Charles Soule has proven to be a talented writer for the modern Marvel Star Wars line of comics. His work has prompted Lucasfilm to promote him to Creative Consultant in recent years. He wrote his first story with the Star Wars: Lando 5-issue mini-series that began in July 2015.
Star Wars: Lando #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015)
Star Wars: Lando #1 begins with Lando Calrissian staring at an artifact in the bedroom of Governor Ssaria on the Imperial colony world Castell. Lando confesses to Ssaria that he was going to steal the artifact and disappear in the middle of the night, but he changed his mind due to his feelings for her. Of course, this is all a ruse as he later tells Lobot that Ssaria gave him the item and they do not need to worry about the Governor coming for it. Lando meets with the criminal Toren on Castell, believing the artifact will suffice as payment for a debt he owes. Toren instead agrees the object will cover ten percent of Lando's debt, but Toren has another score for him that will repay the debt in full. Lando updates Lobot on the deal and they hire a pair of aliens, Aleksin and Pavol, to act as muscle for their heist. Lando and Lobot then meet with the female Ugnaught Korin Pers, an antiquity scholar, who agrees to help the pair with their heist after she reviews a list of artifacts Lando hands her. It turns out the heist involves stealing a rich Imperial's pleasure craft that contains the rare artifacts from a Sienar Fleet Systems orbital shipyard. The heist is successful and as the issue concludes, we find out the theft has attracted the attention of Emperor Palpatine himself.
The issue is one of the better comics Marvel published in its first year with the newly acquired license. The story leaks just enough information concerning the heist to keep the reader engaged. The reveal at the end is shocking and invites the reader back for subsequent issues to find out what happens. I like all the background details scattered throughout including one interesting and revealing exchange between Lando and Lobot:
Lando Calrissian:You want to fight? Brother, please.
You had the Imperials put those things in your head so you could get paid to run battlefield calculations, all nice and safe back at a base.
Doesn't sound like something a fighter would do. And me ...?
It is nice getting information on the implants that Lobot has in his head. It is also clear from the dialogue in this issue that Lando and Lobot are more than just business partners, they are friends.
Initially a total of 14 different covers were published for Lando #1.
Star Wars: Lando #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) action figure variantStar Wars: Lando #1c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Skottie Young variantStar Wars: Lando #1d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) blank variantStar Wars: Lando #1e - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) movie photo variantStar Wars: Lando #1f - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Greg Land variantStar Wars: Lando #1g - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) John Cassaday variantStar Wars: Lando #1h - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Leinil Francis Yu variantStar Wars: Lando #1i - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Alex Ross variantStar Wars: Lando #1j - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Alex Ross sketch variantStar Wars: Lando #1k - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Previews Exclusive San Diego Comic Con 2015 exclusiveStar Wars: Lando #1l - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Convention exclusiveStar Wars: Lando #1m - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Topps variantStar Wars: Lando #1n - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Newbury Comics exclusive
The issue also had a 2nd print.
Star Wars: Lando #1o - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) 2nd print
This month, Marvel Comics will be ending the current ongoing Star Wars and Darth Vader titles. These titles lead into the Return of the Jedi story. In October, Marvel will begin publishing a storyline that takes place between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens and stars the heroes from the original trilogy.
The Battle of Jakku saga from Marvel will be split into 3 story arcs:
Insurgency Rising 4 issues
Republic Under Siege 4 issues
Last Stand 4 issues
The first arc will be released in October as biweekly mini-series, followed by the second arc in November also as a biweekly mini-series. Although not announced, I suspect the last arc will be released as a biweekly mini-series in December. This storyline will mark the end of 10 years of the Star Wars license being held by Marvel.
The British Star Wars Weekly #47 - 50 contain the story The Keeper's World originally present in Pizzazz #1 - 9. This story, along with the Aduba-3 story from Star Wars #7 - 10 are the earliest non-movie Star Wars stories released, pre-dating the Splinter of the Mind's Eye novel which was published in March 1978.
