Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #28

Good Saturday morning, everyone,

Today's focus is on the twenty-eighth issue of Marvel's first Star Wars comic. The cover showed Han Solo and Chewbacca standing in front of the Millennium Falcon using their blasters to ward off dozens of small, scorpion-like creatures. The tale was titled " Whatever Happened to Jabba the Hut?" The issue had a cover date of October 1979.

The story started on a rainy day on the planet Orleon. Han and Chewie were nestled in a cave trying to repair the Falcon while being attacked by members of Jabba the Hut's crew. Note: the alien depicted as Jabba in this issue is one of the background creatures that we saw on the streets of Mos Eisley after Luke sold his landspeeder in the original movie. The goons were firing at the pirate and his first mate because Jabba's employee had accumulated significant debt since his last job. 

Solo and Chewbacca had just escaped from the Star Destroyer, left helpless due to Luke Skywalker's attack via the Force on Darth Vader, when Han noticed that his ship was vibrating far more than normal. He figured that the technicians on the Wheel space station who had stripped the ship looking for supposedly stolen Wheel profits didn't quite put everything back together the way it had been. A brief search of the navicomputer told them that the nearest hospitable planet was Orleon.

It didn't take long for Jabba's ship, the Voidraker, to find where the Falcon had been hiding. Another problem arose from inside the cavern itself. Small insects called stone mites were rampant on the planet. They were created as biological weapons during the Clone Wars, and their insect bodies could emit a corrosive acid that was powerful enough to eat through just about anything. 

Renewed assaults by Jabba's blaster cannons brought down part of the cavern. They also released a massive swarm of stone mites down upon the cave's occupants. Han and Chewie blasted a way back onto the Falcon and frantically tried to shake the insects off their ship.

A few minutes later, Jabba and his crew discovered one of his men who had been eaten alive by the mites. Panicked, they retreated to the Voidraker. Meanwhile, Solo and Chewbacca were using their deicing equipment to rid their vessel of the pests before using one of the forward cannons to blast a hole to safety.

Before long, the Falcon was back in space. They were about to round the planet's orbit when the Voidraker crossed their path. Jabba opened a line of communication with his old employee. Han noticed the sound of blaster fire emanating from Jabba's ship. It seemed that stone mites had infested the craft, and Jabba was the only one left alive inside.

A deal was struck, and Jabba soon used his jet pack to fly over to the Falcon. He was the smuggler's reluctant guest. After letting the Hut stew outside for a while, Han finally let him in, thinking that he'd finally had the upper hand for once.

This was the first time seeing the Falcon's crew since issue #24. This issue is infamous for its erroneous depiction of Jabba, who George Lucas didn't fully reveal until the Return of the Jedi film. Marvel writers and editors only had the initial movie's screenplay to go off of, which included a scene that depicted Han encountering Jabba the Hut before taking Luke, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO, and R2-D2 to Alderaan. This creature was later identified as a Nimbanel named Mosep Binead, who worked for Jabba. 

An Irish actor named Declan Mulholland originally played Jabba in the scene that was cut from the film. That scene was later inserted for the A New Hope Special Edition, in which a digital version of Jabba that was similar to the one seen in ROTJ was added, along with the appearance of the bounty hunter Boba Fett. This was an interesting yarn, but it isn't really seen as canon because of who Marvel chose to be shown as the Tatooine crime lord. 

Well, that's all for today. Tomorrow, I'll kick off a new month with a discussion of the twenty-ninth issue of this title. This issue will focus on some of the villains of the series. The hunt is on for the person who destroyed the Death Star and his droids. It's a search that finally leads Darth Vader and Valance to face each other for the first time. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #27

Happy Friday, everyone,

Today's topic is the twenty-seventh issue of the first Star Wars comic series. The cover depicted C-3PO and Luke Skywalker, with the face of the bounty hunter Valance in the background. The story was called "Return of the Hunter." The issue had a publication date of September 1979.

