5 stories are told in Star Wars Tales #11 and the first story, Prey, was clearly never meant to be considered part of continuity. In the story, Governor Tarkin sends Boba Fett to kill an Imperial deserter, Han Solo. Darth Vader argues with Tarkin that Solo should be handled by Imperials, not bounty hunters and Tarkin agrees to ask the Emperor on Vader's behalf to allow Vader to pursue Solo. At a mining colony in the Hoth System, Fett learns a TIE Fighter crashed on the planet and the pilot was nursed back to health and left for the Tatooine system. A few hours later, Vader kills the same informant Fett met after receiving the same information. Fett enters a cantina on Tatooine and observes Han Solo fraternizing with a couple of ladies. Vader enters the cantina prompting Fett and Vader to start fighting over who will bring in Solo. Han flees and a several page fight between Vader and Fett ensues. Vader force pushes Fett out of the way and continues pursuing Solo. Shortly afterwards, Vader is aboard a Star Destroyer and asks the Captain for a report on Solo's escape. We then see Solo in an A-Wing fighter attached to the Destroyer waiting for it to dump it's garbage before it enters hyperspace. There are many problems with this story including Governor Tarkin hiring the bounty hunter instead of Darth Vader, Boba Fett using a lightsaber in his battle with Darth Vader, and Han Solo using an A-Wing to escape. With a little more care, this story could have been a decent addition to the mythos.
The next story, In the Beginning..., is a quick tale that shows Lando Calrissian losing the Millennium Falcon to Han Solo in a game of cards.
The longer The Princess Leia Diaries, is a first person narrative recounting journal entries from Princess Leia Organa's diary over several years. In the story, Leia is raised by Bail Organa, her aunts, and the nanny Madame Vesta and she remembers her mother, Padme Amidala. Leia is a precocious and rebellious child and one of the more important elements of the story is her meeting Governor Tarkin at a young age and purposely dousing him with water from a plant dropped from a balcony. Several years go by as Leia matures and learns about her father's involvement in the Rebellion. The story ends with another meeting of Tarkin and Leia again dousing him with water.
Tall Tales is another short story which takes place in a cantina. Han Solo is sitting in the establishment, cloaked and hidden, and he listens as the patrons of the bar exaggerate tales about heroes of the Rebellion.
The final story, Ghost, has a young Han Solo being saved from bounty hunters by the Quinlan Vos during the dark times era. Quinlan explains to Han the bounty hunters are after him because they suspect he is a Jedi. This story is on the shorter side, but it does show a Sarlacc and in the end, the bounty hunters are defeated and Han and Quinlan part ways.
Since the bulk of the stories feature Han Solo, it only makes sense the covers also showcase Han Solo.
Star Wars Tales #11a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (March 2002)Star Wars Tales #11b - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (March 2002) photo variant
John Cassaday is best known for his artwork on Wildstorm's Planetary title and Marvel's ongoing 2004 Astonishing X-Men title. For Star Wars comic fans, John Cassaday is best known as the artist on the first six issues of main Star Wars after Marvel was awarded the license in 2015. In addition to providing the interior artwork, Cassaday provided the standard cover artwork for all six issues.
Cassaday's cover for Star Wars #1 features a silhouette of Darth Vader's head in the background with the main heroes in the foreground. This cover is a homage to the cover for Star Wars #1 published back in 1977.
Star Wars #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015)
The same cover was used for the Five Below Star Wars Special Edition #1.
Five Below Star Wars Special Edition #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2015)
The cover was again used for both versions of Star Wars Previews #1, but this time, smaller cover artwork for Darth Vader #1, Princess Leia #1, and Kanan #1 are inset on the left side of the cover.
Star Wars Previews #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 2015) Lando adStar Wars Previews #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 2015) Max Ride: First Flight Preview #1
The premiere variant for Star Wars #1 uses the same art, except half the cover uses gray shading instead of color.
Star Wars #1p - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015) Premiere variant
A similar effect is used on the cover for the Color Your Own Star Wars coloring book, but the gray shading is instead replaced with just black and white.
Color Your Own Star Wars a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2016)
The Star Wars Director's Cut #1 has the artwork fade from color into a sketch towards the bottom of the artwork.
