This past weekend's big to-do in the theaters was Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy". (No... I've NOT seen it, yet! This was a busy yard work and interview-location-finding weekend with my girlfriend. But next weekend, we shall be seeing the sights of the cosmic Marvel Universe!) Couple the fact that a new Space Opera has captured the nation's attentions, and that Marvel's partnership with Disney has led to a unique re-pairing of one of Marvel's former properties, I just had to give my thoughts on the return home of the comics that first saw printed life at Marvel. A long time ago, in a galaxy far away...
Before I go much further into the subject, I wish to refer my readers to
Two True Freaks. Aside from finding a VAST assortment of shows for you to explore, all of which are of great fun, you will find a specific podcast called "Star Wars Monthly Mondays", which goes into EXTREME detail over the Marvel initial print run of "Star Wars" comics. Please give it a shot, because it helped rekindle my interest in the series. ... Well, that, and the Dark Horse graphic novel reprint series, "Star Wars: A Long Time Ago".
Aside from the obvious comic connections through Marvel, Dark Horse, Boom Studios... and even Blackthorn Publishing. (If you can find those original 3D issues, good on you!), that first George Lucas "Star Wars" feature was as if a comic book we never even KNEW existed came to life before our eyes. And that isn't an unfair comparison to make, because Lucas so much as admitted that a wealth of comic book lore influenced "Star Wars". As long as I've been alive, "Star Wars" has been a part of my life along with comic books. I was TOLD by my parents I did at least accompany them as a wee toddler for a screening of "Empire Strikes Back", but I KNOW I went to the theaters to see "Return of the Jedi". And whenever we rented VHS tapes, I had to be referred to other tapes to AVOID renting the "Star Wars" trilogy over and over AND OVER AGAIN.
Now as for my comics experience with "Star Wars", I came into the Marvel run at its very last issue. NO JOKE! My one time of buying a single "Star Wars" comic between 1978 and 1986 was the time it withered on the vine, and I had to wait until Timothy Zahn reinvigorated the expanded universe in 1991 to start dipping into the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, R2D2, C3PO... etc. But until Dark Horse started unearthing the past adventures of the "Star Warriors" under Marvel's ownership, their creations were looked down upon. They weren't considered "canon". And while basically ALL of the "Expanded Universe" is invalidated now, with a new "Star Wars" movie is on the horizon, I wanted to give the Marvel "Star Wars" run some personal highlight mentions, and showcase that the series really WAS a lot of fun, and true to the spirit of the films.
"Star Wars #7": After the six issue movie adaptation was finished, Archie Goodwin crafted a story featuring what Han Solo and Chewbacca were up to, after the Death Star was destroyed. And for a story arc, the smuggler duo found themselves on Aduba-3, engaging in a clever "Seven Samurai" tribute story where they have to assemble a group of fellow rogues to defend an beleaguered village from bandits. ... And also fight a mystic planetary monster. For YEARS this story got crapped on, because of the somewhat unusual nature of some of the rogues. A mentally unstable Jedi Knight named Don-Juan Qeehotay? And can people EVER let go of Jaxor, the rough and tumble humanoid emerald rabbit? (If they can't, they have NO EXCUSE to excuse Rocket Raccoon from similar scrutiny.) I recently re-read this initial after-the-movie arc, and it was fast-paced fun and excitement, not worthy of ANYWHERE near the derision it has received.
"Star Wars #16": People think Boba Fett was pretty awesome for a bounty hunter, right? HIGHLY negligible. All he did was pick up a Han-sicle, aim poorly at Luke Skywalker, whine about being paid, and got killed in an embarrassing fashion on Tatooine by a BLIND Han Solo. Galaxy's best bounty hunter, my rear end... But before Boba became a "thing", the Marvel "Star Wars" comics saw three key appearances by Valance the Hunter. A bounty hunter SO cool, he had his own posse. I won't give away the twist for Valance's intense hatred for droids, or his fixation on Luke Skywalker, but those threads do pay off, and for Valance's last appearance, he got to go head-to-head with Darth Vader! Not bad for an unsung bounty hunter that wasn't just an overrated "bounty delivery boy".
