Classic Star Wars: A New Hope

Marvel Star Wars (1977-1986) #1-6

by Roy Thomas, Howard Chaykin (Artist)

Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso

Genres: Star Wars, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Fantasy

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Roy Thomas was the FIRST Editor-in-Chief at Marvel--After Stan Lee stepped down from the position. Roy is a longtime comic book writer and editor. Thomas has written comics for Archie, Charlton, DC, Heroic Publishing, Marvel, and Topps over the years. Thomas currently edits the fanzine Alter Ego for Twomorrow's Publishing. He was Editor for Marvel comics from 1972-1974. He wrote for several titles at Marvel, such as Avengers, Thor, Invaders, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and notably Conan the Barbarian. Thomas is also known for his championing of Golden Age comic-book heroes — particularly the 1940s superhero team the Justice Society of America — and for lengthy writing stints on Marvel's X-Men and Avengers, and DC Comics' All-Star Squadron, among other titles.

Also a legendary creator. Creations include Wolverine, Carol Danvers, Ghost Rider, Vision, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Valkyrie, Morbius, Doc Samson, and Ultron. Roy has also worked for Archie, Charlton, and DC among others over the years.

Reviews

[Sean Barrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A New Hope has always been one of my favourite Star Wars films, most likely because it was my very first glimpse at something that would eventually develop into an epic. Luke Skywalker’s story is where it all began, and I really did enjoy seeing it in this form. The artist has rendered the planetary systems, the deserts of Tatooine and the oppressive nature of the Death Star perfectly. The environments look great, but there are a few issues with the characters. So, I have mixed feelings about its overall quality.

The artwork:
• Characters 2/5*
• Environments and effects 4/5

*It must be noted that the cover art image is a modern rendering, and is in no ways a reflection of the illustrations in here that were done in the 70s.

Here's what actually Luke looks like:



Here's a cool looking explosion:



Luke comes across in the necessary degrees of naïve; he acts young, though in some of the images he actually looks older than Han Solo. I’ve had a peak at the second instalment (The Empire Strikes Back Comic) and his rendering is much more appropriate. He actually looks like Mark Hamill rather than some random square jawed dude who needs a good night’s sleep. So his appearance, at odds with the on screen version, is just an issue with this first instalment. I’m glad it improved, but it does make the series feel a little inconsistent. It’s a double edged sword really. The space battles are where the illustrator’s skill comes into play. The colouring is spot on, and the explosive effects are quite impressive. Visually speaking, they were the best aspect of the graphic novel. The fight between Ben Kenobi and Vader was also quite good. Kenobi’s death was incredibly dramatic even in this form.

The story- 4/5

I’m glad to say that this edition lacked any originality. It is basically an exact copy of the events in the movie. This is a good thing, of course. There isn’t a single plot deviation or major inconsistency that I detected. It’s all very true to its origins. It needed to be.



Kenobi has always been the Skywalker’s protector. Firstly, at his master’s behest, he rescues the young Anakin and trains him in the ways of the force. Secondly, he looks after Anakin’s son from a distance, and insures the heir to the Jedi survives. He is Luke’s silent guardian; his shield against the Empire. He is the true hero of this story. Sometimes I just feel like the man deserves a little bit more recognition. He gave his life to the Skywalker’s. He was a wise and powerful Jedi, one that even mastered death. Few Jedi can say the same. Obi-Wan becomes one with the force and escaped being struck down, does this not make him one of the greatest Jedi of all time? Luke was lucky to have him as a master regardless of how brief the experience was. I think this comes across superbly in this form. He’s a great character.



Overall, this is a fairly good adaption. There is room for improvement but, like I said, the artwork is better in the next edition, which I will also be reviewing at some point soon. The story makes this what it is; it’s like a breakdown of all the important scenes in the film. It captures both the humour and urgency of the situations. The character dynamic are there in full force along with appropriate personalities. It’s like a pleasant reminder of the movie, that I now have an overbearing urge to watch.

I think that’s a good thing, don’t you?

