The first Free Comic Book Day in 2002 was an idea from retailer Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics, who saw the popularity of superhero movies as a way to introduce new readers to comic books. The thought was to piggy back on the advertising and promotion of a superhero movie; in fact, many retailers promote Free Comic Book Day at local movie theaters to driver traffic to their comic shops. The first Free Comic Book Day took place on May 4th, 2002 because it was the weekend Spider-Man opened in theaters. For the next two years, Free Comic Book Day occurred on the Saturday following a superhero movie release. In 2003, this was May 3rd due to the X2: X-Men United movie and in 2004 the date was July 3rd to coincide with the release of Spider-Man 2. It was decided for 2005 to have a set date, the first Saturday of May, regardless of a superhero movie release. Interestingly, while no superhero movie was released the same weekend as Free Comic Book Day in 2005 and 2006, every year from 2007 to 2016 has seen a superhero movie released the same weekend as Free Comic Book Day. So, what started as an annual event to promote comics by taking advantage of a new superhero movie release, has instead been used to promote a new superhero film by taking advantage of the distribution of free comics!
Dark Horse published a Star Wars comic on Free Comic Book Day eight of the thirteen years they held the Star Wars license. The first Star Wars Free Comic Book Day comic was a short story titled A Jedi's Weapon which was reprinted in Star Wars Tales #12 a month later.
Star Wars Tales: A Jedi's Weapon (Free Comic Book Day 2002) Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2002)
In 2004 and 2005, Dark Horse published 2 more standalone Star Wars comic books for Free Comic Book Day.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures - Hide in Plane Sight (Free Comic Book Day 2004) Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (July 2004)Star Wars: Brothers in Arms (Free Comic Book Day 2005) Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2005)
In 2006, Dark Horse published a Star Wars/Conan flip book and for the remaining Dark Horse Free Comic Book Day offerings in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013, Star Wars was paired with other Dark Horse properties.
Star Wars: Routine Valor (Free Comic Book Day 2006) Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2006) also ConanStar Wars: The Clone Wars - Gauntlet of Death (Free Comic Book Day 2009) Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2009) also Usagi Yojimbo, Emily the Strange, Beanworld, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of YearningStar Wars: The Clone Wars - Opress Unleashed (Free Comic Book Day 2011) Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2011) also Avatar: The Last AirbenderStar Wars: The Art of the Bad Deal (Free Comic Book Day 2012) Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2012) also SerenityStar Wars: The Assassination of Darth Vader (Free Comic Book Day 2013) Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2013) also Captain Midnight and Avatar: The Last Airbender
Unfortunately, Marvel did not published a Star Wars comic for Free Comic Book Day in 2015 and they do not have an offering planned this year.
Star Wars #34 has one of my favorite covers of the original Marvel series.
Star Wars #34a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 1980)
I feel Spanish publisher Ediciones Surco's cover for Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #8 is just as nice, but for different reasons. This magazine-sized comic contains Spanish translations of Star Wars #33 and 34. Unfortunately, it is the last Star Wars comic they would published.
Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #8a - Ediciones Surco, Spain (December 1983) Star Wars #33 and 34
This Spanish cover has all the same themes of the original Marvel cover. Luke, wearing a yellow spacesuit, watches from an asteroid as the Rebel Fleet is led into danger by the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo and Chewbacca. An explosion is shown just in front of the fleet and in the background looms a large planet. Gone are the bright purple and red colors I love about the original Marvel cover, but instead we get a reddish planet more modest in size. Also on the Spanish cover, the asteroid Luke stands on looks more alien and instead of Luke looking back at the fleet, he is peering ahead, ready to take action. The explosion is more intense. The blurb reads Choque de Sables! or Clash of Sabers! which is similar to the title for Star Wars #33, Saber Clash.
From 1996 through 2005, Wizard published 33 Wizard Ace Edition comics. These are reprints of key comics from several eras with a card stock cover over-laid with an Acetate (clear plastic) cover also adorn with art. Issue #13 was released in 1997 and reprints Star Wars: Dark Empire #1 and is a mail-away comic advertised in Wizard magazine #67.
Wizard Ace Edition #13a - Wizard, U.S. (1997) reprints Star Wars: Dark Empire #1
The cover is a slight variation of the one used on Dark Horse Classics - Star Wars: Dark Empire #1. It has the modified painting of a younger Princess Leia that was not used on the original Dark Empire #1 cover although she is modified yet again to make it look like her body is turned further away from the reader. The main characters are larger and centered on the cover, and much of the background scene with the AT-ATs is covered. A X-Wing Fighter is now drawn in the background, possibly taken from the cover of Dark Empire #6, as well as the visage of The Emperor, which might be from the cover of Dark Empire #5. The art is very close to the art on Dark Empire #1, but upon closer inspection, it looks like to be another painting entirely.