"Star Wars #33": This was hardly the first issue we were introduced to the scheming Tagge family. They were an intergalactic merchant family that did serve under the Empire, but secretly they were planning an OVERTHROW of the Empire. It traced back to a brother of the clan being killed by Darth Vader, and another brother... who was a former Jedi... being blinded by Vader during the Purge. But while the Tagges weren't friends of the Empire, they at least both saw the Rebellion as a threat to their ambitions, and so the Tagge family members and the Rebels did clash more than a handful of times. One GREAT thing about the Marvel "Star Wars" series is that, with Baron Tagge and a few other examples, the universe was expanded to show that some Jedis DID survive the Emperor's order of execution. And that gave Luke Skywalker another person to clash lightsabers with, on occasion. Plus, the Tagge sister... A red-head, and hot. Need I say more?
"Star Wars #68": You'd think I wouldn't even get the Fett-ster the time of day after my ranting about him in the Valance issue, right? You'd be wrong, because this is one of TWO direct tie-ins to the formerly thought-of Mandalorian soldier turned bounty hunter, because this issue gave us a peak at the Mandalorian culture when we met a fellow armored warrior, Fenn Shysa. This also begins our look at a period in the "Star Wars" comic, where there were a LOT of stories that featured the post "Empire Strikes Back" search for Han Solo. Oh sure, there were key missions that were important to the Rebellion to be achieved, but let's face it; without Han Solo, you're just stuck with Dash Rendar. ... And that ain't much good. But before we were given the detailed past of Boba Fett in the future, this story arc gave us tantalizing peeks into the past of the galactic frozen body delivery boy, and how the Mandalorians were involved with the Clone Wars and the Empire. Fun all around!
"Star Wars #83": The Marvel series made sure Lando Calrissian was MORE than just the former administrator of Cloud City who betrayed Han Solo... and later destroyed the second Death Star over Endor. This series gave Lando MANY memorable adventures, not just with himself, but with the other "Star Warriors". I sadly grabbed the wrong cover image, but one two-parter I HEARTILY recommend you all read, involves Lando returning to the Imperial-controlled Cloud City. We get to revisit one of my favorite "Star Wars" locations, we get to see Lando highlighted as a capable solo man of action, AND we actually get some characterization for Lobot, the cyber-earphone dude from "Empire Strikes Back"! You rock, Lando, and you deserve all the lady love the universe has to offer. Just keep those Colt 45's flowing!
"Star Wars #72": This was part of a two-part story that featured Luke and Lando teaming up to follow up on a lead on Han Solo's carbonized whereabouts. They DO find a body in carbonation, and they DO find a carbonite freezing pit... but neither have anything to do with Han Solo! They are involved with a desperate group of rogues... including the introduction of the Zeltrons as a "Star Wars" race, who were predominantly red-skinned female humanoids that LOVED to be loved, baby. This arc ALSO brought back some of the other bounty hunters Darth Vader gathered to find the Millennium Falcon in "Empire Strikes Back", proving that they WEREN'T just hanging around to be insulted by Captain Piett or sell more action figures.
"Star Wars #81": I remember this issue fondly as a fun follow-up on "Return of the Jedi". Han Solo finds that the Rebellion hasn't forgotten some of his questionable past, even after he helped deal a fatal blow to the Empire. We have a little bit more of an Endor planetary sequence. But the main crux of the issue involves an amnesiac Boba Fett being captured by the Jawas, who think he's actually a droid. The confrontation that ensues SHOULD have been the final word on Boba Fett... But alas, some people in the Expanded Universe refused to let the over-rated die. Oh well, we still got a story that helped tie up some loose ends in the movie continuity!
"Star Wars #88": My final example shows how, even after "Return of the Jedi", the editorial staff at Marvel had some valiant attempts to help fill the void of Darth Vader and the Empire. Case in point; a former Imperial spy named Shira Brie, who tried to make-nice with Luke Skywalker... until she tried to OFF him in a mission. She was thought destroyed, but was recovered... and rebuilt... by Darth Vader. (You'd think he would remember how much life apparently sucked being "more machine than man", but maybe that worked differently for WOMEN?) Shira also was later revealed to have Force sensitivity, and from the ashes of the empire, Shira became her own threat. What was REALLY cool about Shira Brie was years after the disappearance of the Marvel "Star Wars" series, she returned to the Expanded Universe in the "Legacy of the Force" novel series.
So, hopefully you enjoyed hearing about some coverage of the Marvel "Star Wars" legacy. I couldn't begin to cover EVERYTHING from the series, because I might have to devote a whole month of blogs to that endeavor. Needless to say, all of the series has been collected in four omnibi from Dark Horse, and Marvel has announced that its "Star Wars" run will receive the hardcover omnibus treatment. As if that weren't enough, in 2015 Marvel will begin publishing its own "Star Wars" series, again. Nice to know that after 37 years, the Force is still with the House of Ideas!
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