The story has an opening similiar to the Aduba-3 tale in Star Wars #7, except here, it is Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, C-3P0, and R2-D2 who are boarding a spacecraft on Yavin 4 instead of Han Solo and Chewbacca. This story takes place immediately after the Star Wars movie ends and Luke and Leia are traveling to another Rebel base in the Akuria System with R2-D2 providing navigation and C-3P0 onboard to act as a translator for other droids when they reach the system. Unfortunately, they learn that not all the repairs to R2-D2 after the attack on the Death Star were completed properly and they come out of hyperspace too soon. The cover of Star Wars Weekly #47 depicts their small craft emerging from hyperspace in the middle of a Imperial Star Destroyer fleet.
Star Wars Weekly #47a - Marvel Comics, England (December 27, 1978)
The Star Destroyers attempt to detain the small spaceship with tractor beams, but the ship escapes, taking damage in the process, and the small craft crashes on an unexplored jungle planet. Luke, C-3P0, and R2-D2 do some exploring while Leia attempts to contact the Rebel base on Yavin 4. While exploring, they discover an extremely large footprint from a creature. Meanwhile, the Imperials have discovered the location of the downed spaceship. Back on the planet, the heroes are attacked by a large monster as shown on the cover of Star Wars Weekly #48.
Star Wars Weekly #48a - Marvel Comics, England (January 3, 1979)
R2-D2 is able to find the creature's mother which is even bigger and the mother comes and picks up her child and wanders back into the jungle. Just then, an Imperial spacecraft, which looks remarkably like a TIE Fighter but containing an Imperial Commander and several Imperial Stormtroopers, appears in the sky. Our heroes flee into the jungle and stumble across ruins which they enter. The Imperials, now on foot, catch up to them, but before any shots are fired, C-3P0 accidentally bumps a switch on the wall and our heroes vanish. They reappear in a room beneath the surface of the planet and meet four children, each with the ability to control one of the 4 elements: fire, water, wind, and earth. As the children are explaining their powers, the Imperials suddenly appear, having used the same switch as C-3P0. The children use their powers to delay the Imperial troops and they lead our heroes to a sentient computer they call the Keeper. The Keeper proceeds to envelop our heroes in a strange beam as show on the cover of Star Wars Weekly #49.
Star Wars Weekly #49a - Marvel Comics, England (January 10, 1979)
Rather than harm our heroes, the beam instead projects a history lesson into their heads. The people from the war torn planet fled into space, but left the Keeper behind to rebuild the planet. It created the four children androids to assist with the task and helped the wildlife on the surface thrive. As the Imperials draw closer, the Keeper causes an earthquake which prompts the Imperials to quickly leave the planet, presuming the Rebels have died in the natural event. The Keeper shields the heroes and repairs the damaged spacecraft allowing the Rebels to leave the planet. The final cover is a photo cover of the Millenium Falcon.
Star Wars Weekly #50a - Marvel Comics, England (January 17, 1979)
The writer and artist for this story is Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin, who also worked on the Star Wars movie adaptation. It establishes the status quo for Marvel's run up until The Empire Strikes Back; the Rebellion will continue to use their base at Yavin 4 despite the Empire knowing it's location. This story along with the Aduba-3 story in the Star Wars title also cement the trope of encountering otherworldly creatures on adventures which greatly differentiates Star Wars from Star Trek. The Keeper in this story however is very much the type of science fiction entity that is more at home in a Star Trek tale than Star Wars. Additionally, the four androids are more evocative of superheroes than Star Wars.
Star Wars (1998) #7 kicks off a six part storyline titled "Outlander: The Exile of Sharad Hett". The story begins on Tatooine, when farmers Conil Barje, his wife Camelle, and their baby Tekil arrive at the Mochot Steep trading site to purchase weapons. The Barjes are new arrivals to Tatooine having arrived from the planet Corellia. The Jawa trading camp is busy with people seeking guns due to a recent Tusken Raider attack on Anchorhead. The raid involved several Tusken clans and was led by a war chief who the Jawas call Ootman or "Outlander". Before Conil can secure a weapon, Tusken Raiders led by the "Outlander" attack the camp and Conil along with many others is killed. Camelle, clutching her baby, pleads for her life, but one of the Sand People takes her baby. The Tusken draws a knife to kill the baby, but the war chief draws a lightsaber and severs the Tusken's hand holding the knife and returns the baby to Camille. The Tusken Raider chief in common speaks: "Blessed be your going out from us, Woman of Corellia." Overseeing the ordeal from a nearby sand dune is Aurra Sing astride a speeder bike.