The tale began with a gunfight in a cantina. Valance had just incapacitated his target, Marko Tyne. He recruited two patrons to carry the body away before going to see his comrade Skinker. Valance informed his friend about his latest bounty, and the shopkeeper had more droids for him. Unfortunately, there were no PO or R2 units in his collection, but the bounty hunter still blasted the robots to bits anyway. 

Afterward, Valance returned to his ship. He was on the trail of the man who'd destroyed the Death Star and his droids. He was furious at the fact that the hero treated the mechanicals like friends instead of servants, although Valance himself was partly cybernetic, after being injured in a Rebel attack years earlier. Speaking of that hero, Luke and Threepio were flying out in deep space, to determine the extent of the Imperial blockade and to find parts to repair their counterpart, R2-D2 (who was damaged in battle last issue).

They soon came across an Imperial Star Destroyer, and were noticed by the large ship. Luke used a tactic called threading the asteroids to evade them before going into hyperspace. They emerged from light speed to reach the planet Junction. There, Luke hoped to find a salvage yard that had the parts they needed.

The duo came across Skinker's shop. Its proprietor asked an associate to inform Valance that he might have what the bounty hunter was looking for. Meanwhile, back on Yavin, Princess Leia and General Dodonna were talking about duty. Leia understood the elder's concern for her, knowing that she wanted to be more than just a figurehead for their movement. 

A cloaked figure (who had observed Luke and Threepio) was making his way toward a communication transmitter on Junction. The humanoid (who looked somewhat similar to the Garindan spy on Mos Eisley during the movie adaptation) wasn't able to communicate with the Empire. Valance had disabled the transmitter not long before taking out this intruder. 

It didn't take long for the bounty hunter to reach his new quarry. Luke pushed Threepio to safety moments before Valance's blaster fired. Deflecting another blaster bolt with his lightsaber, Luke learned Valance's cyborg secret. Threepio stood in front of his master, and his plea for understanding as a fellow mechanical was enough to convince the hunter to allow the heroes to leave with their purchase. Skywalker realized that the bounty hunter was a conflicted man who still had a lot to consider.

Valance was first introduced in issue #16 of this title. He was an interesting character who was largely forgotten after a few more issues, until Marvel reacquired the rights to the Star Wars license. He has been featured prominently in the Bounty Hunter books since then, and has continued to grow as a character. Valance has also appeared in the most recent Marvel Star Wars ongoing series. This was an okay issue, whose plotline was resolved rather quickly.

 Next time, I'll cover the twenty-eighth issue of this series. We'll finally learn what Han Solo and Chewbacca have been up to since the Falcon escaped from the Wheel. We'll also see the return of a character that Marvel didn't quite understand fully at the time. To find out more of what I mean in that regard, tune in tomorrow. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #26

Hello there,

It's time for me to discuss the twenty-sixth issue of the first Star Wars comic book series. The cover depicted a damaged R2-D2 with Luke Skywalker standing behind it. There's also a downed TIE fighter and a pilot pointing his pistol at the two Rebels in the background. The tale was titled "Doom Mission!" The issue had a publication date of August 1979.

The story started in Yavin's orbit, as the new ship Luke and Princess Leia had just purchased from Jorman Thoad (last issue) was limping along with a damaged engine, faulty communicator, and failing shields, all while being attacked by TIEs. Artoo tried to take care of the internal damage with C-3PO, but things seemed grim until a squadron of X-Wing fighters arrived to take out the Imperial vessels. 

Luke soon landed his ship, and he and Leia explained their plight to General Dodonna. Leia's macrobinoculars had recorded footage of a House of Taage mining explorer in the area. It showed how it sent TIE fighters out into a strange cosmic storm, which explained how the fighters were able to launch regular attacks on the Alliance base. It was still unknown just what was in the storm that allowed the TIEs to emerge unscathed.

That was something that Skywalker was willing to investigate. He and Artoo took a Y-Wing to one of the nearby moons where a TIE had crashed. Unfortunately, Artoo was damaged when he was trying to obtain information from the downed ship's controls by the blast from the fighter pilot's pistol. Luke took out the enemy after grabbing the signal device they'd been after, and rushed his beloved astrodroid back to the base.

