Vader and the two Royal Guards emerge from hyperspace aboard their shuttle craft to see the destroyed Imperial Star Cruiser above the moon. Vader exits the shuttle to investigate the wrecked ship and afterwards the shuttle lands on the moon at the coordinates where the Imperials evacuated to. The escaping craft are there, but all the survivors of the powerful beam are missing and Vader tells the guards they were eaten. The descend into the jungle when they come across a rock with the symbol of the headless snake. A large, lizard-like creature attacks. One of the guard is immediately killed, but Vader is able to throw his saber to quickly dispatch the creature.
They find a temple, while nearby the ninth assassin is observing them from the jungle. Another large but smaller creature approaches them and Vader throws his saber into its open mouth, igniting it when it goes inside, decapitating the creature. Vader begins climbing a rocky outcrop in the jungle when the guard suggests they call for support. Vader, having reached the top of the outcrop tells the guard the Imperials already tried that as he overlooks more destroyed Imperial Star Cruisers in the jungle below. Shortly, the ninth assassin, stealthily following them, kills the remaining guard.
Vader finds a larger, intact temple with the headless snake symbol and enters. After easily circumventing a few obstacles, he stands in a chamber, lightsaber ignited, surrounded by disfigured people.
The cover for Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #3 would be more appropriate on the previous issue since the scene occurs in #2. The artwork by Ariel Olivetti shows Darth Vader Force choking the disfigured man in the cantina.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #3a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (June 2013)
This issue continues to build tension as Vader comes closer to finding out the secrets of the ancient headless snake cult. The ninth assassin did kill a guard this issue, but so far his presence is inconsequential to the story.
Comic collections are a staple in Europe, so it should be no surprise that the French TELEjunior magazines were collected as well. TELEjunior Album Geant #1 collects TELEjunior #4 - 7 complete with covers and inserts. These issues contain French versions of Star Wars #2 - 5.
TELEjunior Album Geant #1 - TELEjunior, France (1978) contains Star Wars #2 - 5
The collection is bound in a thick stock, oversized hardcover with images of Spider-Man and UFO Robot Grendizer on the front cover.
The TELEjunior magazines are fragile and the covers are prone to being damaged or separated from the rest of the magazine very easily, similar to Marvel Comics Super Special #16. That is why I was happy to find this book for my collection. The cover itself has wear, but the issues inside are in prestine condition.
In Star Wars #7, titled New Planets, New Perils! and the first Marvel comic after the 6-issue movie adaptation, Han Solo and Chewbacca are captured by the pirate Crimson Jack. Han and Jack are old acquaintances but since Han last saw him, Jack has acquired a Star Destroyer and leads a sizeable pirate gang. In exchange for his life and freedom, Han gives Jack the treasure that he and Chewie received from rescuing Princess Leia Organa. Jolli, Crimson Jack's second-in-command, questions why Jack freed Han instead of killing him and Jack says "One day soon, we may again encounter Mr. Solo and his furry friend, when they have another interesting cargo. That will hardly be true if we eliminate them, will it?"
Star Wars #7a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 1978) 1st appearance of Crimson Jack
The next time we see Crimson Jack is in Star Wars #11. This issue, titled Star Search, is the first part of a five-part story arc that will see our heroes reunited for the first time since A New Hope. Han Solo and Chewbacca are leaving Aduba-3 after defeating Serji-X Arrogantus and his Cloud Riders when Jack's Star Destroyer intercepts them. Han reasons they must have planted a tracer onboard the Millennium Falcon. A tractor beam hauls the Falcon aboard the larger craft where Han and Chewie are greated by Jack who holds Leia captive. Jack order his men to kill the pair, but before they do, Han tells Jack he is able to get more treasure and that is why he let the Falcon be capture again. Jack is skeptical, but his greed wins out.
Later, in the master's quarters, the group has just finished a meal when an impatient Jack asks for proof that Han can deliver on the treasure. Han, improvising, tells Jack that he and the Princess are romantically involved when the Princess manipulates events so that Han and Jack work together to travel to the Drexel System, the last known location of Luke Skywalker. Leia lies and tells Jack that is the location of the Rebel's treasure. Later on the bridge, Han is able to convince Jack that Chewie needs to link the Destroyer's computer systems with the Falcon's because the Falcon has more details star charts they need to reach the Drexel System.
Star Wars #11a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (May 1978) 2nd appearance of Crimson JackDoomworld in Star Wars #12 contains a backstory for how Crimson Jack acquired the Star Destroyer. After the first major Rebel victory over the Empire, Jack and his crew came across the badly damaged cruiser. They were able to fight their way aboard the large craft and defeat the skeleton crew. Rather than scuttle the Destroyer, Jack was able to secure backers and repaired the ship. He confides in Solo he has ambitions beyond pirating. As they are talking, Jolli is fighting with some of the crew and Jack is able to calm her down. Chewie finishes linking the two computers and joins Han, Jack, and Jolli on the bridge of the Destroyer. They had just emerged from hyperspace, but the Drexel System has a single planet that is covered entirely with water and Jack now has doubts about the treasure being there and draws a blaster on Han.
Star Wars #12a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (June 1978) 3rd appearance of Crimson Jack
Crimson Jack only appears in two panels of Day of the Dragon Lords! in Star Wars #13. He is holding a blaster on Han who tells him once Jolli bring Leia to the bridge, she will be able to explain where the treasure is. Before that happens, the Star Destroyer loses power as it begins to orbit the planet and Han, Chewie, and Leia board the Falcon and escape to the planet below.
