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Star Wars Legends Epic Collection #51
Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: Infinities
Play "What if?" with the original trilogy in a series of tales exploring the endless possibilities of Star Wars. How would A New Hope have gone if Luke Skywalker missed the target in his attack on the Death Star? What would have become of the Rebel Alliance if Luke perished in the icy wastelands of Hoth during The Empire Strikes Back? What if Return of the Jedi's rescue of Han Solo had gone badly wrong? And in the ultimate alternate take on the galaxy far, far away, follow Annikin Starkiller into The Star Wars in an epic based on the original draft of George Lucas' screenplay!
COLLECTING: STAR WARS INFINITIES: A NEW HOPE 1-4, STAR WARS INFINITIES: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 1-4, STAR WARS INFINITIES: RETURN OF THE JEDI 1-4, THE STAR WARS 0-8
COLLECTING: STAR WARS INFINITIES: A NEW HOPE 1-4, STAR WARS INFINITIES: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 1-4, STAR WARS INFINITIES: RETURN OF THE JEDI 1-4, THE STAR WARS 0-8
504 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2015
103 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Chris Warner
333 books6 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Chris Warner (born 1955) is an American comic book writer, artist, and editor for Dark Horse Comics.
(source: Wikipedia)
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Chris Warner (born 1955) is an American comic book writer, artist, and editor for Dark Horse Comics.
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 6, 2019
We all know the story of the original Star Wars trilogy: Farm boy Luke Skywalker meets Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi and smuggler Han Solo, saves the galaxy by destroying the Death Star, finds out his father is Darth Vader and Princess Leia is his twin sister, etc., etc., etc. Between comics, novelizations, and film re-releases, we've seen, heard, and read it umpteen times.
Well, these comics present a fresh take; sort of "What if...?" scenarios.
While some may be upset at the liberties taken with the classic stories, I had fun with these variants on the films.
The only downside is that there's occasional profanity and the violence gets bloody a time or two.
Well, these comics present a fresh take; sort of "What if...?" scenarios.
While some may be upset at the liberties taken with the classic stories, I had fun with these variants on the films.
The only downside is that there's occasional profanity and the violence gets bloody a time or two.
October 15, 2017
As a hardcore Star Wars fan, let's get this out of the way: the story of The Star Wars is atrocious. It's derivative, with cartonboard characters and forced relationships, a climax that never happens, and too many threads left hanging.
However, aside from the novelty that it represents for fans of the saga, I would recomend this book to any writer, no matter their previous experience, for one simple reason: this comic, like not many thing out there, shows how much can change (and drastically improve) from the very first draft. There's not an element in here that didn't get a massive upgrade in the final version. It's both amazing and somewhat humbling to see this change, and a good reminder of the amount of effort and time that needs to be prepared to sacrifice in order to achieve something truly great.
However, aside from the novelty that it represents for fans of the saga, I would recomend this book to any writer, no matter their previous experience, for one simple reason: this comic, like not many thing out there, shows how much can change (and drastically improve) from the very first draft. There's not an element in here that didn't get a massive upgrade in the final version. It's both amazing and somewhat humbling to see this change, and a good reminder of the amount of effort and time that needs to be prepared to sacrifice in order to achieve something truly great.
June 26, 2016
What ifs from New Hope to Jedi. plus the last third is the rough draft of Star Wars although interesting to see the original concept I'm glad they didn't use it.
July 29, 2024
The alt-history stuff is interesting if a little goofy, but the original 1974 script adaptation shows how terrible that version of the story would have been.
February 13, 2018
So excited was I (as Jedi Master Yoda might put it), to finally be able to read Marvel's 'The Star Wars,' Chris Warner's confusing adaptation of George Lucas's original rough draft script of what would eventually become the blockbuster game changing original film, Star Wars (later retroactively re-titled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope), that I at first eagerly put this collected edition on my "favorites" list on GoodReads.
And then, not too awfully far into the collection, I promptly removed this mostly disappointing book from my "favorites" list. And then I dropped a couple stars from my original five star expectation of what I thought I was going to read in the first place. And then, when I got to the The Star Wars adaptation at the end, I dropped a couple more stars, leaving me down to one, and only one. Though I've since added one more, just because I know all the artists and writers involved really, really gave it the old Star Wars try. At least, one would hope so, anyway.
Oh, I still love Star Wars, but Star Wars, this most certainly ain't. Well, yes and no. It IS Star Wars. But ONLY in and of the fact that George Lucas actually created all the characters portrayed within the pages of this tediously long compendium of alternate universe Star War-esque stories (aka, "Infinities").
Yet, disappointingly enough, even the unnecessarily altered (and in some instances, disturbingly mangled) versions of A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983), that precede The Star Wars' seemingly never-ending eight issues of horrific blandness, all mostly fail to one way or another.
The comic adaptation of the original The Star Wars rough draft is definitely the worst part of the book, though. Adding to the confusing narrative, it's absolutely bursting with far too many mostly unnecessary characters. So, unfortunately what you end up with here, is a needlessly lengthy graphic novel that mostly fails to properly evoke the true Spirit (or the Force, if you'd rather), of the Star Wars saga that I, for one, have known and loved since I saw the first film, first run, in a small town theater, at the tender, formative age of ten.
And NO, it's not because the stories of Episodes IV, V, and VI have been changed. I mean, when something purports to be an alternate take on the already established timeline, you pretty much know going in that things are probably not going to be quite what you're used to. So it's definitely not that.
What disappointed me most, in fact, was that (and this is just one example), instead of sticking to even a small semblance of the true essence of A New Hope, the writer ends up having to totally skip the events of The Empire Strikes Back, and jumps headlong into scenarios, situations and characters that shouldn't come about until Return of the Jedi! When, oddly enough, we're actually supposed to still be in A New Hope territory. I mean, what's THAT all about?
Okay. Fine. Whatever. I guess....
But the biggest problem is that even though SOME (and just some) of the dialog is similar to the canon versions of the Star Wars stories as previously seen, most of the rest of what comes out of the comic balloon indicated mouths of the vast majority of the familiar Star Wars cast of characters is, in far too many instances, well... just plain out of character.
Just for starters (and not to give away too many spoilers here), when Luke Skywalker DIES... yes, DIES at the beginning of writer Dave Land's funky, clunky, unconvincing version of The Empire Strikes Back, despite the fact that the Han Solo character did pretty much EXACTLY what he did in the film, prior to finding his gravely injured pal Luke on the icy wasteland plains of the planet Hoth, Han then actually thinks that HE'S the one who needs to traipse off to Dagoba to train to become a Jedi!
