0759. Star Wars #11, May 1978, written by Archie Goodwin, penciled by Carmine Infantino

A new creative team improves things slightly. The pantsless pirate Crimson Jack and his equally pantsless piratess Jolli are back after a less than adequate absence (forever would be adequate) and are the only thing in this issue that isn’t really Star Wars. Han is reunited with Leia and uses a scheme to kiss her, which she gets quite spunky about. Their interaction is done well and entertaining. Luke Skywalker is trapped on a waterworld which, so far, seems plausible in the Star Wars universe. So this is on the right track, finally.

There’s also an ad in the Bullpen Bulletins for a blonde heroine in a black one-piece bathing suit with a bold yellow lighting bolt across her chest and a red sash. I’m assuming this is the first printed appearance of Ms. Marvel’s soon-to-debut iconic costume. Neat.

My Score: 6.6

0735. Star Wars #10, April 1978, scripted by Don Glut, plotted by Roy Thomas, plotted and penciled by Howard Chaykin, penciled by Alan Kupperberg

Oh geez. First, look at those credits. I again want to know the story behind them and why it took a team just to write and pencil this issue. I’m assuming that Thomas and Chaykin were halfway out the door with this issue, and Thomas even writes a big goodbye message in the letters page. He says that the reasons for his departure are complicated, but they boil down to him doing Marvel “a lot more good by writing/editing other mags instead.” This is a very confusing reason. It reads to me like Thomas did not like the work he was doing on Star Wars. After reading these first four post-“A New Hope” issues…I can see why he wouldn’t.

These issues are a wreck. They don’t touch on any of the themes that make Star Wars work, they don’t use all of the characters and therefore deprive us of their great chemistry, they ignore the “rules” of the Star Wars universe and give us giant Godzilla lizards and a wannabe Jedi named (I kid you not) Don-Wan Kihotay.

Don-Wan Kihotay.

Don. Wan. Kihotay.

Like Don Juan and Don Quixote. Just together. You know, because there were so many other pre-existing Star Wars characters with portmanteau names of fictional Spanish characters from the 1600s. RIGHT?!

The big thrust of the action is sidetracked by fighting a giant lizard and…whatever. There are some fine moments with Don-Wan’s desire to prove himself and Han’s reaction and heroic follow-through, but…man, it’s just bad.

My Score: 4.9

0729. Star Wars #9, March 1978, written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Howard Chaykin

I appreciate Thomas making the story a bit darker, with 1/3rd of Han’s Star Hoppers/Star Jumpers/Sprites/Whatevers getting killed during battle. That’s about it. This story still features characters that have no plausible place in the Star Wars Universe as introduced in A New Hope. Painful!

My Score: 5.4

0558. Star Wars #8, February 1978, plotted and scripted by Roy Thomas, plotted and penciled by Howard Chaykin

Where to start?

The issue begins with Han getting into a bar fight for no reason. Then when he needs to recruit help to ward off more space pirate-types from terrorizing a helpless village, he immediately has a makeshift office to accept applications…because all the guys he was fighting now want to help him. Oh, also, his makeshift office is a bedroom and Han Solo is shirtless while interviewing. Seriously.

His applicants include a porcupine guy, a cotton candy hooker, a delusional old Jedi named (no joke) Don-Wan, an anthropomorphic carnivorous bunny named Jaxxon, and a boy and robot who are rougher versions of Luke and C-3PO. Han even says that he has seen no one that can even handle a blaster for his ragtag bunch, until the scene starts and he literally hires the next six people he sees…even ones who can’t use weapons.

The Rebels are desperately searching for a new headquarters since the Empire knows they are on Yavin 4. They send Luke out alone (with Artoo and Threepio) to find it. Really? The kid you just met, you’re trusting with scouting the galaxy for a home base? Okay. Sure. It’s not the most implausible thing in this issue.

Ugh.

My Score: 4.9

0554. Star Wars #7, January 1978, plotted and scripted by Roy Thomas, plotted and penciled by Howard Chaykin

Chaykin and Thomas join forces to plot the first original material published in the “Star Wars” universe and…this is it? I spent the first six issues of this series trying to pinpoint exactly what I consider to be essential to successfully crafting a true “Star Wars” tale. I decided that, for me, characterization above all else was the most important thing. Han, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, R2-D2 and C-3PO all have such distinct personalities that absolutely popped off the page in the first arc, to have them take the backseat to outrageous space aliens and generic fighting would be the worst that could happen. And that’s about what happens in this issue.

The issue opens up with Han and Chewie collecting their reward and leaving Yavin to repay Jabba the Hutt (misspelled “Hut” in this issue) on Tatooine (mistakenly called Dantooine in this issue). The duo is immediately boarded by Space Pirates (sigh) whose leader is wearing a metallic leotard (siiigh) and is named Crimson Jack after his big bushy red beard (siiiiigh). They steal their reward, explaining why Han didn’t pay Jabba back with the reward money, and Han and Chewie land on a planet and get hired to give a half-human/half-robot pilot a proper burial. The issue’s cliffhanger is…people offering to hire Han Solo in a mission that involves him dying! Aah! Nope, not a cliffhanger. All the varied action and adventure of the first arc is replaced by…a big brawl. Nope, not creative.

