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A review by neilrcoulter
Star Wars: The Classic Newspaper Comics Vol. 1 by Don Christensen, Russ Manning, Steve Gerber
5.0
This is a tremendous blast from the past! I remember that there were Star Wars comics in the newspaper when I was a kid (I think my brother clipped them out of the Sunday funnies and saved them), but I have no memory of the stories—I wasn't much into the "serious" comic strips at that point, even if it was Star Wars. But still, seeing this style of art and storytelling does push a bunch of the nostalgia buttons.
But it's not just nostalgia for its own sake. In fact, as I was reading through this beautiful collection, I thought, "You know, I really like these goofy, silly stories!" They're part–Star Wars, part–Doctor Who, part–any other 1970s sci-fi story. And it is a lot a fun to read.
One of the things that is most fun about these stories is that they come from that era between the first and second Star Wars movies, when no one knew anything about where the movie story was going. And there was hardly any "expanded universe" at that time, either—just Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the Han Solo novels, and the Marvel comics. (We're not mentioning the Holiday Special.) There was no "continuity," no comprehensive, connected galaxy. It was just that one great movie.
That opens up infinite possibilities, because none of these comics stories has to align with anything other than the general traits of the characters. I found this surprisingly refreshing, actually. I even thought that it would be an interesting idea to start a whole new branch of the Expanded Universe that pretends there was only ever the one Star Wars movie—and thus, no "I am your father," no "I know...somehow, I've always known," no inevitability of Han and Leia's romance. It would just be Vader, this evil guy leading an evil empire, and a few Rebels fighting the power. The story wouldn't be constrained by needing to go anywhere in particular; it could just meander and be exciting and fun.
I know: Disney is never going to authorize something like that. But this collection of comics is a hint of how much fun Star Wars could be, if all possibilities were open.
Anyway, this volume has stories about Boba Fett, Han Solo's smuggling friends, the Wookiee planet (and yes, a mention of Life Day), Leia in all sorts of cool outfits, lizard people ("descendants of earthlike chameleons...intelligent and peaceful"), and...pacifog. Darth Vader utters many lines that have nothing to do with the imminent conflict within him—lines like, "My troopers will be protected from the pacifog. Thanks to your kunda filters, Quirz!"
When I checked this book out from the library, I expected that it would be ridiculous, but I had no idea that I would genuinely enjoy it (and so much more than Marvel's current Star Wars graphic novel series). I can't wait to read the next volume!
But it's not just nostalgia for its own sake. In fact, as I was reading through this beautiful collection, I thought, "You know, I really like these goofy, silly stories!" They're part–Star Wars, part–Doctor Who, part–any other 1970s sci-fi story. And it is a lot a fun to read.
One of the things that is most fun about these stories is that they come from that era between the first and second Star Wars movies, when no one knew anything about where the movie story was going. And there was hardly any "expanded universe" at that time, either—just Splinter of the Mind's Eye, the Han Solo novels, and the Marvel comics. (We're not mentioning the Holiday Special.) There was no "continuity," no comprehensive, connected galaxy. It was just that one great movie.
That opens up infinite possibilities, because none of these comics stories has to align with anything other than the general traits of the characters. I found this surprisingly refreshing, actually. I even thought that it would be an interesting idea to start a whole new branch of the Expanded Universe that pretends there was only ever the one Star Wars movie—and thus, no "I am your father," no "I know...somehow, I've always known," no inevitability of Han and Leia's romance. It would just be Vader, this evil guy leading an evil empire, and a few Rebels fighting the power. The story wouldn't be constrained by needing to go anywhere in particular; it could just meander and be exciting and fun.
I know: Disney is never going to authorize something like that. But this collection of comics is a hint of how much fun Star Wars could be, if all possibilities were open.
Anyway, this volume has stories about Boba Fett, Han Solo's smuggling friends, the Wookiee planet (and yes, a mention of Life Day), Leia in all sorts of cool outfits, lizard people ("descendants of earthlike chameleons...intelligent and peaceful"), and...pacifog. Darth Vader utters many lines that have nothing to do with the imminent conflict within him—lines like, "My troopers will be protected from the pacifog. Thanks to your kunda filters, Quirz!"
When I checked this book out from the library, I expected that it would be ridiculous, but I had no idea that I would genuinely enjoy it (and so much more than Marvel's current Star Wars graphic novel series). I can't wait to read the next volume!