I’m sorry for any confusion over the title of this particular column. While Episode II is in the title at the same time as Star Wars this column has nothing to do with Attack of the Clones. The “Episode” numbers are there in reference to this being the second in a series of NMM columns on comic/movie adaptations. It’s a quirk in the system that the episode numbers and the Star Wars are in the same title.
Now that the overly-long explanation for my lousy column-titling is out of the way, let’s get down to business.
On the cusp of being a phenomenon
Before Star Wars (later changed to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) became the biggest movie of 1977, and possibly ever, Marvel Comics was approached by George Lucas’s fledgling company to craft a comic book adaptation. Comic legend Roy Thomas was approached by Charlie Lippincott on behalf of Lucas to adapt Star Wars before the film even began filming. The novelization, penned by Lucas (actually ghost-written by Alan Dean Foster from Lucas’s script), and the comic were the first real mass-consumer products produced for the saga.
The first issue of Marvel’s adaptation is a veritable archeologist’s dream. Two amazing text pieces (where have all the good text pieces in comics gone?) offer a glimpse at Star Wars before it was a sensation. One is really just a marketing piece about the film itself. The second is by Roy Thomas and details the history of the adaptation. This issue hit several months prior to the film’s release, so it’s a great historical document of a world before Star Wars ruled. Thomas is thrilled by what they are doing and he views the film (he’d already seen a rough cut at the time) as a winner. They even call Star Wars the “Greatest Space-Fantasy of all!” Even Thomas has no clue of the phenomenon that Star Wars will become.
Marvel = Marvelous
The adaptation of Star Wars by Marvel Comics lasted six-issues and ran 102-pages. The story was written by Roy Thomas, based on Lucas’s original script, and the artwork was brought to life by penciler Howard Chaykin and inker Steve Leialoha (issue #6 was inked by Rick Hoberg and Bill Wray).
It is apparent that Roy Thomas has a love for the material. He painstakingly brings out every major detail throughout the course of the story and nails most of the smaller details as well. The 102-page length is appropriate to capture everything. This a time when comics were written for newsstands, but the catch-up narration at the start of each new issue was well done and didn’t detract substantially from the reading pleasure of someone sitting down with a whole stack.
In my previous NMM I discussed how Marvel’s adaptation of Dune allowed a youngster to bring their favorite movie home in a time before speedy home video releases. Star Wars was not released on VHS until 1982. That was a long time to wait to see your favorite film with regularity. Marvel’s fantastic narration helped many youths, like me, get through the dark times.
Fixating on Biggs”¦
Detour time!
In my column on Dune I mentioned that comic adaptations were a great place in the ’70s and ’80s to see deleted scenes that we take for granted in the day of DVDs. Star Wars is no exception. For me the Holy Grail of all deleted sequences is the footage snipped from the early portion of Star Wars featuring Luke’s childhood friend Biggs Darklighter.
The sequences begin with Luke working on the moisture farm and looking up with his macrobinoculars to see the rebel starship being attacked by the Star Destroyer from the opening of the film. Luke races to Toschi Station, a locale he later mentions to Uncle Owen at the Jawa sale. He wants to tell his friends Deak, Windy, Fixer, and Camie about the space conflagration. When he gets there he encounters his best friend Biggs, who is visiting home from The Academy.
The group heads outside to look at the “battle” that Luke saw. Luke’s known as Wormie by the others and they rag on the mop-topped whiner without mercy. Biggs defends his pal from the others, but doesn’t think there’s a battle going on. After the others depart Biggs and Luke take a walk. We get to see some of Anchorhead and are afforded with backstory about Luke’s life on Tatooine, especially his piloting talent. During the conversation Biggs tells Luke that he’s going to jump ship from his new assignment, the freighter Rand Ecliptic, and join the Rebel Alliance. Luke thinks his pal is crazy, showing his immaturity by blurting out loudly about the Rebellion. There are some other great character-building nuggets. Most importantly we are shown Biggs passion to change the galaxy and the bond between the friends. The scene ends as Biggs hopes he’ll see Luke again someday and Luke tells Biggs, “You’ll always be the best friends I’ve ever had.”
Luke encounters Biggs during the film’s climax. The “shooting stars” fly together one last time in the assault on the Death Star. Biggs is killed and Luke is affected in a grand way–at least in early printed matter for the film.
These sequences are some of my favorite in the entire Star Wars saga. They set the tone for the hero of the original trilogy and give insight into Luke’s life. Biggs should be an integral part of the Star Wars mythos; a part of what Luke becomes is due to his friendship with Biggs. These scenes also further illustrate Luke’s progression from farm boy to hero. The sequences continued exclusion from the saga is a mistake.
Sadly, almost all of Biggs’s scenes were snipped from the original release of Star Wars. Luke mentions Biggs on Tatooine by Luke and he is a pilot in the final battle, but that’s it. Thankfully, George Lucas reinserted a slightly-altered version of the reunion of Luke and Biggs in the hangar of the Rebel base on Yavin. This adds some of the gravitas of the sequence. It’s also a decent explanation for Luke’s mention of Biggs earlier, and the comments Luke makes to Biggs during the trench run. Still, it’s not enough.
