In the early years of comic books, superheroes did not dominate like they do now. Comic book publishers jumped from one fad to another in an attempt to make money. Comics had themes as diverse as crime, romance, humor, science fiction, war, Western, and horror. Many comic book titles came and went during this period of experimentation. Subscriptions were important to comic publishers because it allowed them to sell to readers who otherwise would miss an issue at the newsstand, and in return, readers would save a little money over the cost of the comic at a newsstand. The post office offered a second-class mailing permit that required publishers to pay an initial fee on a new title, but allowed them to mail subscriptions at a special low rate. Comic publishers quickly found a loophole that prevented them from paying the initial fee by renaming the title of the comic and keeping the same numbering. That is why many comics in the Golden and Silver Age do not start with issue #1. For example, Marvel Comics #1 in 1939 gave way to Marvel Mystery Comics #2 and was again renamed Marvel Tales with issue #93. When Marvel decided to create new titles for their headline superhero characters in the Tales of Suspense and Tales of Astonish titles, Iron Man and Sub-Mariner each received a title that started with #1, but Captain America continued the numbering started in Tales of Suspense with Captain America #100 and the Incredible Hulk continued the numbering of Tales to Astonish with Incredible Hulk #102.
Eventually, subscriptions became less important to publishers and today, it is very common to see new titles start with #1. In fact, #1s sell better than other issues, so publishers will restart a title with a new #1 whenever they get a chance.
In September 2002, Dark Horse started a new title called Star Wars: Empire. That same month, they renamed their main Star Wars (1998) title Star Wars: Republic with the 46th issue. Star Wars: Empire focuses on the original trilogy characters and situations and Star Wars: Republic focuses on the characters and situations introduced during the prequel trilogy.
Star Wars: Republic #46a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (September 2002)
It is interesting that Dark Horse decided to maintain the numbering started by their Star Wars (1998) title. Their decision probably was because the title had been telling stories featuring Jedi during the Republic era, and the new title did not change that focus. The only difference is the stories shifted forward a bit to the time of the Clone Wars. Routinely, you will see the Star Wars (1998) title called Star Wars: Republic, even though issue #1 - 45 does not have Republic in the title. Star Wars: Republic #46 is the first issue of that title.
Another interesting side effect of second-class mail was letter pages. In order for a comic book to be classified as a magazine to qualified for a second-class mailing permit, a small percentage of a comic book had to be text. Some comics had 2-page stories, but this eventually gave way to 2-page letter columns. The text pages saved comic publishers from having to pay artists for those 2 pages and they saved even more by using letters written by readers. Over time, even letter pages have disappeared from comic books.
The third issue of Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias from publisher Ediciones Surco has perhaps the wildest cover in this 8 issue run. Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #3 contains Marvel Star Wars #23 and 24.
Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #3a - Ediciones Surco, Spain (July 1983) Star Wars #23 and 24
The title on the cover Vuelo a la Furia! translates to Flight Into Fury! which is the last chapter in The Wheel saga contained in Star Wars #23. But that is the only thing on this cover that has anything to do with the content of the comic. Chewbacca not only has a bandolier, but he is also sporting a belt with pouches and a rifle. I'm guessing the artist is not fond of drawing feet, because Chewbacca's legs melt into what I presume is a mound of dirt. (A belt full of pouches and a lack of feet reminds me of a certain U.S. artist.) Behind Chewbacca is R2-D2. Farther back is Han Solo wielding a Lightsaber!
In Star Wars #23, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are using Senator Greyshade's private yacht to escape from the Imperial spaceships closing in on The Wheel. In Star Wars #24, a standalone story titled Silent Drifting has Obi-Wan Kenobi traveling on a large pleasure cruiser which is pursued by Merson ships. The spaceship in the background on the cover to Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #3 bears no resemblance to any of these ships. The ship does look a little like the Space Battleship Yamato though.
It is surprising for a Star Wars comic published in 1983 to have so many mistakes. By 1983, Star Wars is certainly a well known property in Europe. I could understand a cover like this coming out in 1977 or even 1978 in a western country. In a non-western country that never showed the movie in theaters this cover would make sense. But in Spain, at such a late date, it is a truly interesting visual.
The first original Star Wars comic book after the movie adaptation is Star Wars #7. It is not the first original comic material however. Pizzazz #1 has the distinction of being the first original comic material. In fact, the Star Wars comic strip in Pizzazz #1 is considered the first original Star Wars print material in the Expanded Universe!
Pizzazz is a magazine published by Marvel Comics that ran for 16 issues. Aimed at the same teenage audience that read Teen Beat, every issue contains pop culture articles, comic strips, and puzzles. Of the comic strips, every issues contains 3 pages of Star Wars comics. Issues #1 - 9 contain the Star Wars story The Keeper's World and #10 - 16 contain the story The Kingdom of Ice. Unfortunately, Pizzazz was cancelled before this last story was complete. The final unpublished chapters concluding The Kingdom of Ice were printed for the first time in the U.K. publication Star Wars Weekly #60 and again for U.S. readers in the paperback Marvel Illustrated Books Star Wars.
The Keeper's World is written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Howard Chaykin. This is the same pair of creators that worked on Star Wars #1 - 10. Tony DeZuniga is the inker for the story and is credited for the covers to Marvel's Star Wars #7 - 9 and 11.
Pizzazz #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 1977)
The cover to Pizzazz #1 is a photo of C-3PO and R2-D2 in a corridor of the Tantive IV, the Rebel Blockade Runner that was overtaken by the Imperial Star Destroyer at the start of the Star Wars movie.
