The "main" cover to Star Wars #1, which has many, many variant covers. Copyright Marvel Entertainment Inc.
The "main" cover to Darth Vader #1, which will also have many variant covers, coming in February. Copyright Marvel Entertainment Inc.
The "main" cover to Princess Leia #1, which will also have many variant covers, coming in March. Copyright Marvel Entertainment Inc.
By Andrew A. Smith
Tribune Content Agency
Star Wars is coming home. Not at the movies, but in the comics.
On Jan. 14, Marvel released Star Wars #1, a new series set right after the first movie, the one released in 1977 (which is now, chronologically, the fourth – and retitled Star Wars IV: A New Hope). So the book will feature Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, R2-D2 and the ragtag rebel fleet fresh off the destruction of the Death Star (the first one).
Long-time comics fans may have a sense of déjà vu, because this has happened before.
In 1977, Marvel Comics had only one licensed property in its stable, Conan the Barbarian, brought to Marvel (and initially written by) comics legend Roy Thomas. “Conan” was selling pretty well at the time, so Thomas suggested another license, an adaptation of a sci-fi movie called “Star Wars” – which nobody had yet seen.
“Roy Thomas brought [Star Wars] to Marvel, and he had to push a little bit to get them to do it,” writer/editor Archie Goodwin said in Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of of the World’s Greatest Comics, written by the late Les Daniels. “He met with [George] Lucas, and I guess their idea was to put out the comic book prior to the movie’s opening to build some interest. Eventually they made a deal that was incredibly favorable to Marvel, because Lucas really wanted to get the promotion going.”
“Favorable” is putting it mildly. “The Star Wars people didn't ask for any money for the adaptation,” Thomas told io9.com in 2011. “I went with it because it was free. They might have asked for money for the rights when they first approached Marvel and were turned down. By the time they came to me, money wasn't a big factor – they either wanted the book done (on our terms) or they were not going to get the book done.”
Lucas’ only stipulation, according to io9, was that the first two issues come out before the movie release. Given the lead time necessary for comics – generally about three months – Thomas, as writer, and artist Howard Chaykin were working from an advance script. That meant, happily, that the six-issue adaptation of the movie included scenes cut from the final film.
Even more happily, Star Wars #1 sold like vaporizers on Tattooine. If you include reprints and other accounting tricks, the issue sold more than a million copies, the first book to do so since the industry’s early days. Faster than you can say “there is no try, there is only do,” the six-issue adaptation of “Star Wars” the movie turned into the first six issues of “Star Wars” the ongoing monthly comic book. Lucas had some pretty big restrictions on what Marvel could do – no Darth Vader, for example – but Star Wars still went on to 107 issues of, admittedly, uneven quality.
By uneven quality, you may assume I’m talking about Jaxxon, a six-foot, anthropomorphic green rabbit Thomas created as an homage to Bugs Bunny. Reportedly, Lucas disliked Jaxxon – which is saying something, given that Lucas would go on to create Jar-Jar Binks.
Anyway, Marvel’s Star Wars ended in 1986, and only two years later Dark Horse Comics latched onto the Star Wars license. From 1988 through 2014, Dark Horse released a great many Star Wars comics, set in all periods of the franchise’s timeline, often with some interesting and credible original creations.
So what happened? Here’s a hint: The Walt Disney Co. bought both Marvel Entertainment Inc. (2009) and LucasFilm (2012). With both properties under one roof, why wouldn’t Disney take advantage of the synergy? As soon as Dark Horse’s contract was up, the Star Wars comic-book franchise reverted to the House of Mouse, where Marvel Comics awaited. (Insert your own “evil empire” joke here.)
And for the new Star Wars #1, Marvel is pulling out all the stops. For example, there are reportedly more than 100 variant covers for the first issue. Now, most of those are specific to comic shops who buy more than 3,000 copies, according to bleedingcool.com, but at least a dozen will be in general release.
Also, Marvel sponsored launch parties Jan. 14 at participating comic shops. Needless to say, one of the perks of such a party is a variant cover – as it happens, one with a six-foot, anthropomorphic green rabbit. Other items in the “Star Wars Launch Party Kit” include invitational postcards, promotional pins, cake toppers and lithographs.
“Brand new Star Wars comics featuring some of the biggest names in comics deserve the red carpet treatment,” said Marvel SVP Sales & Marketing David Gabriel, in a widely distributed press release. “We’re committed to making sure our valued retail partners have everything they need to engage regular customers and new fans to check out what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest launches of the year.”
Those “biggest names” include two fan favorites for the “Star Wars” title, writer Jason Aaron (Wolverine and the X-Men, Scalped) and artist John Cassaday (Planetary, Astonishing X-Men). Cassaday also provides a cover, along with variants by the likes of J. Scott Campbell, John Tyler Christopher, Bob McLeod, Sara Pichelli, Joe Quesada, Alex Ross and Skottie Young.
Obviously, Marvel is hoping lightning will strike again, and Star Wars #1 redux will sell even better than its predecessor 38 years ago. But they’re not putting all their womp-rat eggs in one T-16.
February will see the advent of Darth Vader #1, set in the same time period as Star Wars. Written by Kieron Gillen with art by Salvador Larocca and a cover by Adi Granov, this book should give fans some insight on how the Rebel Alliance got chased away from their base on Yavin IV in New Hope to the ice planet Hoth, where they are at the beginning of Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, three years later. If nothing else, we may see how the Lord of the Sith explains to the Emperor how he, uh, misplaced one of his Death Stars.
Then in March, Princess Leia #1 launches, with popular veteran Mark Waid writing, and art by Terry Dodson, known for his attractive females. Also set in the post-New Hope time frame, Princess Leia is likely to explore the ramifications of the destruction of Alderaan. You know, when “millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.” Can you still be a princess, if you don’t have a kingdom?
Meanwhile, Marvel isn’t ignoring the rich history of Star Wars in comics, with emphasis on “rich.” Marvel’s original Star Wars are coming out in the omnibus format this month, and all of Dark Horse’s comics will be reprinted as well, in Marvel’s hardcover “Epic” line. The movie adaptations will also get the hardback treatment.
Naturally, there is some controversy – genre fans are never happy. In this case, some are upset because Marvel’s new books will be considered canon, displacing some other stories from what is referred to as the “Star Wars Expanded Universe.” The EU, in case you’re taking notes, contains all officially sanctioned Star Wars stories, whether they originated in comics, novels, videogames or cartoons, and no matter how contradictory they may be.
Frankly, I find their lack of faith disturbing. The Force is strong with Marvel these days, and I have a good feeling about this.
Reach Captain Comics by email (capncomics@aol.com), the Internet (comicsroundtable.com), Facebook (Captain Comics Round Table) or Twitter (@CaptainComics).
Replies
I read the first issue of Star Wars. Art was great but story didn't grab me. I'll likely pick up issues 1 of both Vader and Leia, though.
Yeah, I wasn't as wowed by this as I thought I would be. I thought the art was pretty good, but a few of the panels with the stormtroopers were pretty awkward looking. I think Cassaday worked too hard to make the likenesses match up with the characters, because those came off a little awkward in a few panels here and there.