While waiting for Artoo to be repaired, Luke and Leia thought about their next moves. Dodonna joined the heroes, having something to share. He showed the duo a TIE fighter that they'd captured some time before. The signal device that Luke had obtained would allow them to penetrate the storm as an undercover agent.  As Luke flew off in the pirated craft in his attempt to unravel the mystery, Leia wished her companion luck as Threepio hoped his counterpart could be fixed.

Luke soon made his way inside the cosmic storm. He learned that it was being generated by a large turbine. He quickly attacked the Imperial craft, just as Baron Taage was renewing his lightsaber practice inside of it. Luke's attack run was successful. Now all he had to do was to escape. 

Using the Force, Skywalker discovered a way out amidst the swirling winds and aftermath of the turbine's destruction. His ship emerged a little worse for wear, but Luke's mission was successful nonetheless. He was unaware that Taage escaped the turbine just in time and had followed the stolen TIE out of the storm. The baron swore vengeance on the young Rebel, just like he did on Darth Vader, the man who'd damaged his eyes in an earlier confrontation and forced him to wear the visor that was now his trademark. 

This was a rather brief storyline, but I guess it was okay. It seemed to me that Artoo was rather unnecessarily put in harm's way just to obtain the Imperial signal device. Fortunately, he would recover soon enough. This wasn't the only time in this series that Rebels used a stolen TIE fighter to infiltrate the Empire. There's a much better storyline that uses this tactic later on, after the Empire Strikes Back adaptation. 

That's all I have for today. Tomorrow, I'll cover the twenty-seventh issue of Marvel's first Star Wars title. Luke and Threepio go offworld to find parts for Artoo's repairs, and run into the first bounty hunter featured in this series. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #25

Good afternoon all,

Today's focus is on the twenty-fifth issue of the first Star Wars comic book. The cover showed Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in space suits, being attacked by a trio of TIE fighters. The story was called "Siege at Yavin!" The issue had a cover date of July 1979.

The tale began with a sextet of TIEs converging upon a Rebel sentry post on the fourth moon of Yavin. A squadron of X-Wings was dispatched from the planet to counter these ships. Some were more successful than others in defending the base.

Afterward, General Dodonna and other Rebel Alliance leaders were struggling to ascertain where the Imperial ships came from. Scanners indicated no Star Destroyers or other vessels that could have carried the short-range fighters. They had to find a solution soon, or it might be the end of the Rebellion.

On the planet Centares, Luke and Leia were haggling with merchant Jorman Thoad. They acquired a ship in exchange for the craft they'd received from Senator Greyshade (in issue #23) in the hopes that it would be inconspicuous enough to avoid Imperial detection. They left Centares in their new vessel moments after noticing a House of Taage mining explorer was bound for the Gordian Reach, which was the same system that their home base of Yavin was in.

The Taage ship was commanded by Baron Taage, who was engaged in lightsaber practice during the trip through hyperspace. He wore special glasses after being wounded by a lightsaber blade belonging to Darth Vader. He practiced for the day when he would meet the Sith Lord again. After his exercise, a crewman informed his superior that their ship had been followed. Taage smiled, doubtful that the smaller craft could successfully pass through the Imperial blockade. 

Shortly after their return to that system, Luke noticed several heavy-duty mines in the area. He deftly avoided most of them before realizing that the planet's gases made a sort of natural jamming field. Luke and Leia soon donned space suits and jetted down to one of the nearby moons to observe the mining craft.

Taage deployed several TIEs from his ship, which were observed by the Rebels on the moon below. Luke and Leia watched as the fighters flew into a storm and disappeared. The Rebel heroes returned to their new ship, where R2-D2 and C-3PO were waiting. They didn't know what happened to the TIEs, but as they were trying to investigate, they found themselves under attack by more TIE fighters, one of which made a lucky shot that incapacitated one of their ship's engines. 

