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Star Wars Legends Epic Collection #30
Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Original Marvel Years Vol. 2
Collects Star Wars (1977) #24-38, Annual #1, Star Wars Weekly (UK) #94-99, #104-115. Marvel's original exploration of the Star Wars galaxy continues - and all your favorites are along for the ride! Luke and Leia are trapped in a siege at Yavin! Obi-Wan Kenobi fights alone! Cyborgs clash when Darth Vader takes on bounty hunter Beilert Valance! And Han and Chewie answer the question, "Whatever happened to Jabba?" Lightsabers clash, there's thunder in the stars, and a red queen rises as the Dark Lord of the Sith finally discovers the identity of the young Jedi who destroyed the Death Star! Prepare for a Skywalker showdown setting the stage for The Empire Strikes Back! rarely seen tales from the United Kingdom!
447 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 12, 2017
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116 people want to read
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Jo Duffy
494 books9 followersAlso published under the name Mary Jo Duffy and/or Mary-Jo Duffy.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 17, 2019
I grew up on old-school comics, and I'm a longtime fan of Star Wars, so, this was right up my alley. The comics started off great; beautifully illustrated, and with fun plots. Unfortunately, the further I went on, the more the quality declined. I hope the next installment of the original Marvel issues is better than this.
December 7, 2019
More classic Marvel Star Wars!
More wonky sketches of TIE fighters that look more like overweight bumblebees than dreaded Imperial starfighters!
More depictions of the love triangle between Luke, Leia and Han (I've no idea how that will turn out, but my money's on the farmboy hero winning the heart of the senator-princess—I really don't think she likes scoundrels).
More Imperial cruisers chasing the Millennium Falcon before it goes to warp!
This collection starts off with Melania Trump in 1977 Princess Leia cosplay telling a story about Obi-Wan Kenobi:
A story where Obi-Wan looks like a cross between Jor-El and Silver-Age Nick Fury killing a guy with a lightsabre 'VORP!' to the chest:
Then, most of the rest of the book is the story of our plucky "Star Warriors" evading the machinations of the evil House of Tagge, an highly influential Imperial family who are vying for influence with Sith Lord Darth Vader.
To be fair, the entire book is exactly what you would expect classic Marvel Star Wars to be like, especially seeing as virtually all of these stories were published before The Empire Strikes Back was released. They are weird-looking, tonally dissonant with the rest of the Star Wars universe, and they feel as if they were churned out with the absolute minimum of attention to originality of plot or character. (Seriously, there is an actual retelling of The Forbidden Planet, although stripped of any deep thematic elements.)
Still, I can't hate it. It is bizarre. It feels off. It even has another planet-sized laser gun. But it is campy fun. And as such, I will recommend it to the hardcore Star Wars fan who has built up a tolerance for 1970s American comic books.
More wonky sketches of TIE fighters that look more like overweight bumblebees than dreaded Imperial starfighters!
More depictions of the love triangle between Luke, Leia and Han (I've no idea how that will turn out, but my money's on the farmboy hero winning the heart of the senator-princess—I really don't think she likes scoundrels).
More Imperial cruisers chasing the Millennium Falcon before it goes to warp!
This collection starts off with Melania Trump in 1977 Princess Leia cosplay telling a story about Obi-Wan Kenobi:
A story where Obi-Wan looks like a cross between Jor-El and Silver-Age Nick Fury killing a guy with a lightsabre 'VORP!' to the chest:
Then, most of the rest of the book is the story of our plucky "Star Warriors" evading the machinations of the evil House of Tagge, an highly influential Imperial family who are vying for influence with Sith Lord Darth Vader.
To be fair, the entire book is exactly what you would expect classic Marvel Star Wars to be like, especially seeing as virtually all of these stories were published before The Empire Strikes Back was released. They are weird-looking, tonally dissonant with the rest of the Star Wars universe, and they feel as if they were churned out with the absolute minimum of attention to originality of plot or character. (Seriously, there is an actual retelling of The Forbidden Planet, although stripped of any deep thematic elements.)