Star Wars #13a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July, 1978) 4th appearance of Crimson Jack
Star Wars #14, titled The Sound of Armageddon!, only has a brief one page appearance by Crimson Jack. Jack's Star Destroyer is being jammed from the surface of the water world, disrupting it's drive system. Jack is furious at Han and now knows there is no treasure. Jolli briefs Jack on Han, Chewie, and Leia's escape and the sabotage to their fighters. The issue ends with the threat on the water planet defeated by our heroes. A caption on the final panel reads: "But Han Solo is staring at the sky, deep in thought... About a great battle cruiser which may still be there... And it's master, Crimson Jack!"
Star Wars #14a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (August 1978) 5th appearance of Crimson JackStar Duel! in Star Wars #15 is the conclusion of Crimson Jack's story. The Star Destroyer is now freed from the jammer and Jack is intent on getting revenge on Han Solo. He has ordered his crew to scan the surface of the water planet while Jolli is able to repair three of their fighter craft. Jack knows Jolli wanted to kill Han from the start, so he tells her now is her chance.
Jolli takes one of the fighter craft, a Y-Wing Fighter, to the surface of the planet and begins shooting the Millennium Falcon floating in the water. The heroes board the Falcon and take off, with Jolli in hot pursuit. They leave the planet's atmosphere, but are being attacked by all three pirate fighters while the Star Destroyer deploys its tractor beam. Jolli flies her Y-Wing Fighter too close to the Falcon and they collide, badly crippling both ships. The Star Destroyer heads towards the Falcon and Jack broadcasts his intent to destroy the Falcon. Han relays back to Jack he needs to check his navi-computer. Jack's crew checks and tell Jack that all the charts on their navi-computer have been wiped revealing Chewbacca's handiwork. Jack is beyond furious at this news.
Jack agrees to meet Solo in space between the two spaceships to exchange chart tapes for a part the Falcon needs. Jack's crew tells him Jolli is asking for help, but Jack dismisses her saying "Tell our little spitfire she'll have to make it on her own-- --if she's good enough." which Jolli overhears. At the exchange point, Han and Jack begin shooting at each other while members of Jack's crew depart the Destroyer to join the fray. Just then, Jolli's Y-Wing Fighter roars into view and blasts the othe pirates and begins firing on the Star Destroyer. As Jack is distracted, Han shoots Jack, killing him.
Star Wars #15a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 1978) 1st cover appearance of Crimson Jack; death of Crimson Jack
I read these issues as a child and they still are entertaining. It could be nostalgia, but Crimson Jack and his second-in-command, Jolli, were great adversaries for our heroes. I like that Han lost his treasure to Jack. I also love that Han used Jack's greed against him and Leia was able to pick up on this and utilizes it for her own purpose. It was also brilliant to see Han shoot Jack when he had the chance, not unlike his shooting Greedo in the cantina on Mos Eisley.
Marvel has reintroduced Crimson Jack into canon in the 5-issue mini-series Star Wars: The Halcyon Legacy.
Additionally, Jude Law's character, Jod Na Nawood was recently called Crimson Jack in the 3rd episode of that series. It isn't clear yet just exactly how the television shows character is related to the pirate Crimson Jack from the comic.
John Romita Sr. provided artwork for the first four issues of the Marvel Droids series as well as the cover for issue #5.
Droids #5a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 1986)
The cover shows Kirk Windjammer pulling R2-D2 away from C-3PO. This scene never occurs inside the issue but is symbolic of the story inside. C-3PO and R2-D2 find themselves on the planet R-Duba in search of a new master and give themselves to Van P. Quist who runs The Droid Store. Later on, Kirk is in the shop looking for a droid for his ship and purchases only R2-D2 separating the pair, a possibility the droids had not considered. Instead, C-3PO is later bought by Baron Starlock to work at Prince Jagoda's palace.
Mala Stripoteka #4a - Marketprint, Yugoslavia (March 1990) contains Droids #5
I had inquired about the cover for Mala Stripoteka #4 in an earlier posting and it turns out the artwork by John Romita is from a Droids comic advertisement. I stumbled across the image on Paxton Holley's Flicker account.
Droids comic advertisement
As I had surmised, the alien driving the landspeeder is Governor Kugg from the planet Dodz as told in Droids #1. He is just colored differently for the Mala Stripoteka cover.
I like that the artwork from this advertisement was repurposed for the Yugoslavia issue, but the U.S. cover is my preference because it relates to the story inside.
An Imperial Star Cruiser orbiting a moon allows a pod to land in its hangar bay. Surrounded by Clone Troopers, a disfigured man emerges from the pod talking about the "Heinsnake" and pulls open his jacket to reveal a headless snake tattoo and a bomb. The bomb detonates. The Imperials discover too late the pod was a homing device and the spacecraft is cut into two by a powerful beam from the moon below but not before the commander issues orders to abandon ship.
On Coruscant Darth Vader is summoned by his master, the Emperor, from his meditation chamber. Vader enters the throne room and immediately senses danger. Using the Force, he throws the Emperor to the side and pushes the throne out a window. As the throne falls, ticking can be heard and it explodes. An angry Vader throws two Royal Guards out the window as the remaining guards enter. Five of the guards take a knee and bow to Vader offering their heads as payment for their failure and Vader beheads the two guards standing. He order two of the remaining guards to evacuate the Emperor and one guard to stay and take charge. He commands the final two to follow him. Before he leaves, he asks the Emperor how it is possible this occurred. The Emperor says something dark and powerful is clouding their vision and Vader vows to track down and crush the traitors.