Star Wars Director's Cut #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (June 2015)
For Star Wars Saga, the heroes from the standard cover are used over a montage of Star Wars covers.
Star Wars Saga a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2019)
Star Wars #1 went back to print six times. Most of the printings use a different solid background color, but the 2nd printing has a starry background while the 4th printing uses the twin suns. The 6th printing has 2 covers with the outer cover being the same as the 1st print, but the interior cover uses green for the background.
Star Wars #1bu - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015) 2nd printStar Wars #1bv - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015) 3rd printStar Wars #1bw - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015) 4th printStar Wars #1bx - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015) 5th printStar Wars #1by - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015) 6th printStar Wars #1bz - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015) 7th print
Different artwork is provided by John Cassaday for the 1:25 Star Wars #1 teaser variant. Here, Cassaday presents the iconic image of Luke Skywalker peering out at the twin suns of Tatooine. Instead of presenting Luke with his hand on his leg, the image is cropped with large black bands on the top and bottom and the Darth Vader quote "The Force is strong with this one." is used.
Star Wars #1h - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2015) teaser variant
John Cassaday draws Han Solo and Chewbacca hiding in debris from Darth Vader and a battalion of Stormtroopers. In the background are AT-AT and AT-ST vehicles.
Star Wars #2a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 2015)
There is also a sketch variant of this cover.
Star Wars #2f - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 2015) sketch variant
The issue went back to print five more times. All the subsequent printings use a different color background with the 2nd print using stars and the 5th print showing twin suns.
Star Wars #2h - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 2015) 2nd printStar Wars #2i - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 2015) 3rd printStar Wars #2j - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 2015) 4th printStar Wars #2k - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 2015) 5th printStar Wars #2l - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 2015) 6th print
Star Wars #3 shows Luke Skywalker wielding his lightsaber as he rides a speederbike through a squad of Stormtroopers.
Star Wars #3a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 2015)
This issue also has a sketch variant of the cover.
Star Wars #3d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 2015) sketch variant
This issue was reprinted three times. The 2nd print has a starry background while the 3rd and 4th print use a solid color.
Star Wars #3f - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 2015) 2nd printStar Wars #3g - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 2015) 3rd printStar Wars #3h - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 2015) 4th print
Star Wars #4 shows a cloaked character in the foreground near a hovel on Tatooine with a ghostly image of Darth Vader in the background. It is my favorite of the Cassaday covers for Star Wars #1 - 6. The character in the foreground is not drawn with a lot of detail and can be anyone, but it is meant to be Luke Skywalker who wears a similar cloak for the covers of Star Wars #5 and 6. Luke does not actually arrive on Tatooine until issue #5 however and in that issue, he visits Ben Kenobi's house.
Star Wars #4a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 2015)
This issue also has a sketch variant of the cover.
Star Wars #4d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 2015) sketch variant
There is a 2nd printing of this issue and instead of a starry background or a solid color, this reprint uses darker colors for the haze that surrounds Vader.
Star Wars #4j - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 2015) 2nd print
The cover for Star Wars #5 is a typical modern cover which shows a montage of the main three heroes, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia. Behind the heroes is a TIE fighter.
Star Wars #5a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (May 2015)
This issue also has a sketch variant of the cover and a 2nd printing with a starry backdrop.
Star Wars #5c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (May 2015) sketch variantStar Wars #5e - Marvel Comics, U.S. (May 2015) 2nd print
Luke Skywalker is the focus of the Star Wars #6 cover. Drawn from the perspective of Boba Fett, Luke is drawn brandishing his lightsaber ready to defend himself.
Star Wars #6a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (June 2015)
There is no sketch variant of this cover, but there are two more printings. Both printings differentiate themselves by using an alternate color for the image.
Star Wars #6e - Marvel Comics, U.S. (June 2015) 2nd printStar Wars #6f - Marvel Comics, U.S. (June 2015) 3rd print
Sadly, John Cassaday passed away on September 9, 2024.