Star Wars Original Trilogy Graphic Novels
1. A New Hope- A fair three stars
2. The Empire Strikes Back- An improved 3.5 stars

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?" -- Princess Leia, not mincing words

"Huh? Oh, the uniform. I'm Luke Skywalker - I'm here to rescue you." -- Luke

Harkening back to a bygone era - long before we would collectively know of the eventual Star Wars universe as dreamed up by creator George Lucas - of early April 1977, Dark Horse Comics reprints the Marvel miniseries (or initial six issues) simply known at the time as Star Wars before its later A New Hope subtitle. Interestingly, the comic first hit the newsstands six weeks BEFORE the movie's premiere, and overall also included brief scenes and dialogue that would not see the light of day until Lucas' continual revisions started in the late 90's. (Additionally, sales were so strong it was credited with saving Marvel for its fiscal years of 1977 and 1978.) But how does it stand up nearly fifty years after its debut? I found it to be wonderful. The fun space-age western of sorts fits well in a graphic novel format, lacking only sound effects by Ben Burtt and score by John Williams. True, some scenes play better on the silver screen than the page - such as Obi-Wan Kenobi's sudden and deadly display of his skill in the cantina, or the climactic Rebel assault on the Death Star - but this must've seemed like a more than adequate substitute for 'SW' fans in pre-cable TV / VCR / DVD / streaming days.

[Jim Ef · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice way to remember the facts that took place in a far far away galaxy

[Jelena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the few cases (known to me) where the film came before everything else. So maybe this comic has had it easy or easier in a way: It had its plot, pacing and characters already set. And as a reader you know fully what to expect. But still, as visual as they both may be, those are two different media, with different dynamics and focusing of different aspects. The film and the comic aren’t identical. They couldn’t and shouldn’t be.

And yes, some things differed from what I had come to know and love in the film or from what I had imagined for myself. Of those different approaches, some irked me. Like Chewie being an aggressive beast rather than a badass but gentle giant. Or Han, who is far less rough around the edges but with his heart in the right place, and far more an outright jackass. Or Luke looking like Prince Adam. (Don’t get me wrong, I love Prince Adam, that was my favourite cartoon as a child. But a He-Man Skywalker is a bit weird.) While I’m at it: The Völsunga/Sigmund/Signy vibe between Luke and Leia was disturbingly gross. Though technically we’re not supposed to know that yet. Also, I missed John Williams’ brilliant score. Which is easily overcome by humming the according themes to oneself while reading. On the other hand, C-3PO was considerably less annoying than usually. But that might just as well be me getting old(er) and going all soft and gooey. But the primary issue, the only real issue here, is that this is a remastered edition of the seventies comic. And that’s what rubbed me. It’s just… too remastered. Too postery, too glossy, to shiny, too bright. Seriously, the beam of a regular light bulb in my living room hit a panel once and almost blinded me. That taught me to read more by natural daylight.

But here’s the thing: This is Star Wars and it is the Holy Trinity. And there will never ever be a time when, at seeing the words “In a galaxy far, far away…”, I won’t be transferred back into my eight-year-old, goggle-eyed self, all transfixed and mesmerised. (Seriously, we all know that a parsec is a distance unit, and if you’re going all logical and purist and looking for implausibilities, then kindly fuck off, go make you own space opera with black-jack and hookers, and leave Star Wars, and everything else, for that matter, alone.) Whatever may have bugged me, it never lasted long. This adaptations isn’t good, it’s actually great. And everything else is forgiven. For me, Star Wars has always been highly visual. The novels and novelisations just never really sat with me; I think the galaxy far away loses more than it gains in the process. And this comic is probably the best thing you could have done to the source material when transferring it and giving it a new shape, but without leading it too far from its essence. Like the Force, this comic is in balance between being a good adaptation, true to the original, and being a good genre comic in itself, equally true to the standards of its own form.

And hey, here Chewie does get his very deserved medal!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun retailing of the original Star Wars movies by Marvel Comics.

I first came across these comics as a kid, I believe they came as bonus material in a star wars movie box set. I thought they were a lot of fun then, and some 10-15 years later, they still hold up. Check these out if you're a Star Wars fan and haven't before. They're a unique way to experience the original trilogy.

[Elijah (Not all those who wander are lost) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good, can’t wait to watch the movie!

[Ruel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was leaning toward rating this less than four stars when I remembered that it was STAR WARS. This is a collected volume of the original Marvel comics from that magical year of 1977 when something from a galaxy far, far away took over Planet Earth.

My dad bought me the oversized version of these comics and I wore them out after repeated readings. As a child I remember thinking that the characters didn't really look like the actors from the movie. Even Chewbacca didn't look like the infamous Walking Carpet; he was more Sasquatch than Wookie.

This remains true in this newly colored and remastered version, but I do like the new colors since they seem to make everything "pop" more. Or maybe it's just been so long since I read this six-issue series that I forgot about the artwork.

In either case, it's still a blast following the adventures of Luke and the gang, even if the, um, intimate moments between him and Princess Leia seem even creepier now. Since the artists at the time didn't know the big secret about the siblings, their choice of artwork was more, um, romantic.