Penciller Carmine Infantino finally got the correct shape of regular TIE fighters, but I still have concerns about his artwork in general. It was good to see some of the Rebel leaders again, although in the newspaper strip by this time, the Rebels had already left Yavin. The comic book and newspaper strip were not in the same continuity, however. The Taage family was an interesting bunch. It's too bad they were mostly forgotten before the Empire Strikes Back adaptation began.

Well, that's all for now. Tomorrow, I'll recap the conclusion of this mini-epic. Luke and Artoo take a closer look at this new threat, and we'll see just what Taage and company had in store for the Rebels. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #24

Good afternoon,

Today's blog article is all about the twenty-fourth issue of Marvel's first Star Wars comic book series. The cover showed Obi-Wan Kenobi preparing to defend a protocol droid from several weapon-toting adversaries. The tale was titled "Silent Drifting." The issue had a publication date of June 1979. 

The story started out in space, as the Millennium Falcon was attempting to flee a pair of pursuing TIE Fighters. Its captain, Han Solo, decided to let his vessel lie motionless after a hit on the back quarter. This lured the unsuspecting Imperial craft in, only to be blasted from forward and aft cannons. 

Han, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker marveled at the ease of their victory. Princess Leia told Kuke that it was a strategy very similar to one utilized by Ben Kenobi several years ago. It was a story that her late father, Bail Organa, had told her about an event back in the days of the Old Republic.

Kenobi was a passenger on a pleasure ship. The Jedi Master had mostly kept to himself until a protocol droid named 68-RKO struck up a conversation with him. The droid was on his way to Alderaan to enter into service for Bail and asked the Jedi if he could act as his owner until they arrived, since he knew how poorly droids were treated and viewed by some at the time.

Obi-Wan was more than happy to share his quarters with the friendly translator droid. However, they soon came across a rather surly bar patron, who asked RKO why he wasn't in storage. He didn't take too kindly to being tripped by the Jedi, and rose to attack the warrior, who merely stood his ground and activated his lightsaber, pointing the energy blade at his leaping assailant.

Afterward, a criminal named Augustus Tryll invited Kenobi to a private chat. He asked the Jedi if he'd be interested in forming a partnership with him. Ben knew Tryll's reputation and politely declined before leaving to show RKO his quarters. The duo was on their way when a voice came over the intercom, reminding all passengers to deactivate all privately owned machinery before they entered the Merson asteroid belt. 

This was a necessary action because the Mersons were hostile to Republic forces. Shutting those devices down would usually allow ships like that to traverse the asteroid belt without incident. Later that evening, a crewman knocked on Kenobi's door, stating that the captain was requesting the Jedi's assistance. Ben and RKO were escorted to the captain's quarters, where they soon saw the reason for concern.

A pair of Merson ships had been detected in the asteroid belt for the first time. Once other passengers were alerted to this via viewscreens, rumors began to circulate. Obi-Wan eventually realized that they were there because a signal must be alerting them from inside the very craft that they were on. 

The pleasure ship was only equipped with a pair of standard energy cannons. Fortunately, they would be enough. The Merson fighters were eventually positioned directly in front and behind the ship, respectively, and each one was taken out by a separate cannon's blast. 

RKO informed Kenobi that the signal was coming from the lounge where they had first met. Ben went to investigate and dealt with passengers' anxious accusations and demands for answers. Some suggested that Tryll was behind the signal. Kenobi used the Force to identify the signal's source, which was the fermentation device behind them. He tossed his lightsaber at the machine, and its blade annihilated the device, subsequently terminating the signal in the process.

Without the signal, the additional Merson ships in the asteroid belt had no idea that a Republic cruiser was in the vicinity. The rest of the journey was peaceful for Kenobi, RKO, and the rest of the crew and passengers. Luke enjoyed hearing about his former mentor. Han dismissed the Force, as usual, but was happy that his ship was fully functional again and could be on its way free from danger once more. 