Now... if THAT'S not totally out of character for the REAL Han Solo, I sure as HECK don't know what is! I mean, come on, people! This is the guy who said, "What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides, attacking that battle station ain't my idea of courage. It's more like... suicide." To which Luke promptly replied, "All right. Well, take care of yourself, Han. But I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?" You see, THAT, in a nutshell is Han Solo. It tells you all you really need to know about him. Oh, he's lovable and all that, but he's still very much "a scoundrel," even to his bitter end, as depicted in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
Oh, sure, in A New Hope, Han did then, quite begrudgingly, quip, "Hey, Luke! May the Force be with you." And yes, he and Chewie did later step in at the last minute to help give Luke a clear shot at that only two meter wide exhaust port ("right below the main port") in that particular Death Star trench, BUT... Han Solo, a Jedi? Uh... guys... that's NOT alternate history, that's a total mangling of the characters themselves. And I simply cannot abide that kind of thing in MY Star Wars. Okay, fine. It's not only MY Star Wars, is it? Well, not exactly. It's EVERY FAN'S Star Wars, doggone it!
Even worse, Princess Leia is depicted, in the even more massively mangled retooling of The Return of the Jedi, as turning to the Dark Side by big bad daddy Darth Vader! Oh yes! You most certainly read that right. Even though it's all just plain WRONG to begin with. I mean, for God's sake, people! What kind of mercilessly brainless, porny sci-fi pornification is this, anyway? I mean... YUCK! Just... YUCK!
Also, consider for just a moment, please, that Luke and Leia are, after all, siblings. Admittedly, they are non-identical twins, to be sure, of course, but whatever happened to classic Star Wars lines such as, "I'll never join you!" - which could just as easily (actually, even more easily) have come out of the head-strong mouth of Princess Leia; a feisty little whip of a blaster-wielding intergalactic chickadee, who even has the BALLS to mouth off to serial-murderer Darth Vader, and his nasty Imperial crony, Governor Tarkin. Now THAT'S what I call one ballsy space babe. And then some!
Okay, okay. It's certainly not all bad, this "Infinities" debacle. Because even though most of the dialog and alternate universe situations are often totally out of character in the four issue "Infinities" versions of Episodes IV, V, and VI, the art is actually relatively decent. The art in the eight issues of The Star Wars is even better. Much, much better, in fact.
The real problem is, however, that the as yet obviously still gestating sorry excuse for the "plot" of The Star Wars is just plain convoluted and confusing, and the overarching story skips around A WHOLE LOT. The dialog is also quite atrocious. And if you've ever read any behind the scenes Star Wars history, you KNOW darn well that writing dialog has never been Lucas's strong point. He's even said it himself, too. Which is why he often hired other writers to spruce up his crappy verbiage. Even worse, in this far too as yet unrealized form, the Star Wars is also overcrowded with a shameful overabundance of needless characters and numerous scene changes that often make little to no sense at all.
Sure, in the final analysis, for any true Star Wars fanatic, it's a heck of a lot of fun to read a collected edition of alternate universe style stories such as this, but... come on guys! If you're gonna re-write the long time ago history of everyone's favorite galaxy far, far away, at least make it half way DECENT, for crying out loud! But... I suppose I really ought to end this fanboy diatribe with a generous "May the Force be with you!" to anyone who bothers to read this five hundred plus page monstrosity of mostly well illustrated YUCK.
'Cause hey, that now legendary turn of phrase makes a LOT more sense than Lucas's original, "May the Force of others be with you." Which is, frustratingly enough, repeated again and again and again and AGAIN, ad nauseam, in the mostly lackluster adaptation of The Star Wars. Like... what... in the name of the Jedi, the Sith, and all that may or not be holy in the whole blinkered Universe does THAT mean anyway? Not much, it seems. And THAT is, one might logically assume, exactly why Lucas changed it. And sadly, it damn well really should have stayed that way, too.
And then, not too awfully far into the collection, I promptly removed this mostly disappointing book from my "favorites" list. And then I dropped a couple stars from my original five star expectation of what I thought I was going to read in the first place. And then, when I got to the The Star Wars adaptation at the end, I dropped a couple more stars, leaving me down to one, and only one. Though I've since added one more, just because I know all the artists and writers involved really, really gave it the old Star Wars try. At least, one would hope so, anyway.
Oh, I still love Star Wars, but Star Wars, this most certainly ain't. Well, yes and no. It IS Star Wars. But ONLY in and of the fact that George Lucas actually created all the characters portrayed within the pages of this tediously long compendium of alternate universe Star War-esque stories (aka, "Infinities").
Yet, disappointingly enough, even the unnecessarily altered (and in some instances, disturbingly mangled) versions of A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983), that precede The Star Wars' seemingly never-ending eight issues of horrific blandness, all mostly fail to one way or another.
The comic adaptation of the original The Star Wars rough draft is definitely the worst part of the book, though. Adding to the confusing narrative, it's absolutely bursting with far too many mostly unnecessary characters. So, unfortunately what you end up with here, is a needlessly lengthy graphic novel that mostly fails to properly evoke the true Spirit (or the Force, if you'd rather), of the Star Wars saga that I, for one, have known and loved since I saw the first film, first run, in a small town theater, at the tender, formative age of ten.
And NO, it's not because the stories of Episodes IV, V, and VI have been changed. I mean, when something purports to be an alternate take on the already established timeline, you pretty much know going in that things are probably not going to be quite what you're used to. So it's definitely not that.
What disappointed me most, in fact, was that (and this is just one example), instead of sticking to even a small semblance of the true essence of A New Hope, the writer ends up having to totally skip the events of The Empire Strikes Back, and jumps headlong into scenarios, situations and characters that shouldn't come about until Return of the Jedi! When, oddly enough, we're actually supposed to still be in A New Hope territory. I mean, what's THAT all about?
Okay. Fine. Whatever. I guess....
But the biggest problem is that even though SOME (and just some) of the dialog is similar to the canon versions of the Star Wars stories as previously seen, most of the rest of what comes out of the comic balloon indicated mouths of the vast majority of the familiar Star Wars cast of characters is, in far too many instances, well... just plain out of character.
Just for starters (and not to give away too many spoilers here), when Luke Skywalker DIES... yes, DIES at the beginning of writer Dave Land's funky, clunky, unconvincing version of The Empire Strikes Back, despite the fact that the Han Solo character did pretty much EXACTLY what he did in the film, prior to finding his gravely injured pal Luke on the icy wasteland plains of the planet Hoth, Han then actually thinks that HE'S the one who needs to traipse off to Dagoba to train to become a Jedi!