Days later on another planet, patrons at a cantina are laughing at a joke when one of the participants is lifted into the air by the Force. Vader has tracked this disfigured man here because he had entered and exited the Imperial Palace without delivering any cargo. Vader wants to know why and who he works for. The man opens his jacket, revealing a headless snake tattoo and triggers a bomb. Before the bomb explodes, Vader hurles the man away from him, killing many patrons in the cantina. One of the surviving patrons is the ninth assassin hired by the rich industrialist in the first issue.
From his shuttle craft, Vader contacts the Emperor to report his findings. The Emperor says the symbol of the headless snake is from an ancient cult which utilized powerful dark magic. He says they have a temple on a moon which was abandoned due to ... abnormalities. Vader orders the two guards piloting his shuttle to proceed to the moon.
The ninth assassin is barely seen in this issue which instead focuses on the new plot about the mysterious cult. It isn't clear how the two storylines are related, but there is ample intrigue here for me to want to find out.
The cover artwork for Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2 is by Ariel Olivetti who also has done work for Marvel's Star Wars line. Vader is standing in the throne room in the Imperial Palace, holding his lightsaber and performing a Force push. Unfortunately the cover is marred by the blurb Don't Mess with the Empire!
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #2a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (May 2013)
Star Wars #77 is part of the search for the Rebel pilot Tay Vanis arc which began in Star Wars #73 and concludes in Star Wars #80. Chanteuse of the Stars .. is a humorous story which sees Luke bedeviled by Zeltrons, Leia singing, and Lahsbees raging.
Princess Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 return to the Rebel base on Arbra from their failed mission to Iskalon. Rebel command debriefs the heroes on a top-secret Imperial transmissions they intercepted that says Han Solo also uncovered the same vital information at Tay Vanis and Yom Argo. With leads on both Tay and Han's whereabouts, the heroes divide into two groups. Leia, Luke, Plif, and a contingent of Hoojibs follow the Tay lead while Lando, Chewbacca, and C-3PO pursue Han.
Leia, Luke, and the Hoojibs take the Millennium Falcon to the Kabray space station. Kabray station is a location for embassies and is run by an Imperial governor. On the station, Plif helps Luke and Leia, disguised as delegates, talk their way past Imperial guards to enter a banquet hall. The room is full of a myriad of alien ambassadors, including some aliens from recent Star Wars comics, namely the Zeltrons, Stenaxes, and Lahsbees. Leia and Luke split up to search for a message from Tay with Luke entering the location with private breakout rooms and Leia searching the employee area. Leia is in the kitchen when she is confronted by the lead cook who she convinces she is there to check the food for her master, "the great Plif of the Hoojibs of Arbra." As she is searching the cabinets in the kitchen, someone else enters and poisons a soup. Meanwhile, Luke and Plif find the message from Tay in a private room. Before he leaves the room another group enters, forcing Luke to hide. Concealed, he overhears the group has the poison soup and plan to kill the governor. As he leaves the private rooms, he is surrounded by a trio of female Zeltrons.
Leia has finished searching the employee quarters when she overhears a group looking for a female. She ducks into a dressing room and puts on a wig when they enter and tells her it is time for her act. Earlier, the lead act backed out of performing for the governor but the group mistakes Leia for the headliner. In the banquet hall, Luke is sitting with the trio of Zeltrons when Leia appears on stage. She starts singing as the waiting staff begin serving the food. Luke goes to save the governor when a Lahsbee, over stimulated by Leia's singing, turns into a large Huhk. A Huhk is a mindless savage which Lahsbees turn into when they reach puberty. As the Huhk rages, attracting the attention of everyone in the hall, Luke takes the opportunity to knock the poisoned soup out of the waiter's hand. Plif suggests Leia begins singing again to sooth the Huhk.
This is a surprisingly fun tale following the serious and downbeat Iskalon story. Luke was the object of affection from the Zeltron Dani last shown in Star Wars #73. Zeltrons are overtly sexual and Luke, having lived a sheltered childhood, is clearly uncomfortable with their openness and attention. Having three Zeltrons throw themselves at Luke is absurd and used to good effect. Leia singing is also funny and is clearly a nod to Leia singing in the Star Wars Holiday Special. Finally, the Lahsbees and Huhks are a reference to Marvel's Bruce Banner and Hulk characters. The mild mannered Lahsbees are Bruce Banner while the mindless Huhks are clearly the Hulk. They even share similar sounding names! Like the angry Hulk, Huhks can be tamed momentarily, but unlike the Hulk, they do not revert to their docile form so it is unclear from the story's end exactly how that dilemma is solved.
The cover for Star Wars #77 shows Luke Skywalker holding his lightsaber as he is attacked by the Huhk. Luke never wields his saber in the story, a choice that would have undoubtably revealed his and Leia's ruse. When confronted by the Huhk in the story, Luke instead hides behind a pair of Stormtroopers.
Star Wars #77a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 1983)Star Wars #77b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 1983)
The use of the Kabray station for embassies and the gathering of delegations is interesting. Since the Senate was dissolved and the Empire was increasingly using fear to rule the galaxy, it seems this relic from pre-Empire days wouldn't really have a purpose in the Empire era.
