Marvel Star Wars- Why No Return Of The Jedi?

[fumetti]

If you read the run between 7-38 as a comic NOT connected to the movies, and you don't mind Infantino's art, you'll find it's a pretty entertaining sci-fi comic.

Marvel's Star Wars was a bridge for my return to reading comics. I'd read them from about '73 to 77, then dropped them for sci-fi mags (I was a complete Star Wars nutcase!), and came back to comics in 1981 with Star Wars #51. Then completed my run from #1-50.

I read the series until just after ROTJ when everything went south. The book past that point is HORRENDOUS. I don't recommend anything past #81 or so.

The period between ESB and ROTJ are the best. Good writing and great art. Frenz and Palmer were superb. Simonson was great, too.

Publishing the ROTJ adaptation as a separate LS was--if nothing else--a chance to sell two SW comics a month that summer.

[Christopher Burton]

If you read the run between 7-38 as a comic NOT connected to the movies, and you don't mind Infantino's art, you'll find it's a pretty entertaining sci-fi comic.

Infantino was great. Looking back on Star Wars comics as a whole, he's an oddball choice and somewhat stylistically deviant. But I thought those were fun issues. I appreciated the attempt to introduce a new villain in Baron Tagge. I wish more had been done with Crimson Jack, too.

I read the series until just after ROTJ when everything went south. The bo ok past that point is HORRENDOUS. I don't recommend anything past #81 or so.

I agree it had jumped the shark at that point becoming nothing more than a sit com really. But, to me, those issues still have their charm. As a young lad of 11 or 12, I was intrigued by the thought of life outside the Star Wars galaxy. That had never occurred to me before. Of course, it was attempted with much greater success, I think, in a subsequent prose novel (I forget which one, now). Even weirder than Infantino was the choice of artist during that run. Who was it -- with the minimalist style?

The period between ESB and ROTJ are the best. Good writing and great art. Frenz and Palmer were superb. Simonson was great, too.

This is my favorite section of the Marvel Star Wars series. The stories were a little less hokey than the pre-ESB issues and way less hokey than the post-ROTJ issues. They actually took themselves somewhat seriously and Simonson's art is some of my favorite in all of Star Wars comics. My favorite storyline was Luke, Lando, Lobot, and Shira Brie on Cloud City/Bespin. That was fun!

[Dizzy D]

I agree it had jumped the shark at that point becoming nothing more than a sit com really. But, to me, those issues still have their charm. As a young lad of 11 or 12, I was intrigued by the thought of life outside the Star Wars galaxy. That had never occurred to me before. Of course, it was attempted with much greater success, I think, in a subsequent prose novel (I forget which one, now). Even weirder than Infantino was the choice of artist during that run. Who was it -- with the minimalist style?

I don't know the name, but I'm pretty sure it was a female artist...

Looked it up, her name was Cynthia Martin, sometimes with Sal Buscema as fill-in.

[Matt_K]

Yeah Martin was a truely bizarre choice. She'd be a good artist with an original property but she was WILDY unsuited to Star Wars. Duffy's scripts didn't help- (did anyone actually give a damn about Kiro and the Nagai? And man the Hiromi sucked and the hoojibs wore out their welcome to. And where did the Tofs come from?) but I still put the shark jumping at #89 I think which was written by Ann Nocenti and is a really painful read.

[Dizzy D]

Yeah Martin was a truely bizarre choice. She'd be a good artist with an original property but she was WILDY unsuited to Star Wars. Duffy's scripts didn't help- (did anyone actually give a damn about Kiro and the Nagai? And man the Hiromi sucked and the hoojibs wore out their welcome to. And where did the Tofs come from?) but I still put the shark jumping at #89 I think which was written by Ann Nocenti and is a really painful read.

I cared about the Nagai, but there was too much else going on at the time (the Hiromi, the Hoojibs, the Lashbees: all comic relief/cutesy races that fit really badly in the type of story the Nagai/Rebel Alliance war was becoming.) And while I liked the idea of the Toffs (the danger the Nagai themselves were fleeing from), I didn't like the execution: they never came off as this super-dangerous race, more like a bunch of thugs.

And I have to give Martin props for that lightsabre/lightwhip fight between Luke and Shira Brie; I liked the art on that.

[Drew Geraci]

FYI: The latest issue of Back Issue, published by Twomorrows, has a great article about Marvel's Star Wars run with cool Simonson and Palmer art reproduced in black and white. It just came out last week.


www.drewgeraci.com

[Aaron Kashtan]

I cared about the Nagai, but there was too much else going on at the time (the Hiromi, the Hoojibs, the Lashbees: all comic relief/cutesy races that fit really badly in the type of story the Nagai/Rebel Alliance war was becoming.) And while I liked the idea of the Toffs (the danger the Nagai themselves were fleeing from), I didn't like the execution: they never came off as this super-dangerous race, more like a bunch of thugs.

I have no idea what Lashbees are, but Kitty Pryde sure seems to like them (cf. Uncanny X-Men #174).

[Dizzy D]

I have no idea what Lashbees are, but Kitty Pryde sure seems to like them (cf. Uncanny X-Men #174).

Lashbees were cute fluffy mammals that turned into giant monsters when they became adult.

[Matt_K]

They were nowhere near as bad as hoojibs and hiromi, who just plain sucked.

[The Confessor]

Sorry, 'tis against the rules to discuss places where you can find pirated, digital versions of comics but I can tell you that the entire ROTJ adaptation can be picked up as a trade paperback or as the four individual issues pretty cheaply from eBay.