Now... if THAT'S not totally out of character for the REAL Han Solo, I sure as HECK don't know what is! I mean, come on, people! This is the guy who said, "What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides, attacking that battle station ain't my idea of courage. It's more like... suicide." To which Luke promptly replied, "All right. Well, take care of yourself, Han. But I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?" You see, THAT, in a nutshell is Han Solo. It tells you all you really need to know about him. Oh, he's lovable and all that, but he's still very much "a scoundrel," even to his bitter end, as depicted in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
Oh, sure, in A New Hope, Han did then, quite begrudgingly, quip, "Hey, Luke! May the Force be with you." And yes, he and Chewie did later step in at the last minute to help give Luke a clear shot at that only two meter wide exhaust port ("right below the main port") in that particular Death Star trench, BUT... Han Solo, a Jedi? Uh... guys... that's NOT alternate history, that's a total mangling of the characters themselves. And I simply cannot abide that kind of thing in MY Star Wars. Okay, fine. It's not only MY Star Wars, is it? Well, not exactly. It's EVERY FAN'S Star Wars, doggone it!
Even worse, Princess Leia is depicted, in the even more massively mangled retooling of The Return of the Jedi, as turning to the Dark Side by big bad daddy Darth Vader! Oh yes! You most certainly read that right. Even though it's all just plain WRONG to begin with. I mean, for God's sake, people! What kind of mercilessly brainless, porny sci-fi pornification is this, anyway? I mean... YUCK! Just... YUCK!
Also, consider for just a moment, please, that Luke and Leia are, after all, siblings. Admittedly, they are non-identical twins, to be sure, of course, but whatever happened to classic Star Wars lines such as, "I'll never join you!" - which could just as easily (actually, even more easily) have come out of the head-strong mouth of Princess Leia; a feisty little whip of a blaster-wielding intergalactic chickadee, who even has the BALLS to mouth off to serial-murderer Darth Vader, and his nasty Imperial crony, Governor Tarkin. Now THAT'S what I call one ballsy space babe. And then some!
Okay, okay. It's certainly not all bad, this "Infinities" debacle. Because even though most of the dialog and alternate universe situations are often totally out of character in the four issue "Infinities" versions of Episodes IV, V, and VI, the art is actually relatively decent. The art in the eight issues of The Star Wars is even better. Much, much better, in fact.
The real problem is, however, that the as yet obviously still gestating sorry excuse for the "plot" of The Star Wars is just plain convoluted and confusing, and the overarching story skips around A WHOLE LOT. The dialog is also quite atrocious. And if you've ever read any behind the scenes Star Wars history, you KNOW darn well that writing dialog has never been Lucas's strong point. He's even said it himself, too. Which is why he often hired other writers to spruce up his crappy verbiage. Even worse, in this far too as yet unrealized form, the Star Wars is also overcrowded with a shameful overabundance of needless characters and numerous scene changes that often make little to no sense at all.
Sure, in the final analysis, for any true Star Wars fanatic, it's a heck of a lot of fun to read a collected edition of alternate universe style stories such as this, but... come on guys! If you're gonna re-write the long time ago history of everyone's favorite galaxy far, far away, at least make it half way DECENT, for crying out loud! But... I suppose I really ought to end this fanboy diatribe with a generous "May the Force be with you!" to anyone who bothers to read this five hundred plus page monstrosity of mostly well illustrated YUCK.
'Cause hey, that now legendary turn of phrase makes a LOT more sense than Lucas's original, "May the Force of others be with you." Which is, frustratingly enough, repeated again and again and again and AGAIN, ad nauseam, in the mostly lackluster adaptation of The Star Wars. Like... what... in the name of the Jedi, the Sith, and all that may or not be holy in the whole blinkered Universe does THAT mean anyway? Not much, it seems. And THAT is, one might logically assume, exactly why Lucas changed it. And sadly, it damn well really should have stayed that way, too.
June 5, 2018
This book was a fun read; I enjoyed it. I had no idea Dark Horse had done a batch of "What if?" stories in the Star Wars Universe based on what would be termed "Episodes IV - VI." I remember seeing individual issues in the discount bins and thumbed through them, but never read any of the entire mini-series. I picked up this compilation cheap [well, it was cheaper than buying it full price] on the off-chance I would enjoy them.
I thought the stories based on Episodes IV and VI had the best artwork out of the three "Elseworld" stories. I also liked the artwork for "The Star Wars" story based Lucas's original script; I probably liked that artwork the most.
I did not have high expectations for these stories when I bought this compilation, so my bar was already set pretty low. Based on some of the reviews I read, perhaps that is why I enjoyed it more than it seems others who read it.
It was a fun compilation to read, and I am glad that I took a chance and read it. I thought the stories were entertaining and presented interesting alternatives to the famous storylines that everybody is already familiar with.
I thought the stories based on Episodes IV and VI had the best artwork out of the three "Elseworld" stories. I also liked the artwork for "The Star Wars" story based Lucas's original script; I probably liked that artwork the most.
I did not have high expectations for these stories when I bought this compilation, so my bar was already set pretty low. Based on some of the reviews I read, perhaps that is why I enjoyed it more than it seems others who read it.
It was a fun compilation to read, and I am glad that I took a chance and read it. I thought the stories were entertaining and presented interesting alternatives to the famous storylines that everybody is already familiar with.
May 8, 2016
This collection is really two vastly different books jammed together. One is good; the other, not so much.
The first half reprints the Star Wars: Infinities comics. These were three series of four that reimagined how the original trilogy movies would have played out had one small part of the story happened differently. In A New Hope, for instance, the trench run on the Death Star is unsuccessful and the story spins off from there. These stories are contrived and corny, but very entertaining nonetheless.
The second half of this collection reprints The Star Wars, a comic series based on George Lucas' rough draft of the original film. It sucks. The plot is boring and confusing, the characters are wooden at best, and the dialogue is abominable. *Cough* Just like the entire prequel trilogy *Cough*. The art is pretty nice, but it alone cannot carry the book. The one nice thing about The Star Wars is that it shows how editors, producers and studio executives can help take a really shitty screenplay and polish it into the most beloved film franchise in history.
If you can find Star Wars: Infinities packaged without The Star Wars, I'd recommend reading that.
The first half reprints the Star Wars: Infinities comics. These were three series of four that reimagined how the original trilogy movies would have played out had one small part of the story happened differently. In A New Hope, for instance, the trench run on the Death Star is unsuccessful and the story spins off from there. These stories are contrived and corny, but very entertaining nonetheless.
The second half of this collection reprints The Star Wars, a comic series based on George Lucas' rough draft of the original film. It sucks. The plot is boring and confusing, the characters are wooden at best, and the dialogue is abominable. *Cough* Just like the entire prequel trilogy *Cough*. The art is pretty nice, but it alone cannot carry the book. The one nice thing about The Star Wars is that it shows how editors, producers and studio executives can help take a really shitty screenplay and polish it into the most beloved film franchise in history.