Dark Horse published a 4-issue mini-series title Star Wars: Chewbacca in 2000 to commemorate the character after he died in the New Jedi Order: Vector Prime novel. That story is part of Legends continuity and, so far, in canon, the final fate of Chewbacca has not been written. With no event, it was a surprise when Marvel published a 5-issue mini-series featuring our beloved sidekick in 2015.
Arrax and his daughter Zarro are asked to repay a debt to Jaum on the planet Andelm-4. Knowing Arrax would not be able to pay, Jaum sends him and his daughter to work in a dedlanite mine. Realizing they will never be free, Arrax sends Zarro topside, hidden in a mining cart. Zarro is spotted escaping and is pursued by Jaum's henchmen. Zarro goes to the authorities to report the mine, but realizes they have been bought by Jaum.
Meanwhile, Chewbacca's A-Wing Fighter is in need of a part, so he heads into the nearest spaceport. While bartering for the part, Zarro runs by, pursued by one of Jaum's men. Unknown to Zarro, Chewbacca "accidentally" detains the man chasing Zarro and is asked to return when he has enough credits. At a local gambling establishment, Chewbacca wins the credits and orders food when Zarro enters followed by a team of Jaum's men. Chewbacca hides Zarro from the men and Zarro proceeds to tell Chewbacca about her predicament. Chewbacca buys the part and heads off to his damaged ship with Zarro following and chatting the entire way. As Chewbacca repairs the ship, Zarro asks him for help freeing her dad. After the ship is fix, Chewbacca agrees.
Outside the spaceport, Jaum meets with Imperials interested in buying his dedlanite.
This issue is the first miss from Marvel's first year back as publisher of Star Wars. The gist of the story is fine, it is how they handle Chewbacca that I'm not a fan of. Rather than interpret Chewbacca's grunts and growls for the reader, his words are interpretted by Zarro, who clearly does not speak Wookiee. This results in Zarro being extremely talkative and spending a lot of time making up what she thinks Chewbacca is saying. I think this would be fine for a one-shot, but with 4 more issues to go, this is shaping up as a grueling story to complete. It is unfortunate this comic is named after Chewbacca, since Zarro is clearly the main character and Chewbacca is a secondary character.
Zarro is featured front and center on the standard cover for Star Wars: Chewbacca #1 with the title character serving as the background. Funnily, this is one time you could have judged the book by the cover! The prolific Phil Noto provides the artwork.
Star Wars: Chewbacca #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015)
The Skottie Young variant is a fun cover with Han Solo and Chewbacca riding in a kid's Millennium Falcon.
Star Wars: Chewbacca #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015) Skottie Young variant
There is also the mandatory blank cover.
Star Wars: Chewbacca #1c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015) blank variant
The Ariel Olivetti variant cover shows Chewbacca carrying the part needed to repair his A-Wing Fighter.
Star Wars: Chewbacca #1d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015) Ariel Olivetti variant
The Gabriele Dell'Otto variant gives us another glimpse of Zarro and Chewbacca. Here she is suffering from the same problem that Doctor Aphra has. Her ethnicity is different on this cover than she is depicted inside.
Star Wars: Chewbacca #1e - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015) Gabriele Dell'Otto
The Alex Ross variant cover is the standout of the bunch. A homage to Star Wars #7 from 1977, this cover shows Han Solo and Chewbacca taking fire from a mob of aliens. There is also a sketch variant of this cover.
Star Wars: Chewbacca #1f - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015) Alex Ross variantStar Wars: Chewbacca #1g - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015) Alex Ross sketch variant
Chewbacca is running through the Millennium Falcon on the cover of the AOD Collectables exclusive.
Chewbacca #1h - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015) AOD Collectables exclusive
Outside of the Alex Ross variant, the rest of the covers are extremely forgettable which is apropos for the story found inside the issue.
Senator Simon Greyshade was introduced to Star Wars fans way back in Marvel's Star Wars #18 as the administrator of the Wheel. The Wheel is a space station used as a gambling establishment by rich citizens during the era of the Empire. Simon Greyshade is a cunning and unscrupulous individual who is able to operate the Wheel outside of Imperial control due to the considerable taxes generated by his operation that are funneled back to the Empire's war machine. Despite the dissolution of the Senate by the Empire, Simon continues to use the title of Senator. His machinations interrupt the Imperial's ability to capture our heroes while pursuing them on his station as told in Star Wars #18 - 23.
Star Wars #18a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 1978)
Senator Jheramahd Greyshade is killed, kicking off a investigation by the Senate Guards and Jedi Knights to discover the reason in Star Wars: Republic #46. Jheramahd's cousin, Simon Greyshade, assumes the role of Senator representing the planets of the Commonality. An important decision on the Financial Reform Act is pending in the Senate and newly appointed Senator Simon Greyshade's vote is pivotal to the outcome. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are assigned to protect the Senator. The truth behind Jheramahd's death and further appearances by Simon Greyshade take place in Star Wars: Republic #46 - 48.
Star Wars: Republic #46a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (September 2002)
Simon Greyshade has tentatively been introduced into canon. He is identified as the owner of the airspeeder commandeered by Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones. Outside of this link to the speeder, the character has not made an appearance in any canon material.
The legendary John Ostrander wrote the 4-part Twilight story arc in Star Wars #19 - 22 introducing Aayla Secura to Star Wars fans. He became the regular writer on the title with issue #32 and remained with the title through the name change to Star Wars: Republic with issue #46. He wrote the majority of the stories for Star Wars: Republic until it ended with issue #83. He is the writer for the 4-part The Stark Hyperspace War that begins in Star Wars #36.
