The Star Wars #8

The Dark Horse Comics adaptation of the original George Lucas rough draft of Star Wars does indeed come to an end in this issue. Issue #8 doesn't appear to have an expanded page count. So either Dark Horse made an error in planning for how many issues this miniseries should run or Lucas had so many different ideas in how to wrap his story up that he failed to pace things out properly. It's got to be George Lucas' fault. I say this because so much happens in the finale compared to some parts of act one and two that drag out to a snail's pace. Star Wars was such a lucrative property for Dark Horse, if the publisher felt like a 9th or 10th issue was warranted, they would have approved an extension as this sort of thing happens all the time in order to boost sales. 

So what does happen in this closer:

* Annikin Starkiller infiltrates the Empire's Space Fortress in hopes of rescuing Princess Leia who's being interrogated under threat of torture.

*General Luke Skywalker and Han Solo somehow manages to teach a bunch of primitive Wookiees to fly Imperial fighters and organizes an assault on the gigantic space station.

* A new ally emerges.

* Lots of people die on both sides of the conflict.

*Lastly, we get an ending satisfying enough that should ticket sales be dismal, you feel like there was a happy ending. But you don't close things out too perfectly less the studios decide to green-light a sequel.

For those who finish this miniseries, you'll have to settle for option A. This was Dark Horse's swan song with the Star Wars franchise. With Disney buying Lucasfilm in 2012, the House of Mouse had plans for a new series of films as well as giving Marvel, which was also owned by Disney, carte blanche on publishing the further adventures of Luke Skywalker and company. In other words, Disney had no intention of looking backwards; nor were they willing to share a piece of the lucrative Star Wars pie.

Ironically, thanks mostly to the pandemic's crippling effect on the comic book market, Marvel had to source out some of its Star Wars catalog back to Dark Horse. Another irony, instead of giving them any of the established trilogies or the new generation series that was coming to movie screens, Dark Horse was given free reign to establish history of the Old Republic. While in 2014 it didn't look like 'The Saga of The Ophuchi', the proposed next chapter in The Star Wars, perhaps with multiverses being the main focus of the big 2 publishers and their visual arts media, maybe the time is right to continue the adventures of Annikin Starkiller...

I know I'd buy it.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

The Star Wars #7

Meet the Wookiees! Essentially, everything that George Lucas wanted to do with the people of Chewbacca's tribe in Return of the Jedi but had to replace with the much more marketable (In other word: cute and cuddly) Ewoks occurs in this chapter. 

The Wookiees appear more bestial like Bigfoot, with less fur around the face and chest and a bit more stocky. This design would eventually be reused as the character Zeb Orrelios, the last Lasat from Star Wars: Rebels; except with the change in fur color of Zeb's being purple and his having the ability to speak basic. 

There's an Imperial base on this planet. General Skywalker plans to train the Wookiees to attack it, using all those great wooden booby traps used during the Battle of Endor to destroy a squad of Imperial tanks that would eventually be utilized by the droid forces of the Separatists in Phantom Menace. Once the base is secured, they'll plan to steal all of the fighters, conduct a quick pilot training course before attacking the Space Fortress and rescuing Princess Leia who's currently being tortured by a Sith bloke who looks an awful lot like David Prowse. Good thing these primitive warriors understand how to fly heavy machinery.

This issue ends with a promise that the next  will wrap everything up. I don't see how. It feels like there's still like an hour of movie script to jump through. 

Trust the process, Padawan...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Star Wars #6

Remember that ridiculous scene in The Last Jedi where the ship Princess Leia is in gets blown to pieces and it blasts her into space? Instead of dying, she uses the Force to float herself to safety before failing into a brief coma. Remember that scene? Some called it her 'Mary Poppin's scene' Well, that's what is depicted on this issue's cover and it actually happens inside. Just like with Episode VIII, I rolled my eyes at the whole thing. Not because I don't think Annikin Starkiller could survive the brief effects of being in space without any sort of protective suit. But because the impact of the hull breach should have shot him out of the ship like a human cannon! And yet, the hero is within reach of a tow cable ejected by one of the droids. 

And wouldn't you know it: a character that I had started to really like dies in a somewhat unnecessary melodramatic way!

There's only 2 issues left and if we were to compare what has occurred here to the final draft of Episode IV, we at the part where the Millennium Falcon has left Tatooine and is about to go into hyper-drive to Alderaan. And yet here, the heroes managed to escape a squadron of TIE fighters through an asteroid field and crash land on a supposedly uninhabited jungle. I've got zero idea where things are going. I like it but it's also a bit unsettling being in such an undiscovered country.

On to issue #7!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars. 

The Star Wars #5

General Skywalker, Annikin Starkiller and the royal family of Aquilae have procured passage off the besieged planet only to walk into a trap!

This was an action packed issue. It was also unnecessary. You do learn a little bit more about the Sith Knight that the Emperor recruits to capture the Princess. We're also introduced to a deadly gas that the Sith are immune to. But other than that, everything in this issue feels like a period of time George Lucas spent on the rough draft script in a state of writer's block.

They say that it was Lucas's first wife, Marcia Griffin Lucas, who took the parts of the original Star Wars trilogy that weren't working and made them into iconic scenes and characters. 'Polishing a turd' is how I have heard it referred to. In regards to this segment, I tend to believe that assessment. 

Great Mike Mayhew artwork. But really, this is an issue that you could skip and not miss anything because by chapter end, the protagonists are still exactly where they started. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

The Star Wars #4

Yes, the reptilian Dewbacks were originally supposed to be angry looking ostriches.