To be blunt, Biggs is my favorite character in the Star Wars series. I’ve been enamored with the character since I was a few years old and got a look at him in the Star Wars Storybook. Biggs’ tragic story is movie gold and that it’s received so little focus is a damn shame. Garrick Hagon’s portrayal of Biggs was outstanding. While he has had a steady acting career, imagine where he would have gone if these scenes were left in the film? What if there was an action figure back in the ’70s? Instead of being a bit player he would have been a featured player in one of the biggest motion pictures in history. The fans were robbed of a beautiful subplot that adds a gravitas to the movie and makes the “meaningful deaths” of heroes double when you consider that Obi-Wan Kenobi is the only featured hero that dies of something other than old age in the trilogy.
I’d like to think Star Wars would have won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1978 if the Biggs scenes were there. The additional depth may have puts it over the top. We’ll never know.
Soapbox Time
One other scene deleted in 1977 was Han Solo’s encounter with Jabba the Hut (the original spelling). The sequence was included in the original Marvel adaptation. When it was filmed (Declan Mulholland) sans any creature makeup played the role of Jabba. Lucas’s plan was to matte in the villainous Jabba during post-production. With money running out Lucas had to shelve the scene. In an odd move Marvel used one of the other cantina aliens, a camel-faced bi-ped, as reference for the scene. Interestingly the pseudo-Jabba would appear in Star Wars #28 story entitled “Whatever Happened to Jabba The Hut.” Jabba would not appear again until Return of the Jedi.
It should also be noted that Boba Fett doesn’t appear in the Marvel adaptation. You may remember seeing Fett in the Special Edition version of the scene, but he was added especially for that release with digital effects. This is one of the greatest misuses of digital technology ever.
Fett’s a character that I have no stomach for anymore. He’s been shoehorned into every moment possible for no other reason than he’s got a “cool” costume. The costume seems to be the only reason that he’s popular. It’s certainly not for his skills. Fett didn’t capture the Millennium Falcon crew; Darth Vader and the Imperial Starfleet hold that honor. Secondly, Fett’s a worthless amateur who couldn’t protect his boss (Jabba), keep his bounty in check, and was killed accidentally by a blind guy. The increased presence of the Fett name only further proves he is the spawn of a worthless bloodline. Boba’s actually clone of Jango Fett who proves to be a bit more adept than his “son,” but his successes are roundly stopped when his head is chopped off without putting up much of a fight. To top it all off, Lucas further proves how lame the Fett family is by making the Stormtroopers (a.k.a. the worst-shots-in-the-galaxy) Jango clones. I continue to wonder if George Lucas intentionally made Fett such a laughing stock as retribution against the fan adoration for the character.
More on ’77
Stepping from my soapbox and moving past Biggs, the writing is extremely accurate in Roy Thomas’s adaptation. Much of the character dialogue is directly from the film itself, or presented in slightly altered form since it’s from an earlier draft of the script. All of the narration fits pretty well into the ever-expanding continuity as well.
Chaykin’s artwork is first-rate at capturing the world of Star Wars in its infancy. This is a rather impressive feat considering much of what he drew was based on still photographs and not the film itself. What he doesn’t get exactly right is rendered rather coolly in the Chaykin way. My only complaint is the faces of some of the leads, especially Luke. The jawbones are extremely apparent and the characters often look pretty damn ugly.
The only section of the adaptation that differs to any major degree from the film is the final attack on the Death Star. Some of the sequencing is different, and the X-Wing squadron known as Blue Group (they were Red Group in the film). These “mistakes” are lifted directly from the novelization and the early script drafts, so it’s to be expected.
One final artistic note has to do with the sequential artwork of the adaptation. Individual imagery aside Chaykin’s panel-to-panel storytelling is brilliantly done. Not only does it follow the movie near-perfectly, but you could follow the story without the text or having seen the movie. That makes Chaykin’s artistic performance above approach.
New and Improved? NOT!
With the release of the Star Wars: Special Edition in 1997, Star Wars comic licensee Dark Horse decided to readapt the original film. The onus was to include all of the changes made for the re-release. The adaptation by writer Bruce Jones and artist Eduardo Barreto isn’t bad, especially if you have seen the movie (is anyone reading the comic that hasn’t?). Jones script captured the essence of the film and Barreto’s artwork starts off good, but gets better as the issues progress.
Still, this is a case where new is NOT improved.
Dark Horse’s issues carry a page count of 22, as compared with the 17 in Marvel’s. The increased page count per issue doesn’t make up for the fact that Dark Horse’s adaptation last four issues (compared to Marvel’s six). At 88-pages Dark Horse’s version seems abbreviated next to Marvel’s 102-pages. The greatest deficiencies in storytelling can be found in issues 1-2, which covers everything up to the escape from The Death Star. Chunks of film are skipped that would leave anyone not familiar with the movie scratching their head. What the “new” crew adapted in two issues the original took four. This portion of the story is the set-up for the entire trilogy. A great deal of characterization is lost and the adaptation feels hurried.