Master Plo Koon is helping Aayla Secura's regain her memories in the presence of Jedi Council members Master Tholme, Master Mace Windu, and Master Adi Gallia. Jace Dallin interrupts to say hello to Plo Koon. Aayla is surprised to see Jace has facial scars which prompts the present Jedi and Jace to tell Aayla about the Stark Hyperspace War, "the last major conflict in the galaxy prior to the battle of Naboo." The war took place 14 years ago, during a time of unrest between the outer rim worlds and the Republic. A smuggler named Iaco Stark was able to form a coalition of outer rim smugglers, pirates, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and assassins called the Stark Commercial Combine which was large enough to challenge the Trade Federation. When a processing plant on the planet Thyferra exploded causing Bacta shortages and price increases, the Combine began attacking ships with Bacta supplies.
Nute Gunray takes the issue to the Senate and threatened to increase their droid armies. Senator Ranulph Tarkin from Eriadu siezes the opportunity to propose a central Republic army, but Senator Finis Valorum opposed a central army and instead proposes diplomacy. The Jedi are asked to mediate a meeting between the Stark Commercial Combine, the Trade Federation, and the Republic led by the Wookiee Master Tyvokka and his apprentice Plo Koon. At a Jedi Council meeting, it is revealed the negotations are to take place in secret on the planet Troiken and the Jedi ambassadors will also include Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Adi Gallia. Master Tholme and Quinlan Vos are assigned by the Council to investigate the processing plant on Thyferra because Tyvokka is suspicous that Bacta is actually scarce. At the same time, another meeting between Nute Gunray and Ranulph Tarkin is attended by Jace Dallin. Ranulph blackmails Nute into revealing Troiken as the location for the negotiations. Ranulph will lead a fleet of ships including those supplied by the Neimoidians to Troiken to bombard the conference site from orbit.
Meanwhile on Thyferra, Tholme and Quinlan are at the destroyed plant and discover the explosion occurred long before it was reported to the galaxy. A hunter-killer droid attacks the pair, but they are able to easily dispatch it. Shortly afterwards, the meeting on Troiken unfolds. When Iaco Stark arrives, the Neimoidian ambassador sends a secret signal to Ranulph Tarkin to begin the attack. His assembled fleet enters hyperspace as Iaco's men at the meeting pull their weapons on the Republic and Trade Federation delegates. Iaco reveals he knows about the trap set by the Trade Federation and Ranulph Tarkin. His group planted a Navcomputer Virus in Ranulph's fleet, causing ships to miscalculate their hyperspace jumps. Many of the ships are destroyed after exiting hyperspace, but a small percentage, include the ship commanded by Ranulph, are able to make it to Troiken, but the Stark Commercial Combine fleet is there to meet them. Ioca Stark asks the other delegates to surrender.
Begun the Stark Hyperspace War has!
The cover artwork by Jon Foster depicts Master Tholme and his apprentice Quinlan Vos fighting the hunter-killer droid at the site of the destroyed processing plant on the planet Thyferra. The characters are highly stylized and hidden in dark shadows, so it is hard to make the connection to specific characters without reading the story inside. Unfortunately you also cannot tell from the cover that the hunter-killer droid looks like a B1 Battle Droid prototype which is a cool addition by the interior artist Davide Fabbri.
Star Wars #36a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (November 2001)
Reading modern Marvel comics alongside issues from the Dark Horse era reminds me of just how dense the stories were in that older era. So much is packed into this issue which is deftly told from the point of view of characters who were around during the Stark Hyperspace War. This Star Wars title is fondly remembered by fans and it is because of story arcs like this one. John Ostrander is able to weave a complex tale that includes many familiar faces and I am greatly enjoying it.
Today's cover comparison shows very minor changes made by Editorial Novaro to the cover of Star Wars #14.
Star Wars #14a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (August 1978)
Star Wars #14 is noteworthy since it is the first time all of our heroes, droids included, appear on a cover together in the Marvel title. Inside the issue, the heroes do all coalesce on a single panel on the last page. Prior to this issue, the last time they were together was on the first page of Star Wars #7 when Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia were saying farewell to Han Solo and Chewbacca.
Clásicos del Cine #306a - Editorial Novaro, Mexico (December 1979) contains Star Wars #13 and 14
Clásicos del Cine #306 contains Spanish translations of Star Wars #13 and 14 for Mexican readers. The cover artwork is identical to Star Wars #14 except for the background. The U.S. cover has a wave effect in the background and the blurb reads The Sound of Armageddon! The Mexican cover has a plain orange background and the blurb has been changed to La Batalla Decisiva or The Decisive Battle.
The technique used to get the wave effect is called screentone. Up through the 1990s, it was common for comic fans to refer to the technique as Zip-A-Tone, but that is a brand name for the material to create the effects that stopped being manufactured in the early 1990s.
I actually prefer the cover for Clásicos del Cine #306 over Star Wars #14. I feel the background detracts from the Carmine Infantino artwork. Without the effects, the characters stand out more and the cover looks more aesthetically pleasing.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin is the third Darth Vader mini-series published by Darth Horse Comics starting in April 2013. Like the previous mini-series, this story takes place during the first months of the Galactic Empire.
A mining operation run by a rich industrialist on an ice planet is visited by the Empire seeking concessions. Darth Vader is there to oversee the renegotiations. The industrialist's son is upset and pulls a blaster on one of the negotiators and Vader intercedes, killing the son.
