The collector's edition of the Star Wars: A New Hope Cinestory Comic contains the same 376 pages of story the standard edition does plus 33 pages of extra content. This edition is priced at $29.99 and has a hardcover instead of a softcover. It was published by Joe Books in November 2017, a month after the standard edition.
Star Wars: A New Hope Cinestory Comic Collector's Edition a - Joe Books, U.S. (November 2017)
For Star Wars #7 - 12, Mile High Comics commissioned interlocking covers drawn by Mike McKone. The covers showcase several spaceships from the original trilogy with the Death Star as the backdrop.
Star Wars #7f - Marvel Comics, U.S. (July 2015) Mile High Comics exclusiveStar Wars #8e - Marvel Comics, U.S. (August 2015) Mile High Comics exclusiveStar Wars #9d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (September 2015) Mile High Comics exclusiveStar Wars #10d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (October 2015) Mile High Comics exclusiveStar Wars #11d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 2015) Mile High Comics exclusiveStar Wars #12d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (November 2015) Mile High Comics exclusive
In Bazarre from Star Wars #59, Luke and Lando are on a mission for the Rebel Alliance to purchase TIE Fighters from Orion Ferret on the station Bazarre. Chewbacca is left behind with Ferret to ensure there is no double crossing while Luke and Lando take one of Ferret's pre-programmed shuttles to the disposal planet Patch-4 where the fighters are located. On Patch-4, Luke and Lando depart the shuttle to retrieve the spaceships when they are attacked by a Watchbeast left by Ferret. The giant worm-like creature is impervious to blasters and succeeds in cutting off Luke and Lando from the safety of their shuttle. They try to contact Ferret without success and are lured into a cave where they meet Serja Kesselrook and other inhabitants of the garbage world. Refugees from the Empire, the group explains that Ferret's shuttle has a sonic pacifier that can be used to control the Watchbeast.
Meanwhile, on Bazarre, Ferret entraps Chewbacca in a rock-hard crystal. Back on Patch-4, Luke devises a plan to bury the Watchbeast with the help of Lando and Serja's group. When the beast is buried, Luke races to the shuttle as the creature emerges from the muck and Lando and the others believe Luke himself is buried and killed. On Bazarre, Chewbacca breaks free from the crystal enclosure while Ferret runs away. Lando is firing on the Watchbeast on Patch-4 and we learn that Luke ducked out of the way of the monster. Luke makes it to the shuttle as Lando fires more shots. When the creature lies motionless, Lando believe he fired the greatest shot ever that takes down the beast, but we learn that Luke activated the sonic pacifier. Ferret is prepared to escape Bazarre aboard a spacecraft, but Chewbacca takes out the craft with one shot from his bowcaster. Chewbacca pulls Ferret from the wreckage and is about to kill him when Luke and Lando arrive, successful in retrieving the TIE Fighters. They left the sonic pacifier with Serja's people and depart Bazarre in the Millennium Falcon towing the TIE Fighters, leaving Ferret behind on the station.
Star Wars #59a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (May 1982) NewsstandStar Wars #59b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (May 1982) Direct
Orion Ferret is one of several associates of Lando's we meet in the original Marvel run. Real life ferrets are related to weasels and Orion Ferret lives up to the name, not only in his actions during the story, but in his appearance. He is a tall, slender human with a gaunt face. He is dressed in an over-sized suit and much of his interaction with Chewy is played for laughs.
The Freedon Nadd Uprising is a two issue mini-series that continues from the first Tales of the Jedi series. In the first two issues of the original mini-series, Jedi Master Arca and his apprentices Ulic Qel-Droma, Cay Qel-Droma, and Tott Doneeta defeat Queen Amanoa, who was influenced by the spirit of the dark Jedi Freedon Nadd. Onderon is uniting under the rule of Queen Galia of the walled city of Iziz and Beast-Lord Oron Kira.
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Freedon Nadd Uprising #1a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (August 1994)
Despite their victory, Arca senses the strong presence of the dark side on Onderon and Jedi Oss Wilum is summoned. Oss arrives just as Arca is moving Freedon Nadd's body off world to the Dxun moon due to the dark side presence and an uprising by Freedon Nadd loyalists. As the bodies of Freedon Nadd and Queen Amanoa are escorted to the spaceport, the procession is attacked by Naddists piloting a subterranean vehicle and the bodies are taken underground. Wanting answers, the Jedi, Galia, and Oron visits Queen Galia's father, King Ommin, at a medical facility to learn he is under the influence of Freedon Nadd. At the facility, a fight breaks out again with Naddists and Jedi Master Arca is capture by King Ommin. As Arca is take away, Freedon Nadd's spirit tells Ulic: "Fight well young Jedi -- A great destiny awaits you!" foretelling of Ulic's fall to the dark side. The remaining Jedi, Galia, and Oron escape the facility to learn the Iziz palace is captured by Naddists so they flee the walled city to the citadel of Oron's father, Modon Kira.
