route, and Luke Skywalker sets out to destroy the Tarkin's main reactor. Meanwhile, we learn Lando Calrissian stowed away on the Millennium Falcon. The plan to take out the shield generator succeeds but Leia runs into problems with her mission. Darth Vader goes to confront Luke Skywalker, but the Imperial officers launch their plan to eliminate Darth Vader, ruining both Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker's plans. Our heroes are forced to fight their way off the Tarkin and gain access to a spacecraft. They engage in a dogfight with TIE Fighters in space when the Millennium Falcon piloted by Lando swoops in to save the day and Darth Vader personally pursues the Falcon in his modified TIE Fighter. The Imperial officers take advantage of this new circumstance and attempt to use the Tarkin's cannon to fire on the Millennium Falcon and Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, but the Tarkin explodes. It turns out when Leia's original mission failed, she sabotaged the cannon on the Tarkin and in the end, our heroes escape.
The story in Star Wars #51 and 52 draws on many familiar themes from Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and even Splinters of the Mind's Eye. The scenes where our heroes are recalled from their missions are interesting (Leia and Luke are on separate missions to look for a new Rebel base and Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca are searching for Han Solo) and the action on the Tarkin is fast paced. The idea that Imperial officers want to assassination Darth Vader is brilliant as is the other heroes' mistrust of Lando Calrissian. I always thought infiltrating the work force constructing the Tarkin was a smarter plan than the plan used by the Rebels in Return of the Jedi, but it makes sense that the Rebellion would not want to repeat that plan a second time. David Michelinie crafted a terrific and dense story and Walt Simonson delivered strong art for both the covers and the pages within these two issues.
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