Marvel Star Wars- Why No Return Of The Jedi?

[grphxkindaguy]

Ha...well, you could be forgiven for thinking so, given the delays between issues. But no, it is still being published sporadically. Actually, thinking about it, if memory serves me correctly, I think Dark Horse may've been threatening to cancel it at the same time that they did away with Star Wars: Rebellion, but there was a lot of protest on the DH forums...so, the series was saved.

Also worth noting is issue #38, which I believe will be the final story in that TPB (and the last issue before the adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back began). This issue is interesting because it features some decidedly mangaesque artwork from the pen of Michael Golden. The story is called "Riders In The Void" and I can distinctly remember how weird the artwork looked back in 1980, compared to other Marvel and DC books I was reading at the time. It was definitely the first time that I had ever been exposed to anything even remotely resembling Japanese comic art...and I suspect I'm not the only person of my age who will say that. The cover artwork also exhibited this manga influence and proves that Princess Leia invented tentacle porn!

oh okay, I just figured Dark Times was quietly cancelled or something.

SW #38 is my single favorite issue of the entire Marvel series, bar none. Michael Golden's artwork on that totally blew me away. I have 3 copies of it in my collection, I like it so much! :-)

[grphxkindaguy]

From what I've read, the reason that all of those plot points that you mentioned kind of got dropped, was because Lucasfilm were saying more and more at that time that Marvel couldn’t advance the core characters. So, that’s why the book was suddenly flooded with loads of new supporting characters…because somebody had to do something interesting in the books, even if it wasn't Han, Luke and Leia et al. Oh, and that was Flint that Vader chose as his apprentice in annual #3.

I never knew that!!! I'll cut Marvel some slack then, for those last issues being so bad.

I always wondered what happened to Flint at the end of the Annual and was disappointed when they never resolved his storyline.

Yesterday I got the Back Issue issue where they do a story on the Star Wars Marvel era. Now just have to find some time to read it!

[Sean Walsh]

Yeah, Marvel made that a seperate mini-series which I found surprising since they released the previous two movies in the regular issues of the book.

They probably did this to make some extra money off of (what was at the time) the last STAR WARS movie. They worked with LucasFilm, so they probably had some inkling that going forward......the working relationship was gonna be the same (restrictive, strange, problematic)....or worse.

Ooh...harsh. I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this. While its true that the last dozen or so issues of the series were pretty lackluster (although the stand-alone issue #98 was excellent), I thought the majority of the post-ROTJ comics...let's say from issues #81 to around #93...were actually pretty good.

I recall the initial stories (during that vague transition from pre-ROTJ to post-ROTJ, when Vader and the Empire kinda.....went away/changed roles) were decent, but after a year it got kinda painful to read.

Well, that's kind of what I was saying in my previous post: according to Jo Duffy, that last issue really isn't as rare as dealers and various comic price guides would have you believe. In issue #9 of Back Issue magazine (published in April 2005), Duffy was quoted as saying that right up until the end of the series "Star Wars was still selling over 100,000 copies a month, better than most of the mid-range Superhero books."

I was shocked to read this because I'd heard for years that the series was cancelled due to poor sales and that as a result, the last issue was pretty rare. If what Duffy says is correct (and why should she lie about it?), the high prices that the final issue commands are due to price-hyping by dealers.

Well, I'm certain LucasFilm got a cut of what those sales were....and given the creative restraints, I wouldn't be shocked if there were some financial ones too.

And maybe back then, Marvel deemed that 100K (especially when not getting to keep all those sales) weren't necessarily great. Crazy to consider that at face value, but this is an industry where they once sold MILLIONS of issues every month.....

And it was always my understanding that the last issue's big hype value was that it was the first comic work (or first Marvel work) of Whilce Portacio, who inked Cynthia Martin's pencils.

[Jared]

I always wondered what happened to Flint at the end of the Annual and was disappointed when they never resolved his storyline.

