Classic Star Wars: The Early Adventures #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (August 1994)
His variant cover for Star Wars: Han Solo #1 exudes the fun you would expect from an Allred piece. Han Solo is leaping from the top of the Millennium Falcon to avoid being caught in an explosion. The colorful pallette Allred is known for adorns the background creating the illusion that Han is leaping off the cover. Of the three pieces he has done for Marvel, this is far and away my favorite.
Star Wars: Han Solo #1f - Marvel Comics, U.S. (June 2016) Michael Allred variant
Each of the Han Solo 2016 mini-series issues had a Millennium Falcon cover variant. In my opinion, Allred's talent is wasted on the cover of Star Wars: Han Solo #2. It is a good depiction of the Falcon and some of Allred's color choices can be seen in the effects behind the Falcon, but there is only so much you can do with a cover focusing on the venerable ship.
Star Wars: Han Solo #2b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2016) Millennium Falcon variant
Allred's cover for Star Wars: Droids Unplugged #1 is another distinctly Allred masterpiece. A variety of familiar droids are floating around C-3PO, R2-D2, and BB-8 in space. It is a fun cover to look at.
Star Wars: Droids Unplugged #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (June 2017) Michael Allred variant
It is a shame Allred has not worked on a Star Wars series. Russ Manning, one of Allred's influences, worked on the newspaper strip and it is some of the best comic work Star Wars fans have. We should be given an opportunity to see what this legendary artist and writer could do with our favorite heroes in that galaxy far, far away.
Vader Down is the first Star Wars crossover event published by Marvel Comics when they reacquired the license in 2015. Beginning in Star Wars: Vader Down #1 and alternating between the main Darth Vader and Star Wars titles, this event was told in 6-issues. There are Hasting exclusive covers for the first 3 issues of this crossover which connect to form one image. The art is by Aleksi Briclot, an accomplished French illustrator known for his fantasy and science fiction work including for Magic: The Gathering.
The Star Wars #13 cover is a montage of the heroes over an image of Vader's crashed TIE Fighter.
Star Wars #13e - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 2015) Hastings exclusive
The Star Wars: Vader Down #1 cover is an image of Darth Vader walking away from the crashed fighter. In the background is a stylized image of the Death Star and X-Wing Fighters.
Star Wars: Vader Down #1i - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 2015) Hastings exclusive
The final cover shows a montage of other villains Doctor Aphra, Black Krrsantan, 0-0-0, and BT-1. Also pictured is a squad of Imperial Stormtroopers.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #13d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 2015) Hastings exclusive
Below are the connecting covers together.
Laurita Tohm's plan to recruit the prisoners from the Prism to take back Coruscant is set in motion in Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #4. After being released, Darth Vader orders the prisoners to fight to the death and Tohm is nearly killed in the melee but is saved by a prisoner, Captain Shonn Volta. After numerous prisoners are killed, Darth Vader declares an end to the conflict and Moff Trachta gives a speech about what it means to be an Imperial. All of the prisoners kneel when asked except for Volta, but Tohm pursuades her when he tells her after she helps kill the traitors on Coruscant she can choose to join the Empire or go free. As they prepare to leave the Prism, Vader orders Tohm to kill the badly wounded surviving prisoners using just a sturdy rod. Afterwards, Tohm stumbles onto the Emperor's transport, sick from what he had just done, and Trachta shares his insights on Vader:
Moff Trachta:I have great respect for Vader. And a healthy dose of fear. He is an unmatched warror, and unwavering in his loyalty to the Emperor. But he is a blunt instrument. He solves every problem with a lightsaber.&nbps; He never admits his own mistakes. He has no need of allies -- -- and he certainly has no interest in mentoring anyone. At Vader's side, you will only learn how to serve. Come to me when you're ready to learn how to lead.
