Marvel's Star Wars #19 is the second part of the six part The Wheel saga. This issues starts with C-3PO, R2-D2, and an incapacitated Luke Skywalker escaping from the Imperial Stormtroopers when R2-D2 lowers a containment door between the heroes and the Imperials. Han Solo and Princess Leia are pinned down by Stormtroopers when the Wheel security intervenes and Han and Leia surrender to the security. Han is taken to have his ship searched for the missing Wheel profits and Leia is taken to Senator Greyshade's quarters. Chewbacca makes it to the upper casino level where he gets into a fight with another burly alien and is taken captive by the Wheel security. Leia explains to Greyshade the Imperial's plan, "The Empire never dared interfere with The Wheel... for fear of ruining its popularity and value as a source of taxes. But if it appears to have become a target of the Rebel Alliance-- --They can justify a complete takeover in the guise of offering protection and everyone will accept it!" Just as Greyshade is pondering this information, Commander Strom enters and destroys Greyshade's droid, Master-Com. Master-Com, in a new body, disarms Commander Strom and Strom and Greyshade go off to talk, leaving Leia alone in the suite. Greyshade tells Strom he knows about the Imperial's plan for The Wheel and offers to assist in exchange for Leia. We see Luke being cared for in the Wheel medical facility and C-3PO and R2-D2 are taken captive by the Wheel security who explain Han pawned them while gambling. A captive Chewbacca is told he has a choice between entering the Big Game or being handed over to the Empire. Han, released by the Wheel security for not pirating the Wheel's profits, is losing at gambling while trying to raise money for an impounded Millennium Falcon due to unpaid docking fees. He considers entering the Big Game. The issue ends with Greyshade and Strom monitoring Han as he makes up his mind and signs up for the Big Game.
The cover to Star Wars #19 shows The Wheel with a skull signifying death at it's center. Our heroes' floating heads surround it.
Star Wars #19a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (January 1979)
The cover to Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #1 published by Ediciones Surco is a similar image.
Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #1a - Ediciones Surco, Spain (May 1983) Star Wars #19 and 20
Star Wars #19 has a cover that I'm not very fond of. Floating heads are not my favorite, but they are a staple of comics from this time period. I could live with those if the rest of the cover was better. The red skull at the center of The Wheel is just goofy and this cover would have been better if the skull was not there. I'm also unsure why the cover shows a ship that is similar to a Rebel Blockade Runner, since one does not appear inside the story. I'm a fan of space scenes and that is the one bright spot on an otherwise bad cover. The cover to Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #1 is not any better. The skull is nicer, but the way the floating heads are arrange around it like a crown is strange. Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, and C-3PO are easy enough to recognize, but I'm not entirely sure who that is suppose to be grinning next to Leia. Is that suppose to be Han Solo? Is the floating head in the center really Solo and Luke has the grinning head? This art is sitting on a white background making this debut cover from Ediciones Surco a poor start to an otherwise fantastic 8-issue run.
When I was a kid in the 1970s, The Wizard of Oz was shown on television yearly. I remember tuning in every year then and have even watched it a few times with my own kids in the past decade, but there was one thing I never noticed until it was pointed out to me in a blog, during a few moments in the movie, the Scarecrow has a gun![1] In the movie, Dorothy's companions received weapons while in the Emerald City of Oz and use them in a cut scene when they fight a Jitterbug sent by the Wicked Witch. The Scarecrow is given a gun. This Jitterbug scene was to take place before the Flying Monkeys attack.
Whenever I see the cover to Titans #69, I am reminded of The Wizard of Oz and the Scarecrow carrying a gun.
Titans #69a - Editions Lug, France (October 1984) Star Wars #68
It is an interesting choice for a cover, especially when the original Marvel cover for Star Wars #68, the Star Wars story inside Titans #69, features fan favorite Boba Fett. In the tale, C-3PO is shown in one panel using a knife to cut the rope that holds the cage containing the bounty hunter Dengar. On the cover, it is not clear that Dengar is the cage's inhabitant. If they are not going to show Boba Fett on the cover, which is understandable since he appears in one panel in the story, you would think the publisher would have highlighted Dengar who has a more significant presence. Also on the cover, C-3PO is uncharacteristically stealthy unlike this scene inside the comic. It is funny imagining C-3PO with any weapon, including a knife. And C-3PO is anything but stealthy!
Along these lines, in 1994, Topps released the Star Wars Galaxy series 2 trade card set. One of the promos for the set is a picture of Ewoks attacking a Biker Scout drawn by Jim Starlin. One of the Ewoks is attacking with a knife. This art is reused on card #266 in the set, but the art is modified so the Ewok no longer carried a knife. One can only imagine that the cover to French Titans #69 would never have been approved.
The character or corner boxes started appearing on Marvel comics in the early 1960s. Located in the upper left hand corner of the comic, they were helpful when rifling through comics on the newsstand to know which comics were being sold. By the late 1990s, they started to be phased out, and by the mid 2000s, the character boxes were completely gone from Marvel comic covers entirely.