Go on...treat yourself.*

*This statement was brought to you by the Al Williamson Appreciation Society - London Chapter.

[grphxkindaguy]

And I have to give Martin props for that lightsabre/lightwhip fight between Luke and Shira Brie; I liked the art on that.

Ditto, this was the only worthwhile issue of those post-ROTJ Star Wars issues.

What's even funnier is there is a TOY out of this exact comic!

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Comi...5471911&sr=1-1

[dupersuper]

I have a few issues of the Marvel Return of the Jedi mini...I might have all 4 issues.

[The Confessor]

Ditto, this was the only worthwhile issue of those post-ROTJ Star Wars issues.

What's even funnier is there is a TOY out of this exact comic!

LOL...I didn't know about that toy grphxkindaguy but I did know that Shira Brie/Dark Lord Lumiya was one of the few supporting characters and concepts from the Marvel run that have been fully incorporated into that dull and largely soulless place known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Thanks for the link!

I'd have to disagree with your assertion that the final Dark Lord Lumiya arc (SW #95-96) was the only good post-ROTJ storyline. Indeed, the very first post-ROTJ issue (SW #81), in which Han Solo deals with re-adjusting to real life in the wake of his time spent in a carbonite-induced limbo, is a strong candidate for best issue of the entire series, I reckon. But to be honest, I don't think that the series really started to run out of steam until immediately after that final Lumiya arc. After that, the central cast began to get crowded out of the action, as characters like the Tofs and the Nagai come to the fore.

I've read interviews with scriptwriter Jo Duffy in which she explained that by that point in the proceedings, with ROTJ having come out some three years previously, George Lucas wanted to put Star Wars behind him (at least for the time being). As a result of this, the editorial mandates coming down from Lucasfilm about what Marvel could and couldn't do with the central Star Wars characters became ever more draconian and unreasonable. This meant that the supporting cast had to be brought to the fore in order to generate interesting stories, but unfortunately, the stars of the movies ended up almost as supporting characters in their own book.

As a result, Marvel began to get the distinct impression that Lucasfilm would just be a lot happier if there wasn't a Star Wars book on the shelves, so they decided to cancell it. This is significant because contrary to popular belief, at least according to Jo Duffy, the series was not cancelled due to poor sales. In fact, even the last handful of issues were still selling a lot more than many of Marvel's superhero related books.

I have a few issues of the Marvel Return of the Jedi mini...I might have all 4 issues.

Those are some great comics and it's a pretty good adaptation, despite only lasting four issues—Marvel's adaptations of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back had been spread over six issues each. The awesome Al Williamson artwork (with a little help from Carlos Garzon) is so good that its almost worth owning those issues for that alone.

[grphxkindaguy]

LOL...I didn't know about that toy grphxkindaguy but I did know that Shira Brie/Dark Lord Lumiya was one of the few supporting characters and concepts from the Marvel run that have been fully incorporated into that dull and largely soulless place known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Thanks for the link!

I'd have to disagree with your assertion that the final Dark Lord Lumiya arc (SW #95-96) was the only good post-ROTJ storyline. Indeed, the very first post-ROTJ issue (SW #81), in which Han Solo deals with re-adjusting to real life in the wake of his time spent in a carbonite-induced limbo, is a strong candidate for best issue of the entire series, I reckon. But to be honest, I don't think that the series really started to run out of steam until immediately after that final Lumiya arc. After that, the central cast began to get crowded out of the action, as characters like the Tofs and the Nagai come to the fore.

I've read interviews with scriptwriter Jo Duffy in which she explained that by that point in the proceedings, with ROTJ having come out some three years previously, George Lucas wanted to put Star Wars behind him (at least for the time being). As a result of this, the editorial mandates coming down from Lucasfilm about what Marvel could and couldn't do with the central Star Wars characters became ever more draconian and unreasonable. This meant that the supporting cast had to be brought to the fore in order to generate interesting stories, but unfortunately, the stars of the movies ended up almost as supporting characters in their own book.

As a result, Marvel began to get the distinct impression that Lucasfilm would just be a lot happier if there wasn't a Star Wars book on the shelves, so they decided to cancell it. This is significant because contrary to popular belief, at least according to Jo Duffy, the series was not cancelled due to poor sales. In fact, even the last handful of issues were still selling a lot more than many of Marvel's superhero related books.

Those are some great comics and it's a pretty good adaptation, despite only lasting four issues—Marvel's adaptations of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back had been spread over six issues each. The awesome Al Williamson artwork (with a little help from Carlos Garzon) is so good that its almost worth owning those issues for that alone.

Yeah, I actually came across the actual toys of Luke/Lumiya in a TARGET a few months back. I did a double-take when I realized what it was from! Too bad its 25+ years too late for me to enjoy as a kid...

After reading those post-ROTJ comics, it was easily apparent that Marvel should have cancelled the comic then and there. It was clear to see there was NO point in doing the comic anymore. The Nagai was just another "threat" for the heroes to combat (since the Empire was gone)...and they werent much of a threat at that!

The worst was that one issue where they had Luke looking like Rambo, running around with a red bandana tied around his head and sporting a big gun. Truly cringe-worthy.

What kills me is I used to have TWO copies of the final issue of the series. Never knew it was rare! I traded it to a friend a couple of years after buying it off the shelves (the extra copy came from a subscription). Its worth something like $70 now....ugh.

[goof]

As a kid I begged for a Star Wars comic subscription so I wouldn't miss out on those Return of The Jedi issues. I was like when they didn't come in the mail.