Still, I can't hate it. It is bizarre. It feels off. It even has another planet-sized laser gun. But it is campy fun. And as such, I will recommend it to the hardcore Star Wars fan who has built up a tolerance for 1970s American comic books.
August 16, 2019
This second volume of Marvel's original Star Wars comics collects Issues 24-38 and Annual #1 and continues the great track record of providing the sort of space opera adventures that I'd imagine happening in between films. They capture the full flavor and Spirit of a New Hope.
There are some really great things about these issues. We get to see our heroes split up which allows them more time to shine. Leia gets an adventure to herself which shows that while she can do the action stuff with the guys but there's an entirely different dimension to her character. Luke earns a rival in a Baron who's trying to displace Vader in the Emperor's pleasure, while Vader himself moves in the background to find out who blew up the Death Star and lay a trap for him. A little Vader in this book goes a long way. We also get to see a beautiful conclusion to the plot arc for Valance the Bounty Hunter which began in the previous volume and ends with a confrontation with Vader.
Some of the best parts of this collection are the reprints from Star Wars Weekly that constitute six additional stories which couldn't be published as U.S. Comics so were serialized overseas. The first three stories included learning how Hans ended up indeted to Jabba the Hut and the story of how Leia learned how to use a blaster so well in coming from a planet without weapons. Among those three was the best story in the book, "The Day After the Death Star" in which a cocky Luke goes on a victory joyride after destroying the Death Star only to have the fact that he's in the middle of war brought to him in an all-too real way.
The only issues that were a it off was Issue 24 (which features a clumsy frame to set up a story about Obi-Wan) and Issue #38, a story that reads as pure filler. It features a guest artist who doesn't do a great job drawing the Star Wars characters and the story itself isn't bad but feels a bit generic for Star Wars.
Beyond that most of the book is pretty darn good Space Opera set right before Return of the Jedi.
There are some really great things about these issues. We get to see our heroes split up which allows them more time to shine. Leia gets an adventure to herself which shows that while she can do the action stuff with the guys but there's an entirely different dimension to her character. Luke earns a rival in a Baron who's trying to displace Vader in the Emperor's pleasure, while Vader himself moves in the background to find out who blew up the Death Star and lay a trap for him. A little Vader in this book goes a long way. We also get to see a beautiful conclusion to the plot arc for Valance the Bounty Hunter which began in the previous volume and ends with a confrontation with Vader.
Some of the best parts of this collection are the reprints from Star Wars Weekly that constitute six additional stories which couldn't be published as U.S. Comics so were serialized overseas. The first three stories included learning how Hans ended up indeted to Jabba the Hut and the story of how Leia learned how to use a blaster so well in coming from a planet without weapons. Among those three was the best story in the book, "The Day After the Death Star" in which a cocky Luke goes on a victory joyride after destroying the Death Star only to have the fact that he's in the middle of war brought to him in an all-too real way.
The only issues that were a it off was Issue 24 (which features a clumsy frame to set up a story about Obi-Wan) and Issue #38, a story that reads as pure filler. It features a guest artist who doesn't do a great job drawing the Star Wars characters and the story itself isn't bad but feels a bit generic for Star Wars.
Beyond that most of the book is pretty darn good Space Opera set right before Return of the Jedi.
August 5, 2025
“Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Original Marvel Years Vol. 2” is a pure nostalgic joyride for any Star Wars fan, especially those who appreciate the wild, imaginative energy of the classic Marvel era. This volume continues the post-A New Hope adventures with flair, creativity, and that unmistakable late-70s/early-80s comic book charm.
The stories are bold and fast-paced, often veering into unexpected directions—space pirates, alien gladiators, bizarre new worlds—yet always anchored by the familiar presence of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, and the droids. It’s fascinating to see how the writers and artists of the time expanded the universe before The Empire Strikes Back had even hit theaters.
The artwork is vibrant, sometimes a little campy, but full of life and kinetic energy. The tone blends action, humor, and drama in that classic Marvel fashion, and while some storylines may feel dated, they're all part of the collection’s undeniable charm.