"Outlander: The Exile of Sharad Hett" continues in Star Wars #9. Ki-Adi-Mundi quickly dispatches Jabba's minions on the skiff, but the craft is buried in the sandstorm. The next day, a herd of Bantha wander by the buried skiff and Ki-Adi-Mundi is able to free himself from the sand by grabbing the horns of one of the Banthas. Using the Force, he locates his lightsaber and mends his broken arm injured during the storm. He then uses the Force to lift the skiff from the sand and locates his supplies. From the deck of the skiff, he watches the Bantha slumbering toward the Needles, a rocky outcrop that mark the center of the Jundland Wastes. He starts walking toward them.
Meanwhile, a Sandcrawler has stopped near a vehicle protruding from a mound of sand and the Jawas begin removing the vehicle. The vehicle starts and flies away as Aurra Sing chides herself for blundering into the sandstorm. She pulls out binoculars and thinks to herself that she now has two Jedi to hunt. Through the binoculars, she spots the Needles and heads in that direction. She flies over the Bantha but fails to spot Ki-Adi-Mundi among the herd.
At nightfall, Ki-Adi-Mundi is climbing a rocky outcrop but is attacked by a womp rat. He sense more nearby, but before they reach him, he slips and falls off a ledge into a cavern with large eggs. He is then attacked by a krayt dragon. Crouching on the ledge surrounded by an entourage of Tusken Raiders, Sharad Hett greets the Jedi.
The cover is another Ken Kelly work that shows Ki-Adi-Mundi fighting the krayt dragon along with two Tusken Raiders. This scene is not depicted in this issue.
Star Wars #9b - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (August 1999)
In addition to introducing readers to A'Sharad Hett, the son of Sharad Hett who will eventually go by the name Darth Krayt, the Outlander storyline does a fantastic job of weaving elements from the original trilogy with The Phantom Menace just months after the movie was released. In this chapter of the story, Ki-Adi-Mundi pulling the skiff from the sand using the Force is reminiscent of Yoda lifting Luke's X-wing fighter from the Dagobah swamp. Additionally, we are treated to appearances by Tusken Raiders, Jawas, womp rats, and even a krayt dragon.
The short lived Marvel title Ewoks only lasted for 14 issues. The series is based on the Saturday morning cartoon, which was heavily influenced by the successful The Smurfs animated series which ran from 1981 to 1989. Some of the Ewok characters in the animated series are based on an Ewok that appears in the Return of the Jedi movie, but many of them were invented for the cartoon. Wicket, the star of the Ewoks series, is the first Ewok we meet in the movie and other notables like Chief Chirpa, Logray, and Paploo also have cartoon counterparts. Teebo is also a prominent Ewok in the movie, but his cartoon counterpart is noticeably different. In the movie, Teebo has black and grey striped fur, wears the head of a slain creature on his own head, and appears older than Wicket.
Teebo
The Ewoks cartoon series and comics take place before the movie and in those stories, Teebo is a solid pale brown color, wears a cap with a feather and straps on his head, and is roughly the same age as Wicket if not younger. Being Wicket's best friend, Teebo appears in many of the comic stories. In a scene from The Rainbow Bridge story inside Ewoks #1, Teebo is shown along with Wicket on the cover as the bridge vanishes from beneath them.
Ewoks #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (May 1985)
All of the other prominent movie Ewoks featured in the cartoon look more or less as you would imagine. Giving Wicket's best friend in the cartoon a different name would have been sufficient to avoid the problem, especially since so many different Ewoks characters were created just for the animated series. It does make one wonder how this remarkably different depiction of Teebo was finalized by Lucasfilm.
Star Wars: Lando #2 continues where the first issue left off. Before leaving the Castell System, the stolen personal space craft of Emperor Palapatine, piloted by Lando Calrissian and Lobot, is intercepted by a trio of Star Destroyers. At first, the Star Destroyers launch a pair of gravity-based mines, which the automated systems of the stolen craft destroy. This attracts the attention of the other members of Lando's heist crew, aliens Aleksin and Pavol, and Ugnaught Korin Pers, who join Lando and Lobot in the cockpit. The Star Destroyers then attempt to nab the craft via tractor beam but Lando is able to maneuver the ship so two of the Star Destroyer's beams latch onto each other causing the Destroyers to collide.
