COMIC BOOK COVER OF THE WEEK

COMIC BOOK COVER OF THE WEEK

Welcome back!  Last week, we started a new feature on this blog, whereas I take one comic book cover, and discuss that issue, and the impact it had on the industry.  This week, we head to the galaxy far, far away.  With the final installment of Star Wars coming up on December 20th, I felt it appropriate to tap into a comic that I grew up reading, and it fits the theme rather well.  We harken back to the late 1970's, and Marvel Comics' original run of the Star Wars comic. So, let's take a look at, what I believe, is one of the most pivotal books of the long and storied history of the sci-fi/fantasy story.

STAR WARS #7

Cover Tagline:  All new! Han Solo and Chewbacca on a world the law forgot!

WRITER:  Roy Thomas & Howard Chaykin

ARTIST:  Howard Chaykin, Frank Springer (finishes)

INKS:  Frank Springer

COLORS:  Carl Gafford

LETTERS:  Joe Rosen

EDITOR: Roy Thomas

COVER:  Gil Kane

COVER DATE:  January 1978

PUBLISHER:  Archie Goodwin, Marvel Comics

STORY TITLE:  "New Planets, New Perils"

Star Wars #7 was the first step on a new journey for our heroes.  After acquiring the rights from Lucasfilm to publish a monthly series, Marvel adapted the hit film in the first six issues of the series' run.  Issue #7 is where we get our first original story outside of the movie.  In what became known as the "Expanded Universe", this was the first book to tackle the world George Lucas created, and create new adventures. It's a great chance for writer Roy Thomas and artist Howard Chaykin to stretch beyond the movie, and bring their own ideas to the story (albeit with approval from Lucas).  They hit the mark by giving us an instant adventure with Han Solo and Chewbacca, and what happens to them as they try to pay off Jabba the Hutt.  We get introduced to new characters such as Crimson Jack, and sets up a storyline with Han and Chewie for the next couple of issues.  Meanwhile, we get mention of Luke and Leia off to find a new base for the Alliance, because---knowing the Empire---they'll come back to this base and destroy them. 

THE STORY:   We get to see what happens just after the Rebel Alliance's huge victory over the Empire with the destruction of the Death Star.  This issue has our smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca bidding farewell to Luke and Leia, as he heads back to Tatooine to pay off Jabba the Hutt with the reward he obtained from the Alliance for his rescue of Princess Leia, and for his assistance in taking down the Death Star.  But, knowing the luck of Han and Chewie, they hit a snag on their trip when they're attacked by space pirates led by the charismatic Crimson Jack and his motley crew.  Deprived of their reward, the duo lay low on a planet on the outskirts, and end up in a fight with other spacers over the burial of a cyborg in a sacred graveyard.  

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This was a great issue.  A brand new adventure for our heroes, and the universe was the limit.  Thomas and Chaykin craft a great story featuring our smuggling duo.  It doesn't take long for Han and Chewie to find trouble, and we get introduced to Crimson Jack, who fits right into the Star Wars mythos at the time.  Having to lie low, Han and Chewie think they have it easy until they get embroiled in a spat between spacers and a bug priest who was looking to bury a cyborg in a sacred graveyard for fallen spacers.  Also, they end up getting approached by a  trio of men who are seeking help against a threat to them.  It's great to see Han and Chewie get into one scrape, only to fall into another unexpectedly.  Trouble seems to find them two, and it's great to see them find a way out of it.  Chaykin's art is a little looser this issue, as with the previous six, where he was trying to stay true to the facial characteristics of the characters...which isn't easy to do.  But in this issue, he starts giving his own interpretation.  It's far from perfect art (not sure Springer's inks really helped), but outside of that, it was clear, and told the story well.  

The very cool thing about this series, is that Dark Horse Comics published this entire series (which ran 107 issues between 1977-1986), in a trade collection of 7 books.  Omitted was the adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.  But it gives you the entire series' run in a better format.  Even though the Expanded Universe is now non-canon, it makes everything done in this series irrelevant, but if you're still a fan of the Expanded Universe, I highly recommend getting the entire run in this form.  Dark Horse and Marvel do a great job in presentation.  And, in case you're wondering WHY Dark Horse published this run, it's because, at the time, Dark Horse still held the rights to publish new Star Wars material.  That has now been reverted to Marvel, because Disney bought Lucasfilm, and they own Marvel Comics.  I had fun with this series, and I feel everyone who wrote and illustrated this series did so as well.