Meanwhile on Coruscant, Headmaster Gentis has revealed the secret project, the Death Star, to his fellow conspirators. He explains the important of capturing Grand Moff Tarkin to learn more about the superweapon before executing him. Once Tarkin is killed and they announce the Emperor is dead, he expects to be declared the new Emperor. Back on the transport, Tohm is testing Volta and she explains her hatred of the Republic. She had studied to be a hyperspace engineer before circumstances forced her to join the Separatists and Tohm siezes on this information to ask her if she can predict where a ship might exit hyperspace. She tells Tohm she can and the issue ends with Tohm declaring they have a ship to catch.
Dave Wilkins' cover shows Vader flanked by Laurita Tohm and Moff Trachta as the intense prisoner battle rages around them.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #4a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (August 2012)
Grand Moff Trachta first appears in Star Wars: Empire #1 in 2002, the first issue in the 4-part Betrayal storyline. Unfortunately, Betrayal and this series, which chronologically takes place earlier, are the only meaningful appearances of Trachta. Marvel has reintroduced Legend characters from their original 1977 series into canon, but I wish they would consider using Legend characters that were created when the license was held by Dark Horse. Trachta has an compelling background and is visually interesting; there are undoubtably more stories that can be told using him.
U.S. comic book publisher will release an inexpensive book, either as a teaser for an upcoming series or to advertise a trade paperback that collects already published content. IDW's Star Wars Adventures Greatest Hits #1 reprints the two part Rey story from Star Wars Adventures #1 and 2 titled The Obstacle Course for just $1.
Star Wars Adventures Greatest Hits #1a - IDW Publishing, U.S. (December 2019)
The cover artwork is the same used on Star Wars Adventures #1 cover A.
Boba Fett: Death, Lies, and Treachery is a trade paperback released in 1998 that collects the three Boba Fett one-shots written by John Wagner and illustrated by Cam Kennedy. The pair would reunite for a final Boba Fett story in Star Wars: Empire #7. The Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection Volume 9: Boba Fett - Death, Lies, and Treachery is a hardcover that collects the same content. The cover artwork for the hardcover is taken from the cover of Star Wars: Boba Fett - Murder Most Foul, one of the three issues reprinted inside.
Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection Volume 9: Boba Fett - Death, Lies, and Treachery - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (November 2007)
This volume is priced at $24.95. Like other volumes in the set, it was limited to initial orders.
Issues Reprinted in Collection
Star Wars: Boba Fett - Bounty on Bar-Kooda a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (December 1995)Star Wars: Boba Fett - When the Fat Lady Swings a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (September 1996)Star Wars: Boba Fett - Murder Most Foul a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (August 1997)
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #2 starts with Phasma and TN-3465 closing on the TIE Fighter piloted by Lieutenant Sol Rivas. Unfortunately, their TIE was undergoing repairs to the weapon's system, so they instead follow Rivas down to a nearby planet Luprora. They locate Rivas' empty ship and Phasma damages the communication, navigation, and distress beacon. Phasma, TN-3465, and a BB unit pursue Rivas on foot. They come across an abandoned dwelling and change into clothes they find. They then begin travelling to a nearby village, but are attacked by a large sea monster which drags Phasma into the water. Phasma is able to kill the creature and when she surfaces, they are met by locals from the nearby village. At the village, Phasma and TN-3465 are introduced to the leader Jair'i. Jair'i explains their ancestors settled on the planet as fishermen and farmers. The climate on the planet changed and the sea levels rose bringing the sea monsters. The population of the settlers dwindled due to the monsters and another group called the R'ora. Jair'i says Rivas was taken by the R'ora. The villager Dar'en takes Phasma and TN-3465 to a cliff overlooking an island surrounded by sea monsters where Rivas is located.
