In the first Star Wars movie, there is a dearth of female characters. Obviously, Leia Organa is the most prominent female character, exhibiting confidence and strength equal to her male companions, making her a rarity in the era she was conceived. But beyond Leia, we have only Aunt Beru and a few female cantina denizens. Both the Galactic Empire and Rebellion appear to be devoid of females entirely. Much of that changed as the trilogy unfolded and in Return of the Jedi, it was revealed the Rebellion was led by Mon Mothma, the enigmatic former Senator. The prequel trilogy did a better job of depicting strong females, the most prominent of course being Padme Amidala, mother of twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. There are also a few female Jedi and bounty hunters introduced in the prequels. Fast forward to today and the last two Star Wars movies featured strong female leads in Rey and Jyn Erso.
The Star Wars comics took a similar path as the movies. The most significant female character introduced in the original Marvel series is Luke's companion Shira Brie, who is revealed to be an Imperial agent and after a near death incident, is reborn as Lumiya. The only other female character of prominence is the Zeltron Dani, who is introduced along with Rik Duel and Chihdo as part of Rik's gang. Both female characters are introduced after The Empire Strikes Back adaptation.
Dark Horse had the benefit of time and used several female characters introduced in other media, like Mara Jade from the Timothy Zahn books, Asajj Ventress from the Clone Wars animated series, and Aurra Sing from the movies among several others. They also introduced female characters of their own, including Nomi Sunrider from the Tales of the Jedi series and their most significant female character, Jedi Knight Aayla Secura. In 2013 Dark Horse introduces Ania Solo, a prototype of sorts to Rey and Jyn Erso and the lead character in the second Star Wars: Legacy title.
Ania Solo is a decedent of Han and Leia Organa Solo. When we are introduced to Ania, she is a junk dealer based on a moon of Carreras Minor in the Outer Rim, not unlike Rey on Jakku in The Force Awakens. Additionally, her backstory includes her escaping from an Imperial prison camp, just like Jyn Erso in Rogue One. And just like the two movie characters, Ania is swept up in the galactic conflict of her era.
Even Ania's look bears a striking resemblance to the heroines of The Force Awakens and Rogue One. It is easy enough to imagine a brunette British actress playing her in a movie.
Star Wars: Legacy #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 2013) 1st appearance of Ania Solo
Star Wars: Legacy #1 has an exclusive Phantom variant. The Phantom program, led by Larry Doherty from Larry's Comics, has commissioned several exclusives that are distributed through participating retailers. The Phantom variant cover artwork is a homage to the Tom Jung/Hildebrant Brothers poster.
Star Wars: Legacy #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 2013) 1st appearance of Ania Solo Phantom variant
There is also an exclusive cover sold at the Wondercon Anaheim 2013 event.
Star Wars: Legacy #1c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (March 2013) 1st appearance of Ania Solo Wondercon Anaheim 2013 exclusive
The Star Wars Celebration 2017 took place in Orlando, Florida from April 13 - 16. Tate's Comics locate in Florida had an exclusive Rogue One: A Star Wars Story #1 cover for the event. The Director Krennic action figure art is by John Tyler Christopher, who has provided the artwork for all the Star Wars action figures covers to date.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story #1i - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 2017) Tate's Comics exclusive
This is Tate's Comics 3rd Star Wars exclusive cover and their first from Marvel.
When I first saw the art for the AT-AT Commander action figure cover to Star Wars #30, I thought the character looked a lot like a young Jared Harris, best known for playing the reserved Englishman Lane Pryce on Mad Men.
Star Wars #30b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (April 2017) action figure variantJared Harris
Despite the similarities to Jared Harris, the action figure cover is taken from a photo of the actual actor who portrayed General Veers, Julian Glover. Julian Glover recently played Grand Maester Pycell on the Game of Thrones.