If you can find Star Wars: Infinities packaged without The Star Wars, I'd recommend reading that.
August 21, 2016
Excellent
While marvel, under the auspices of Disney ownership has rereleased these, dark horse is the originator. The infinities stories are a what if of star wars, while the final story, based on the original screenplay for star wars, is fun, if this had been the released film, we might not have the juggernaut industry it became. Still, the star wars is fun. Many characters became one and many of the names are familiar. This tome is a must for any star wars fan.
While marvel, under the auspices of Disney ownership has rereleased these, dark horse is the originator. The infinities stories are a what if of star wars, while the final story, based on the original screenplay for star wars, is fun, if this had been the released film, we might not have the juggernaut industry it became. Still, the star wars is fun. Many characters became one and many of the names are familiar. This tome is a must for any star wars fan.
January 23, 2016
A great repacking of some very interesting (and mostly good) re-imaginings of the Star Wars universe.
April 3, 2016
I love alternate timelines. The graphic retelling of the original script was strange.
May 6, 2018
The premise behind Star Wars: Infinities is one of those of perennial interest to fans of epic storytelling: what if it had ended up different? Reimagining stories is one of the ways in which we retell them; changing things up is how we affirm that they got things right (or explore how they got things wrong). The possibilities are endless! Well, not quite - they need to be constrained to four comic book issues. Also, there will be no long-term follow up, so every idea you have has to be covered in those four issues and it has to cover all of the remaining films. No pressure!
These limitations are essentially the main problems with the three "What if?" Infinities stories in this volume. Nothing is ever allowed to go really wrong; in most cases, Leia ends up with that lightsaber we all thought she deserved anyway. There's no time to really reflect upon how these characters might change based on their personalities and the new circumstances in which they find themselves - Han doesn't disappear once the attack on the Death Star fails; neither Luke nor Leia has their destinies dominated by the dark side. It all falls a little flat in execution.
The Star Wars is a different beast entirely. I'm curious about how faithful it is to the 'original script' of A New Hope on which it's based; certain aspects certainly don't feel right for the twenty-first century. Primarily, the relationship between Princess Leia and Annikin Starkiller is awful - he physically assaults her; they fall in love without spending any time together... It's dreadful. But Leia herself is already pretty great. She's perhaps not as competent as she would become in the hands of Carrie Fisher, but the character is much more than the bare bones that many of the others are. In part, this is because of the story's main flaw: it has far, far too many characters and far, far too much going on. Elements of this story would make their way into Return of the Jedi and even the prequels (although, while the former is the well-known conversion of the Wookiees into the Ewoks, the latter seems mostly to be visuals and may have been more the choices of the artists derived from the script). And yet, much of the second and third acts of A New Hope - the Death Star rescue and the Battle of Yavin - fall in the final part of this story, meaning that there's far too much going on (by Return of the Jedi the characters were well-enough established that a vast chunk of the film could be expended on the three-tier Battle of Endor; that is not true of The Star Wars, in this format). On the positive side, though, this means that much of the story is new and that makes it quite exciting, in a way. The use of Ralph McQuarrie's original art also adds to that unique Star Wars feel that's difficult to describe now that we're so used to it. Really, it's The Star Wars that drags this review up to three stars - at least it's interesting in a way that the Infinities stories never quite manage.
The Star Wars #0, a kind of "making of" featurette, answers many of my lingering questions about how this story was adapted. There's not as much of McQuarrie's art as I would have liked, but they talk about the same influences (Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers) that made the original film look the way it does. The story clearly still needed work, and A New Hope itself is far more than George Lucas' vision, but there's some of that charm here and it's certainly an interesting project to read.
These limitations are essentially the main problems with the three "What if?" Infinities stories in this volume. Nothing is ever allowed to go really wrong; in most cases, Leia ends up with that lightsaber we all thought she deserved anyway. There's no time to really reflect upon how these characters might change based on their personalities and the new circumstances in which they find themselves - Han doesn't disappear once the attack on the Death Star fails; neither Luke nor Leia has their destinies dominated by the dark side. It all falls a little flat in execution.
The Star Wars is a different beast entirely. I'm curious about how faithful it is to the 'original script' of A New Hope on which it's based; certain aspects certainly don't feel right for the twenty-first century. Primarily, the relationship between Princess Leia and Annikin Starkiller is awful - he physically assaults her; they fall in love without spending any time together... It's dreadful. But Leia herself is already pretty great. She's perhaps not as competent as she would become in the hands of Carrie Fisher, but the character is much more than the bare bones that many of the others are. In part, this is because of the story's main flaw: it has far, far too many characters and far, far too much going on. Elements of this story would make their way into Return of the Jedi and even the prequels (although, while the former is the well-known conversion of the Wookiees into the Ewoks, the latter seems mostly to be visuals and may have been more the choices of the artists derived from the script). And yet, much of the second and third acts of A New Hope - the Death Star rescue and the Battle of Yavin - fall in the final part of this story, meaning that there's far too much going on (by Return of the Jedi the characters were well-enough established that a vast chunk of the film could be expended on the three-tier Battle of Endor; that is not true of The Star Wars, in this format). On the positive side, though, this means that much of the story is new and that makes it quite exciting, in a way. The use of Ralph McQuarrie's original art also adds to that unique Star Wars feel that's difficult to describe now that we're so used to it. Really, it's The Star Wars that drags this review up to three stars - at least it's interesting in a way that the Infinities stories never quite manage.
The Star Wars #0, a kind of "making of" featurette, answers many of my lingering questions about how this story was adapted. There's not as much of McQuarrie's art as I would have liked, but they talk about the same influences (Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers) that made the original film look the way it does. The story clearly still needed work, and A New Hope itself is far more than George Lucas' vision, but there's some of that charm here and it's certainly an interesting project to read.
November 13, 2018
This Star Wars Epic Collection is a fascinating volume of Star Wars 'What-Ifs', with a special surprise at the end. You get re-imagined versions of 'New Hope' (what if Luke missed in his attack on the Death Star?), 'Empire' (what if Luke froze to death on Hoth?), and 'Return' (what if the rescue of Han Solo didn't work?). All of these altered Star Wars outcomes are interesting, if not the most interesting they could be. I particularly like the way the empire is defeated in the altered 'New Hope' story, and particularly because it made me re-realize the incredible losses of life involved in Star Wars, where people blow up space stations with thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of men and women on them -- space stations which tend to blow up entire planets. It's all so grand and horrific when you think about it -- kinda like the World Wars.