Not only is the length shorter, but there were odd choices made with panels and what is and isn’t included. My biggest complaint is a waste of panels. The worst choices are made in the first issue. Luke’s discovery of the destroyed Lars homestead is relegated to a single panel. The greatest tragedy in Luke’s life and the reason he embarks on his journey to be a Jedi is an afterthought. Yet the entry to Mos Eisley is overblown with a half-page spread featuring a bucking ronto beast (this was a brief sequence inserted for the Special Edition). The worst part of the Mos Eisley entry is that Obi-Wan’s mind trick use on the Stormtroopers is alluded to, but not shown. Not a great way to show the power of the force.
The first issue ends with the heroes departing Tatooine. The portion with the heroes on the Death Star is crammed into the second issue. It’s not until the final two issues that the story is allowed time to breathe. Oddly enough the final two issues of the adaptations by both Marvel and Dark Horse are nearly identical in their content. Considering there are more pages in the individual issues of Dark Horse’s adaptation their version exceeds the Marvel adaptation in this section. The pacing is far better in the last two issues. A person that hasn’t seen the film could follow these parts with no trouble. Granted this comic isn’t really made for people other than fans, but I still like a coherent story. The last two parts of Dark Horse’s adaptation succeed where the first two do not.
For a fan of the original adaptation this version doesn’t stand a chance. Another glaring weakness with Dark Horse’s Special Edition is that there’s less in the way of story. That isn’t just the page count that I am referring to. This version doesn’t feature the Biggs/Luke scenes at the start of the film, which makes sense considering they weren’t a part of the Special Edition. What is galling is the lack of the Luke/Biggs scene from the Yavin hangar. As this was one of the few sequences reinserted for the movie they should have made it a priority to include it. Instead the Stormtroopers search for the droids on Tatooine and the comical bits in Mos Eisley are given ample room. These were bad storytelling decisions.
Dark Horse’s adaptation is not without its merits, but it is not up to the standard of the original Marvel version. A length of five parts would have worked a lot better. Sadly, Dark Horse shoehorned the story, and it shows.
Closing thoughts
Before I close this exceptionally-long Near Mint Memories, I would like to cover a few general points about Star Wars. For me there is no substitute to the original Star Wars film. I am taken aback by the enormous outpouring of people that feel The Empire Strikes Back is the better movie. I just don’t see it. Don’t get me wrong, Empire is an outstanding movie in its own right. Empire is clearly the more polished film. And, of course, it’s the darkest part of the saga, so far. The words “dark” and “great” don’t go hand-in-hand for me when I think Star Wars. Empire isn’t much fun.
A major negative in Empire is the fact that the heroes are only together briefly. Star Wars is one of the most perfect films ever made. The interactions of the characters is outstanding in Empire, but it’s not the same as the original. The original Star Wars is a modern-day fairy tale. The others are just “further adventures.” I long for the simple days of old. I do like all of the other films, but they never capture the feel that the original had. Star Wars, like Star Trek, has become a convoluted mess of continuity and bad decisions. Hmm”¦sounds a bit like the universes of some comic companies.
From this piece you may think I’m a bitter Star Wars fan. Well you’re right. George Lucas’s over-merchandising of Star Wars and Hasbro’s dreadful management of the toy brand have turned me sour to a lot of what Star Wars has become. What annoys me more than anything is the adoration for worthless characters with no real purpose in the trilogy. I am sick to death of the attention that Boba Fett and Darth Maul garner. These are characters with stunning designs, but with little else to offer. The spotlight on these ancillaries has moved the focus away from the heart of the saga.
I still love Star Wars especially in its original, untainted form. I adore anything to do with the original film. Most especially, anything that was produced prior to the release of The Empire Strikes Back. There’s such purity to material from that era. What I am sick of is the Star Wars brand. Too much of the brand has become limited edition garbage from petty manufactures bilking decent people. More than anything else it’s the exclusive-mentality of manufacturers that has impacted my love of Star Wars. Sadly, I feel like Star Wars only exists to sell merchandise.
As down as I may be on the over-merchandising and any other complaints that I may have (trust me there are a lot more), you can bet I will be there on opening day when Revenge of the Sith hits in May.
This column really went in to some strange places. I must say that it was pretty vicious at times. Star Wars is a passion for many people, and I’m sure more than a few of you are ticked off by what I’ve said. I’d love to hear your responses. I’ll run a future column if reaction warrants.
Reading Rack
Classic Star Wars: A New Hope published by Dark Horse Comics reprints the original Marvel Comics adaptation by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin.
Dark Horse’s re-adaptation by Bruce Jones and Eduardo Barreto is also available in trade paperback form. The front cover calls it simply Star Wars: The Comic Book Adaptation.
Be certain to look at the credits to be sure you’re getting the version you want.