Spoiler: according to the article "Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties", spoilers:

some time later, Lumiya and Flint confront each other at Vader's castle on Vjun. Only Lumiya walks away.

end of spoilers

What's kind of cool about Flint is how whoever wrote his origin did an almost spot-on callback to the prequels by sheer accident. As I recall, his parents get killed, and Vader overhears Flint swearing to obtain power and vengeance. Then Vader says something like "It has been a long time since I spoke as you do know." I suspect that nobody enjoyed Attack of the Clones more than that writer.

I once passed on a dirt cheap set of the post-ROTJ comics at my shop, including the Luke vs. Lumiya issue. I figured there was no point, since nothing really "counted" in the EU. Of course now a lot of the Marvel stuff has been incorporated. I've only read the issues up to ESB. I think they're being omnibused. I don't feel a need to have everything, but the stuff in between ESB and ROTJ sounds like it might be worthwhile.

Did Marvel publish Alan Moore's SW stories in the U.S.?

[Sean Walsh]

I once passed on a dirt cheap set of the post-ROTJ comics at my shop, including the Luke vs. Lumiya issue. I figured there was no point, since nothing really "counted" in the EU. Of course now a lot of the Marvel stuff has been incorporated. I've only read the issues up to ESB. I think they're being omnibused. I don't feel a need to have everything, but the stuff in between ESB and ROTJ sounds like it might be worthwhile.

Did Marvel publish Alan Moore's SW stories in the U.S.?

No, but Dark Horse did. A 2-issue miniseries, under the CLASSIC STAR WARS brand, called DEVILWORLDS.

And yes, the stuff between ESB and ROTJ was great reading - particular the stuff by David Micheline and Walt Simonson (from the mid-40s to late 50s), which I thought was amazing. But everything else was really good too.

[The Confessor]

Yesterday I got the Back Issue issue where they do a story on the Star Wars Marvel era. Now just have to find some time to read it!

You mean Back Issue #9 with Nexus on the cover? That's a great article about Marvel's Star Wars comic and one that I only picked up myself a few months back, following a tip off from some of the forum regulars here. The article actually details the ever tightening creative restrictions that Lucasfilm put on the series and as I mentioned earlier in this thread, Jo Duffy goes on record as saying that the series wasn't cancelled due to poor sales, as is commonly believed.

Anyway, it's a great read...you're in for a treat!

it was always my understanding that the last issue's big hype value was that it was the first comic work (or first Marvel work) of Whilce Portacio, who inked Cynthia Martin's pencils.

Oh, OK...that's interesting. A glance at the GCD confirms that issue #107 was indeed inked by Portacio. I must confess that I had never heard this fact given as a reason for the inflated prices that the issue demands, but that would certainly make sense. Especially considering what Jo Duffy said about the sales figures towards the end of the series. Thanks for that tidbit of info, Sean.

Did Marvel publish Alan Moore's SW stories in the U.S.?

No, they didn't.

At the time, those Alan Moore penned stories were only published in the UK's Star Wars comic. However, Dark Horse did reprint all five of Moore's Star Wars stories for the U.S. market (along with most of the other UK exclusive Marvel Star Wars stories) in the 1996 two issue mini-series, Devilworlds. This series is really well worth picking up if you're a fan of Marvel's Star Wars run, although be warned, Alan Moore's stories are decidedly strange. Also, the U.S. reprints are in colour, whereas when these stories originally appeared in the UK, they were in black and white.

Strangely, the Devilworlds series collects all of the UK exclusive stories bar one: Steve Moore's "Death Masque", which originally appeared in The Empire Strikes Back Monthly #149. Why that story wasn't reprinted by Dark Horse along with the others, is anybody's guess. Consequently, the only way you can get this story is by finding an old copy of ESB #149.



Edit: Ah, I see that Sean Walsh got there before me with an answer to the Alan Moore question.