I enjoyed this story that was written by Mary Jo Duffy. This was her first script for this title. She would return to plot most of the stories from issue #70 to the final issue, #107. It was a nice bridge issue between storylines. Bob Wiacek continued to improve as an inker and helped to overcome some of Carmine Infantino's rough pencil work. 

That wraps up this article. Tomorrow, I'll concentrate on the twenty-fifth issue of this title. Archie Goodwin returns to begin a new storyline. The heroes make their way back to Yavin, and there will be new ships and new menaces along the way. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #23

Good afternoon,

Today's topic is the twenty-third issue of Marvel's first Star Wars series. The cover depicted the Millennium Falcon departing the gaming station known as the Wheel, with a larger-than-life image of Darth Vader in the background. The tale was titled "Flight Into Fury!" The issue had a cover date of May 1979.

The story started in a private hangar bay belonging to the wheel administrator, Senator Greyshade. He'd just made a deal with Princess Leia Organa to depart the station with her on that vessel. Luke Skywalker didn't agree with the bargain, but he and his droids R2-D2 and C-3PO had no choice but to let her friend go on. The Rebels were still reeling from the apparent loss of the Falcon's pilot, Han Solo, at the hands of his Wookiee first mate, Chewbacca, during the station's gladiator games.

What they didn't know at the time was that Solo and Chewie were working together to defeat the other opponents. Han had stolen a small hand shield after blowing up one of the arena's explosive traps and placed it under his shirt. It protected him from the shot that he took from Chewbacca's pistol. While that was going on, a revived Imperial Commander Strom emerged from Greyshade's private suite, declaring that he'd been drugged by his host and that the station was now under Imperial law. That news didn't sit well with the complex's patrons, who were fine with gambling and spending their leisure time, so long as they didn't have the constant threat of the Empire hanging over them while they were there. 

Strom ordered his Stormtroopers to find the Falcon's occupants and kill them on sight. He'd hoped that their faked Rebel attacks on the station would sway the guests to their cause. However, Greyshade's aide, the robot Master-Com, knew that Artoo had taped Stormtroopers in the act of pilfering Wheel profits. Before that tape could be broadcast, Master-Com found himself under arrest by Stormtroopers and subsequently destroyed. 

Luke and Threepio soon ran into a squad of troopers, while Artoo lagged behind and sought another way out. In the casino, Chewbacca had his winnings loaded onto a lift along with Han's body. Solo had grabbed a security guard's blaster and used it to fight for their freedom. Threepio and Luke soon reconnoitered with Greyshade and Leia, when the young farmboy detected Vader's impending arrival by using the Force.

Although his Star Destroyer had been almost taxed to its very limits by the voyage, Vader's ship was almost upon the Wheel. There, the Dark Lord of the Sith hoped to learn the identities of the ones who had destroyed the Death Star. At the same time, Artoo was found by Master-Com, who had transferred his programming into another robot body (which he also did in issue #19). He took the small astrodroid to a nearby terminal where he could finally broadcast the tape that showed Wheel inhabitants the truth. This led to a riot against the Imperial forces on board. 

Han and Chewie were just outside the hangar where the Falcon sat when they encountered more Stormtroopers. Chewbacca pushed the lift at them, which unfortunately still contained their winnings. At the same time, Luke, Greyshade, and Leia were trapped by more troopers. The Rebels had no choice but to flee in the Senator's ship, which they did mere moments before Artoo was launched into space in an escape pod that he'd been directed to by Master-Com.

Greyshade reunited with his robotic assistant moments before Strom arrived. The Wheel administrator tossed a proton grenade, a last resort that would soon spell the demise of the Imperial leader and his two opponents. It didn't take long for Luke and Leia's ship to reach the Star Destroyer. They were saved from being hauled inside by a tractor beam by a salvo fired from the Falcon.