After a trio of action packed issues, things slow down a bit in part 4. But don't worry. Skywalker, Starkiller and the Princess have made it to Mos Eisley Spaceport, called Wilson Spaceport, in the George Lucas rough draft.

All of the excitement of the Cantina scene is here. Han Solo, looking more like Swamp Thing with scales instead of Indiana Jones, is introduced. But don't expect Chewbacca. This smuggler works alone. 

Then plans are made with some members of the growing Rebellion against the Evil Empire. The young twin brothers of Princess Leia are placed in stasis. A forgotten character reappears only to die pretty unexpectedly as well as quite heroically. 

Oh, and Darth Vader and a very evil looking Sith Knight have arrived, joining the search for the Princess.

I had mentioned during my review of issue #1 that this miniseries has 8 parts. 9 if you count the #0 issue which is more of a showcase of artistic designs and character bios. Yet in my previous review, I said that this issue would be the exact midpoint of the storyline. That's because when I read this issue, I was under the assumption that issue #7 was the last issue. When I bought these books last year, I purchased them as a bundle with a label that the set contained issues #1-7. I had falsely assumed that I was purchasing a complete set.

With this issue ending with the main characters still stuck on Aquilae, I kept thinking that there's no way everything gets wrapped up by issue #7. I did some research and learned that I was right. I was missing the 8th and final issue. Thankfully I found a copy for a decent price and a fairly quick delivery date. So I am really looking for an epic conclusion. Still, considering how much at a snail's pace things are moving here, I have my doubts everything is going to be finished up when we get to issue #8.

I'm now halfway there. We shall see!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Star Wars #3

The scenes that you would expect to see in Episode IV on Tatooine and the Dune Sea occurs in this issue. With some subtle and blatantly different changes.

The droids emerge from their escape pod, argue over which direction to take, separate and somehow both wind up with General Luke Skywalker.

Princess Leia and her younger twin brothers have survived the assault on Aquilae. In the presence of Skywalker and his Padawan, Annikin Starkiller, it's imperative that the remaining royal family find safe passage off the planet.

Skywalker and company are attacked while attempting to reach the nearest space port. But instead of Tusken Raiders, they are attacked by stormtroopers brandishing laser swords. 

These storm troopers are way more violent than in the finished product. In A New Hope, they essentially barbecue Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Here in the rough draft, when dealing with a belligerent, the soldiers will string them up like on a rack, torture them, then kill them, while leaving them in place as a warning to others that the Evil Empire is not to be trifled with. George Lucas had added the death scene of the Lars family in order to secure a more favorable PG rating. Lucas felt a G rating might prevent older audiences from watching the film and I think he was right about that. But if he had kept the stormtrooper torture scenes in the final film, the first Star Wars film might have garnered a younger potential audience killing R rating! (Note: PG-13 ratings didn't exist until the mid-1980s.)

Lots of action. High levels of violence. This is not the Star Wars universe that I grew up with and I don't mind it one little bit. But we're almost at the half-way point and the heroes haven't even gotten to the space port. I have no idea where things are going. Is this really just a 7-issue miniseries?

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

The Star Wars #2

The planet Aquilae is under attack. The Evil Empire has decided to bypass diplomatic talks and to take the planet by force. To do so, the Emperor orders the Space Fortress commanded by the Sith Knight, Darth Vader, to attack the planet. 

In the attack, the King is killed, leaving General Skywalker in command until Princess Leia, the new ruler of Aquilae, can be retrieved from the University, where she studies. However, there are Imperial sympathizers in the ranks of King's royal advisors and they've clandestinely arranged an illegal surrender of the planet. With the threat of arrest for treason, the general must stand down. But he's not going to go quietly.

The attack on Aquilae plays out like the climatic battle of Yavin in Episode IV. So the level of action and adventure in this issue rises in leaps and bounds, considering how boring the opening chapter was. 

We're introduced to the prototypes of R2-D2 and C-3PO. (Their names are phonetically spelled out and henceforth will only be referred to as 'the droids'.) The droids turn out to be property of the Empire, housed aboard the Space Fortress. As Aquilae fighters begin their assault on the fortress, they will take that legendary escape pod and crash into the desert landscape below. Let me just say, it's really weird having the Galaxy's most beloved astromech droid speaking basic language instead of binary beeps and boops.

Let me talk about the art before I close. It's amazing. Mike Mayhew is the artist and he's got such an amazing touch of realism. I also think that he's trying to make some of the characters look like actors who potentially could have been cast back in 1977. Not the major characters, as they're based on the McQuarrie sketches. But I swear one of the Imperial officers who advise Darth Vader of the attack on Aquilae is Rene Auberjonois from Benson!

A much better second act. Things are starting to gel a bit more. Lots more action! Very little diplomacy and no, it's not because of the death of the leader of Aquilae and a large chunk of his trusted advisors.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The Star Wars #1 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The first chapter of a 2013-14 miniseries from Dark Horse Comics. It's based on a complete first rough draft from George Lucas that he completed in 1974. A few years before the release of this 8 issue series (9, if you count the #0 issue that acts as a primer for this completely different take on the Star Wars universe with character breakdowns and sketches), Lucasfilm had published the script on their website. With Lucas in talks with Disney to sell the franchise, Jonathan W. (J.W.) Rinzler, the executive editor of LucasBooks, obtained blessing from the creator himself to publish a visual representation of the original vision of Star Wars before it was too late. 

Rinzler, a noted writer and historian of several Star Wars novels and non-fiction works about the filming of the movies, adapted the rough draft. While Rinzler was extremely faithful to the script, artist Mike Mayhew sprinkled the pages with hidden treasures in the background like the Easter Bunny with an unlimited amount of eggs. Mayhew referred to the original character designs of artist Ralph McQuarrie. But he also made sure to make this new vision of Star Wars seem a little bit familiar to established fans.