[grphxkindaguy]

You mean Back Issue #9 with Nexus on the cover? That's a great article about Marvel's Star Wars comic and one that I only picked up myself a few months back, following a tip off from some of the forum regulars here. The article actually details the ever tightening creative restrictions that Lucasfilm put on the series and as I mentioned earlier in this thread, Jo Duffy goes on record as saying that the series wasn't cancelled due to poor sales, as is commonly believed.

Anyway, it's a great read...you're in for a treat!

Oh, OK...that's interesting. A glance at the GCD confirms that issue #107 was indeed inked by Portacio. I must confess that I had never heard this fact given as a reason for the inflated prices that the issue demands, but that would certainly make sense. Especially considering what Jo Duffy said about the sales figures towards the end of the series. Thanks for that tidbit of info, Sean.

Yep, that's it! Nice Nexus cover...

I know in some old cancelled series, like Marvel's GI Joe and Transformers runs, the last few issues demand big bucks b/c as the series was winding down at that point so less and less copies were being printed. The last issue of GI Joe is pretty valuable as a result, not sure about Transformers.

I remember reading an old Marvel comic a few months back (from the late '70's era) and they had a list inside on the bottom of the letters page, listing ALL the Marvel comics coming out. At one point Marvel was producing a Star Wars, Star TREK (right after TMP film) and Battlestar Galactica (the original show was still on the air) comic for a few months!

Three of the biggest sci-fi properties had comic books out at the same time, from the same company...

[Sean Walsh]

Oh, OK...that's interesting. A glance at the GCD confirms that issue #107 was indeed inked by Portacio. I must confess that I had never heard this fact given as a reason for the inflated prices that the issue demands, but that would certainly make sense. Especially considering what Jo Duffy said about the sales figures towards the end of the series. Thanks for that tidbit of info, Sean.

No prob, sir.

I was lucky enough to finish my Marvel STAR WARS collection in the earl-to-mid-1990's, right as the prices for *everything* in that series began to move upwards - still remains the luckiest situation in my entire comic collecting "career.

I think I may've paid a bit more for that last issue, given its worth even back then, but by that point it was worth it (and I think my dad probably chipped in and helped out).

[grphxkindaguy]

No prob, sir.

I was lucky enough to finish my Marvel STAR WARS collection in the earl-to-mid-1990's, right as the prices for *everything* in that series began to move upwards - still remains the luckiest situation in my entire comic collecting "career.

I think I may've paid a bit more for that last issue, given its worth even back then, but by that point it was worth it (and I think my dad probably chipped in and helped out).

A couple of years ago, after I finished (re)reading my SW Marvel run, I replaced the regular bags/boards w/Mylite2/Half-back's. A couple of the middle issues were in pretty rough shape, so I replaced them with vf/nm copies, all at a reasonable online prices!

[The Confessor]

At one point Marvel was producing a Star Wars, Star TREK (right after TMP film) and Battlestar Galactica (the original show was still on the air) comic for a few months!

Three of the biggest sci-fi properties had comic books out at the same time, from the same company...

Yeah, I've never read any of Marvel's Star Trek comics (aside from their adaptation of Star Trek The Motion Picture which came out in a magazine-sized special) but I'm mid-way through completing my run of their Battlestar Galactica series. If I'm brutally honest about it, the series isn’t actually that good, but I vividly remember hearing about this fabled American BG comic as a kid back in 1980 or thereabouts and I really wanting to get my hands on it. Unlike Star Wars, Marvel didn't bother to publish their Battlestar Galactica series in the UK, so that made it all the more desirable to me. A year or so ago, I finally decided to start acquiring issues (which are pretty cheap) as some sort of 8-year-old me wish fulfillment exercise.

I was lucky enough to finish my Marvel STAR WARS collection in the earl-to-mid-1990's, right as the prices for *everything* in that series began to move upwards - still remains the luckiest situation in my entire comic collecting "career.