Let's move on, shall we?

There are several deleted scenes in the comics, including one of Jabba the Hutt in which he looks vastly different than the version that appeared in the third movie. There's also a scene that explains the friendship between Luke and Biggs while they're on Tatooine.

Overall, this was a great way for me to get hyped for The Force Awakens. Not that I needed any more reasons, but still.

[George K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Προσφορά της Κυριακάτικης Καθημερινής, πρόκειται για το πρώτο κόμικ από τα τρία που θα κυκλοφορήσουν, η ιστορία του οποίου ακολουθεί επακριβώς την ιστορία της πρώτης ταινίας Star Wars (Επεισόδιο IV). Έχοντας δει την ταινία ένα κάρο φορές, δεν συνάντησα τίποτα εκπλήξεις στην πλοκή, πλην κάποιων λίγων σκηνών στην αρχή με τον φίλο του Λουκ Σκαϊγουόκερ, τον Μπιγκς, που δεν υπήρχαν στην ταινία, όπως και την εντελώς διαφορετική εξωτερική εμφάνιση του Τζάμπα. Λοιπόν, το κόμικ απευθύνεται σε αυτούς που έχουν απολαύσει τις ταινίες στο παρελθόν και παράλληλα αγαπούν τα κόμικς. Προσωπικά έμεινα ευχαριστημένος, τόσο από τους διαλόγους, όσο και από το σχέδιο. Ίσως, βέβαια, το σχέδιο να μην είναι γενικά τρομερό και να μην αρέσει σε όλους, νομίζω όμως ότι κάνει καλά την δουλειά του. Όσον αφορά τα χρώματα, μου φάνηκαν πολύ καλά και ζωντανά. Η έκδοση της Καθημερινής είναι αρκετά ικανοποιητική για το κόστος της, με σκληρό εξώφυλλο αλλά πολύ λεπτά φύλλα. Σίγουρα θα τιμήσω και τα επόμενα δυο της σειράς.

[anna]

The artwork inside is so '70s that I am actually digging it.

[Ned Leffingwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a reprinting of the original Marvel comic adaptation of Star Wars: A New Hope. The reprint looks great. They did recolor the entire story using a modern method. I have mixed feelings about the recoloring. If I had never seen the original comics I would say that they did a fantastic job. However, the art now has a 21st century comic look to it. It has lost some of the 70's comic charm. I remember that the original cover to issue one showed Darth Vader's helmet with a green hue. Also, the original colors had a bright psychedelic feel to them.

I would recommend this. It is interesting to see the adaptation of the film. We are treated to an early appearance of Jabba the Hutt (who looks nothing like he does in Return of the Jedi), scenes with Luke's friend Biggs, and some other treats that differ from the film. Otherwise it is a bronze age adaptation of the film that does the job well.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cool hardcover remastering and reprinting of the first six issues of Marvel's 1970s and 1980s ongoing Star Wars series, adapting Episode IV. This book features some excellent recoloring that brings a beautiful modern flair to the 1977 artwork. These issues also feature some interesting aspects of the movie that were cut for one reason or another: we see Luke on Tattooine witnessing a space battle and a very different Jabba the Hutt to name a few. Also included is a covers and artwork gallery. This book is great for collectors and new fans alike.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Han shoots. I'd say Han shoots first, but that would imply there's a second shot. Five stars.

This is a reprint of the original comic adaptation of the films. Colors have been retouched. Good stuff.

[Isis Velasco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marcando em livros separados ou o goodreads vai foder minha meta de leitura por ler em volume único u_u

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite the curiosity. I have vague memories of the actual comics, but this little book puts it all together in a pulpy package...and the result is best described as "interesting". The story is pretty much intact, and it includes deleted scenes...but good lord, the artist makes everyone older, scarier, and much much more intense. Much of the whimsey and humour are absent in this version...which makes it feel very po-faced. It's also incredibly condensed in this pocket-book-size, so it might need a magnifying glass to enjoy properly. A strange & fascinating slice of the pop culture past.

[Julie Bettina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit bummed about the boring looking Jabba the Hutt (but I just found out that he actually didn't appear until Return of the Jedi in the original theatrical releases), and the comic format made the fighting scenes very chaotic! However, nothing can spoil the pure magic known as A New Hope (well, originally just Star Wars, but you get the point)!

[☮ morgan ☮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn't really feel like Star Wars, just generic comic book characters. Also a lot of information was changed from the movie. Not the best adaptation i've ever read.

