Welcome to our fiftieth Lockdown Legends review!
To celebrate this milestone, we wanted to go somewhere a bit left field with this review. So, thinking deep and hard, we came up with the idea to visit The Star Wars which was released by Dark Horse Comics in 2013.
On March 31, 2013, it was announced at WonderCon that Dark Horse Comics was in the process of adapting the original Star Wars script as an eight-part comic series. J.W. Rinzler, well known for many Star Wars books over the years, was entrusted with the script and the concept of what was to be seen in the eight issues. Instead of reimagining how Star Wars could have looked, this version sees the characters, planets and vehicles drawn in the style of the original concept artwork by McQuarrie, Johnston and Cantwell. The brilliant Mike Mayhew was chosen as the artist to bring it all together.
The groundwork was already there with the script and the original Ralph McQuarrie concept artwork, so you would think that creating this series would have been relatively easy but think again. Rinzler wrote some blogs for StarWars.com. In the first blog, released in April 2013, around the time of the series announcement, he outlined what we may get to see. But, according to his second blog in August 2013, creating this series was not plain sailing. In the blog Rinzler recalls embarking on the journey to creating the first issue; “Issue #1, however, was difficult for all: for me, editor Randy Stradley at Dark Horse, and artist Mike Mayhew. Mike had a whole lot to design, from characters and locales, to ships, to props, and so on — before he could even start on his layouts. For my part I sort of naively jumped into my first professional comic book gig (I guess we can’t count the many I did as a teenager and before), but fortunately Randy took the time to explain some of the finer points (and some of the basics).”
Rinzler floated the idea of adapting his early script to George Lucas during a meeting. Surprisingly Lucas was open to the idea and he agreed. After the announcement Rinzler explained how this came about “While researching in the Lucasfilm Archives I’ve found many treasures—but one which truly astounded me was George’s rough draft for The Star Wars. His first complete imaginings were hallucinating to read—mind blowing. While working with George on another book project, I once asked if we could adapt his rough draft. He was hesitant. Years later, with Dark Horse’s invaluable help, we showed him a few drawn and colored pages of what it might look like. He gave us the okay.”
There was a real push from Lucasfilm and Dark Horse Comics to promote this comic event. The teaser video that was released really helped draw on the curiosity of many Star Wars fans. Using an excerpt from the awe-inspiring orchestral music of Mars, The Bringer of War from Gustav Holst’s: The Planets Suite as an alternate soundtrack was genius. Replacing the John Williams theme, it sort of hints that although we are in the same galaxy, we were going to see some major differences along the way.
The Star Wars was a success. It went on to become a best seller and this series is now well sort after by many collectors. It was also the first comic that I bought digitally and not in print. That is a decision I rue to this day, when I now see the values of the original paper copies. Today, single issues change hands for $5 to $100 each and the deluxe edition of the series fetches more than $300. This isn’t a regret that I can’t make money from the sale of them, it is the fear of how much I will need to spend to now own them. In its current release from Marvel it is packaged with the 3 Star Wars: Infinities stories in 1 graphic novel.
For me, this concept was a marriage made in heaven and I remember almost being in a “just take my money” kind of mood when it was announced.
I hope you enjoy our look back at how Star Wars could have been!
May the Force of others be with you all!
Published: September 4, 2013
Writer: J.W. Rinzler
Penciller: Mike Mayhew
Colourist: Rain Beredo, Brad Anderson
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Cover Artist: Nick Runge
Editor: Randy Stradley
The synopsis;
Before Star Wars, there was The Star Wars! This is the authorized adaptation of George Lucas’s rough-draft screenplay of what would eventually become a motion picture that would change the world.
Annikin Starkiller is the hero . . . Luke Skywalker is a wizened Jedi general . . . Han Solo is a big green alien . . . and the Sith . . . Well, the Sith are still the bad guys. High adventure and derring-do from longer ago, in a galaxy even further away!
Official adaptation of George Lucas’s original screenplay for Star Wars!
The review;
The synopsis says it all really, this is Star Wars, but not as you’ve seen it before!