The Star Wars opens with that familiar title crawl, explaining the story before. The old Empire has fallen. The Sith have established a new Empire by exterminating almost all of the Jedi-Bendu after a massive rebellion. One of the last surviving Jedi, General Luke Skywalker, leads the military forces of the planet Aquilae. The Emperor, seeking the planet's cloning technology, has demanded Aquilae's full surrender or face total war. Kane Starkiller and his son Annikin, have arrived to warn General Skywalker, of a sneak attack. Starkiller also makes a dying wish that Annikin becomes Skywalker's Padawan apprentice in the ways of the Jedi. 

As Kane Starkiller departs to arrange transport for the royal family to flee Aquilae, planetary defense radar sensors go wild. Something massive has entered the solar system. It's the size of a small moon. It moves with the speed of a comet. Also, it's man-made. The Emperor's Space Fortress has arrived!

There's a lot of drastic differences that look like they came from a galaxy far, far away. It's just not the galaxy you are used to. The Star Wars comic reads like an alternate dimension, similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse. General Luke Skywalker is more like a mixture of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Han Solo. The Han Solo here isn't even human. He's more like the Swamp Thing if the DC legend had only 3 fingers and toes on each appendage. The legendary star destroyers look the same. Only they're now shrunk to house only a 2-man crew and boast TIE fighter level maneuverability. As for the Death Star, referred to as the less intimidating Space Fortress, it's firepower is nowhere near on par to being able to destroy a planet with a single laser blast. 

While much of the first rough draft of Star Wars wouldn't make it to the silver screen in 1977, Lucasfilm has been like a Native American tribe taking down a buffalo: nothing went to waste. The original design of the Wookiee, of which Chewbacca is a proud member of, would eventually become Zeb Orrelios, from Star Wars: Rebels. The royal family escape plot would evolve into the basis of the opening act of Episode I: The Phantom Menace, with Jedi knights rescuing Queen Amadala of Naboo from invaders. Speaking of the prequel film, this issue is rather dull as diplomacy dominates a majority of the plot. The slow churn of the wheels of democracy is one of the biggest complaints of fans about Phantom Menace. Hopefully, the action will pick up in issue #2. 

The swan song of Dark Horse's tenure as the comic book publisher for the Star Wars franchise.  This is an essential read for the most fervent of fans who thrive on the technical manuals and creature compendiums that reveal the inner workings of the Galactic Senate, its Sith-led Imperial predecessor and the order of the Jedi Knights. It's unlike anything one has ever seen aside from those early McQuarrie drawings and paintings and with the Star Wars universe in the hands of Disney, it's a corner of the galaxy that looks to never be rediscovered anytime soon. 

Completing this review completes Task #39 (A Star Wars Comic) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Life Day Treasury - Holiday Stories From a Galaxy Far, Far Away by George Mann & Cavan Scott

George Mann and Cavan Scott present Star Wars stories set during the Wookiee holiday known as Life Day. Other than Boba Fett, Life Day has become the most enduring contribution to the Star Wars universe to come from the infamous 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special. This treasury of tales show how different cultures and solar systems celebrate Life Day in regards to the winter solstice. As each populated planet has their winter solstice begin at different times, potentially you could celebrate the holidays every day. Coruscant, Tattioone, Alderaan, even the forest moon of Endor celebrate the beginning of winter and the New hope of warm, fertile days ahead.

I like that this book is set during different periods of time. The story on Coruscant occurs during the days of the Old Republic. My favorite story, 'The Song of Winter's Heart' takes place during the early days of the rebellion, showing how a pair of best friends can grow apart on different sides of the political spectrum, with one becoming a storm trooper and the other a rebel, and yet, the shared cultural heritage of the holidays can make even the worst of enemies brothers once more.

I also like that a majority of these stories star established characters. While my favorite tale had all-new characters, whom I hope to one day encounter again, other stories feature some of the most beloved characters across all 3 trilogies. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Wicket and the rest of his tribe are amongst those who appear. You won't get Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker or Princess Leia. But as you could probably guess, Chewbacca and his family, including son Lumpy, star in the Life Day story set on Kashyyyk that closes out this collection. Yup! Han Solo is there too!

Some characters from before Episode I, who have been established in the pages of either Dark Horse or Marvel comics publications appear here too. One such character is Jedi Knight Stellan Gios, who appears on the cover. I only know that Stellan is an established character thanks to a Google search. I'm wondering if he was meant to be based on actor David Tennant. Because that's who he looks like in profile in the beautifully painted cover image by Grant Griffin. All of the artist's paintings were fantastic and added greatly to the intended theme of each story which range from humorous and heartfelt to suspenseful and scary. 

I wouldn't mind a second volume of Life Day stories. Maybe we could see what Life Day festivities are like on Cloud City or when observed by the Hutts. But I would also like to see some sequels. I really would like to know what happened to the opposing main characters of my favorite tale. Did both survive? Did they reconcile? I really want to know more about their story. If that's not reason to believe that is a great read, I don't know what is! And there are several characters, who are not Han or Chewie, in this book that I wanted to know more about.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars 

The He-Man Effect: How American Toy Makers Sold Your Childhood

Box Brown explores how corporations have manipulated our fandoms in this 2023 non-fiction graphic novel. While Brown explores the affects of propaganda on the American populace during the two World Wars, his focus is on toys because many of those psychiatrists who used science to ideally heighten pro-American sentiments ended up being hired by advertising agencies after the conflicts. In between the first World War and the attack on Pearl Harbor, women were the primary targets of those advertisers. However, with the baby boom after the fall of Japan, companies were made aware of a brand new untapped market: children.