The fourth story, which I did not see coming, is the original, first draft script of 'The Star Wars' re-imagined in comic book form, with extensive creative liberty taken on the part of the artists and comic authors. Parts of this original script were heavily, heavily edited, altered and used to form all the first six Star Wars movies at least, and now you get to see the script itself, and the enormous difference between it and 'A New Hope', graphically.
'The Star Wars', as presented here, is trippy. It is a much more dramatic, cheesy, and operatic space opera. It seems to want to be weird high-brow and aristocratic, like Dune, and it's clear that Lucas probably borrowed some hearty idea chunks from Frank Herbert. Again, as pictured in this comic version, the strange yet familiar characters, like the giant green Thing-like alien Han Solo, and the strange yet familiar vehicles and objects, like Star Destroyers that were originally tiny fighter craft, certainly make you think.
So what did I think of 'The Star Wars's' story, apart from the multitude of similarities and differences and things that Star Wars fans/scholars could write articles if not books about? Well, overall -- it sucks. The story is disconnected and lame, with characters I couldn't give a crap about, doing things that don't quite make sense, in a universe that is not terribly interesting or well-envisioned. There are major plot holes, the dialog is wooden and generally abysmal, and to top it all off, something which the comic artists must be blamed for -- character poses in panels are frequently ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, there are some hi-definition dramatic shots which emphasize the space opera effect, but there are also many instances where characters are running nowhere in the panel, seeming to float or react independently of the other characters. Their action seems to be drawn one panel too soon or something, and it's pretty bad.
3.4 Stars for the strange and surprising variety of weird Star Wars stuff here, and the thoughts it provokes.
October 16, 2023
Aparentemente existem 50 volumes da Epic Collection Star Wars, esse é o 50° e basicamente é uma coleção de "O que aconteceria se" dos filmes da trilogia original antes de serem estragados pelos midchlorians e o Jar Jar Binks.
O primeiro volume é sobre o que aconteceria se o Luke errasse o tiro que explode a Estrela da Morte no fim do primeiro filme; o Luke vai treinar em Dagobath com o Yoda, o Solo e o Chewie ficam picareteando pela galáxia e a Leia é capturada e treinada como um Jedi do mal e herdeira do Imperador. Acho que é a melhor história da edição, tem o Yoda fodástico explodindo a frota imperial inteira, a Leia do mal é muito mais legal que os outros, o que estraga é o ex machina do amor familiar no final, eu preferia a ascensão da Imperatriz Leia e milênios de medo e terror na Galáxia.
O segundo é sobre o que aconteceria se o Luke morresse em Hoth bem no início do segundo filme; como eles deixam Hoth mais cedo e chegam mais cedo em Cloud City, o Lando não trai eles, mas o Império destrói a cidade, Leia vai treinar com o Yoda em Dagobath, Han e Chewie são capturados pelo Jabba, mas conseguem escapar, Vader vai a Dagobath enfrenta o Yoda, o fantasma do Ben e, por último, a Leia. Claro, os mocinhos vencem, mas ainda precisam salvar a galáxia.
O terceiro é sobre o que aconteceria se o plano para salvar o Han Solo do Jabba desse errado. Achar que o plano original deu certo é o que parece mais errado, porque a base do plano era o R2 virar garçom, mas enfim. Em termos gerais, Han fica cego, a Leia e o Luke enfrentam o Vader e o Imperador, o Imperador foge e os irmãos salvam o Vader que passa a usar uma armadura branca e a família reunida sai em busca do Imperador Fujão.
No geral as histórias são divertidas, a arte não incomoda, mas também não encanta, é bem o espírito dos Whats Ifs da Marvel, achei divertido.
Já a segunda parte, A Guerra nas Estrelas, é a quadrinização do primeiro script do filme original; não tem picas a ver com nada do que estamos acostumados a ver; tudo é muito diferente, mas dá pra reconhecer alguns pontos em comum. De novo, divertido, mas nada espetacular.
O primeiro volume é sobre o que aconteceria se o Luke errasse o tiro que explode a Estrela da Morte no fim do primeiro filme; o Luke vai treinar em Dagobath com o Yoda, o Solo e o Chewie ficam picareteando pela galáxia e a Leia é capturada e treinada como um Jedi do mal e herdeira do Imperador. Acho que é a melhor história da edição, tem o Yoda fodástico explodindo a frota imperial inteira, a Leia do mal é muito mais legal que os outros, o que estraga é o ex machina do amor familiar no final, eu preferia a ascensão da Imperatriz Leia e milênios de medo e terror na Galáxia.
O segundo é sobre o que aconteceria se o Luke morresse em Hoth bem no início do segundo filme; como eles deixam Hoth mais cedo e chegam mais cedo em Cloud City, o Lando não trai eles, mas o Império destrói a cidade, Leia vai treinar com o Yoda em Dagobath, Han e Chewie são capturados pelo Jabba, mas conseguem escapar, Vader vai a Dagobath enfrenta o Yoda, o fantasma do Ben e, por último, a Leia. Claro, os mocinhos vencem, mas ainda precisam salvar a galáxia.
O terceiro é sobre o que aconteceria se o plano para salvar o Han Solo do Jabba desse errado. Achar que o plano original deu certo é o que parece mais errado, porque a base do plano era o R2 virar garçom, mas enfim. Em termos gerais, Han fica cego, a Leia e o Luke enfrentam o Vader e o Imperador, o Imperador foge e os irmãos salvam o Vader que passa a usar uma armadura branca e a família reunida sai em busca do Imperador Fujão.
No geral as histórias são divertidas, a arte não incomoda, mas também não encanta, é bem o espírito dos Whats Ifs da Marvel, achei divertido.
Já a segunda parte, A Guerra nas Estrelas, é a quadrinização do primeiro script do filme original; não tem picas a ver com nada do que estamos acostumados a ver; tudo é muito diferente, mas dá pra reconhecer alguns pontos em comum. De novo, divertido, mas nada espetacular.
December 9, 2018
Honestly, the same kind of not-quite-waterbearing criticisms of TLJ are what most negative reviews of this bizarre and wonderful and HUGE collection of “what if’s” paired with a brutally honest (in all its awkward glory) rendering of Lucas’ first draft script of what eventually got mangled into the mess that is ANH (which no one brings the cudgel of criticism to the way they ought to because everyone believes they were the ones to see the original release opening night blah blah blah that’s bullshit and you all know it). With Disney’s acquisition of Lucas Film, they’ve left all Expanded Universe materials up for grabs for re-purposing in the new films and series. We had 35+ years of universe building that is now officially as much a what-if as this infinities collection—and you know what? This collection is more exciting than a lot of the old-canon. This collection produces a truly discomforting uncanniness, and sometimes the characters themselves seem to understand that something is wrong, that the story as Lucas (with a lot of great help and great luck) managed to pull off has been altered, has been deferred/differed (but let’s leave Derrida out of this for a moment). The aforementioned uncanniness is exactly what is so amazing about this book, and a lot of the negative reviews really boil down to an expression of fear, fear that maybe the original films weren’t as good as we remember them, and that by messing with the formula even a droplet that we might break the illusion; maybe it reveals how comforted I am by the realization that canonicity (and its restrictions) is purposeless as a designation, and that the more tales we tell, the healthier the storytelling ecosystem we inhabit becomes. This is essential reading for any Star Wars fan, and it’s brilliantly accessible for fans of all levels as it only references materials from the original trilogy, but also scratches that itch for something BEYOND the original trilogy.