Later, on another planet, the son's father is being escorted by mercenaries through a swamp. At their destination, the father uncovers a scanning device and uses a severed hand to activate the entrance to an underground fortress. In the fortress, the mercenaries are confronted by belligerent alien guards who the mercenaries kill. They enter a chamber with an alien sitting on a throne and the father drops to his knees, begging the alien to help him. He says money is no object and he seeks vengeance on Darth Vader for killing his son. The father tells the alien his has hired eight other assassins, but they all failed. When the father turns around, he sees that all his mercenaries are dead.
An armored assassin that killed the others in the room tells the father he paid a high price to come there and he may not be willing to pay the price for the help. The father says if the assassin brings him Vader's head, he will pay any price. The assassin accepts the deal and leaves it to the alien on the throne to work out the details of the payment. Days later, back in the mining establishment, the father is seen sitting at a desk, his now eyeless sockets covered in bandages, gleefully anticipating Darth Vader's demise.
In the first issue, neither the planet or the characters are named outside of Vader. We know the father's son is a cruel individual because of how he treats the slave laborers working in the mines shown on the opening page of the story. It is a safe assumption the rich industrialist is also a cruel and ruthless individual. It is a decent setup and it will be interesting to see how the story unfolds in future issues.
The cover by Ariel Olivetti shows the industrialist and his mercenaries standing in front of the alien sitting on his throne. I like that the story subverts our expectations that this menacing looking alien is the ninth assassin. Instead we find out the alien is just an associate of the assassin.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (April 2013)
An exclusive black and white cover was given out at the 2013 Diamond Retailer Summit in Chicago. This cover shows Darth Vader wielding his lightsaber just after he has killed the father's son. In the foreground, the father can be seen holding his son's lifeless body.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1b - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (April 2013) Diamond Retailer Summit Chicago 2013 exclusive
Star TV Junior is a comic published by Aventures et Voyages in France. It ran for 16 issues from April 1986 to September 1987. The series brought select issues from Marvel's Star Comics line to French readers including 6 of the Ewoks comics. Like many European countries, the individual issues were collected into albums.
Star TV Junior Album #3 is a collection of Star TV Junior #7 - 9 which contain Ewoks #1, 3, and 4. The cover uses the same artwork from Star TV Junior #6 which is an interesting choice. There are only 3 Ewok covers for the Star TV Junior series, including Star TV Junior #7 and 9. One of these covers would have made more sense for an album containing 3 of the 6 Ewok appearances.
Star TV Junior Album #3a - Aventures et Voyages, France (1987) collects Star TV Junior #7 - 9 contains Ewoks #1, 3, and 4
Back when the original trilogy was released, it was common for movies to be released to different countries at widely different dates. The Empire Strikes Back was released to theaters in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on May 21st, 1980. It then began rolling out weekly to other countries for the next nine months and some countries like Hungary, Turkey, and Poland did not receive the movie for a few years. West Germans did not have to wait years to see the movie, but they did wait over 6 months when it was released on December 11th. At the time, Egmont Ehapa had the license to publish Star Wars comics in German and they released the movie adaptation in two issues.
Krieg der Sterne: Das Imperium Schlägt Zurück #1a - Egmont Ehapa, Germany (1980) contains Star Wars #39 - 41Krieg der Sterne: Das Imperium Schlägt Zurück #2a - Egmont Ehapa, Germany (1980) contains Star Wars #42 - 44
The cover for Krieg der Sterne: Das Imperium Schlägt Zurück #1a is the same as the cover for Marvel Super Special #16. The artwork inside the cover from Marvel Super Special #16 is uses for the cover for Krieg der Sterne: Das Imperium Schlägt Zurück #2a.
My dad was stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany when the Empire Strikes Back came out and I have fond memories of seeing the movie at the theater near base housing in Kaiserslautern. Some of the German comics in my collection are from my childhood including these two issues.
Captain Phasma jumps from the cliff into the R'ora village and begins killing them. She is soon joined by TN-3465 and eventually the Lup'ror they befriended. With the R'ora occupied, Captain Phasma spots a tower where the R'ora keep Lieutenant Sol Rivas. In the tower, Rivas is tied up and severly beaten. Phasma orders Rivas to confess, but he instead tells her he knows she is one one who lowered the shields. Without receiving the fake confession, Phasma kills Rivas and the entire exchange was overheard by TN-3465.
TN-3465 meets up with Phasma and does not let on she knows the truth about Phasma. TN-3465 has misgivings about setting up the Lup'ror to fight the R'ora but they leave the island to return to their TIE Fighter anyway. Back at their spacecraft, TN-3465 prepares for departure while Phasma destroys the BB unit. Phasma then kills TN-3465, tying up the final loose end. She boards the fighter and takes off. While leaving the planet, she records the events that occurred on the planet, accusing Rivas of killing TN-3465.
The story ends with Phasma rejoining the First Order fleet. Aboard the battlecruiser, The Finalizer, she recounts her version of events to General Hux.
General Hux:I should have known that even an exploding planet could not kill you, nor impede your devotion to the First Order, Phasma.
Captain Phasma:Indeed.