It turns out that our tiny undeveloped brains cannot tell the difference between the fictions of a TV show and the commercials that fill in gap time. So when a kid sees Superman telling kids that Wheaties is the only cereal for him to eat, they believe that in order to be just like the Man of Steel, the kiddies need to eat Wheaties too! This blending of the two types of media got so bad that restrictions were made by the FCC, thanks to a bunch of angry moms, that prohibited children's programming from being essentially a 30 minute commercial for products. There were a few exceptions like Sesame Street, which was considered educational for children and being on public television, never ran commercials. It's also why during the 60s and 70s, that TV shows like Laugh-In, which was clearly for more mature audiences could appeal to children on lunch boxes and trading cards. It wasn't considered kids programming, so those shows could license out products meant for kids. It also explains why the 1970s was the best decade for cartoons.

This all changed in November, 1980. Ronald Reagan became President and he appointed those to head the FCC who opposed the restrictions on advertising to children during the Saturday morning cartoons and after school programming. Mattel was about to launch a new toy line that promised to rival Kenner's Star Wars behemoth, Its main character was called He-Man. However, capturing the imagination of the youngsters who would demand mom and dad buy it for them would be no easy feat without able word of mouth and frequency on the airwaves. With FCC deregulation of kids programming, Mattel was able to produce an animated series that would essentially be a 22-minute commercial for the Masters of the Universe toyline. 

Thanks to the series produced by Filmation, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe became a cultural touchstone for children in the mid-1980s. I should know, I was on of those kindergartners who started to drop their Star Wars figures and instead pickup a He-Man and a Skeletor figure. I still love the original He-Man series. I've bought massive omnibuses containing the entire run of mini comics inserted with each action figure. I also have a book devoted to the seldom seen newspaper strips. I'm currently on the hunt for the comics produced by Marvel imprint, Star Comics, without going bankrupt doing so. 

While my love for He-Man hasn't diminished reading this historical account of pop culture in the 20th century, I am chagrined to see how much I have been manipulated by Mattel, Kenner, Hasbro and the likes. Eternia's Prince Adam doesn't say 'By the power of Gray Skull. I have the power.' to become He-Man, though it helps. That was an ear worm planted by toy designers to trigger something in our little pea brains to want to consume more Masters of the Universe merch! The same goes with 'Yo, Joe!', 'Thundercats, Ho!' and so many other catch phrases of my childhood.

I'm almost mad at Box Brown. I've enjoyed a lot of his previous works. But with The He-Man Effect, I feel like he exposed the man behind the curtain. There was just a little too much of Adam Ruins Everything that destroyed some of the magic of my youth. The book does explain very well why we get upset when our favorite childhood franchises are rebooted or made 'woke' with diverse casting changes or switching genders of characters. But what I'm most upset about is that these toy lines and animated series that were bright spots to a childhood fraught with bullying and abuse, weren't there to make me happy and secure. They were created to make people rich. Thanks to Box Brown, the truth about my childhood heroes is that they weren't there to protect me. They just wanted my money.

Worth Consuming, but man does it hurt.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Twisted Toyfare Theatre, Vol. 6

I splurged on a second volume of Twisted Toyfare Theatre. This volume features an introduction from professional wrestler Rob Van Dam. I didn't realize that he was such a geek. Had I, I might have been a fan of his.

I'm noticing in this volume several names pop up. Matthew Senreich and Tom Root among others. Add Seth Green to the list and you might be saying ' Oh, yeah. These are the guys behind Robot Chicken!' That means that TTT is either the father of the Adult Swim series or it's the TV adaptation. That's really interesting considering that DC Comics actually threatened to sue Toyfare for using their characters in satirical ways for TTT but on Robot Chicken, with Cartoon Network being a Warner Bros. property, DC Comics works were skewered almost in every episode. Just goes to show that anyone is willing to have a good sense of humor if they get paid for it. 

As with all the other volumes I have read, there's just too many segments to pay adequate attention to. Daredevil takes actor Ben Affleck to court for the hero's portrayal in the Daredevil movie. Hulk and Spider-Man attend a showing of Episode II: Attack of the Clones while fans also get a chance to see what Star Trek III: The Search for Spock would have been like if it took place in the Star Wars Universe. We see deleted scenes from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and then take a tour of Cobra headquarters after dark, when everybody should be long asleep.

'The Official Handbook to the Twisted Toyfare Theatre Universe' was as usual, a delight. But those 'Slideshow' one-pagers that take screenshots of classic cartoons and rework them into skits was something that the editors should have buried long ago. I feel shame that I ever was a fan of Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors...

The main segments were great. A really neat glimpse at the genius behind Robot Chicken. But those creative forces should stick to using toys for the jokes. Riffing on classics just wasn't in their wheelhouse.

Sadly, this will probably be the last volume I'll be able to get my hands on. Volumes 8-11 are out of print. Apparently, the print run was really small as sellers are asking prices that I'd expect to pay for an Action Comics #252. Maybe I'll get lucky some day. But it will probably be a while before that happens.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Omnibus: Wild Space, Volume 1

Clocking in at 454 pages, there is a ton of adventures from a galaxy far, far away. However, if you happened to own Star Wars: The Marvel UK Collection already, then you already have over 250 pages of material already. If you're like me, you've also already read it as well.