Star Wars: Dark Empire #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (December 1991)Dark Horse Classics - Star Wars: Dark Empire #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (March 1997) reprints Star Wars: Dark Empire #1
John Byrne is one of the most popular comic book artists in the 1980s and the early 1990s. His first flirt with comic stardom came when he started drawing the Uncanny X-Men with issue #108. It was his run on the Fantastic Four starting with issue #232 that cemented his status and many consider his run second to only Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's on the title. In 1986 his popularity prompted DC Comics to approach Byrne to relaunch Superman after the Crisis on Infinite Earth's 12-part mini-series rebooted the DC Universe. In the early 1990s, his creator owned Next Men was published by Dark Horse under the Legend imprint.
John Byrne only worked on one Star Wars cover. The cover to Marvel's Star Wars #13 was penciled by Byrne and inked by Terry Austin.
Star Wars #13a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July, 1978)
Chewbacca's visual in the Star Wars title are not good for the first 7 issues with issue #7 having the worst interior Chewbacca art in the original title. With issue #8, Howard Chaykin is joined by inker Tom Palmer and Chewbacca's look improves tremendously. Chaykin and Palmer leave the title with issue #10 and starting with issue #11, Carmine Infantino takes over as penciler with Terry Austin providing inks. Infantino's Chewbacca is very stylized and Chewbacca would maintain that stylized look until issue #39 when The Empire Strikes Back adaptation begins with a few exceptions. One of those exceptions is the cover to Star Wars #13. On the cover, Chewbacca, as drawn by Byrne, is bulkier than his movie counterpart. Infantino's Chewbacca has long straight hair whereas Byrne's Chewbacca has flowing hair more reminiscent of his look in the movie. The cover to Star Wars #13 does a good job of showing the peril Luke Skywalker, C-3PO, and R2-D2 are in with the enraged Wookiee aboard Governor Quarg's water vessel.
It is unfortunate John Byrne only ever drew one cover for a Star Wars comic. The pairing of arguably's the 1980s hottest artist with the hottest movie franchise of the era would have been exciting.
Not only does the British The Empire Strikes Back Weekly have the first cover appearance of Boba Fett, but this magazine-sized comic also has the first cover appearance of Yoda. Yoda's first and only appearance on the cover of the U.S. Marvel Star Wars title is issue #50. The Empire Strikes Back Weekly has Yoda first appear on the cover of issue #127.
The Empire Strikes Back Weekly #127a - Marvel Comics, England (July 31, 1980) first 1/3rd of Star Wars #42
The cover for The Empire Strikes Back Weekly #127 is an interesting combination of several panels from the interior art of Star Wars #42. The background and X-Wing are taken from page 2. The drawing of Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Yoda, and Luke's supply kit are taken from the first panel on page 3. The inset art with Darth Vader clenching his fist are taken from the last panel on page 6. The blurb reads Thrills and Intrigue in a Far Flung Galaxy Lost to Time!Star Wars Weekly #42 - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December, 1980) page 2Star Wars Weekly #42 - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December, 1980) page 3
Dark Horse spent years expanding the Star Wars universe beyond the era of the original movies and when they did publish comics in the time period of the movies, they used the main heroes of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca sparingly for most of their 22+ years of publishing Star Wars comics. In 2013 that changed when Dark Horse began publishing their second comic titled Star Wars which focused on the main characters between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. In 2014, a 4-part mini-series titled Star Wars: Rebel Heist was published. Written by Matt Kindt, best known for creating Mind Mgmt published by Dark Horse, each issue of Rebel Heist tells a story of one of the main Star Wars heroes from the point of view of a Rebel recruit. Star Wars: Rebel Heist #1 focuses on Han Solo.
Star Wars: Rebel Heist #1d - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (June 2014) Phoenix Comicon exclusive
Star Wars Rebel Heist #1 has a Phoenix Comicon exclusive that is limited to 1,000 copies. It contains the same art of Han Solo drawn by Adam Hughes on the cover of the regular issue, but instead of a montage behind Han Solo, the exclusive cover features an all white background.
From March 2004 to July 2011, the official website for Star Wars sold merchandise through the online Star Wars Shop. The Star Wars Shop had its fair share of exclusive Star Wars merchandise including comics. In May 2007, Dark Horse collected the first 6-part story arc, titled Broken, from their Star Wars: Legacy title in a trade paperback. In addition to the mass retailer version of the trade paperback, the Star Wars Shop offered an exclusive hardcover.
Star Wars: Legacy Trade Paperback 1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2007) Star Wars Shop exclusive
The cover features original art showing Darth Talon, a Sith under Darth Krayt, the main antagonist of the Star Wars: Legacy title. This art is used again on the cover of Star Wars: Legacy #0½. The hardcover is limited to 1500 copies.