May 1, 2018
The Infinities collection is an eclectic mix by design, but the quality is also all over the place. The first half is devoted to the 'what-if' re-tellings of Star Wars Episodes IV-VI. What if Luke failed to destroy the Death Star? What if Luke died on Hoth from being trapped in a blizzard and Leia was the one trained as a Jedi? What if Han hadn't been rescued so simply from Jabba the Hutt?
I liked each of these stories, changing one or two elements and pursuing the changes, organically through the rest of the Star Wars saga. In a lot of cases more depth is able to be mined from the characters than the simplistic story of a farm-boy against the evil Empire. The artwork, especially involving ships and vehicles is perfect. The only low point is the second to last page in Jedi, where it looks like someone didn't proof the page properly as everyone is mis-shapen.
The real detraction and reason it took me so long to finish the book, is the second half, "The Star Wars" adapted from the original rough-draft George Lucas screenplay.
While very interesting to see where the story started, it suffers from the fact that it is the FIRST DRAFT. Gone from the original trilogy is much of the humour and threads of Hidden Fortress via the droids, and instead is a much more prequel version of the story. More Jedi, Sith, but their perspectives are almost reversed in polarity (Jedi are now passionate, with Sith becoming cool and aloof). Instead of trying to lead a rag-tag band of Rebels against a galaxy-wide Empire, this is much closer to a civil war. No Death Star threatens the very existence of planets, and no desperate struggle to survive. Instead more resisting a coup.
All in all, the book was enjoyable, I felt the Empire Strikes Back story to be the highlight, but I wouldn't have paid for "The Star Wars" portion.
I liked each of these stories, changing one or two elements and pursuing the changes, organically through the rest of the Star Wars saga. In a lot of cases more depth is able to be mined from the characters than the simplistic story of a farm-boy against the evil Empire. The artwork, especially involving ships and vehicles is perfect. The only low point is the second to last page in Jedi, where it looks like someone didn't proof the page properly as everyone is mis-shapen.
The real detraction and reason it took me so long to finish the book, is the second half, "The Star Wars" adapted from the original rough-draft George Lucas screenplay.
While very interesting to see where the story started, it suffers from the fact that it is the FIRST DRAFT. Gone from the original trilogy is much of the humour and threads of Hidden Fortress via the droids, and instead is a much more prequel version of the story. More Jedi, Sith, but their perspectives are almost reversed in polarity (Jedi are now passionate, with Sith becoming cool and aloof). Instead of trying to lead a rag-tag band of Rebels against a galaxy-wide Empire, this is much closer to a civil war. No Death Star threatens the very existence of planets, and no desperate struggle to survive. Instead more resisting a coup.
All in all, the book was enjoyable, I felt the Empire Strikes Back story to be the highlight, but I wouldn't have paid for "The Star Wars" portion.
December 22, 2017
For a Star Wars related speculative comic series that offers “infinite” possibilities, the only possibilities I happened to read were boring, safe, and totally uninspired ones.
The problem with Infinities is that with the incredible amount of divergent stories and alternate timelines that Star Wars could potentially give rise to, not a single author chooses one that was compelling or made me want to view the saga from a different lens.
All three speculative stories from the three original episodes are ridiculously “safe” and don’t do anything to make Star Wars exciting again. All I got from this was if the Death Star didn’t blow up, if Luke died on Hoth, and somehow if Leia screwed up the rescue of Han from Jabba’s palace, basically the exact same things as the films would still have occurred. The Empire would still be defeated. Yoda would still train a Jedi, and Darth Vader would still redeem himself. There’s no real “new” stories at all...just another way that destiny would be fulfilled.
The only somewhat redeeming quality of this collection was the collected issues of The Star Wars a series based of of Lucas’s original screenplay. The story is weird and looking at how Lucas envisioned his original characters is a bit confusing, but it was also interesting to see where the Star Wars story began, how it evolved, and how it became such a masterpiece of modern cinema and lore.
Overall though, unless you’re like a super fanboy who needs to read Damn near everything, you’re totally better off skipping Infinities for something a bit less disappointing.
The problem with Infinities is that with the incredible amount of divergent stories and alternate timelines that Star Wars could potentially give rise to, not a single author chooses one that was compelling or made me want to view the saga from a different lens.
All three speculative stories from the three original episodes are ridiculously “safe” and don’t do anything to make Star Wars exciting again. All I got from this was if the Death Star didn’t blow up, if Luke died on Hoth, and somehow if Leia screwed up the rescue of Han from Jabba’s palace, basically the exact same things as the films would still have occurred. The Empire would still be defeated. Yoda would still train a Jedi, and Darth Vader would still redeem himself. There’s no real “new” stories at all...just another way that destiny would be fulfilled.
The only somewhat redeeming quality of this collection was the collected issues of The Star Wars a series based of of Lucas’s original screenplay. The story is weird and looking at how Lucas envisioned his original characters is a bit confusing, but it was also interesting to see where the Star Wars story began, how it evolved, and how it became such a masterpiece of modern cinema and lore.
Overall though, unless you’re like a super fanboy who needs to read Damn near everything, you’re totally better off skipping Infinities for something a bit less disappointing.
January 11, 2020
Mostly only valuable to the biggest of Star Wars fans as a series of increasingly intriguing oddities, Infinities is nonetheless one of the most interesting collections of Star Wars comics available today. The first three stories are "What If...?" tales based on the original movies, and they're okay, if maybe slightly too concerned with the minutiea of the lore and not broad strokes character development (the aspect that is most appealing about the films).
The Star Wars is the real treat of the collection, a masterful adaptation of the 1974 draft of what became Star Wars: Episode IV. More accurately, it's what become the entire Star Wars saga, so sprawling and unfocused was George Lucas' initial vision. You'll recognize elements not just from the early movies, but from the prequels and sequels, too, which is a lot of fun if you're adept at recognizing the individual pieces of Star Wars when taken out of their known context. It's particular fascinating as a historical document, but the artists behind the project approached the adaptation with such care, attention, and passion, that it elevates what is otherwise a dry curio into an entertaining book in and of itself.