The main cover by Paul Renaud has Phasma and TN-3465 standing in front of their TIE Fighter near water where a sea monster has surfaced.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #2a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017)
There are 3 variant covers and none of them have anything to do with the content of the story.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #2b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) movie variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #2c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Caspar Wijngaard variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #2d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Greg Hildebrandt variant
Dark Horse in conjunction with Kenner published Star Wars Special: The Constancia Affair for KB Toys in 1998. The comic collects a 1979 Star Wars Sunday comic strip written and drawn by Russ Manning. The cover artwork is by Igor Kordey and shows R2-D2 and C-3PO floating in space after the spacecraft they were on was destroyed by an Imperial Star Destroyer. Cables from a distress beacon tether the two droids together.
Star Wars Special: The Constancia Affair a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (August 1998) KB Toys exclusive
Big Bang #3 published by Fabbri Editori in 1979 collects several American newspaper strips including DC Superheroes, Buck Rogers, and Star Wars. The cover depicts the same situation that the cover for the Star Wars Special: The Constancia Affair shows. This cover however is taken from a panel from the comic strip inside the issue with the Saturn-like planet also lifted from another panel.
Big Bang #3a - Fabbri Editori, Italy (April 1979)
One piece was designed to be a cover and the other is an amalgamation of panels from a newspaper comic strip, so initial reactions would be this is not a very fair comparison. The techniques and details on the Star Wars Special: The Constancia Affair cover are expectantly superior with the depiction of C-3PO and the explosion in the background standing out. Where this cover fails however is with R2-D2. R2-D2 does not look like he is floating in space, but appears to be rolling along a solid surface that isn't there. There is no reason for his third leg to be extended and drawing him upright in this pose just amplifies the problem. The R2-D2 on the Russ Manning artwork looks like it is floating in space.
The Igor Kordey cover only slightly beats out the Russ Manning cover. If a different choice on R2-D2's pose was taken, this would have been the clear runaway favorite instead of just mildly edging out the other cover.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #3 begins with Laurita Tohm and Darth Vader at the Jedi Temple watching a hologram recording of the Jedi Council. Anakin Skywalker is inquiring about the prisoners he has captured during the Clone Wars. The council is obviously withholding information from Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi enters the chamber and attempts to calm an upset Anakin as he is leaving. After he is gone, Obi-Wan asks the council why they did not tell Anakin about the secret prison they call the Prism. The discussion continues and the council reveals the Prism is in the Diab system. After the hologram ends, Vader is angry and vows to raze the Jedi Temple when they return to Coruscant. The Jedi Council keeping the Prism secret reinforces Vader's belief that the Jedi were traitors and justifies his turning on them.
They return to the transport holding the Emperor in a statis pod and depart Coruscant for the Diab system. Tohm and Moff Trachta trade stories on how they each received their injuries. Trachta was injured by a thermal detonator used by a Jedi Padawan that had defected to the Separatist while Tohm was caught in a blast set by Separatist that killed his whole family. Back on Coruscant, Headmaster Gentis is holding a remote meeting with other Imperial officers. He lies to the other officers in an attempt to keep control of Coruscant. Grand Moff Tarkin asks why the blockade and communications blackout has not been lifted. Gentis continues to lie as he tells him he does not want the terrorist responsible for the attack to escape and the Emperor is being treated at one of the medical facilities. He goes on to explain that Darth Vader and Moff Trachta are missing. Tarkin tells Gentis that he will be traveling to Coruscant to assume command.
The Emperor's transport arrives in the Diab system. As it approaches the Prism, the sole Jedi warden and several security droids gather on the docking platform. No transmissions are allowed in or out of the Prism, so the Jedi warden is surprised when Vader departs the transport and strikes her down along with her contingent of guards. The Emperor is moved to the medical facility and Vader tells the others the Emperor will recover from the virus in time. Tohm, Vader, and Trachta are reviewing the prisoner manifest and records and learns more than half of the 208 prisoners on the Prism were captured by Anakin. Vader confirms the reports and says he killed Anakin. He then orders Tohm to transfer the records to the transport and to wipe the system clean. After Vader leaves, Trachta ask Tohm to find something before he carries out the tasks. Back on Coruscant, Gentis is attempting to convince a capture officer to join his cause as they both overlook an Imperial crematorium. Back on the Prism, Tohm leads Trachta to a prison cell housing the Jedi Padawan that threw the detonator that caused Trachta's injuries. Tohm leaves as Trachta begins pummeling the prisoner with his fists. The issue ends with Tohm suggesting to Vader they use the prisoners as an army to take back Coruscant.