[Kamillah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it "lightsaber," or "lightsabre"? I never had to think about it until just now, seeing it in writing. This is the reissued, remastered, and freshly colored hardcover collecting the original six issues first published in 1977 prior to the release of the film. (Sidenote: I don't think a pre-release of essentially the ENTIRE story of a hotly anticipated film would ever be released like this way again. Hello, spoiler alert!) Funny that even then, the covers screamed "The greatest space-fantasy film of all!" I picked this up because I wanted to catch up on the original film, but I don't have a copy of it so I thought it would be neat to read the comic adaptation. In the interest of full disclosure, I actually didn't remember what happens in the story because I was really young when I first saw the movies and never really watched them again, so while the characters and ideas were familiar, the story was like new again. I'll have to see how the comic and the film fit together. To be totally honest, it sometimes read as a 2-star book, with the wordy narration and copious exclamation points that seem to be common in older comics, but this is likely a challenge of viewing an older comic through contemporary eyes. The dialogue really kept an adventurous and fun tone in the face of cosmic domination, and each character's personalities comes across very clearly, except maybe for Chewbacca, but then again his characterization must lose some edge when you're reading his language as opposed to hearing it! I loved that Princess Leia played a role in her own rescue, wielding her own blasters--I wasn't very optimistic about how she'd be depicted in a '70's comic...but in the end I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied. The action and emotional tension noticeably picks up in the last issue (#6), which depicts the one final space pilot dogfight with gravity, humor, and excitement at the right moments. So yes, I enjoyed it.

As a special re-release, this collection offers little that adds to the experience--there's a new introduction meant to share a bit about how Marvel came to publish a comic adaptation prior to the film release, but it's surprisingly pretty boring. The original cover art (original inks, plus the colored versions) are reprinted at the end of the collection if you enjoy examining covers through the years. The remastered and newly colored pages are the real boon here--the vibrant colors jump off the page in a more three dimensional way that's more pleasing to the modern eye, yet the book still retains the original "throwback" look of the original artwork. The lightsabres (I'm going with the spelling in the comic!) glow in a way I doubt they glowed in the original newsprint.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's difficult to say whether it's something to do with the pacing and style of story, or just the plain horrible artwork that's a cross between a 2001-Kubrick style lightshow fantasia and someone vomiting uncontrollably over the page. Either way, this comic adaptation of Lucas' classic movie falls somewhat short, to the extent that I'm struggling to offer even the most ardent Star Wars fan a good reason to pick this up and spend time with it. I suppose the fact that it's the first Star Wars comic and an important piece of Star Wars history. But then again, there's a lot of early Star Wars paraphernalia that helped market the phenomenen at the time that it's just best to forget nowadays ... the 1978 TV Holiday Special springs to mind.

What I'm saying is that I'm even struggling to motivate myself to write a review for a book that was just a mediocre adaptation of a decent script. Where the visuals fall so flat, the dialogue fails to ring out and the story doesn't take on any weight, meaning or purpose. It's interesting, I guess, to compare the failure of this to the the success of the movie which achieves so much more with the same plot and dialogue. (there are slight alterations to the plot here - extra scenes with Biggs and a non-slug like Jabba, but you can hear these and more in the much better Star Wars Radio adaptation from a similar period)

[Todd Bauerle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read these issues before...most notably in the Dark Horse, two-issue collection from the 90's. But here, the art is presented in a new, remastered color...which breathes new life into the comic. Bound in a nice hard cover presentation, this is a fine bookshelf edition. It also includes a digital edition to read with your Marvel online account.

If you are hesitating, don't...this is a confident buy.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I really liked in this adaptation was that Marvel got the script from George Lucas himself before the movie was released. The artists did a good job. They stick closely to to the original lines, so as a Star Wars fan I easily could visualize the movie images. Back in 1977 any fan could enjoy Star Wars again reading this adaptation. The rough sketching of the images aren't always my taste as I'm used to a more detailed and precize coloring of comics as is normal in Europe.

[Ian Reay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful edition of the original Marvel adaptation. Brand new colouring techniques give life to the artwork like never before! The back of the book contains some sketch covers of the original issues,plus covers of previously collected editions.Perfect!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

fun revisit.....newly re-colored.

[Kelly K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a collection of the original Star Wars: A New Hope comics by Marvel in 1977. It was great to read the originals that were started shortly after the movie came out.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

good enough to get you ready for the movie.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. IT has some slightly different lines from the movie so I can see where Lucas might have gone in future episodes.

[Michael Rudzki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This trade paperback collects the first six Marvel Star Wars comics released, adapting the movie which blew my little nine-year-old mind, along with millions of others.

It's interesting to revisit this forty-six years after it was released. Because work began on the comic before the film was completed, there are many inaccuracies.