Meanwhile, on the Jedi stronghold planet Ossus, Jedi Master Thon and his apprentice Nomi Sunrider and her daughter Vima meet with Jedi Master Vodo. Nomi constructs a lightsaber and receives training as a Jedi. When the Jedi on Ossus learn of Jedi Master Arca's fall, five Jedi are selected to go to Onderon: Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, Qrrrl Toq, Kith Kark, and Nomi Sunrider.
On Coruscant, the Republic Senate debates how to handle the Onderon situation while two dark side followers and heirs to the throne of the Empress Teta system, Satal Keto and cousin Aleema, enter a museum containing dark side artifacts. They learn the Sith civilization died out and along with the Sith, the Dark Lords have disappeared. They steal a Sith book and learn the Senate has decided to dispatch a fleet to Onderon to quell the uprising. Satal and Aleema decide to go to Onderon as well to learn the secrets of the Sith book.
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi - The Freedon Nadd Uprising #2a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (September 1994)
Satal and Aleema arrive on Onderon while the Republic forces are attacking Iziz. Their ship, Krath Enchanter, is hit in the crossfire and they crash in the city.
As the Republic forces take Iziz, the Jedi dispatched from Ossus attack forces that are laying siege to Modon Kira's citadel. In the attack Kith Kark dies while the other Jedi wonder why the Jedi held up in the citadel are not fighting. Ulic, Cay, Oss, and Tott do eventually emerge from the citadel to join fray now that the overwhelming dark side energy is slightly dissipated due to the presence of the other Jedi. Nomi Sunrider is mysteriously overwhelmed by the strong dark side energy but recovers. The Jedi decide to move against the main threat, King Ommin.
Back in Iziz, Satal and Aleema seek out someone to help unlock the secrets of Sith book. They are taken by Naddists to the subterranean lair of King Ommin. Ommin gives them a talisman that concentrates the power of dark side allowing Satal to read the ancient book. The Jedi attack the lair defeating Ommin and his followers. Satal and Aleema retreat, retrieving the Sith book and two Sith swords, guided by the spirit of Freedon Nadd. As Master Arca is freed, Freedon Nadd's spirit warns: "The Jedi have not won today ... as you will one day learn -- the Jedi have lost!" In the aftermath of the defeat of the Naddists on Onderon, the bodies of Freedon Nadd, Queen Amanoa and King Ommin are shipped to Dxun Moon where they are entombed.
The Tales of the Jedi mini-series are fast paced and packed with story as exemplified by this mini-series. These two issues have so much content, today it would be decompressed and told over two six issue story arcs. Almost twenty five years after these issues originally were published they hold up really well. The continuity between the various mini-series is tight and I find these stories of the Jedi 4000 years before the battle of Yavin a terrific addition to the Star Wars lore. I love the continuity and foreshadowing of Ulic Qel-Droma's fall and, despite their Legend's status, I highly recommend them to Star Wars comic fans.
Marvel published The Storms of Crait in December 2017 to coincide with the release of The Last Jedi movie. (The C-3PO one-shot that came out in April 2016 was suppose to be released in December 2015 when The Force Awakens opened in theaters.) Conceptually, the idea for the comic is interesting; it involves the heroes of the original trilogy visiting the planet Crait that is featured in the sequel movie.