The cover by Dave Wilkins is a close up of Darth Vader's helmet as it appears in Return of the Jedi when Emperor Palpatine uses Force lightning on him. Bathed in blue light, the inner mechanisms of the helmet along with portions of Anakin's skull can be seen through the momentarily translucent shell. The cover is symbolic of the story inside. The story delve into Vader's head, revealing his thoughts on past and current events.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #3a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (July 2012)
Marvel Comics started the Marvel UK imprint in 1972. Marvel UK initially reprinted Marvel Comics weekly for British readers. At first, the imprint was overseen by U.S. editors, but in 1973, U.K.-based editors took over. A change in editor-in-chief in 1978 also saw the launch of Star Wars Weekly. The magazine was slightly shorter than other Marvel UK offerings at 28 pages instead of the standard 32 pages but still priced as 10 pence.
The A New Hope adaptation is comprised of British Star Wars Weekly #1 - 12. Each comic contains half of a U.S. issue in black and white and only three covers from the U.S. title are used on these twelve issues with the other nine covers containing all new artwork. These are not the first Star Wars comics published in the U.K. however. There are pence copies of Star Wars #2-5 as well as Marvel Treasury Special Editions #1 and 2. The first two issues of Star Wars Weekly contain free gifts and the inclusion of those gifts greatly impact the value of those comics.
Star Wars Weekly #1a - Marvel Comics, England (February 8, 1978) contains first half of Star Wars #1Star Wars Weekly #2a - Marvel Comics, England (February 15, 1978) contains second half of Star Wars #1Star Wars Weekly #3a - Marvel Comics, England (February 22, 1978) contains first half of Star Wars #2Star Wars Weekly #4a - Marvel Comics, England (February 29, 1978) contains second half of Star Wars #2Star Wars Weekly #5a - Marvel Comics, England (March 8, 1978) contains first half of Star Wars #3Star Wars Weekly #6a - Marvel Comics, England (March 15, 1978) contains second half of Star Wars #3Star Wars Weekly #7a - Marvel Comics, England (March 22, 1978) contains first half of Star Wars #4Star Wars Weekly #8a - Marvel Comics, England (March 29, 1978) contains second half of Star Wars #4Star Wars Weekly #9a - Marvel Comics, England (April 5, 1978) contains first half of Star Wars #5Star Wars Weekly #10a - Marvel Comics, England (April 12, 1978) contains second half of Star Wars #5Star Wars Weekly #11a - Marvel Comics, England (April 19, 1978) contains first half of Star Wars #6Star Wars Weekly #12a - Marvel Comics, England (April 26, 1978) contains last half of Star Wars #6
The British Star Wars Weekly started in February 1978 when the U.S. Star Wars title was only on issue #11. Star Wars #8 has a cover date of February 1978 and I use the cover date, not the actual on-sale date, in the description of the comics in this blog because it is convenient. But it was traditional for U.S. comics to date comics approximately 3 months in the future from the actual on-sale date so newsstands knew when to pull and return issues to the distributor. With each British issue containing half a U.S. comic, it is not surprising that the weekly publication quickly used up the available U.S. content and needed new material. The issues containing new material is widely known to Star Wars comic collectors, but what is also interesting is much of the content we attribute to being published in the U.S. first was actually published in England first. An example of this is Star Wars #26 which has a cover date of August 1979, but was actually on-sale in May 1979. The British Star Wars Weekly #55 started selling in March 1979, a full two months before the U.S. edition!