Snap! I had literally the exact same buying experience as you did regarding the acquisition of my full run. I finally tracked down the final book that I needed (issue #98, which had been stubbornly elusive) in about 1994 or 1995, just as interest in the Star Wars franchise began to grow again. I felt very smug watching the prices of my SW collection, which is in pretty high grade condition, go up and up as the decade wore on and the release of The Phantom Menace approached. Not that I would've parted with my books for all the tea in China, so I guess it didn’t really matter one way or the other what they were worth.

[MichikoS]

There are some serious SW aficionados with knowledge here in this thread! I haven't followed Star Wars comics (or movies, for that matter) except in the most casual way, so this thread was full of illuminating tidbits. Thanks to all of you for sharing your views so eloquently.

I hate to bring Mammon into this high level of discourse, but can any of you tell me why these particular issues of DH Star Wars are so collectible (i.e., expensive)?

1. Star Wars Tales #9 (photo and art covers)
2. Star Wars Obsession mini-series (#1-5)
3. Star Wars Purge one-shot

I'm asking because a friend of mine who is a Star Wars collector has asked me to be on the lookout for these whenever I attend conventions. I would think these issues are super common and easily found in the cheap boxes, but he says absolutely not. What is the reason for their special desirability? It does appear that they are always out of stock on online comic sites, and when available they are eye-poppingly expensive for modern books. Somebody clue me in, please.

Thanks,
Michi

[Ben Akers]

1. Star Wars Tales #9 (photo and art covers)

Star Wars Tales #9 features the fight between Vader and Maul. Almost the entire issue is that story. It's one of the best Star Wars comics I've ever read, and well worth tracking down.

[Sean Walsh]

I hate to bring Mammon into this high level of discourse, but can any of you tell me why these particular issues of DH Star Wars are so collectible (i.e., expensive)?

1. Star Wars Tales #9 (photo and art covers)
2. Star Wars Obsession mini-series (#1-5)
3. Star Wars Purge one-shot

SWT #9 was Vader vs. Maul, probably the most important/popular issue of that series.

Obsession was a miniseries that dealt with events leading right into Episode III. The series started in late 2004, but they delayed the last issue until the day before the movie came out. I would imagine that long delay resulted in the first 4 issues to sell out completely beforehand and #5 to disappear quickly too

Purge came out in late 2005, and was solicited as a follow up on Episode III and the first of several one-shots that would deal with Vader hunting down Jedi who survived Order 66 (the long awaited "Jedi Extermination", moreorless). It sold out real quick; I got mine the first week and never saw it again for cover price.

[DrDoom616]

Reading the complete run of Marvel's Star Wars series, I note with some puzzlement that it contains no Return Of The Jedi adaptation. The events of both A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back are faithfully chronicled but ROTJ is skipped despite the comic having printed at the time and after that film. Events in ROTJ are referred to and suddenly slotted into the comic's continuity, they're just never shown in the comic. Which annoys me as I was quite looking forward to seeing Jabba and the sand pit and the ewoks and all that. So what happened?
Did Marvel not have the rights to that film? Then how come they could refer to its characters and events? I know Marvel lost its SW franchise voluntarily (they canceled the comic due to flagging sales at #107 and then later sold it off to Dark Horse) so I doubt this is some case of LEC taking it away from them but I could be wrong... It could be they just chose not to do it, but why? It would've been an obvious tie-in and sales booster to revivify the series' market presence.
Someone explain?

Not only that, but the 3-Part Chris Claremont and Carmine Infantino Story from Marvel Illustrated 'World Of Fire' has not been reprinted either.
And that was one of my favourite ones by Marvel

[The Confessor]

Not only that, but the 3-Part Chris Claremont and Carmine Infantino Story from Marvel Illustrated 'World Of Fire' has not been reprinted either.
And that was one of my favourite ones by Marvel

Agreed, this is a little known gem of Marvel's Star Wars output, but strictly speaking, it was reprinted once...the Marvel Illustrated book is itself a reprint. The story first appeared in the UK's Star Wars Weekly comic (issues #107-109) and was then reprinted in colour in the U.S. as the Marvel Illustrated paperback.