Now you might think that being the case, I'll be selling this book. Or I'll be taking the UK Collection to the used book store. However, when it comes to the latter, there's still over 500 pages of material that wasn't published in this book. And when it comes to this omnibus, there's nearly 200 pages of stories that are darn near impossible on the wallet and wish list to locate easily.

Along with material previously printed in various British Star Wars publications, there's material from Star Wars #0, Star Wars 3-D, an American all-ages periodical called Star Wars Kids, and mini comics that were packaged with Kenner Shadows of the Empire action figures and Kellogg's breakfast cereals. Again, due to scarcity and exorbitant prices of the Star Wars action figure sets and Star Wars 3-D back issues alone, I really don't think I can complain about how things overlap. Besides, I didn't pay anywhere near the original MSRP of $100 for the UK Collection and I'm pretty sure I either got this book for my birthday or with trade credit. 

If you're looking to get your hands on this out of print collection from Dark Horse Comics for a great deal- forget it! Amazon's cheapest print copy is priced at almost $65 right now. You could get a Kindle version for less than $20. However, if your a true old school comic collector, why on Earth would you want to go digital?

A lot of enjoyable Star Wars action that is a cheaper alternative to shopping for all the original material. However, this book in of itself isn't all that affordable on the back issue market these days either.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars 3-D #1-3 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

1987 was the 10 year anniversary of the first Star Wars film. In what was supposed to be a time filled with celebration and fanfare, 1987 was not a banner year for the average Star Wars fan. Star Wars: Droids and Star Wars: Ewoks; a pair of all-ages comics published by Marvel imprint Star, were cancelled by Springtime. Star Tours, a Star Wars themed Disneyland ride and a 10th anniversary convention were held. But unless you traveled to California, you couldn't enjoy them. Older fans could enjoy a new computer game as well as a RPG game- if you had the money and/or friends to play with! At least Mel Brooks entertained moviegoers with his Star Wars parody, Spaceballs.

It was a dark time for Star Wars fans, especially if you loved it in comic book form. That was until December of that year!

California based Blackthorne Publishing was a small novelty publishing company known for making 3-D comics based on popular properties such as Dick Tracy and the California Raisins. It was a small coup to win the Star Wars franchise away from major publisher Marvel, despite the waning interest in the George Lucas property. 

Issue #1 was billed as a 10th anniversary issue. Written by Len Wein, the premier issue sees Luke Skywalker and C-3PO returning with Han Solo and Chewbacca to Tatoonie immediately after the destruction of the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin. Skywalker wishes to honor his fallen Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru while being led by the Force to find a new caretaker for the Lars Homestead. The Force leads Luke and company to Mos Eisley Cantina to a massive and mean smuggler named Throgg. Featuring art and pencils by Glen Johnson and Jim Nelson, the climatic bar fight in this issue makes the misadventures seen in Episode IV look rather tame in comparison.

Patrick Zircher assists Len Wein in the next issue which reveals how the Rebels ended up seeking sanctuary on the ice planet of Hoth. Inks for this issue were by David Cody Weiss. 

Series editor John Stephenson pens the third issue which takes Luke and Leia to Dantooine. There, Luke is kidnapped by a group of Dark Force sensitive beings called Fairfolk, who subject the aspiring Jedi to a number of tests devised by Darth Vader. The combined artwork and inks by Cesar Magsombol are the weakest of the trio of issues, looking hardly anything like any of the characters.

Star Wars 3-D was a quarterly publication. The printing process to make the images appear 3-D was a costly technique in both terms of time and money. At least 3 additional issues were planned. Unfortunately, the 1988 Michael Jackson project Moonwalker led to the downfall of the young publisher. A ridiculous licensing fee for the franchise in addition to the book's failure to entice customers resulted in financial woes that Blackthorne could never rebound from. An IRS audit and a lawsuit against distribution company Sunrise Distribution didn't help matters. Outsourcing and layoffs dominated Blackthorne in 1989, despite being the 5th largest comic book publisher at the time. Ultimately, many of Blackthorne's planned titles, including issues 4-6 of Star Wars 3-D were cancelled and the company folded in 1990.

Completing this review completes Task #33 (A Star Wars Comic or Graphic Novel) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Star Wars: The Life Day Cookbook- Official Recipes From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Yesterday was Life Day. It's like Star Wars Christmas. First established as part of Star Wars canon, the Wookiee people's most sacred day was introduced in the Star Wars Holiday Special on November 17th, 1978. The special is notable not just because of how bad it was, but also because it contained a small animated segment that marked the debut of the galaxy's greatest bounty hunter, Boba Fett! 2023 marked the 45th anniversary of all that and it just so happened that yesterday coincidentally when I finished reading this Life Day themed cookbook.

The book is written as if it really did exist in the Star Wars universe. The writer is acclaimed chef of Maz Kanata, Strono 'Cookie' Tuggs, who is a main character at the Star Wars experience at Disney, was also the writer of the Galaxy's Edge cookbook from 2019.

There are over 3 dozen recipes written from Cookie's perspective. He talks about the actual ingredients and the planets that they come from. Thankfully, you're not expected to have bantha meat and mudhorn eggs on hand. Earth-bound writers Jenn Fujikawa and Marc Sumerak assist to translate Cookie's recipes with the human equivalent ingredients. 

If you look over the recipes closely, you'll realize that the Star Wars universe enjoys holiday treats that are similar to ours. Gloomroot Pancakes are the latkes with sour cream and apple sauce we enjoy at Hanukkah. Wroshyr Sap Cider is the hot apple cider that keeps us warm near a roaring fire. There are even some non-holiday recipes involved too. The color-changing Cirilian Noodle Salad is the magical Unicorn Noodles dish I've made with younger students for years now. Can't afford to buy supplies at the Black Spire Outpost? Cookie has you set with several DIY projects to make life day robes, trees and orbs. 