The Walt Disney Company is a vast media and entertainment conglomerate that acquired Marvel Comics in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012. When the Star Wars comic license was awarded to Marvel in 2015, nobody was surprised. What has been surprising, however, is how few Disney exclusive comics have been published in the Star Wars line in the two and a half years Marvel has held the license. Despite having amusement parks, stores, and other outlets for selling comics, Disney has only had four Star Wars exclusives, all for the Star Wars: Vader Down #1 one-shot. In comparison, the number of exclusive Star Wars toys sold at their parks is enormous, ranging from static figurines, to Droid Factory action figures, die-cast action figures, plush characters, and more. One can only imagine when the Star Wars-themed expansion opens in the Disney parks, even more exclusives will be introduced and maybe there will be a comic or two in the offering.
In January 2015 Star Wars #1 was released with 71 different covers and went back to print 6 more times bringing the total number of covers to 77. And that is not including additional cover artwork published by Panini Comics! The next modern Star Wars comic to have a large number of covers is Vader Down #1 with 44 variant and exclusive covers! The Vader Down story arc was released during the buildup to The Force Awakens premiere, which helped contribute to the fervor. Several Disney outlets had exclusive covers to offer at the time.
The Disney Parks exclusive is an image of Darth Vader holding his lit lightsaber while Rebel troops amass in the background and X-Wing Fighters fly overhead. I am not sure if this comic was actually distributed at Disney Parks, but it was sold at the online Disney Store.
Star Wars: Vader Down #1ad - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 2015) Disney Parks exclusive
Built in 1926, the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood at first showed live plays, but by the 1940s, it began screening movies. In 1980, Disney acquired the theatre which they renovated and began using for Walt Disney Studio film premieres. The El Capitan Theatre showed The Force Awakens from December 18, 2015 through February 7, 2016. Movie goers who purchased the VIP comic book admission would get a reserved seat, popcorn, drink, and one of two Vader Down #1 El Capitan Theatre exclusive comics. Cover A shows C-3PO and R2-D2 being fired on by BT-1 with 0-0-0 no doubt urging him on. Cover B is a montage with Luke Skywalker standing ready with his lightsaber and an image of Darth Vader piloting his TIE Fighter. Surrounding Luke are several X-Wing Fighters attacking Vader's TIE.
Star Wars: Vader Down #1ae - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2015) El Capitan Theatre exclusive AStar Wars: Vader Down #1af - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2015) El Capitan Theatre exclusive B
Next to the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood is the Disney Studio Store & Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop. On December 13, 2015, Todd Nauck attending the Disney Studio Store Pin Trading Event at the location and signed an exclusive black and white variant of the C-3PO and R2-D2 cover that El Capitan Theatre had in color.
Todd Nauck signing announcement/ Todd Nauck at eventStar Wars: Vader Down #1ag - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2015) Disney Studios Store & Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop exclusive
All of these comics are easily found. The Disney Parks and El Capitan Theatre exclusives list for $10 to $20 on eBay. The Disney Studios Store & Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop exclusive is usually $100 to $125 in NM condition. Most of the copies are signed by Todd Nauck, but a few copies did make it out unsigned. This was the last cover for the Vader Down #1 I acquired to complete the set since I held out for a copy without a signature.
Distri Editora published a translation of the Return of the Jedi adaptation for Portuguese readers in 1983. The magazine is very similar to the U.S. Marvel Super Special #27 including the back and front cover art and the paper quality of the cover and interior color pages. The inside covers are blank. The title is simply O Regresso de Jedi.
O Regresso De Jedi a - Distri Editora, Portugal (1983) contains Marvel Super Special #27O Regresso De Jedi a - Distri Editora, Portugal (1983) back cover
The indicia is located on the back cover of this magazine instead of the interior.
The cover for this magazine format is easily damaged due to the slick nature of the paper and the use of only two staples. It is not uncommon to see Marvel Super Special issues with the covers detached at one or both staples. Finding a nice condition copy of a magazine using this format from a country with a relatively small population like Portugal (in 1983 there were less than 10 million people) is not an easy task. Despite the rough condition of the copy I own, the cover is firmly attached at both staples.
Dino Verlag published Star Wars comics in Germany from June 1999 until it was acquired by Panini Comics in 2003. The Dino name continued to be used on the Star Wars comics until January 2007 and afterwards the Panini name is used. The main Star Wars title ran for 125 issue from June 1999 to September 2015. It contains a variety of Dark Horse titles translated for German readers.