We were treated to some alternate takes on the original poster artwork are so familiar with now. Seeing the McQuarrie concept characters on the cover page really makes me smile. Classic poster artwork was reimagined for the purpose of this series to great effect. The direct edition cover by Nick Runge is near perfect for me, but we also have variants by Jan Duursema and Doug Wheatley that use the same template just with their own spin on the characters. The John Cassaday exclusive variant produced for Midtown Comics is a thing of beauty and is a comic I wish to own. Due to its popularity, The Star Wars #1 got a second printing, and this featured the Runge direct cover without lettering.
I love the opening sequence. Set on the fourth moon of Utapau, we get to see the original McQuarrie concept version of the Millennium Falcon. Annikin Starkiller watches a ship enter the atmosphere and rushes to warn his father, Kane, and his young brother Deak, that they have been found. Kane is teaching Deak the ways of the Force with what looks like a holocron, remote training ball, textbooks, and a not so Jedi like discipline crop!
They venture out as a family to go look for who has landed. Kane feels like they are being baited by the newcomer, but the Sith Knight makes his move and attacks. The Sith Knight appears in front of them and Annikin falls backwards, he then strikes down Deak. Kane then attacks him a cleaves him in half at the waist. They deal with their grief quickly and cremate Deak on a pyre, before commandeering the Sith ship and heading for their home planet of Aquilae.
This opening has a striking similarity to the start of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a family at home living a quiet life, only to find out their past has caught up with them. It also feels like it has a mix of Luke’s spying on the Tusken Raiders during his search for Artoo in A New Hope and the Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul confrontation on Tatooine in The Phantom Menace in there too. You get the feel that Mayhew based the look of Deak on the young Anakin Skywalker from The Phantom Menace, although he does not last long into the story.
The next phase of the story is set on Alderaan, the capital of the New Galactic Empire. An aerial display from Star Destroyers over the city scape a show of force from the Empire. Crowds watch on as he makes a speech condemning the Jedi, and the Aquilaean system. This results in the chants of “Death to the Jedi” from the onlookers. A lone male human, Whitsun, walks from the crowds and meets with Bail Antilles in a local club. Antilles tells him all spacecraft have been grounded, and he needs to get work to the alliance of what is to come for Aquilae, but he is advised to try a smuggler to get him to them. An Imperial Officer appears, and Antilles is promptly arrested.
General Hoedaack, Darth Vader and an alien that looks like a human stylised Hutt, meet to discuss Hoedaack having to overthrow the Aquilaean system as purported by the Emperor in his speech. The alien believes the Aquilaean’s are led by Luke Skywalker and the Jedi, but Vader has been told that the Jedi Rebellion was led by Seig Darklighter.
For this phase of the story, we have some real talking points. It is interesting that Alderaan is the heart of the Galactic Empire. The Emperor has a distinct look that could be attributed to Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon, which reinforces the values of what Lucas wanted Star Wars to feel like. Vader is now completely human, although dressed in a familiar way. Hoedaack seems to be a version of Grand Moff Tarkin, but now looks more like General Hux in appearance. As for Bail Antilles, he looks like the original version of Jabba that was cut from A New Hope played by the late Declan Mulholland.
The discussions around the Jedi Rebellion are interesting. The Emperor in the movie version, is known for his subterfuge and manipulation, especially of Anakin and then Vader. We get a glimpse of this with this version of Vader too. He has been told by the Emperor of Darklighter leading the Rebellion, but others know it was Skywalker. This is an early sign for me that the Emperor was pulling strings of this original draft of the story too.
The next stage of the story takes us to Aquilae. King Kayos, accompanied by Queen Breha, hold court with his advisors. Count Sandage is vocal in accepting the Emperor’s treaty and claiming Skywalker is a dreamer. At this point General Luke Skywalker strides into the room. Skywalker wants to prepare for war, but Kayos decides to send Sandage to Alderaan to negotiate the treaty.
As his advisors depart, his young children burst in to ask their father to join them in wishing farewell to his eldest daughter, Leia, who is departing to college. A tearful farewell ensues, with Queen Breha saying “May the Force of others be with you all.”