Shortly afterwards, on Coruscant at the headquarters of the Jedi Council, a meeting is taking place between Yoda, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Eeth Koth. Ki-Adi-Mundi finishes playing the recording of the words spoken by the Tusken chief and the three start discussing who the chief is. A holo is then played from the Anchorhead raid and the lightsaber at the war chief's side is enlarged. All three immediately recognize it is the lightsaber of Sharad Hett, a Jedi apprentice of Eeth Koth who was presumably killed fifteen years ago. Ki-Adi-Mundi is asked to go to Tatooine to confront Sharad and Yoda urges him to also meet with Jabba the Hutt first. The story ends with Aurra Sing sitting in a cantina at the Mos Eisley Spaceport. She muses to herself that another Jedi will be coming and she opens a case containing a collection of lightsabers.
The cover by Ken Kelly shows the Tusken Raiders attacking Mochot Steep with Camelle holding Tekil trying to flee in the foreground.
Star Wars #7b - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (June 1999) newsstand
The Dark Horse creators were able to deftly navigate the time period between the sequel trilogy movies with compelling stories. It is unfortunate these stories have been relegated to Legends and are no longer considered canon. It is a testament that readers, like myself, still enjoy them despite their non-canon status. This 1998 Star Wars title did a great job fleshing out the myriad of characters introduced in the movies and also added a number of compelling characters of its own to the mythos. This story in particular helps define Aurra Sing as the Jedi hating bounty hunter that was not shown in her brief cameo in the Phantom Menace.
Joe Books' second Rebels comic is Star Wars: Rebels - Path of the Jedi Cinestory Comic. Like the other books in this series, this 384 page fumetti-style book is priced at $14.99 and contains five episodes from the Rebels animated series:
Empire Day (season 1 episodes 8)
Gathering Forces (season 1 episode 9)
Path of the Jedi (season 1 episode 10)
Vision of Hope (season 1 episode 12)
Call to Action (season 1 episode 13)
Star Wars: Rebels - Path of the Jedi Cinestory Comic a - Joe Books, U.S. (November 2017)
Dark Horse Comics managed the Star Wars comic license admirably from 1991 until the license returned to Marvel Comics in 2015. They published many Star Wars titles during that run and, for me, a majority of those comics were well received. Unfortunately, their first Darth Vader title, the 5-issue mini-series Darth Vader and the Lost Command, failed to live up to the thoughtfulness Dark Horse has traditionally shown to the brand.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (January 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1b - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (January 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #2a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (February 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #3a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (March 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #4a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (April 2011)Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #5a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2011)
To be fair, the gist of the story itself is not terrible. While it does not specifically mention when the story takes place, visual clues and Vader's status place the tale during the early years of the Empire. Darth Vader has not risen to command the Imperial ranks and the Imperial Troopers are all wearing clone armor and the vehicles are mostly those seen in the prequel trilogy. Vader is tasked by Emperor Palpatine to rescue Grand Moff Tarkin's missing son, Admiral Garoche Tarkin, from the unexplored Ghost Nebula in the Atoan System. He is accompanied by Captain Shale, a friend of Garoche, and the 501st Legion. They immediately start fighting natives of the region and ally themselves with Lady Saro, a high priestess of the natives who agrees to help Vader find the missing Garoche if she is made queen of the Ghost Nebula. Vader convinces Palpatine that killing Garoche instead of rescuing him will allow Tarkin to focus his hatred on his tasks for the Empire. Throughout the story, Vader has vivid dreams of an alternative life with Padme Amidala, one where he did not kill her and help bring about the fall of the Jedi Order. These dreams intersect with the situations that Vader faces and influence his reaction to what is transpiring. Vader and Shale utilize Lady Sharo's knowledge in pursuing the location of Garoche. Eventually it is revealed that Garoche has turned traitor to the Empire and is working with Lady Saro. Captain Shale turns on Vader to help his friend and Vader eventually dispatches Shale, Garoche, and Lady Sharo.