Howard Chaykin, who penciled the series, had been allowed to visit the Lucasfilm offices to gather some reference materials, but these were apparently incomplete.

Some of the things that are incorrect include the Blockade Runner escape pod, the interrogation droid used on Leia, the size of the Death Star (it's much smaller, and may have been partially based on the original concept by Colin Cantwell), the kisses between Luke and Leia aren't on the cheek (awkward! But then, there was also a passionate kiss between them in Empire. It was cut from the film, but can still be seen in the original movie trailer), TIE pilot uniforms, and Red Squadron is instead Blue.

There are also a few scenes included here which were omitted from the movie, including:

Luke watching the battle between the Star Destroyer and the Rebel Blockade Runner from his home on Tatooine. When he goes to tell his friends in Anchorhead about it, he runs into Biggs, who informs him that he will be joining the Rebellion.

Han running into Jabba the Hutt at docking bay 94 after shooting Greedo. Interestingly, though the scene was shot with an actor (Declan Mulholland) playing Jabba as a human, here he is drawn as a humanoid alien.

Luke discovering his friend Biggs in the hangar on Yavin Four. During their scene, "Blue Leader" recognizes Luke's last name and says he met his father when he was a boy. I haven't seen this elsewhere, though perhaps it's in the novelization.

Despite the inaccuracies, this was the only tie-in we had as fans, apart from the great novelization by Alan Dean Foster, and so we pored over the pages repeatedly. With issue number seven, we got the first new stories set in that galaxy far, far away. The Marvel Comics series ran 108 issues, along with three annuals.

A New Hope would be adapted again in 1997 by Dark Horse Comics, to coincide with the release of the Special Edition of the film.

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though the comic adaptation of George Lucas’ Star Wars by Marvel contains a few factual flaws (Red Five, and what’s with Jabba the Hutt?) and the illustrated characters rarely look like Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford, it was still quite delightful to revisit the space epic in comic book form. Most of the flaws I can write off as being due to them writing the story before the finalized film was released, but it was a bit weird to see so much exposition within the panels. Most modern comics rely on strong dialogue and visuals to get the story across to readers, but during this period Marvel writers seemed to add a lot of omniscient narrative in addition to these staples - not always necessarily in fact. The majority of the panels adequately depicted the story (with much of the artwork being surprisingly good for non-coloured or shaded work) and the dialogue was generally taken right out of the film, so a lot of their added content in the form of characters’ inner thoughts (which didn’t appear in the film obviously) or in a formalized narration came off as being slightly overkill and in some cases downright forced. All that aside, considering that comic adaptations of films or novels often aren’t successful (even now), Marvel made a pretty strong representation of the Star Wars story!

[Andrei Vajna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The comic follows the movie almost to the letter, with all the quotes in there. In addition, there are a few more scenes inserted, that were filmed but cut from the movie, like the meeting with Biggs at the very beginning, and some of the details are a bit different, since this was based on an earlier draft. The most fun part was to see Jabba, with a very different look than what we know. He's not an obese slug, but rather a very scruffy-looking nerf herder.

All in all, an interesting recounting of the story that is so well-known and which has been told in so many formats. I don't think the comic format does it justice, though. The style is often quite striking compared to what we now know, but then again, this was created when nobody had idea what Star Wars would become. There are some text inserts that were needed in order to fill in the blanks that couldn't be told through speech bubbles, which create a unique layer, that sometimes adds insight when they focus on what's going on in the characters' minds, but other times they feel at odds with the Star Wars style.

[brian d rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chaykin is a classic no doubt. A lot like Frank Miller, his style can be somewhat flat at times. You can feel some designs had maybe not been finalized when the original work was done back on the 70s. I noticed this especially on the tie fighter pilots. The special edition colors made the covers look amazing, but on some pages I found myself saying that modern colors would render the image more clear so I don't think modernizing the colors was a knock out " all the time" and not always successful. A very true adaption over all minus the occasional over the top campy dialogue. Charming book though and worth the read.

[Molly Lazer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with my almost-six-year-old twins, who have seen A New Hope multiple times. This is a really nice adaptation of A New Hope, with beautiful art made even better by Chris Sotomayor, one of the best colorists in the business. What I found most interesting about this adaptation is that it was made concurrently with the film, meaning it reflects the original script and designs, rather than what actually made it to the screen. So the inclusion of the original Jabba the Hut and a lot more with my new "best name award winner," Biggs Darklighter, made for a read that paralleled the film but added to it as well. It would have been a lot of fun to read this back in the 70s as it came out.