Dino Verlag's Star Wars (1999) #1 contains German translations of Dark Horse's Star Wars: Vader's Quest #1 and Star Wars (1998) #1.
Star Wars #1a - Dino Verlag, Germany (June 1999)
The cover used is from Star Wars: Vader's Quest #1.
The last issue before the events in the Return of the Jedi, Star Wars #80 delivers a gut-wrenching end to our heroes pursuit of Tay Vanis, the Rebel operator who had gone missing with Bothan tapes vital to the Alliance. The story Ellie starts with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and C-3PO posing as traders in an Imperial installation on an unnamed planet. Realizing Tay Vanis is not there, they ask a manifest droid, LE914 or Ellie, about Tay Vanis' next destination. Ellie searches the computers which triggers an alarm, attracting Imperial Stormtroopers. Luke, Leia, C-3PO, and Ellie escape a firefight and flee outside into the rain, leave the area aboard the Millennium Falcon. Ellie directs Luke and Leia to a castle that belong to the previous inhabitants of the planet before the Empire wiped them out. On the way to the castle, they discover Vanis' crashed X-Wing and hear a recording left by him explaining he is being pursued by Imperials and has instructed his long time companion, Ellie, to destroy the tapes if he does not return. While the Rebels were watching the recording, Ellie has fled. Surprised by Ellie's disappearance, Luke and Leia decide to infiltrate the castle to find Vanis. Inside, they capture an Imperial officer who directs them to Tay Vanis' cell. Upon opening the cell door, a holographic recording left by Darth Vader for Luke explains he had captured Vanis and he knew Luke would be the one to follow the path. Inside the cell, Tay Vanis is alive, but a broken man. Distraught, Luke and Leia discuss their next course of action:
Princess Leia:All this time, while we've search for him... not even the Empire knowing where he was... Vader had him... and was doing... this. Luke Skywalker:Vader... that's it. Forget the mission. We cannot leave Vanis here like this. He's still... he's still a person. Maybe... maybe with medical attention... if we bring him back to the fleet... Just so we... get him out of here...
Just then, Ellie enters the cell and makes the decision for them:
Ellie:Look at... what is left of him. Do you think that saving his life would be a kindness? He was... a very great trouble to the Empire, many times. Do you think Darth Vader left him alive... as a kindness?
As she finishes, Ellie hands the tapes to C-3PO. Luke, Leia, and C-3PO depart the cell at Ellie's request and cradling Vanis' broken body, Ellie self-destructs. Luke and Leia blow up the castle and contact Admiral Ackbar letting him know they have recovered the tapes. The final panel shows C-3PO standing in the rain looking like he is crying.
The story is powerful, showing just how evil the Empire is and how cruel Vader can be. These types of stories are essential to reaffirming the Rebels as heroes and not a group of terrorist.
After Vader's horrible treatment of Vanis, it is hard to believe Luke feels he can redeem him in Return of the Jedi!
The Bothan tapes Luke and Leia recover are for the second Death Star. Later on, the Expanded Universe tells a different story about how the tapes were obtained and eventually both stories are reconciled as occurring in continuity.
Star Wars #80b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (February 1984)
The scene on the cover for Star Wars #80 combines two elements of the story, the holographic image of Darth Vader and Ellie holding Tay Vanis. It is one of my favorite covers of the original Star Wars run. The positioning of Vader over a portion of the title makes it look like he is wearing a Nazi helmet with the spike on top.
Titans #81a - Editions Lug, France (October 1985) Star Wars #80
The cover for Titans #81 does not match the story inside. On the cover, Luke is wearing his Bespin fatigues and Leia is dressed in her A New Hope gown. Inside the comic, both are wearing the green outfits they wear on Endor. The main movie characters from the story are all present on the cover and in the story Luke does strike down several Stormtroopers with his lightsaber. Also, Leia has her hair in buns on the cover and inside, something that rarely occurs in the comics after The Empire Strikes Back.
The Titans #81 cover art does not capture the emotional impact of the story and I could not recognize the story from this artwork. Additionally, the painted work is decent, but not nearly as nice as some of the other French covers. On the other hand, the U.S. cover captures the essence of the story.
![](https://i.imgur.com/xJ4ICY3.jpg")