This section just says Naboo to me. The look Mayhew has gone for is evocative of the Royal Palace on Naboo, with the king holding court and talking of treaty negotiations. It is interesting that the name Tarkin also crops up at this point to. An advisor to the king on defences for Aquilae, he is nothing like the Tarkin we know and looks very Nemoidian like.
It is interesting that Leia is departing for college. She is not the fiery and hardened teenage princess that is portrayed on screen. The character is drawn really well but looks more akin to Maisie Williams of Game of Thrones fame rather than our beloved Carrie Fisher.
Now I cannot go any further without mentioning the phrase “May the Force of others be with you all”. A slight twist on the words we know now, but does this give a deeper explanation of what ‘may the Force be with you’ means? By saying ‘of others’, I have a theory that even if you are without the Force yourself, those who have the Force will use it to protect you. So, in a way, rather than the Force encompassing everything it is something given beings can use to help others. As I say, only a theory, but if I ever get the chance to ask George Lucas, believe me I will probably forget, get tongue tied and turn into a blubbering wreck! So, we will never know the true answer!
General Skywalker enters the war room which is beneath The Palace of Lite. He asks Montross of any movement of ships and it is confirmed that a battalion of Star Destroyers left for Anchorhead. At the entrance to the war room a scuffle breaks out as Anninkin and Kane Starkiller burst into the room. Skywalker recognises his old friend immediately and greets them. They need to talk privately and discuss the training of Annikin. Kane is dying and wants Skywalker to take over from him. Kane reveals that he is three quarters robot, only his head and right arm are of flesh and blood.
Montross bursts into the room and declares that an asteroid or solid comet has just left the Anchorhead system and is heading straight toward them.
This version of Luke Skywalker is very different, and it is almost like a role reversal to the movies. Annikin is Luke, Luke is Obi-Wan, but he is more like the Obi-Wan during The Clone Wars that we know. Confused, I hope not? The look chosen for Kane Starkiller is based exactly of the Starkiller hero concept art from Ralph McQuarrie. The addition of the Vader style chest plate did not even register with me until the sequence where he reveals his robotic attachments.
A neat cliff hanger to end the issue, that also hints that we could get to see the Death Star in issue 2, ‘The Empire Strikes!’
The storylines for the 1974 screenplay and the 1977 movie release are similar and yet so far apart. Familiar names of characters, planets and locations are there to see. Some spellings may differ, and some names are associated to completely different characters to what we know. It is still a father/son story, just from a different angle.
There are so many little mentions of places and names, like Anchorhead and Tarkin throughout this issue that constantly made me smile, as if I were acknowledging Easter eggs in a movie or TV series. The meanings for those names are so different now. Like the names, little pockets of the storyline can also be attributed to many sequences on screen from both the original and prequel trilogies. Something that provokes a bit more inner thinking is how the Jedi-Bendu seem to be more in line with the great warriors that Luke seeks when he meets Yoda on Dagobah.
At the time of being commissioned, the Star Wars sandbox was at the disposal of the creative team. They would have had a wealth of material to draw on. The original trilogy and prequel trilogy movies, concept art from Lucasfilm archives and the draft screenplay they were adapting as points of reference and you can see those influences with every turn of the page. But, despite all this, by their own admissions, Rinzler, Mayhew and Stradley were pushed to their limits by the challenge. The artwork and colouring are of the highest order throughout this issue. Rinzler has done an amazing job in his first ever comic adaptation. It is known that some of the original screenplay had to be altered slightly to fit into the comic book format, but it is done so well.
This is a must-read comic series for all Star Wars fans. I feel it gives us all a chance to experience George Lucas’s original vision for the series of movies we have all come to love.
I feel like I have only scratched the surface by only reviewing the first issue, so why not take a look at the rest of the series for yourselves and experience… The Star Wars!
Availability;
The Star Wars ran for 8 issues between September 2013 and May 2014, and was originally published by Dark Horse Comics. The Star Wars #1 is currently available in digital format via the Marvel App, comiXology or by subscribing to Marvel Unlimited. A physical copy can be found in one of the many trade paperback releases from Dark Horse Comics and Marvel. Please check with Amazon UK and US or your local comic bookstore for availability.