Speaking of the orbs. For Life Day yesterday, I taught some of my Culinary Arts students how to make a mini version of the jelly orbs recipes. I didn't have the right ingredients. But I was able to use a fair substitution. Hopefully after Thanksgiving, we'll give it another go with the required agar agar powder.

The photos in this cookbook were absolutely stunning. So colorful and vibrant. The food stylists behind these portraits deserve beaucoup accolades and I hope they've won some awards for them. 

Lots of great ideas. Maybe next year for some holiday fun in a galaxy far, far away, I might use recipes from this cookbook to my students to do a culinary venture based on Life Day. My student's might not enjoy it as much as me. But it'll be a heck of a lot less stressful than having to do a Thanksgiving themed sale. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars. 

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

This 2019 miniseries was written as a sort of 5-issue advertisement for Disney's new Star Wars land region of their amusement parks. Titled Galaxy's Edge, the park is in reality the Black Spire Outpost of the remote planet of Batuu. It's run by a Ithorian trader, Dok-Ondar who specializes in being able to find rare things; usually by illegal or unethical means. 

When we first meet Dok-Ondar, he's met by a trio of traders who are looking for a rare Sith artifact that has crossed the profiteer's path on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, First Order has arrived on Batuu looking for Resistance fighters. Immediately, I gave a cry of disgust. I was looking forward to having a story with Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han and Chewie are on the cover! Why is this a sequels trilogy set story?

Thankfully, my frustration was short-lived as while the main story is set during the days of Rey, Finn and Kylo Ren, there are flashbacks to just about every era of Star Wars throughout this book. We do get Han and Chewbacca in a tale that shows us the smuggler's very first encounter with a sarlacc. Then there are stories set in the Clone Wars, during Rebels and Rogue One and in the Marvel created worlds with an appearance by Doctor Aphra. The only time period missing is that of the era of the Old Republic and that's probably because Ithorians don't live that long. 

The comic was really good. It features one of my favorite non-film characters, Hondo Ohnaka. The way the story comes around full circle made for a satisfying conclusion. And I really didn't mind having the First Order in this book after all. 

The all encompassing approach to this book makes sense really. I've not been to Galaxy's Edge, though I really, REALLY want to! From the videos I've seen, characters from just about every Star Wars movie and TV show mingle throughout the Black Spire Outpost. Being these stories were told in flashbacks, a visitor to Galaxy's Edge can just count up these anachronistic visits as really strong glimpses of the past brought about by the Force!

The story was written by Ethan Sacks whose What If... Thor/Frost Giants one-shot was butchered by the editorial staff. I feel that this book redeemed Sacks in my eyes and makes me want to read some of his other Star Wars works like Bounty Hunters and Halcyon Legacy (which if you are wondering is where your Old Republic tie-ins await!).

The artwork, by Will Sliney, was good too. The artist has some great renderings of the actors who portrayed the legends that pepper this book. 

Not wanting to have connections with the sequel trilogy is personal preference. So my only real complaint is that I felt that this trip down Star Wars memory lane was too short. I would have liked another issue or two to incorporate characters from the original Marvel comic run or someone from Star Wars: Droids or the infamous Holiday Special. 2019 was too early for a visit from the Mandalorian. But maybe a sequel might one day bring about some more until tales of a galaxy far, far away. I would LOVE that!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures (2019 Free Comic Book Day Edition)

This 2019 Free Comic Book Day offering features a scary story starring Han Solo and Chewbacca. Only it's not the real Han Solo. I don't care that this is a comic book. But the version of Han illustrated in this book is the Alden Ehrenreich Solo origin film version. The only (acceptable) version of Han Solo is Harrison Ford. Plain and simple. There is no substitute. 

Now one thing added to the appeal of this book is that this is a Tales From Vader's Castle story. Since 2018, Star Wars fans have been delighted by an annual all-ages horror themed anthology set in the Star Wars Universe. It's become a new Halloween tradition. However, there's no such thing as Halloween in Star Wars. That doesn't matter as it still makes for a fun October time read. 

Compared to other Vader's Castle stories, this one isn't really that scary. Probably because this was a Free Comic Book Day offering. Mistress Lina and her droid Crater, who are the story's narrators, make a return appearance from the 2018 debut of Tales From Vader's Castle. As they explore Vader's home, Lina recalls an early adventure from Han and Chewbacca's early days involving a heist as a droid museum. 

This story sets up the framework for prospective fans to pick up the trade paperback which collected the first series. There was a Han Solo ghost story in the first anthology. I double-checked. This story is not a reprint of that issue as writer Cavan Scott managed to have both versions of Solo (the true and the reboot impostor) in the same story. There's no Harrison Ford in this book.

Featuring art by Derek Charm, this issue has a certain charm to it; even if it doesn't feature MY Han Solo. Loved the closing panel! And the back cover by Francesco Francavilla, featuring the imposing visage of Lord Vader overlooking his Mustafar is just breathtaking. Oh, how I would love to have a print of it to hang in my office!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: Ewoks #1 (Family Comic Friday)

Wordless comics seem to be a growing trend right now and I'm not sure if that bothers me. I generally feel that if I buy a comic book and there's no words in it (aside from sound effects), then I got gypped. Yet on my last trip to my favorite LCS, I bought not 1 but 2 pantomime comics. 

Man, I must be a sucker...