Han and Chewie continued to attack the larger Imperial craft, while Vader instructed his subordinates to destroy the ship that he recognized as the one that had blasted him out of the trench during his defense of the Death Star (way back in issue #6). A mental blast via the Force from Luke affected Vader strongly enough to allow both of the smaller ships to escape. Vader still didn't know the identities of the ships' passengers, but they'd escaped for now. We then saw Luke, Leia, Threepio, and Artoo together again in Valance's ship. It was Luke's first time using the Force in that manner. He knew that it was effective, but that alone might not be enough to stop the Sith Lord for good. 

That marked the end of this storyline. It seemed to me that the conclusion felt a little rushed, and I wished that it wasn't the end for Master-Com and Greyshade. We still have yet to see them in any other Marvel Star Wars comics, although the Wheel would be featured briefly in an issue after the Empire Strikes Back adaptation. 

That's it for this article. Next time, I'll write about the twenty-fourth issue in this series. Mary Jo Duffy scripted a story that harkens back to Obi-Wan Kenobi's past. It also takes place after the events in Star Wars #15. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Star Wars (1977) #22

Happy Sunday afternoon, everyone,

Today, I'll be discussing the twenty-second issue of the first Star Wars comic title. The cover showed Chewbacca and Han Solo squaring off in a contest to the death. The story was called "To The Last Gladiator!" The issue had a cover date of April 1979.

The tale began during the gladiator games on the Wheel space station. Han and Chewie were among the final competitors that were released into an arena in zero gravity. Each combatant was armed with a small shield and a needle ray pistol. Solo soon found that his blaster was defective, and had to resort to using his shield and diverting opponents into obstacles as defensive measures.

Chewacca informed Han that his blaster didn't work either, so he'd discarded it. Solo then realized that he and his longtime friend had been set up for failure. Someone didn't want either of them to win.

The someones were none other than the ship's administrator, the former Galactic Senator Greyshade, and his Imperial Commander companion Strom, who were watching the match from the safety of the royal lounge with great interest. Greyshade knew that the contracts each competitor signed clarified that the battle was to the death and that there could only be one winner. If a participant didn't comply with that stipulation, it was grounds for their execution. 

Strom had struck a deal with the administrator to siphon part of the Wheel's profits for the Empire for their war efforts, not knowing that his colleague would poison his guest. Meanwhile, a recently revived Luke Skywalker was leading Princess Leia Organa and his droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, toward a docking bay where they'd just seen several Wheel guards retreat to. They'd noticed (last issue) that Stormtroopers had purloined Wheel winnings, and several of them opened fire after a pneumatic door opened around the next hallway.

Before the conflict could rage on, Greyshade arrived on the scene. He led the quartet away, while a large Star Destroyer was straining its engine's limit to reach that destination. Darth Vader was convinced that the Rebels who'd destroyed the Death Star were on the Wheel, based on information he'd received from a dying Rebel on another world (as shown in the last issue). Absolutely nothing could deter the Sith Lord from his goal.

Greyshade had taken his prisoners to another area of the complex, where his private ship was waiting. He wanted Leia to journey with him anywhere they and the treasure aboard would take them. Luke was determined to free the princess yet again. Greyshade reminded the young farmboy that their ship's pilots were still engaged in the gladiatorial contest, pointing to a nearby viewscreen.

There were fewer opponents now for Han and Chewie, but that didn't make anything easier. They still had challenging foes and obstacles to overcome. Eventually, Chewbacca fired what appeared to be a fatal shot at the Correllian. Leia and Luke were stunned by this outcome. Leia agreed to Greyshade's terms, but pointed out how hollow and bitter the Senator's prize was.

It seemed rather inevitable that Solo and Chewbacca would square off against each other. This conclusion was certainly inferred in the last two issues. I was somewhat surprised that Greyshade's robotic aide, Master-Com, was absent in this issue. He was the one supporting character during this storyline that I found to be the most interesting. 

Well, that's it for now. Next time, I'll recap the twenty-third issue of this series. We'll find out just what happened to the Falcon's crew following their battle to the death. We'll also learn what Vader was able to accomplish after arriving at his destination as this storyline concludes. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.