Star Wars #26a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (August 1979)
The Carmine Infantino drawn cover for Star Wars #26 shows Luke Skywalker standing over a badly damaged R2-D2. In the background is a wrecked TIE Fighter and lurking nearby is the pilot that shot R2. On the cover Luke is wearing his familiar Tatooine garb, but inside the issue he is wearing his X-Wing fighter uniform. The location for this scene is one of Yavin's moons without a breathable atmosphere. I can only guess Luke is drawn in his more familiar outfit because a helmeted Luke on the cover would have been unrecognizable.
Star Wars Weekly #55a - Marvel Comics, England (March 14, 1979) contains first half of Star Wars #26
The cover for Star Wars Weekly #55 is almost identical to the U.S. cover. The image is mirrored and the surface R2-D2 is lying on as well as the moon in the background have additional texturing and different coloring. The pilot is still standing behind an stalagmite, but the protrusion has been cropped from the image. The biggest difference between the two covers is Luke's head has been redrawn and his belt has been detailed.
Luke's head on the British cover is technically an improvement over the U.S. cover but it is not such a drastic change that I really understand why there was a need to redraw it but not fix other elements of the cover. For example, R2-D2's proportions are off, with his body being almost as wide as he is tall and his legs are positioned way too high. And the Imperial TIE pilot looks nothing like the movie counterpart. I have a fondness for Star Wars #26, Infantino's quirky style and all, because it was the first issue that I started collecting the original Star Wars title. For this reason, I prefer the U.S. cover.
In 2018, IDW Publishing released the 5-issue mini-series Star Wars Adventures: Tales From Vader's Castle to coincide with Halloween. The first issue contains the yarn The Haunting of the Ghost. The tale is framed in another story starring Lina Graf, a commander in the Rebel Alliance. Lina is aboard the Auric with her crew: a bug-like alien Skritt, Lieutenant Hudd, XM-G3, and CR-8R (or Crater). The Auric is attacked by TIE Fighters and the ship's shields and power core are damaged. Lina decides to land on the nearest planet Mustafar which Crater informs her is guarded by Imperial forces. Situated on a rock surround by flowing lava, Lina tells everyone they need to abandon ship, but Crater is apprehensive and recounts a tale told to him by his fellow droid Chopper.
Aboard the Ghost, Kanan Jarrus is analyzing a holocron using the Force while Hera Syndulla attempts to contact an informant named Graysom. Kanan realizes the holocron is empty as Chopper spots Graysom's ship the Hoopaloo Nest crashed on an asteroid. The Ghost lands near the Nest and Kanan and Hera board the damaged craft. Hera learns an escape pod ejected from the Nest and she is suddenly electrocuted near one of the ship's panels. As they return to the Ghost, an electric arc is seen between the two craft. They find Graysom's escape pod and Graysom says he crashed because the Nest was haunted. As he is explaining, the lights on the Ghost go out and a laughter echoes throughout the ship. As Hera heads to the cockpit she is suddenly electrocuted again as Graysom tells the others the spirit is following him. Then the airlock suddenly opens but Chopper is able to close it before Kanan is pulled into space. Hera and Chopper head to the cockpit as Kanan and Graysom are sealed into a room by the entity with Kanan's lightsaber laying on the floor outside. In the cockpit Chopper is inhabited by the spirit while Kanan uses the Force to manipulate his lightsaber to free him and Graysom. The spirit in Chopper explains it was stripped of its physical form centuries ago by the Jedi. Hera tricks the entity into the empty holocron when Kanan appears and uses the Force to seal the spirit inside.
After listening to the tale, the rebels depart the Auric. Using macrobinoculars, Lina spots Vader's castle guarded by Imperial Stormtroopers and informs the others that is where they are going.