The story opens with the Rebel fleet being attacked by Imperials. The fleet jumps away to rendezvous at the planet Baraan Fa, where Princess Leia and Mon Mothma discuss finding a more permanent base of operations. Leia proposed the abandoned mining planet Crait based on a lead from one of her father's friends named Trusk Berinato. Mon Mothma agrees to let Leia lead an expedition to Crait and Leia places Luke Skywalker in charge of the mission. On Crait the team, which includes Leia, Luke, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Wedge Antilles, and other members of Red Squadron, meet with Trusk who takes them on a tour of the abandoned mining facilities. Afterwards, Luke is task with clearing an area and performing an environmental assessment. Luke and Wedge come across some dead bodies and race back to camp to inform the others. At camp, Leia and Trusk are talking and Leia tells Trusk she knows this is a trap and he is working for the Empire but she wants Trusk to do the right thing. Han is understandably upset that Leia knowingly led them into a trap when Luke arrives at camp to inform them about a salt storm that killed the people he and Wedge came across and another approaching salt storm. As the Rebels depart to their ships, SCAR Squadron appears and a fight ensues. Luke and Red Squadron stays behind to give the Han, Leia, and Chewy a chance to make it to the Millennium Falcon. At the Falcon, Trusk appears holding a blaster and tells Leia he was going to be richly paid if the entire Rebel fleet came but she ruined that. Meanwhile Luke faces off with Sergeant Kreel and he and Red Squadron easily beat SCAR Squadron. Back at the Falcon, Han is shot by Trusk and Leia shoots and disarms Trusk. The Rebels leave the planet and Leia contacts Mon Mothma to inform her the mission was unsuccessful.
Star Wars: The Storms of Crait #1a - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2017)Star Wars: The Storms of Crait #1b - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2017)Star Wars: The Storms of Crait #1c - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2017)Star Wars: The Storms of Crait #1d - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December 2017) Zing exclusive
The artist Mike Mayhew has provided several decent covers for Marvel's Star Wars line and the art inside is mostly nice, although I do not like that the main characters' faces rely heavily on photo references. To me, it looks like these faces are not part of the original artwork. It is distracting and ... ugly. This has been a problem on the main title and it is unfortunate this style is used here.
This is a decent story, but there are some problems. When Leia and Mon Mothma are talking on Baraan Fa, Mon Mothma is not interested in expending resources on finding a permanent hidden base. This doesn't make sense as more resources must be spend constantly moving the Rebellion around from planet to planet. Luke is disappointed with being the lead on this mission because he feels he was only picked due to his background as a farmer and makes several snide comments about it during the story. Yet, as he faces off with Kreel he gives an uncharacteristic speech about how tough farmers are. Luke and Wedge discover dune worms, learn there are water deposits that are drying up, and they race off on ski speeders on a hunch before coming across the dead bodies. I've read the scene several times and I do not understand how Luke found these bodies on a whim, knew the people died from a salt storm, or that another storm was coming. It is never explained how Leia knows meeting with Trusk is a trap and why, knowing this, she allows them to setup camp so far from their ships. (It does give the reader an opportunity to see the original trilogy heroes fly the ski speeders that Poe Dameron, Finn, and Rose Tico fly on Crait however. ) Was Trusk a friend of her father's or not? It does not seem like Trusk ever truly liked her father. Another issue is Trusk beats them back to their ships even though the Rebels are in a hurry and Luke and Red Squadron stay behind to handle SCAR Squadron, so Leia, Han, and Chewy were never delayed during the trip. Additionally, what happens to Trusk at the end? Did the Rebels leave him behind on Crait? When I read an issue like this, I really miss the days when a comic had captions that helped the flow of a story. I believe, with a few well placed captions, many of these problems could be fixed.
My final issue with this story is how SCAR Squadron is handled. I like SCAR Squadron, or rather, I like the concept of a squad of elite Stormtroopers like SCAR Squadron. In too many of their appearances, they are too easily defeated and this story is no exception. As soon as these troops land and pursue our heroes, the Stormtrooper with the flight pack is taken out by Chewbacca. Luke faces off with Kreel (whose lightsaber is activated before he even leaves their shuttle) and the dune worms help Luke defeat him easily. Wedge and the rest of Red Squadron triumph without much of a fight as well. We know SCAR Squadron survives the ordeal because toward the end Wedge says "SCAR Squadron managed to limp away with their lives, but we gotta go." By treating them this way, any dread the reader should have when they appear evaporates. Why have them constantly survive encounters with our heroes if they don't pose any threat?
The lead story in this digest-sized Indonesian comic features Spider-Woman and is titled Mr. Grinder. The cover is from Spider-Woman #38 which has a cover date of June 1981.
Spider-Woman: Mr. Grinder a - Yayasan Karya Bhakti Bandung, Indonesia (1980s) contains Star Wars: Di Balik Tabung Pengamat
The last story in this comic is a Star Wars tale titled Di Balik Tabung Pengamat or Behind the Observer Tube. It is the same content from the comic with the story's title.
Star Wars: Di Balik Tabung Pengamat a - Yayasan Karya Bhakti Bandung, Indonesia (1980s)
Both Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Boba Fett #1 and Star Wars: Age of Rebellion - Han Solo #1 are going back to print. Second prints will be available June 12th.