The second issue of Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias from publisher Ediciones Surco reminds me of a classic cover from Marvel's distant past, the cover to Captain America #1. With a cover date of March 1941, that classic cover shows Captain America punching Hitler. It was a bold move for the publisher Timely Comics since the U.S. had not even entered into World War II yet.
While not as historic, Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #2 shows Luke Skywalker punching Darth Vader! A similar scene does occur inside the comic but the confrontation is taking place inside Luke's thoughts.
Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #2a - Ediciones Surco, Spain (June 1983) Star Wars #21 and 22
The panel this is based on is on page 7 of Star Wars #21.
Star Wars #21a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 1979) page 7
As you can see, the panel inside Star Wars #21 does not actually show Luke Skywalker decking Darth Vader, but he is wrestling for Vader's Lightsaber instead. A page later, he does get control of the Lightsaber and strikes Vader down. In both pictures, Luke is leaping and Vader is forced back. Yes, Carmine Infantino did have a tendency to draw some long locks on our young hero as you can see in the other panels on the page! And you have to appreciate how fit this farm boy is, no doubt due to the rugged upbringing.
The cover to Star Wars: la Guerra de las Galaxias #2 is so cool, I can forgive the many flaws with the art. The angle Luke is attacking Vader would put Luke right at Vader's feet when he makes the leap. And Vader's bicep on the arm holding the Lightsaber is so long as to be inhuman. I suspect the artist drew Luke Skywalker first and was so happy with the results (the figure is nicely drawn), he had to make some adjustments to Infantino's Darth Vader (which the Vader figure is clearly based on) to fit. The only change I would have liked on this cover is a black, star filled background.
O Incrivel Hulk #25 - 27 contains Star Wars stories for Brazilian comic readers.
O Incrivel Hulk #25a - Editora Abril, Brazil (July 1985) contains Star Wars #39 and 40O Incrivel Hulk #26a - Editora Abril, Brazil (August 1985) contains Star Wars #41 and 42O Incrivel Hulk #27a - Editora Abril, Brazil (September 1985) contains Star Wars #43 and 44
O Incrivel Hulk stars the Incredible Hulk of course. But, being an digest-sized anthology title, it also contained many other Marvel stories including Marvel's Star Wars comics. Star Wars would receive it's fair share of covers for this title including the first two issues of the Empire Strikes Back adaptation, O Incrivel Hulk #25 and 26.
When these issue were published, The Incredible Hulk television series had already finished it's 5 year run in the U.S. in 1982. It is interesting that the cover to O Incrivel Hulk #27 shows the stars Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno in their roles at Dr. David Banner and the Hulk. Star Wars just gets a mention on the cover.
The Comics Chronicles released the January 2016 estimated sales earlier this week. Marvel released yet more new superhero titles, but the Star Wars titles held strong with 4 out of the 5 Star Wars comics placed in the top 10 for the month.
Title
Issue
Monthly Rank
Estimated Sales
Last Estimated Sales
Percent Change
Star Wars
14
4
118,471
139,918
-15.33%
Star Wars
15
5
107,855
118,471
-8.96%
Obi-Wan and Anakin
1
7
102,861
N/A
N/A
Darth Vader
15
9
98,405
97,457
+0.97%
Kanan
10
46
38,106
40,938
-6.92%
The Vader Down event definitely did not help the long term sales of the main Star Wars title. The title certainly saw a bump in sales during the event, so in that regard, Vader Down worked. But the first issue after Vader Down, Star Wars #15, has lost over 15,000 units compared to the issue prior to the event. (Star Wars #12 sold 123,133 units in November and Star Wars #15 sold 107,855 units in January.) Looking at the previous months, that is a higher loss than the title has been trending. Events force retailers to evaluate actual sales. Many times, this result in even lower sales than normal when the event ends. Without events, I suspect most retailers would order titles month to month mostly on autopilot. So, Vader Down looks to have been a short term gain but a long term loss. We will know for sure next month when we see the numbers for Darth Vader #16.
Title
Issue
Estimated Sales
Princess Leia
1
253,655
Lando
1
192,949
Shattered Empire
1
208,884
Chewbacca
1
122,952
Obi-Wan and Anakin
1
102,861
The newest mini-series, Obi-Wan and Anakin, debuted in January with 102,861 units sold. This is the lowest selling mini-series #1 yet. With the exception of Shattered Empire, each subsequent mini-series sold less copies than the previous mini-series. I am not yet convinced this is a trend so much as sales being dictated by the headline character(s) in the mini-series. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker received considerable attention when Dark Horse owned the Star Wars license, for obvious reasons. Marvel releasing a mini-series led by these two characters has a been-there-done-that feeling to it.
Kanan #10 shed over 2,800 copies which is another decent drop for the title. This title is due to end with Kanan #12. This titles replacement, the ongoing Poe Dameron series will sell better than some, if not all, the Star Wars titles when it is released in April.
The following table shows the total number of Star Wars units sold per month since January 2015 along with the average number of sales per issue. Note this chart does not include reprints.
Month/Year
Total Estimated Sales
# Issues
Average Sale per Issue
January 2015
985,976
1
985,976
February 2015
526,451
3
175,484
March 2015
596,299
4
149,075
April 2015
537,812
4
134,453
May 2015
324,835
3
108,278
June 2015
396,931
4
99,232
July 2015
597,023
5
119,404
August 2015
430,241
5
86,048
September 2015
551,880
5
110,376
October 2015
953,289
10
95,329
November 2015
1,003,954
8
125,494
December 2015
507,545
6
84,591
January 2016
465,698
5
93,139
The average sale per issue would rank 11th on the top 300 chart for the month of January. The Star Wars titles saw an increase in this average over last month.