Cavan Scott, writer of four of the Adventures in Wild Space young reader books, wrote this comic. The first book in that series, The Escape, introduced the character Lina Graf. Like all the Star Wars Adventures comic from IDW, this comic is aimed at young readers. The artwork is cartoonish which seems to be typical for young reader comics. The framed story is meant to evoke dread in the reader for the actions taken by Lina and her crew at the end of the book, but not being the target audience, I cannot say if it was successful or not. My only complaint is with the character Graysom who is drawn as a giant, clothed bird with a monocle. Cavan Scott reintroduced Jaxxon to modern Star Wars comics in Star Wars Adventures Annual 2018 in April of that year and if more uninspired, anthropomorphic characters are a result, I wish Jaxxon had remained forgotten in the past.
Thankfully, none of the five covers feature Graysom, but instead the main two covers showcase the Ghost crew. A black and white version of cover A is used for the retail incentive A cover. Lina Graf and her crew from the Auric are depicted on retailer incentive cover B. Vader's Castle is in the background as well as a ghostly image of Vader. The IDW Convention exclusive is a black and white version of retailer incentive cover B.
Star Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle #1a - IDW Publishing, U.S. (October 2018) cover AStar Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle #1b - IDW Publishing, U.S. (October 2018) cover BStar Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle #1c - IDW Publishing, U.S. (October 2018) retailer incentive aStar Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle #1d - IDW Publishing, U.S. (October 2018) retailer incentive BStar Wars Adventures: Tales from Vader's Castle #1e - IDW Publishing, U.S. (October 2018) IDW Convention exclusive
The 4-issue mini-series Star Wars: Captain Phasma started releasing in Septermber 2017 as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi branding. Much like Boba Fett, Phasma received very little screen time during her movie debut but had attracted the attention of Star Wars fans nonetheless. Early in The Force Awakens, Captain Phasma led a successful First Order Stormtrooper assault on Jakku in search of San Tekka. Later in the movie, when Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Finn infiltrate Starkiller Base, Phasma is captured and forced to lower the base's shields. Afterwards, she is unceremoniously discarded into a garbage chute. This is reminiscent of Boba Fett falling into the Sarlacc Pit in the Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017)
The first issue of the mini-series takes place during the Resistance assault on Starkiller Base as shown in The Force Awakens. Captain Phasma frees herself from the trash compactor while the base is being bombarded by Resistance fighters. Phasma is keeping a log and falsify events to cover up her role in lowering the base's shields. She access a computer terminal and deletes the records of her transgression and learns Lieutenant Sol Rivas had accessed the files prior to her erasing them, so she adds records to falsely accuse Rivas of the deed. She then proceeds to chase Rivas with the intent of killing him to cover her tracks. She misses killing him in the base and follows him outside. There, she witnesses the lightsaber battle between Kylo Ren and Rey. She takes another long shot at Rivas before he enters a hangar. Phasma watches Rivas leave the base in a TIE Fighter and commandeers a TIE Fighter and pilot to pursue him. Just as the TIE Fighter with the pilot and Phasma enter space, Starkiller Base explodes.
It is clear from this issue that Phasma is a survivor and not necessarily a disciple of First Order doctrine. Being a captain in the Order is clearly just a job to her and it will be interesting to see her resolves the dilemma she finds herself in. The writer, Kelly Thompson, was earning accolades for her work on Hawkeye when this mini-series was released and the interior art is provided by the always exceptional Marco Checchetto.
In addition to the standard cover, there are 10 variants/exclusives for the first issue. There are quite a few good covers to chose from, but if I had to pick a favorite, it is the cover by Mark Brooks which also has a sketch variant.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) blank variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Skottie Young variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Todd Nauck variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1e - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Funko variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1f - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) movie variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1g - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Paulina Ganucheau homage variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1h - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Mark Brooks variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1i - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Mark Brooks sketch variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1j - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Fried Pie exclusiveStar Wars: Captain Phasma #1k - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Frankie's Comics/Sad Lemon Comics exclusive