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi: Ewoks is part of a series of one-shots Marvel will be releasing this year in honor of Episode VI's 40th anniversary. It just happens to be a lucky coincidence that I chose this book to review for Family Comic Friday as Disney and Lucasfilm is releasing the movie for 1 day only on this very day! Sadly, where I happen to be as I write this review is nowhere close to where Jedi is being shown in theaters. Not like I've not seen the movie a hundred times, including open day 1983 (Mission Valley Cinema, Raleigh, NC- may you Rest In Peace!), but if I had the chance, I'd go see it again now!

The main reason I decided to review Ewoks this week was due to its cover rating. Marvel has this special listed as being for teens (and up). Yet, the Ewoks themselves have always been fodder for marketing to children. For Millennials and Gen Z, the Ewoks are the Porgs of Generation X.

One purpose of this weekly review is to help parents navigate the ratings system of comics. It's not a uniform program and it's left to each individual publisher to rate their own books. I've seen reprints of stuff from the 60s, which had no rating system, be re-released as all-ages and they really shouldn't have (and vice versa), hence Family Comic Friday.

Knowing that kids love Ewoks and the older folks who now have kids might be wanting to share their 40th anniversary memories with their children and grandkids, I thought it might be a good idea to check this book out. 

The premise is that the elders of Ewok village are having a festival. During this event, Logray and some of the other adults regal the woklings with tales of legendary Ewoks from the past. There are essentially 3 stories. Story One is about a young Ewok who befriends a Dulok girl. You'd only know who the Duloks were if you watched the 1985-86 Ewoks cartoon, which I did. The Duloks are the main enemy of the Ewoks. These furry green bipeds are mostly rivals in terms of battling over resources and land. Though I think on at least one or two occasions, a Dulok tried to eat a Ewok. This is an adorable tale, drawn similarly to the animated series and boasts a message of friendship and tolerance. 

Story #2 tells of an unfortunate Ewok who stumbles across a Gorax. These gigantic creatures ARE known to have enjoyed the Ewoks as a snack. While the artwork is absolutely stunning, the middle adventure can be terrifying. That ending really stunned me, though what Logray does to the storyteller when we return to the present gave me a huge laugh. If you are one who thought Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was too intense, this is a story young readers should skip.

The final story is really fanciful. It tells of an Ewok who built their own flying machine out of parts scavenged from the Imperial presence on Endor. There is one scene of violence when the Ewok steals a Scout Trooper's helmet. The Ewok knocks the guy out with a giant log to get it. But who are we kidding? He could have killed him. It's really up for interpretation. 

Star Wars had always been known to have 3 things in it- heartwarming inspiration, jump scares, and thrilling adventures. This one-shot has all three. So really, if you're already letting your 4 year old watch Star Wars, then you'll probably not have any issue with this issue. 

I fell in love with the main cover that bears the image of a Ewok's face. The way they are enthralled by the village bonfire was just so elegant and intense. I knew I had to have it. One of the variant covers is done in the style of the Saturday morning cartoon show. It's something that very much would appeal to a young child. But don't be fooled. Some of the material in this anniversary comic is intense and I am not lying when it comes to that middle story. It starts off with the image of a decomposing Ewok. But let's face it- Episode IV has the charred corpses of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. So it's not like it's anything that's never been seen in the Star Wars Universe before. 

Great read. I would've liked words. But it brought me back to my childhood and some fond memories. This is a book that generations of Star Wars lovers can partake in together and make some fond memories of their own. It's just something that may have to wait a while if the young reader in your life just isn't ready for some of this material yet.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 11: Rise of the Wookiees

The curtain falls on Star Wars Adventures with this volume. Though Chewbacca is the main star of this book, the focus is on the sequel trilogy and honestly, it's just not as exciting as the original films nor the prequels.

Chewie's story sees the Wookiee helping the Resistance free his native planet Kashyyyk from the First Order. The stormtroopers have taken prisoners; one of which is a mortal enemy of Chewbacca's from a neighboring tribe. In order to save his people, Chewie must overlook an age-old rivalry, even if it's at the sake of his personal pride.

Another highlight of this volume was a Tony Fleecs pencilled adventure starring R2-D2, C-3PO and BB-8, unfortunately. Sorry, but Poe Dameron's droid is just a third wheel here. However, the story was such a visual masterpiece. It reminded me of both Sergio Aragones and Frank Quietly- kinda cartoony but full of detail. 

I also enjoyed the 2-part 'Tales From Wild Space' story. The epic of Emil Graf has a perfect ending; all the while promising further adventures. I do think it was a bit annoying that it took the last 'Wild Space' adventure to finally understand why Emil Graf goes around the galaxy telling stories of the Star Wars Universe. But, I can finally say I know what the character is all about.

The 3 stories starring the newer characters were the weakest of the bunch. The Finn story and glimpse at Poe's X-Wing training sessions with Rey were just too saccharin. The only thing missing from those two tales would have been appearance from Rose Tico and that would have made both of them unreadable. Can we all just admit Poe Dameron is a fascinating character. But he's brought down by those new trilogy wet blankets Finn and Rey.

The story with Kylo Ren team-up with General Hux was the best of the new character-only stories. Maybe it's because they are bad guys. Maybe it's because the two villains want to kill each other just as much as they want to squash the Resistance. I would have loved it if IDW would have scrapped the Rey and Finn stories and stretched out the uneasy alliance between the highest ranking officers of the First Order. It would have made for a much more entertaining read and have helped to bumped up my rating of this book.

This isn't IDW's last hurrah with Star Wars Adventures. For one reason or another, Marvel, Disney or IDW (or some combination of the 3) decided it was best to restart the series at issue #1. Could it be due to the latest rise in comic book speculating? That false belief that a #1 issue sells more books... Or is it due to the fact that Dark Horse regained the licensing rights to Star Wars and IDW was looking to unload their stockpile of Star Wars stories before their contract with DIsney ran out. 