For longtime fans and collectors, this volume is a must. For newcomers, it’s a great window into how the Star Wars universe was imagined during its formative years in pop culture. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to explore Star Wars history beyond the films—with a good dose of vintage comic flair.
The stories are bold and fast-paced, often veering into unexpected directions—space pirates, alien gladiators, bizarre new worlds—yet always anchored by the familiar presence of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, and the droids. It’s fascinating to see how the writers and artists of the time expanded the universe before The Empire Strikes Back had even hit theaters.
The artwork is vibrant, sometimes a little campy, but full of life and kinetic energy. The tone blends action, humor, and drama in that classic Marvel fashion, and while some storylines may feel dated, they're all part of the collection’s undeniable charm.
For longtime fans and collectors, this volume is a must. For newcomers, it’s a great window into how the Star Wars universe was imagined during its formative years in pop culture. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to explore Star Wars history beyond the films—with a good dose of vintage comic flair.
December 9, 2025
What a pop culture historical treasure this is! Collecting Star Wars comics from 1979 and 1980 we get issues 24-38 plus Annual 1 and the Star Wars strips in black and white from the UK Star Wars Weekly, issues 94-99 & 104-115.
Archie Goodwin writes the majority of the stories here and does a good job of bringing us the characters we know from A New Hope in new adventures. Not the easiest of tasks as this is the period before The Empire Strikes Back so he only had one movie to work from.
Cleverly, he doesn't overuse Darth Vader, bringing in other villains such as Baron Tagge to pit our rebel heroes against.
Other writers include Chris Claremont (from X-Men fame) who comes up with good storylines, and Mary Jo Duffy and Michael Golden.
The main artist is Carmine Infantino who brings the dynamic angular movement to the storytelling while sacrificing the likenesses of the characters from the actors.
Other artists provide more detailed art and recognisable faces in some issues. It's all a matter of personal taste.
A great collection of tales with highlights including a cyborg battle between Vader and bounty hunter Beilert Valance and a story where Vader finds out the name of the young Jedi that destroyed the Death Star.
All is ready for the Empire to make its move.
✨✨✨✨4 stars
Archie Goodwin writes the majority of the stories here and does a good job of bringing us the characters we know from A New Hope in new adventures. Not the easiest of tasks as this is the period before The Empire Strikes Back so he only had one movie to work from.
Cleverly, he doesn't overuse Darth Vader, bringing in other villains such as Baron Tagge to pit our rebel heroes against.
Other writers include Chris Claremont (from X-Men fame) who comes up with good storylines, and Mary Jo Duffy and Michael Golden.
The main artist is Carmine Infantino who brings the dynamic angular movement to the storytelling while sacrificing the likenesses of the characters from the actors.
Other artists provide more detailed art and recognisable faces in some issues. It's all a matter of personal taste.
A great collection of tales with highlights including a cyborg battle between Vader and bounty hunter Beilert Valance and a story where Vader finds out the name of the young Jedi that destroyed the Death Star.
All is ready for the Empire to make its move.
✨✨✨✨4 stars
May 28, 2019
Again, some things about the early Marvel run wouldn't quite fit, such as how Jabba looks. And there's a story where it's implied that Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Vader were three different Jedi who helped a group of people. These things would later be retconned in Legends, and your mileage may vary as to whether these were effective retcons. But there's still some great fun stuff in this collection. Luke sees a couple of old friends again on a return to Tatooine. And he has an cool lightsaber fight in the dark against Baron Tagge. Valance became an interesting character, and we even get to see him face Vader. And pretty much any of the Vader scenes really feel like the character. The Star Wars Weekly stories, though black-and-white, are well illustrated. One of them, "The Day After the Death Star," is very poignant in that it reminds Luke and the readers that there are faces beneath the masks of the Imperials. It also feels a bit like the cave scene on Dagobah that audiences were a few months away from seeing. It's kinda weird knowing that the first 38 issues span a couple of months in-universe before jumping ahead three years, but these adventures are worth reading.