The original Star Wars title at Marvel has character boxes throughout it's entire run. Only Star Wars #50 and Annual #2 do not contain a character box.
The first character box beginning with Star Wars #1 shows Luke Skywalker wearing his Tatooine garb. This image would appear on the cover of the Star Wars title until the start of the Empire Strikes Back adaptation. The color of Luke's shirt would remain white and his skin tone peach, but the color of all the other elements in the picture would vary from issue to issue. For example, his hair was mostly yellow, but sometimes it was brown. Luke's pants are white or shades of brown. Luke's boots would always be colored with shades of brown. Creative colors are used for the space and planet behind Luke.
Luke Skywalker (Tatooine garb) character box
With Star Wars #39, the character box changes to show C-3PO and R2-D2. C-3PO maintained a gold color and sometimes R2-D2 would be highlighted with blue. The two planets in the background undergo the most color changes. With Star Wars #76, the C-3PO and R2-D2 character box changed slightly; the small planet above C-3PO was dropped from the image and the word MARVEL was added to the box. Additionally, the image was sized to fit completely in the box so C-3PO's elbow no longer extends beyond the box border. Star Wars #88 would see this image altered one more time when a plain background is used.
C-3PO and R2-D2 character box IC-3PO and R2-D2 character box IIC-3PO and R2-D2 character box III
From Star Wars #84 - 107, five different character boxes are used (seven if you count the background modification to the C-3PO and R2-D2 image for Star Wars #88 and the change for Marvel's 25th Anniversary celebration.) Star Wars #84, 85, and 91 which mainly feature Han Solo and Chewbacca use a character box with the two characters. Star Wars #86 and 102 have an image of Luke Skywalker in his Bespin fatigues and Star Wars #89 and 90 show Luke in his Jedi outfit. Princess Leia has the corner box to herself on Star Wars #103. Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca are all featured in the character box for Star Wars #92 - 101, and #104 - 107. The box includes the words 25TH ANNIVERSARY for the final three issues in celebration of Marvel's 25th anniversary. Interestingly, the New Universe line of comics was launched to celebrate Marvel Comics' 25th Anniversary and was a key reason for the cancellation of the Star Wars title.
Han Solo and Chewbacca character boxLuke Skywalker (Bespin fatigues) character boxLuke Skywalker (Jedi outfit) character boxPrincess Leia character boxLuke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca character box ILuke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca character box II
The following table shows the different character boxes that adorn the Star Wars title throughout the 107 issue run and 3 annuals.
Image
Notes
Issues
Luke Skywalker (Tatooine garb)
Star Wars #1 - 38, Annual #1
C-3PO and R2-D2; C-3PO's elbow extends outside border
Star Wars #39 - 49, #51 - 75
C-3PO and R2-D2; MARVEL added to box; small planet above C-3PO dropped
Star Wars #76 - 83, 87, Annual #3
Han Solo and Chewbacca
Star Wars #84, 85, 91
Luke Skywalker (Bespin fatigues)
Star Wars #86, 102
C-3PO and R2-D2; plain background
Star Wars #88
Luke Skywalker (Jedi outfit)
Star Wars #89, 90
Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca
Star Wars #92 - 101, 104
Princess Leia
Star Wars #103
Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca; MARVEL 25TH ANNIVERSARY
Marvel's Star Wars #29 is the issue where Darth Vader confronts Valance the bounty hunter. Valance was first introduced in Star Wars #16 and Vader learns about him in Star Wars #21. Luke Skywalker crosses his path on Junction while trying to find parts for R2-D2 in Star Wars #27.
Valance is obsessed with finding and killing Luke Skywalker because of his kindness towards C-3PO and R2-D2. Valance, being a cyborg, understands the hatred towards mechanical being, including cyborgs, but does not understand the devotion Luke and the droids have. When he is about to kill Luke on Junction, C-3PO intervenes to save Luke's life and Valance has a change of heart. Star Wars #29 sees both Darth Vader and Valance converge at the poisonous Rubyflame Lake on the planet Centares. A Rebel named Tyler Lucian is holed up in this decrepit resort and Valance arrives first to kill Lucian. Before Valance can act, Vader appears to extract the name of the Rebel pilot that destroyed the Death Star from this Rebel who fled during the battle of Yavin. Valance and Vader fight, resulting in the death of Valance. Lucian decides to take his own life by plunges into the lake, denying Vader the name of the pilot.
The cover to Star Wars #29 shows the battle between Darth Vader and Valance. Valance is outmatched throughout the fight and the scene on the cover never occurs in the story.
Star Wars #29a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 1979)
The first publisher of Star Wars comics in Spain, Editorial Bruguera, published Marvel Comics' Star Wars #1 - 15 as single issues for Spanish readers from November 1977 through August 1978 using the title la Guerra de las Galaxias. The cover art used is from the U.S. series. The second publisher, Ediciones Vértice, published nine magazine-sized issues from October 1981 through May 1982. Each issue contains two U.S. Star Wars comics starting with issue #1, so they published Star Wars #1 - 18. The covers were redrawn and closely resemble the U.S. covers. The first two issues of the Ediciones Vértice series were titled Guerras Estelares and was changed to la Guerra de las Galaxias for the rest of the series.