There are four generic covers for this issue which could be used for any comic that features Captain Phasma. I'm not a big fan of covers that do not relate to the interior story. They are all decent covers, but nothing that stands out.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #4a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2017)Star Wars: Captain Phasma #4b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2017) movie variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #4c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2017) Elsa Charretier variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #4d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2017) Rod Reis variant
The story told in the 4-issue mini-series is solid and enjoyable. Captain Phasma's ruthlessness is apparent in the final issue when she does not help the Lup'ror colonist and kills both Rivas and TN-3465 at point blank range. I want to read other stories about her to see if they explain just why she is with the First Order, since it is apparent she is not indoctrinated to their cause.
While I like the tale, this 4-issue series could have been told in one issue and is typical of decompressed storytelling these day. This final issue has six full splash pages and several pages with just 2-4 panels. The art by Marco Checchetto is nice, but the padding is noticeable. I recommend the series, but with the warning that it is a quick read.
Sick #122 contains a 25 page story broken into chapters spoofing Woody Allen and several television shows including Police Woman, The Bob Newhart Show, and Wonder Woman. The framing story is the Nerd Broadcasting System (NBS) is facing low ratings, so the executives are meeting to review their talent and shows. The executive include Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, King Kong, Jimmy Carter, Earnest Borgnine, and Barf Vader among others. The Darth Vader caricature, NBS' network president, appears on numerous panels throughout the story.
Sick #122a - Charlton Comics, U.S. (August 1978)
The cover, nominally related to the story with Darth Vader, is by Jack Sparling who worked on other Charlton comic books like The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman.
Sick #122 page 15Sick #122 page 26
The story ends with an appearance by a R2-D2 caricature, R2-Doo-Doo.
Sick #122 page 38
The entire issue can be read on the Internet Archive. The interior pages displayed here were taken from there.
Laurita Tohm and Captain Shonn Volta are preparing to catch another ship using Volta's knowledge of hyperspace lanes in Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #5. Meanwhile, Grand Moff Tarkin arrives on Coruscant and is immediately apprehended by Headmaster Gentis. Before Tarkin is removed for interrogation, Darth Vader, Moff Trachta, Tohm, Volta, and other prisoners from the Prism emerge from Tarkin's shuttle revealing it was Tarkin's craft they intercepted. A fierce battle takes place and Tohm seeks out and kills his former classmate and friend, Cadet Caul Gentis. Headmaster Gentis sees his fallen son and rushes to his side. He is attacked by a recovered Emperor Palpatine who unleashes a wave of Force lightning, killing Gentis and ending the uprising. Fellow conspirators are rounded up by the Imperials and executed.
In the aftermath of the insurrection, the Emperor promotes Trachta to Grand Moff. The prisoners who helped battle back the rebellion are freed and exiled to the Corporate Sector. As their shuttle departs Coruscant, it blows up, a scheme planned by Tohm. Tohm is promoted to Admiral and Volta has joined the Imperials reporting to Tohm. The Emperor tells Vader that Tohm is cunning and ruthless and should Vader ever fall, Tohm would be a worthy successor. At the conclusion of the story, Vader summons Tohm and throws him off a high building to his death.
The cover shows Darth Vader wielding his lightsaber against the insurrectionists on Coruscant. A blurb reads The Student Surpasses the Teacher! referring to Tohm's idolation of ruthlessness is dealing with the prisoners who helped restore order.
Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison #5a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (September 2012)
This mini-series starring Darth Vader is a big improvement over the previous Darth Vader and the Lost Command. He is used sparingly throughout and his action align with how you would expect Vader to react to the events he is place in. It has an appropriate ending, with the Emperor goading him about Tohm's success, leading to Vader killing Tohm.
Back in January of this year, I was let go from my fintech job of 10 years. I had planned on retiring early anyway, but would have preferred doing so on my own timeline for obvious reasons. I did something stupid and I had let my manager know I was contemplating retirement and so my being let go was not entirely unexpected since the company always does layoffs in January. It was easier to give me the pink slip than another co-worker who would have been blindsided. The biggest disappointment was not getting a farewell lunch with co-workers and thanks after a software engineer career that lasted well over 30 years! I'm in my mid 50s, so I feel fortunate that I'm still young and have my health.
I spent a few months moping around the house initially, but then I began pondering what I wanted to do with the next leg of my life! I'm married, my wife still works, and both my kids are older and have completed 4 year degrees at college and moved out of the house. I'm sure some of you have noticed I stopped creating content for my blog back in 2020 which coincided with work becoming extremely busy. At the end of this summer, I started posting again and want to keep doing so for the foreseeable future. I have the time now and I love the process of reading comics, researching interesting tidbits, and sharing the information. I still have a ton of comics in my collection that have not been posted including a fair number of international books.
I found myself watching too many YouTube videos earlier this year when the idea hit me to spend some of my time making my own videos about this hobby I enjoy. I released my first video last week to little fanfare! It is rough, but taught me a bit about the process. Earlier today, I just completed my second video which I'm a little more happy with and is emblematic of the type of videos I want to create. This video is Star Wars Dark Empire Surprising Comic Cover Changes and, while sensationalistic in nature, I feel is full of the interesting content I love researching and writing about. In fact, the bulk of the content in the video is taken from a posting I created back in 2016, Wizard Ace Edition #13 - Star Wars: Dark Empire #1. The video is undoubtably rough, but every outing, I plan on improving one thing until these videos rival the best content for Star Wars comic fans.
I plan to create 4-5 blogs a week and 1 video. I feel the videos are an extension of what I've already been doing here, but I'm hoping it can reach a larger audience. If you happen to read this blog and enjoying the content, you would be doing me a tremendous favor if you went over to YouTube and watched the video I posted today. If it interests to you, I would be grateful if you decided to like the video and subscribe to my channel.