I know I’m comparing this to one of the greatest movies of all time, but there are fundamental things not present in this comic. It makes the mistake of going sci-fi when “Star Wars” is so obviously fantasy and mythology based. Even if wrong about what makes “Star Wars” work, Han Solo is presented as a straight forward hero who likes money. No quips, no snark, no wit, just statements.

“Star Words,” the letters page, states that this arc focusing on Han and Chewbacca was planned to kill time while George Lucas decided what he wanted to do with the film sequel to “Star Wars.” Hey…I thought Lucas had all six movies planned at once! You got some ‘splaining to do George!

I am now worried I will be stuck reading shoddy fan fiction for the next thirty issues.

On another note, this issue features a small ad for the new Ms. Marvel ongoing series and a blurb about John Byrne and Terry Austin taking over the art on Uncanny X-Men.

My Score: 5.7

0553. Star Wars #6, December 1977, written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Howard Chaykin

The captivating dogfight action of “A New Hope’s” finale doesn’t translate well to the printed page. It also doesn’t help that Thomas crams a bunch of prose to fill all the moments left silent in the film version. It’s good, and it feels like a worthy ending to the comic adaptation, but it’s not as enjoyable as those middle issues.

The cover is kinda ridiculous, since nothing even remotely approaching that scene ever happens in the film. And check out that loin cloth on Vader’s costume.

Porkins is given the name Tono and the nickname “Piggy” in this issue. His real first name is later revealed to be Jek.

Thomas surprisingly clarifies why Chewbacca doesn’t get a medal at the end of “A New Hope”; he states that Princess Leia is too short to put it around his neck and he will receive one later. Ha.

The letters page “Star Words” mentions how huge of a hit Star Wars has become. It also goes into a lengthy description of a lunch that Roy Thomas had with George Lucas and Mark Hamill to discuss the future storylines for this continuing comic book. They even mention that Lucas has overseeing rights for all Star Wars media, which makes me wonder if this comic leads up to the Empire Strikes Back issues (#39-44) or if they just happen out of nowhere. Looking ahead, Thomas and Chaykin only stay on board for four more issues, so I don’t know what to expect at all from this book. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy these six as much as I did, and Thomas and Chaykin’s collaboration has been excellent. We’ll see what the future holds…

My Score: 7.8

0552. Star Wars #5, November 1977, written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Howard Chaykin

After two issues of set-up and two issues of fast-paced rollickin’ adventure, issue five is a bit of a breather. The first half is a way decompressed and wordy adaptation of the dogfight between the Millennium Falcon and TIE Fighters as the Falcon escapes the Death Star. The rest of the issue takes place on Yavin as the characters all get set in position for the final raid on the Death Star.

This issue contains both a revelation and an oddity.

Revelation: General Jan Dodonna is given a name after going unidentified in “A New Hope.”

Oddity: The Force has had quotes around it every time it has been mentioned. This issue also states that “the Force” is the name Ben Kenobi gave to the energy field created by all living things, making “the Force” sound like a one-man religion/philosophy. It’s also of note that the Death Star has just been referred to as Death Star, with no “the,” in the comic adaptation.

So yeah, not the strongest issue of the series so far.

I’ve failed to notice until now that Dave Cockrum has either drawn or inked the covers of #3-6.

My Score: 7.7

0551. Star Wars #4, October 1977, written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Howard Chaykin

This comic captures all the thrills of “A New Hope’s” action-packed and briskly paced middle chapter with pinpoint accuracy. Way better than I thought it was going to be.

My Score: 8.4

0550. Star Wars #3, September 1977, written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Howard Chaykin

A ton of fun. Nothing feels rushed or left out, the dialogue is nearly identical to the movie but it doesn’t feel confusing or forced, and Chaykin and Leialoha as a team are providing great visuals that compare with the actual film. The splash page showing the Falcon approaching the Death Star succeeds in conveying the space stations as ominous. The addition of Han and Chewie also adds a nice punch to the series. I just wonder what happens after the adaptation ends and the original stories begins. Do the characters remain as crisp and clear as they are now?

My Score: 8.4

0547. Star Wars #2, August 1977, written by Roy Thomas, penciled by Howard Chaykin

As entertaining as the previous chapter, except that this issue handles a lot of exposition. Princess Leia’s adopted father is mistakenly called Bail Antilles instead of Bail Organa. This was a mistake at this point, as his name had been changed from Antilles to Organa for the novelization. Not sure how that one slipped in. Also Ben Kenobi straight up cuts Luke’s tormentors in the cantina in half. So Obi-Wan Kenobi has a berserker rage along the lines of Wolverine. Noted.

This issue includes Han’s run-in with Jabba the Hutt, except Jabba the Hutt is an English-speaking humanoid cat monkey type creature in a militaristic uniform. This was done because designs for Jabba the Hutt obviously hadn’t been developed yet and Chaykin used the design for one of the cantina aliens for his Jabba design. It was later retconned that this is Mosep Binneed, a Nimbanese alien.

Steve Leialoha joins the creative team as Chaykin’s inker and greatly cleans up the look of the book. This is a pretty nice looking adaptation.

My Score: 7.8