Meanwhile, on the planet Amethia Prime, we see a water skiff speeding away from an island fortress. An exposion occurs and an armored individual rises from the base and pursues the craft. Catching up and capsizing the water craft, we learn that the armored pursuer, a bounty hunter named Chanath Cha, was hired to bring in the alien Big String and is responsible for destroying the fortress. Chanath Cha defeats Big String's henchmen and apprehends the alien, but before bringing him in, Chanath Cha receives a holo transmission from Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine tasks Chanath Cha with retrieving his stolen space craft, the Imperialis, or destroy it if recovery is impossible.
Back aboard the Imperialis which has eluded the Imperials, Korin informs Lando that the space craft is full of rare alien art. The deal with the criminal Toren was he would get the ship, but Lando would be able to keep the contents. There is one are of the ship Korin was unable to access, which Lobot is able to do with the help of his implants. When the door opens to the area opens, Lobot is suddenly attacked by a pair of the Emperor's Royal Guards.
Lando's eternal optimism in the face of declining odds is on display early in the issue when they discover three Star Destroyers are pursuing them:
Lando Calrissian:This time, Lobot old buddy... ...finally... ...I think we're good.
Lobot:You sure about that?
Lando Calrissian:Three? They sent three Star Destroyers?
Lobot:Bad news.
Lando Calrissian: No, this is good. Can you imagine how much this thing must be worth?
The dialogue is witty and Lando's personality is superbly captured by writer Charles Soule. There is other details captured in the dialogue throughout the issue, including the intense rivalry between Star Destroyer captains and the profound realization that failure in the Empire is not tolerated.
The cover to this issue shows Lando playing with a pair of dice while seated on Emperor Palpatine's throne chair. While not a realistic portrayal of any event in the story, it does signify the gamble Lando is taking by stealing the Imperialis.
Star Wars: Lando #2a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (August 2015)
When two comic stories told decades apart by different companies have a connection, I cannot help but appreciate the callback. Giles Durane, a weapons master, is introduced in British Star Wars Weekly #104 way back in 1980. In the story, he is hired by Bail Organa to train Princess Leia Organa in using weapons.
Star Wars Weekly #104a - Marvel Comics, England (February 20, 1980)
In a story titled The Princess Leia Diaries from Star Wars Tales #11 published in 2002, Giles Duane is shown training Princess Leia to use a blaster in two panels. His name is used in a blurb:
I've also been training with Giles Durane, a weapons master--- which I have to tell you is a LOT more fun than being "a lady"! It's as if my father is preparing me for something... I just don't know what.
Star Wars Tales #11a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (March 2002)
Steam Wars: Strike Leader is the final title to showcase from the Steam Wars universe. These Star Wars inspired steampunk offerings were aspirational, but it was inevitable that the Steam Wars titles died due to the extremely low sales. To be honest, I'm surprised they released as many titles and issues as they did.
Steam Wars: Strike Leader #1a - Antarctic Press, U.S. (March 2016)Steam Wars: Strike Leader #2a - Antarctic Press, U.S. (October 2016)Steam Wars: Strike Leader #3a - Antarctic Press, U.S. (December 2017)Steam Wars: Strike Leader Free Comic Book Day 2017 a - Antarctic Press, U.S. (May 2017)
Perhaps the most intriguing character in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is DJ played by Benicio Del Toro. In the movie, we first meet DJ in a holding cell on Canto Blight. DJ stands for "Don't Join" and in the movie, DJ lives up to that moniker when he betrays Resistance fighters Rose Tico and Finn to the First Order in exchange for his freedom and credits.
The story in the one-shot comic DJ - Most Wanted starts with DJ in a casino gambling as he loses a lot of credits. It turns out this is a ruse and he is utilizing his slicing skills to steal more credits from the casino. As the story unfolds, a series of troublesome events occur which DJ is able to continually escape and in the end DJ allows himself to be apprehended by the Canto Bight security to prevent a casino thug from catching him. Hence the reason he is in the cell when Rose and Finn first meet him.
Star Wars: DJ - Most Wanted #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2018)Star Wars: DJ - Most Wanted #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2018) Dave Johnson and Mike Spicer variantStar Wars: DJ - Most Wanted #1c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2018) Rod Reis variantStar Wars: DJ - Most Wanted #1d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 2018) photo variant
Since so little is known about him, if the comics do fill in the era between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, it would be nice to revisit this character. In many ways, DJ is the opposite of Lando; a scoundrel that actually follows through on his scumminess.