The third publisher, Ediciones Surco, also published Star Wars in the magazine-sized format and continues where Ediciones Vértice left off. Their eight issue run is titled Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias, contains Star Wars #19 - 34 and was published in 1983. (The dates I use are a guess on the exact month.) They also commissioned all new art based on the U.S. covers for most issues, except the cover art is wildly different than the U.S. issues with the exception of Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #6.
Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #6a - Ediciones Surco, Spain (October 1983) Star Wars #29 and 30
The cover art used on Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #6 is extremely close to Star Wars #29. The platform that Darth Vader and Valance are standing on has been modified and the red colored lake can be seen on the Spanish cover. Vader's legs and arms are slightly different as well as Valance's cybernetic arm and the blast coming from his hand. The biggest difference between these covers is the color choices. On the U.S. cover, Valance is wearing a reddish pink outfit with yellow boots but on the Spanish cover he is clad in green with brownish tan boots. Neither cover accurately depicts the blue outfit with black boots he wears inside. The U.S. cover has a gradient blue sky where the Spanish cover has a blue sky melt into a red glow from the lake. Inside, the background is off white. There are hints of Valance's blast reflecting on Vader's armor on the Ediciones Surco cover.
I like the color choices used on the Spanish cover and while this scene and these colors do not appear inside, this is the superior cover. Notice how large the C-3PO and R2-D2 corner figures are. The Spanish words "encuentro sombrio" on the cover translates to "gloomy meeting" which is an understatement.
When Valance's story was told, it wasn't known that Darth Vader himself would turn out to be a cyborg. I always wonder how that revelation would have changed the ending to Valance's arc. While the droid bigotry has not been explored further in the movies, I love that Marvel picked up on it from the exchange between the cantina bartender and Luke Skywalker in Mos Eisley and ran with it in their Star Wars title.
Despite never appearing a movie, Quinlan Vos is one of Dark Horse Comics' better known characters. Quinlan is a perennial fixture in the Star Wars (1998) and Star Wars: Republic titles. A male Jedi Knight, Quinlan is Aayla Secura's master who continually walks the line between the light and dark side of the Force. Based on the visuals of a background character seen in Mos Espa in The Phantom Menace, Quinlan Vos was scripted to appear on Kashyyyk during Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith, but that scene was never filmed. The character appears in the Clone Wars (2008) series third season episode titled Hunt for Ziro. He was scripted to appear in several episodes in the sixth season, but the show was canceled at the end of the fifth season. Those scripted episodes, which featured Quinlan and Asajj Ventress, were instead adapted to the story used in the Del Rey book Dark Disciple. The character has also been turned into an action figure by Hasbro four times!
The first appearance of Quinlan Vos is in Star Wars (1998) #17. He appears for three pages of the story and his main purpose is to give Mace Windu information on where to find the Akk Dogs that are being smuggled to Nar Shadda.
Star Wars #17a (April 2000) 1st appearance of Quinlan Vos
The first cover appearance of Quinlan Vos is on Star Wars (1998) #19 along with his Padawan Aayla Secura.
Star Wars #19a (June 2000) 1st cover appearance of Quinlan Vos
Dark Horse's Star Wars Tales #5 is the first issue in the anthology title that saw both an art and a photo cover. Publishing two different covers would continue for Star Wars Tales until it's final issue.
There are five stories in Star Wars Tales #5. The first story titled Yaddle's Tale: The One Below tells how Yaddle became a Jedi Master and member of the Jedi Council. A second, cartoonish and strange story titled What They Called Me recounts a story of a visitor to the moon of Endor. A Summer's Dream is the story of Padme Amidala just before she was elected Queen of Naboo. This story is told from the point of view of Ian, son of the counselor to King Veruna, Amidala's predecessor. A two page story simply titled Hoth shows a Wampa attacking an Imperial Probe droid. The fifth and final story titled Lando's Commandos: On Eagles' Wing is the subject of the covers. In this story, General Lando Calrissian assembles a squad to stop TIE pirates from attacking convoys in the Abraxas system.
Star Wars #5a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (September 2000) art coverStar Wars #5b - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (September 2000) photo cover
Star Wars Tales was never a bad seller for Dark Horse when compared to the other Star Wars titles. The first four issues were priced at $4.95 and with the fifth issue, the price jumped to $5.95. The sixth issue has a cover price of $5.99 which is the price the title would maintain until the final issue. The art covers outsold the photo covers. Dark Horse would retool their Star Wars line in 2006 with the introduction of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Rebellion, and Star Wars: Legacy and is probably the reason this title ends with issue #24.
I did not have many posts last week due to issues with Photobucket. As of this morning, I am still experiencing issues. As soon as I can, I will have more Star Wars comic posts to add to this blog.