Unfortunately, choices are made that ultimately undercut an otherwise serviceable story. Throughout much of the story Darth Vader does not wear his helmet for various reasons. This does not make sense since the helmet provides vital life-support needed for Vader to breath. Additionally, at this point in Vader's life, his face should be horribly scarred from his battle on Mustafar, but he is instead depicted at points as a bald person with a few bumps on his head.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (February 2011) page 5
To compound the visual problems, Vader is drawn as if his outfit is too big for him or his proportions in some panels are unnatural. Some of this could be forgiven if Vader was a secondary character, but this is a title that centers of him.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command #2a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (February 2011) last page
Despite the problems with the artwork on the interior, the covers are nice and reminiscent of alternative cover artwork that is present on modern Marvel titles.
The first comic book mini-series was published by DC Comics cover dated from July to September 1979 with the 3-issue World of Krypton. The story was originally scheduled to appear in DC's recently revived Showcase title, but when that title was suddenly canceled with issue #104 cover dated September 1978 during the "DC Implosion", the story was instead published in it's own limited series the following year. DC would continue to publish a few more mini-series in 1980 and 1981 and they also debut the first maxi-series with Camelot 3000 in 1982.
Marvel Comics would publish it's first mini-series cover dated from June to August 1982 with the 3-issue Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions. Cover dated from September to December 1982, Marvel Comics published two 4-issue mini-series titled after superhero characters Wolverine and Hercules followed by the 4-issue mini-series The Vision and Scarlet Witch starting in November 1982. A 4-issue Hawkeye mini-series would follow with cover dates from September to December 1983. The next mini-series published by Marvel would be the 4-issue adaptation of Return of the Jedi starting the following month with a cover date of October 1983, but published in July 1983.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 1983)
All 4 issues are written by Archie Goodwin with artwork by Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon. This same trio performed identical chores for The Empire Strikes Back adaptation in Star Wars #39 - 44. As expected from the artistic duo, the artwork is excellent and Al Williamson's embellishments on the denizens at Jabba's Palace and Barge are fun to look at. It is unfortunate that the adaptation was cut down to 4 issues however, as both A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back received 6 issue adaptations. Each issue has an opening splash page and a handful of trailing pin-up pages. Additionally, each issue has a full page panel in the middle of the 17 pages of story. This results in the story unfolding at a breakneck speed. One of the highlights of the movie is the speeder bike chase which in the comic is condensed down to two pages, one page of the actual bike chase and another page with Luke Skywalker using his lightsaber to dispatch the Imperial Scout Trooper after Luke is thrown from his speeder.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #2b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 1983)
Unfortunately, there are several glaring omissions in the story, such as Princess Leia Organa's initial meeting with Wicket, which is instead glossed over quickly when Leia at the Ewok village tells a captured Luke:
Princess Leia Organa:One of these little folk-- the Ewoks-- found me after my run-in with the Imperials. I guess he was impressed since the Ewoks don't like them either!
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #3b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 1983)
Wicket, who is never shown in any issue, does get an incorrect mention in the fourth issue though with blurbs that read:
The Ewok's name is Wicket. He is the one who first befriended Princess Leia. He has reunited his new allies with their main strike force and led them to the Imperial shield generator bunker.
... And is now about to draw off the guards at its entrance!
The problem here is the Ewok that stole the speeder bike is Paploo, not Wicket! I find this humorous considering Wicket would be the lead character in the Ewoks title from Marvel a few years later.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #4b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 1984)
Another unfortunate omission is the funeral pyre that Luke builds for his father Anakin Skywalker and the appearance of the trio of force ghosts: Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yoda.
The same month Return of the Jedi #1 was released, the Star Wars title was on issue #76. It would not be until issue #81 before the Star Wars title moves the story beyond Return of the Jedi and issue #78 is a filler. I suspect the advent of the mini-series, the conclusion of the "Search for Han Solo" story in the ongoing title being several issues away, as well as Marvel not necessarily knowing how to proceed post-Return of the Jedi, prompted Marvel to publish the Return of the Jedi adaptation as a separate title.
