Dark Horse published 24 issues of Star Wars Tales from September 1999 to July 2005. Each issue of this anthology title are 64 pages, allowing for several features. The stories covered a range of genres from comedy to action adventure to horror and the artwork also varies greatly. Not every feature appeals to everyone; some stories can be challenging if the genre or art is not to your taste. While not every story is a gem, there are a few issues of this title that include some exceptional tales such as the 16-page "Outbid But never Outgunned" featuring Boba Fett from Tales #7, the 48-page "Resurrection" with a Darth Vader and Darth Maul showdown from Tales #9, and the 10-page "Into the Great Unknown" starring both Han Solo and Indiana Jones from Tales #19.
As of yet, Marvel has not attempted an anthology title. This is understandable, if not regrettable, because these titles can be hard sells. Interestingly, IDW Publishing's first (and so far only) ongoing Star Wars title is an anthology aimed at younger readers. Each issue of Star Wars Adventures contains two features and some of these stories are serialized over several issues. The stories are akin to Marvel's Star Comics titles Droids and Ewoks from the 1980s or Dark Horse's digest-sized The Clone Wars Adventures. The writing to younger readers has limited the number of Star Wars comic fans willing to buy this title, and understandably, this IDW series sells far fewer copies than Marvel's Star Wars titles.
IDW Publishing borrowed from Marvel's playbook when they published Star Wars Adventures #1 with 15 variant covers. The multiple covers helped the first issue sell over 49,000 copies in September 2017. Despite the sales drifting below 10,000 copies of each issue sold after the first year, the comic has continued to be one of IDW's best selling titles.
The first issue has two standard covers as well as three incentive covers. Retailer incentive cover A was initially sold in a ratio of 1 for every 10 standard copies. incentive cover B had a ratio of 1 to 25, and incentive cover C had a ratio of 1 to 50.
Star Wars Adventures #1a - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017)Star Wars Adventures #1b - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017)Star Wars Adventures #1c - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) retailer incentive variant AStar Wars Adventures #1d - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) retailer incentive variant BStar Wars Adventures #1e - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) retailer incentive variant C
A variant based on the retailer incentive cover C was released to coincide with the Local Comic Shop Day event.
Star Wars Adventures #1f - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Local Comic Shop Day variant
IDW also sent a retailer appreciation variant to comic shops which was based on the art for the retailer incentive cover A.
Star Wars Adventures #1g - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Retailer Appreciation variant
Six different comic shops commissioned exclusive covers for this inaugural issue.
Star Wars Adventures #1h - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Fried Pie exclusiveStar Wars Adventures #1i - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Jetpack Comics exclusiveStar Wars Adventures #1j - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Heroes & Fantasies exclusiveStar Wars Adventures #1k - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Hall of Comics exclusiveStar Wars Adventures #1l - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Double Midnight Comics Granite State Comicon exclusiveStar Wars Adventures #1m - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Comics Dungeon exclusive
Finally, IDW published two more variant covers, one exclusively for the Fan Expo Convention and another for distribution at other conventions.
Star Wars Adventures #1n - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) Fan Expo Convention exclusiveStar Wars Adventures #1o - IDW Publishing, U.S. (September 2017) IDW Convention exclusive
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