It won't much mean anything unless you know Star Wars like the back of your hand, which certainly limits its appeal, and even then it's a silly bit of fun, filled to the seams with inside jokes and obscure references, winking and nodding at the audience every step of the way. Personally, I adored it, even if my incredulity was at an all-time high during some of the What If...? sections.
The Star Wars is the real treat of the collection, a masterful adaptation of the 1974 draft of what became Star Wars: Episode IV. More accurately, it's what become the entire Star Wars saga, so sprawling and unfocused was George Lucas' initial vision. You'll recognize elements not just from the early movies, but from the prequels and sequels, too, which is a lot of fun if you're adept at recognizing the individual pieces of Star Wars when taken out of their known context. It's particular fascinating as a historical document, but the artists behind the project approached the adaptation with such care, attention, and passion, that it elevates what is otherwise a dry curio into an entertaining book in and of itself.
It won't much mean anything unless you know Star Wars like the back of your hand, which certainly limits its appeal, and even then it's a silly bit of fun, filled to the seams with inside jokes and obscure references, winking and nodding at the audience every step of the way. Personally, I adored it, even if my incredulity was at an all-time high during some of the What If...? sections.
September 21, 2024
Estoy impresionado, se las arreglaron para hacer un conjunto de historias bastante interesantes aquí!
- A new hope estuvo interesante, se las arreglaron para hacer algo dinámico y genial que, aunque acaba muy rápido, se siente como una historia interesante.
- Empire strikes back está bien, maneja los detalles referentes al cambio de manera adecuada y las cosas (más o menos) se sienten creíbles, pero tiene varios momentos que me hicieron decir "por qué?". Supo terminar en un buen momento para no sentirse muy abrupto
- Con return of the jedi siento que las cosas empezaron bien, pero para cerca de la mitad y final se apresuraron mucho en todo. Pasan tantas cosas que es difícil entender por qué esta pasando tal cosa, aunque el escenario final, con Vader "redimido" supongo que se llegó a un punto interesante.
En general las 3 historias están bien. Cada una tiene un arte diferente (irregular) pero son entretenidas.
Con respecto a la adaptación de la historia de Star Wars creó que estuvo ok. Fue una versión diferente de lo que Star Wars pudo ser. Leerla me hizo pensar que definitivamente Lucas debió haberse dedicado a escribir ficción, pues la historia, como conjunto, encaja mejor en ese ámbito. Es curioso ver que aspectos se usaron del guion original en comparación a la versión final. Historia divertida de leer con el mejor trabajo artístico de toda la compilación.
Lo disfruté!
- A new hope estuvo interesante, se las arreglaron para hacer algo dinámico y genial que, aunque acaba muy rápido, se siente como una historia interesante.
- Empire strikes back está bien, maneja los detalles referentes al cambio de manera adecuada y las cosas (más o menos) se sienten creíbles, pero tiene varios momentos que me hicieron decir "por qué?". Supo terminar en un buen momento para no sentirse muy abrupto
- Con return of the jedi siento que las cosas empezaron bien, pero para cerca de la mitad y final se apresuraron mucho en todo. Pasan tantas cosas que es difícil entender por qué esta pasando tal cosa, aunque el escenario final, con Vader "redimido" supongo que se llegó a un punto interesante.
En general las 3 historias están bien. Cada una tiene un arte diferente (irregular) pero son entretenidas.
Con respecto a la adaptación de la historia de Star Wars creó que estuvo ok. Fue una versión diferente de lo que Star Wars pudo ser. Leerla me hizo pensar que definitivamente Lucas debió haberse dedicado a escribir ficción, pues la historia, como conjunto, encaja mejor en ese ámbito. Es curioso ver que aspectos se usaron del guion original en comparación a la versión final. Historia divertida de leer con el mejor trabajo artístico de toda la compilación.
Lo disfruté!
October 24, 2019
These comics provided a really interesting take on what could have happened if things had played out a little differently. Each of the AUs diverged from the original story enough to have a significant impact, but the way the characters acted still felt true to who they are. I really enjoyed the ESB and ROTJ AUs, but the ANH one felt a little bit off to me, even though I still liked reading it.
As for "The Star Wars," it was really fascinating to read George Lucas's original screenplay in comic form. You can see many elements in the story that appear throughout the Skywalker Saga, but it's in a less polished, developed form here. Also, George's clunky dialogue is turned up to an eleven, so that's fun to read.
If this is what Star Wars ended up being, there's no way it would have been the cultural phenomenon it is today. It might have gained a cult following with midnight screenings, but this version is less universal and more dated. While you can tell the original Star Wars was made in the 1970s, it doesn't feel like it when you watch it. Whereas "The Star Wars" has 1974 written all over it.
Although I preferred the Infinities comics over "The Star Wars," I recommend this collection to any mega Star Wars fan.
As for "The Star Wars," it was really fascinating to read George Lucas's original screenplay in comic form. You can see many elements in the story that appear throughout the Skywalker Saga, but it's in a less polished, developed form here. Also, George's clunky dialogue is turned up to an eleven, so that's fun to read.
If this is what Star Wars ended up being, there's no way it would have been the cultural phenomenon it is today. It might have gained a cult following with midnight screenings, but this version is less universal and more dated. While you can tell the original Star Wars was made in the 1970s, it doesn't feel like it when you watch it. Whereas "The Star Wars" has 1974 written all over it.
Although I preferred the Infinities comics over "The Star Wars," I recommend this collection to any mega Star Wars fan.
August 1, 2020
There are 4 stories compiled in this book; Alternate versions of episodes 4, 5 and 6 and an adaptation of George Lucas' original 1974 script for "The Star Wars".
The catch with episodes 4, 5 and 6 is that each story has 1 key event turn out completely differently than the films. It's like "It's a Wonderful Life" but set in the Star Wars universe. The results are purely awesome to read, especially with episodes 4 and 5.
The adaptation of George Lucas' original script, "The Star Wars" is a really interesting read as well. You will hear a lot of familiar names but they are assigned to completely different characters and places than in the movies. There are many familiar themes to the movies as well, but the story is completely different.
If you love the Star Wars original trilogy and comic books, you'll love this book!
The catch with episodes 4, 5 and 6 is that each story has 1 key event turn out completely differently than the films. It's like "It's a Wonderful Life" but set in the Star Wars universe. The results are purely awesome to read, especially with episodes 4 and 5.
The adaptation of George Lucas' original script, "The Star Wars" is a really interesting read as well. You will hear a lot of familiar names but they are assigned to completely different characters and places than in the movies. There are many familiar themes to the movies as well, but the story is completely different.