I probably won't have an answer for that anytime soon. Only 1 trade of that new series was ever published and my library doesn't carry it. Heck, I can't even find it on Amazon or favored online comic book sellers. I'm probably going to have to wait to find them individually in the bargain bins.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Star Wars: The Marvel UK Collection (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Marvel UK's Star Wars comics of the 1970s and 80s were quite a bit different than their American counterparts. For one thing, they were released on a weekly basis. Each issue only had about 8-10 pages of Star Wars story. So it might take 6-8 issues (2-3 months) for a storyline to resolve itself. Stories starring Star Lord, Alpha Flight and a segment called 'Tales of the Watcher' were comic segments that filled the rest of the weekly series.

More of a magazine than a traditional comic book, Star Wars Weekly would also include articles, interviews, contests and games, and activities for fans. Free gifts such as cut-out models of X-wings, attached sticker sheets and magic tricks meant that it's nearly impossible to find issues 100% intact. 

Most of the stories were reprints of the American Star Wars comic stories. But for one reason or another, the adventures often were released out of order. Often, shipping delays of the print plates were the result of the tales being published differently from that of the American run. However, the British version was also where rejected Star Wars tales got a second chance at life.

The frigid story 'The Kingdom of Ice' was originally slated to be published over a half dozen issues of the youth magazine Pizzazz. However, the publication's cancellation resulted in the story never reaching a conclusion, unless you happened to be a reader of Star Wars Weekly!

From early on, George Lucas put severe limits on Marvel's Star Wars titles. For one thing, none of the major characters could die (or if it appeared that they had died, it couldn't be permanent). There were a few other restrictions based on Lucas's plan for the sequels. The most important rule the publisher could not break was that Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader were forbidden from meeting each other in print!

Most of the rejected stories happened within the first year of the series. Once Marvel had a good idea what Lucas was looking for, the rejections ceased. Yet, it's not like these rejected tales never saw the light of day. Aside from appearing across the pond in Star Wars Weekly, the discarded tales were collected in a pair of Marvel Illustrated paperback books in the US. These collections now command a hefty price tag, generally with a current asking price of $40-100 each. 

Shipping delays from the American office would force Marvel UK to come up with some original material of their own. Alan Moore (Saga of the Swamp Thing) cut his teeth on no less than 3 shorts. They show flashes of Moore's genius as well as love for complex storylines that were very much not typical for a galaxy far, far away. Moore's 'Tilotny Throws A Shape' is a metaphysical piece where main character Princess Leia barely has anything to do with the plot. Yet the unexpected conclusion ranks up there with some of the greatest twists endings ever created by the staff of the legendary publisher EC Comics who made such finales an art form!

The Marvel UK Collection is over 750 pages and when it sold new in 2017, it retailed for $100. Ollie's would end up selling copies of this book for $29.99 in 2021. This anthology is massive, but as Star Wars Weekly (later going to monthly) ran for 171 issues plus and sister title Return of the Jedi Weekly squeaked out another 155 editions, it would be impossible to reprint all of the contests, articles and IQ quizzes that were included in these comics. That's probably a good thing as many of the pieces are repetitious to an ad nauseam degree. Plus a lot of this material has typos, erroneous facts and answers to solutions that are just plain wrong. 

At least fans can rest assured that all of the comics that ran as first run material in the UK are present in this gigantic tribute to Episodes IV-VI of the Star Wars trilogy!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #31 (Book over 500 Pages) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Star Wars Adventures, Vol. 11: Driving Force (Family Comic Friday)

I got majorly sick this week. That kept me from even feeling like reading for several days. I almost cancelled this week's post. Thankfully, I had an oldie but a goodie book on my hands for a quick read. So, here we go...

This is the penultimate volume of IDW's Star Wars Adventure series. The first volume. There are 2 issues reprinted here for a total of 5 stories. Even though one story is set in between Episodes III and IV, all of these Star Wars tales involve new trilogy characters. 

Poe Cameron, decked in Blue as a member of Rapier Squadron, the X-Wing pilot and his trusty droid BB-8 run afoul of space pirates!

Set in the days of the Empire, young Princess Leia is about to teach her close friend Amilyn Holdo how to drive a speeder on the crowded 'streets' of Coruscant. But Holdo has other plans, which involve touring the lowest levels of city-planet. We're talking exploring levels lower than 5! Super dangerous and yet a hidden part of the fabled Galactic center of government and commerce that excites the heck out of me!

Then we travel to Ahch-To during Rey's training with Luke Skywalker. In this story, we get to see an unseen episode in which the aspiring Jedi's impulsiveness unearths an ancient terror from the deep. 

The two remaining adventures are Tales From Wild Space back-up features. The wizened Maz Kanata teaches one of her former proteges a lesson in humility. Considering that the character is nearly 1,000 years old, there's no telling if this story occurs after the fall of the Empire or during the Age of the Old Republic. 

The second story involves a New Republic era A-wing pilot that I've never heard of. According to the date files in the back of this book (which were greatly appreciated), this character was a friend of Poe Dameron and apparently died during the events of Episode VII.

Good stories with amazing art. I would have preferred these stories to have been all set during the Clone Wars or the Rebellion. At least there are a few legacy characters peppered in. Younger fans will probably be really excited over this. Parents and guardians will probably get really excited over seeing Chewbacca! But then again, who wouldn't?! He's the best Wookiee ever! And there's no stormtroopers! Star Wars stuff has to have stormtroopers!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.