Founded in 1928 by brothers Ramón and Claudio Columba, Editorial Columba would become one of the largest comic book publishers in Argentina and South America. Argentina's economy began shrinking in 1998 starting the 1998-2002 Argentine great depression. This led to the Crisis of 2001 which was the height of political, social, and economic upheaval in the country during the depression. Unfortunately, Editorial Columba was unable to navigate the troubled time and they went out of business in 2001 ending the longest running comic publisher in the country.
Editorial Columba brought the popular Marvel superheroes to Argentinian readers in the 1960s, so it should be no surprise that they released adaptations of the original Star Wars trilogy movies as well. What is interesting however, is rather than publishing the official adaptations for Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back they printed unofficial adapations for these two movies. For Return of the Jedi they published the Marvel adaptation.
Fantasia Anuario #18 contains the unofficial Empire Strikes Back adaptation. Just 20 pages long, the comic was drawn by Uruguayan Eduardo Barreto under a pseudo-name. The art is nice, at times rivaling Al Williamson's adaptation, which is not surprising since Barreto's artistic influences include notable greats like Hal Foster and Russ Manning.
Fantasia Anuario #18a - Editorial Columba, Argentina (January 1981)
The cover artwork for the magazine is taken from an Empire Strikes Back poster from 1980.
1980 Empire Strikes Back Poster
The characters on the cover are redrawn using the art from the poster. Luke Skywalker is at the center of both the poster and cover and where his lightsaber disappears behind the AT-AT on the poster, it is completely shown on the cover. Chewbacca is repositioned lower and over Luke's right shoulder. C-3PO has the most changes with a skinnier head and motion lines (why?) and is positioned further to Luke's left. R2-D2 has also been moved to the left. The Millennium Falcon is mirrored from how it is presented on the poster. Notably missing are Han Solo, Princess Leia, Lando Calrissian, and Darth Vader's visage. Also missing are other minor characters and vehicles found on the movie poster. Random laser effects are instead added to the background for the cover.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #2 starts with Phasma, TN-3465, and the Lup'ror Dar'en standing on a cliff overlooking the island inhabited by the R'ora who took Lieutenant Sol Rivas. Phasma questions Dar'en about the tide and monsters in the water before returning to the village. There, Phasma asks about a necklace worn by a villager and is led to the remaining spacecraft that brought the Lup'ror to the planet giving Captain Phasma a idea on how to reach Rivas. Back at the village, she changes back into her First Order uniform and gives a rousing speech to the villagers about leading them to victory over the monsters and the R'ora. She confesses to TN-3465 that she is just using the villagers to further their pursuit of Rivas.
Phasma has the villagers use parts from the old spacecraft to build a machine on the cliff overlooking the island. At low tide, they activate the machine, sending powerful electrical current into the water, killing the monsters. Phasma leads villagers on boats across the water to the island where they scale a cliff. At the top of the cliff, they see the village of the R'ora, who look like human-sized versions of the monsters in the water.
The main cover shows a silhouette of Phasma reflecting off her helmet lying on the ground. Never in this story is Phasma's real face shown, even though the opportunity presented itself last issue when she disguised herself and this issue when she changes back into her uniform.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #3a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2017)
There are 3 variant covers and none of them have anything to do with the content of the story. Marvel clearly has a quota of variant covers they need to fill.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #3b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2017) movie variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #3c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) Mike Mayhew variantStar Wars: Captain Phasma #3d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2017) David Lopez variant
This issue provides some understanding into how Phasma achieved the rank of captain in the First Order. She has a tactical mind and is able to inspire those who serve under her. It also shows she does not lead others for a purpose other than furthering her own goals.
Ewoks #7 from Marvel's all-age Star Comics imprint contains the story The Perilous Laughing Spell. Teebo touches a loonee bird which causes him to have an uncontrollable laughter along with an urge to prank. After his pranks cause problems for several villagers, Logray sends Wicket, Kneesaa, and Teebo to Mount Sorrow to find the cure. At the top of Mount Sorrow, they learn the mountain is sentient and its tears restore Teebo to his normal self.
Ewoks #7a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (May 1986)
At first, Mount Sorrow finds Teebo unworthy of his tears and the cover for Ewoks #7 shows the sentient mountain attempting to rid himself of the Ewoks by blowing Wicket and Kneesaa away. Teebo, standing nearby, sees the peril his friend are in. The cover is very accurate to the story.
Ewoks #4a - Editora Abril, Brazil (1989) contains Ewoks #7
Ewoks #4 published by Editora Abril for Brazilian readers contains the same story as the U.S. Ewoks #7. The cover artwork from the U.S. issue is manipulated to reposition Wicket and Kneesaa and these two characters are enlarged to take up more of the space. Teebo is also moved and the background with the mountain blowing is cropped losing some of the detail shown on the U.S. cover like the clouds overhead and the rocks below the cliffs.
Both covers are representative of the event from the story. I would have to say the U.S. cover is better since it is the source for the Brazillian cover and contains more detailed.
One thing I had not pointed out before is the Ewoks logo difference between the U.S. and Brazil covers. The U.S. version is a flat, stylized, curvy logo which is present on much of the Ewok merchandise from the era whereas the Brazillian logo is sharper with a three dimensional effect. I like the logo on the Brazil Ewoks comics better.
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.