If you love the Star Wars original trilogy and comic books, you'll love this book!
November 27, 2022
There are two parts to this collection. The first half ponders how minor changes would have affected the story of the original Star Wars Trilogy. What if Luke didn’t succeed at blowing up the Death Star, and Leia was trained in the force by Vadar? What if Luke died on Hoth and Leia trained with Yoda instead? What if Boba Fett tries to sell Han to the Empire after Leia accidentally blows up Jabba’s Palace? The second half is a graphic novelization of George Lucas’ original screenplay following Annikin Starkiller defeating the evil Empire.
The “what if?” portions are really good. A nice reimagining as how things could have gone differently while staying true to the feel of the original story. The second half is not so great and it’s obvious why the screenplay had to be rewritten. It’s still interesting to see what things were kept and what things were changed.
The “what if?” portions are really good. A nice reimagining as how things could have gone differently while staying true to the feel of the original story. The second half is not so great and it’s obvious why the screenplay had to be rewritten. It’s still interesting to see what things were kept and what things were changed.
May 5, 2019
As kids, the "What If" was one that was always in action.
From common, everyday events ("Mom, what if I was to jump off the roof with a parachute made of my blanket? / Well, you would break you ROSS GET BACK HERE NOW!!!!!!") to the more interesting ("What if Superman was to give the Hulk a wedgie? Who would win....")
Well, this collection looks at 3 what ifs as how it relates to Star Wars.
Each story looks at the events from the three original films (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi). One of the thing had an ending that had me going "whatwaitWHAT??!?!")
And to complete the collection, the Original Star Wars, as writing during an early rough draft by George Lucas. Yeah- it is HIGHLY different.
From common, everyday events ("Mom, what if I was to jump off the roof with a parachute made of my blanket? / Well, you would break you ROSS GET BACK HERE NOW!!!!!!") to the more interesting ("What if Superman was to give the Hulk a wedgie? Who would win....")
Well, this collection looks at 3 what ifs as how it relates to Star Wars.
Each story looks at the events from the three original films (A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi). One of the thing had an ending that had me going "whatwaitWHAT??!?!")
And to complete the collection, the Original Star Wars, as writing during an early rough draft by George Lucas. Yeah- it is HIGHLY different.
September 1, 2022
I mainly showed up for the Infinities, which are generally pretty fun. The first two let the saga play out in wild different versions. RotJ, though, seems like it doesn’t have enough room to tell anything particularly interesting.
The rest of this collection is taken up by the comic adaptation of the original script for the first Star Wars. It’s great to have this, but it doesn’t feel like a necessary read. Lucas’ flaws are on full display, with an abundance of characters that don’t matter and a poor romance subplot. And that’s fine, because it’s a first draft, but did it have to become a full comic of a first draft?
The rest of this collection is taken up by the comic adaptation of the original script for the first Star Wars. It’s great to have this, but it doesn’t feel like a necessary read. Lucas’ flaws are on full display, with an abundance of characters that don’t matter and a poor romance subplot. And that’s fine, because it’s a first draft, but did it have to become a full comic of a first draft?
July 20, 2024
The first three parts are a "what if" from the three original movies. They aren't as good as the actual stories. The fourth part (which was actually half of the book) was based on George Lucas's original screenplay, "The Star Wars." Luke Skywalker is the old man, Annikin Starkiller his apprentice, Han Solo is a green skinned alien, and Darth Vader is a separate character. This did as well as it could, with good artwork, but the original script was a whole lot of garbage (which thankfully, never ended up on screen). It is typical Lucas, nonsensical dialogue with cringe worthy romance. But this, and the original comic versions, are the only place to see what Lucas had originally planned.
May 28, 2017
Star Wars alternative realities, it was interesting to see the outcome of what happened should the Death Star not have been destroyed at the Battle of Yavin, and other possible stories. Interesting ideas. The bonus was the original George Lucas storyline for A New Hope, and how it related to the Jedi-Bendu (The Bendu name itself made an appearance in Star Wars Rebels TV Series), and how and what the original Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader story would have turned out to be.
It was a fascinating read, highly recommended for all Star Wars fans out there.
It was a fascinating read, highly recommended for all Star Wars fans out there.
July 22, 2017
This collection houses all of the "Infinities" stories. One for each original trilogy story, which I reviewed elsewhere and really enjoyed. There is a 4th story here, and it is George Lucas' original script for "The Star Wars." It has Luke, Anakin, Starkiller... but the story is really messed up. It seems like a weird combo of some 1950s serial Buck Rogers thing and I don't know what. I didn't enjoy it and couldn't finish it, actually. The storyline was so convoluted and I didn't know characters (well, I knew their name like Anakin but the character was someone else...).
Sorry, I tried.
Sorry, I tried.
April 30, 2018
I really want to say something about the second part, the "the star wars"-draft. Which I read in single issues when it came out. People really need to understand that it is based on an unfinished draft of the first movie, literally, they didn't change anything. That is the main reason why it feels incomplete and unfinished, it is slow and the story itself is not good. Too many characters, too complex,... But the artwork, and mostly the totally different approach to the star wars universe is just interesting enough to read through it and enjoy it as a fan. If it doesn't feel as star wars, it's because it isn't star wars yet.
December 21, 2019
Look, it was interesting, I'll say that. I probably enjoyed the Empire chapter the most, as that was the most interesting what if; all the others, I just found to be bizarre. Seriously, no what if: Luke joined Vader?
The Star Wars was interesting, but definitely not good. Lucas is a genius in his edit, that instead of scrapping characters, he stripped their ability to talk. Everyone ducked though, might be one of the worst romances I've ever read.
And lastly, that white Darth Vader, is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
The Star Wars was interesting, but definitely not good. Lucas is a genius in his edit, that instead of scrapping characters, he stripped their ability to talk. Everyone ducked though, might be one of the worst romances I've ever read.
And lastly, that white Darth Vader, is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
April 3, 2024
A fun collection of Dark Horse's What If-style books for the original trilogy, as well as the adaptation of George Lucas's earlier draft of "The Star Wars". I really enjoyed the Infinities books as they were coming out and I'd still love to see Marvel make use of owning the brand by giving us more What If stories for the prequels and sequels. The real star (pun included) is seeing how vastly different yet the same the story of The Star Wars is. I've read through that one a few times and always enjoy seeing proto-Star Wars.
September 18, 2019
Good read for Star Wars fans. Seeing how things would turn out if just one event changed and seeing Star Wars: A New Hope reimagined in a different way really helps you understand the breadth and depth of the Star Wars universe. There's more than just the movies and the comic books are becoming more legitimate than the recently movies.
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