March 26, 2025
Sometimes my thoughts feel a little redundant. This really is more of the same from volume 1 only with a touch more consistency as Goodwin and Infantino have really gotten into a groove with the kinds of stories they want to tell and how to tell them. On a bad day it's just not groundbreaking enough, on a good day it's the Star Wars you dreamed about as a kid. I try to read on good days.
As before it's the UK weeklies that provide the stories with the better pacing though the monthly comic has the bigger villains and a showdown or two with Vader. I find this version of Star Wars endlessly interesting though; this is the last comic I get before Empire Strikes Back releases and the vision of the thing is more strongly cemented. Here there's s till a sense that anything can happen and anything could be ushered into the universe - it isn't, but it could and it's just fun to see what adventures and ideas the first generation of people to see Star Wars dreamed up about it. I do wish they were a little more daring at times, but then comics at the time were only just inventing longform narratives, so perhaps they actually were.
Anyway, I love it.
As before it's the UK weeklies that provide the stories with the better pacing though the monthly comic has the bigger villains and a showdown or two with Vader. I find this version of Star Wars endlessly interesting though; this is the last comic I get before Empire Strikes Back releases and the vision of the thing is more strongly cemented. Here there's s till a sense that anything can happen and anything could be ushered into the universe - it isn't, but it could and it's just fun to see what adventures and ideas the first generation of people to see Star Wars dreamed up about it. I do wish they were a little more daring at times, but then comics at the time were only just inventing longform narratives, so perhaps they actually were.
Anyway, I love it.
November 30, 2020
Greatly enjoying the classic Marvel run for Star Wars, but weirdly I think the highlight for me in the second volume was a simple act of courage from Threepio, something not a lot of writers give him the chance to be. When it comes down to it, though, this prissy protocol droid's self-preservation protocols don't stack up to his concern for his friends. It's always nice to see redeeming qualities in characters otherwise designated to comic relief.
Valance's showdown with Vader is set up well and strikingly poignant, even if the dark lord's goal was deterred only for a short time. The stand was still worth making.
Valance's showdown with Vader is set up well and strikingly poignant, even if the dark lord's goal was deterred only for a short time. The stand was still worth making.
January 21, 2025
Sadly most of the comics in this collection failed to grab me. I understand that this era of comics was completely different in its creative processes and goals than what modern comics are like, but I just can't help but think that comic writing has vastly improved since the 70s and 80s. Seeing Valance and the Tagges in this was cool, as I am a fan of them in the new comics, but they were sadly only present for a couple of issues.
I think a lot of the stories in here would benefit from being more fleshed out, preferably with 2-3 more issues per story arc, rather than having whole stories play out quickly in 1-3 issues.
I think a lot of the stories in here would benefit from being more fleshed out, preferably with 2-3 more issues per story arc, rather than having whole stories play out quickly in 1-3 issues.
March 24, 2024
Only for the hardcore Star Wars Fans: 3 stars. For everybody else with an appreciation of the time period this was written in: 2 stars.
I'd hardly consider these comics of high quality, but they have a high novelty factor for hardcore fans such as myself. The stories are full of colourful characters, that unfortunately don't behave as we'd expect from the lore. Also: Deus Ex Machina's are plentiful and
I'd hardly consider these comics of high quality, but they have a high novelty factor for hardcore fans such as myself. The stories are full of colourful characters, that unfortunately don't behave as we'd expect from the lore. Also: Deus Ex Machina's are plentiful and
February 23, 2018
This is probably only for true diehard fans of the franchise, giving a little insight into what might have happened between the first two movies. There's even a non-canon look at what Jabba The Hutt could have looked like!
May 11, 2024
Some fun stuff. It all feels very cool to read because of its age and placement within Star Wars history. I especially enjoy the inclusion of Star Wars Weekly, all black and white issues that were otherwise only printed in the UK.
September 21, 2023
Bit more of a slog than volume 1, and the Star Wars Weeklies in the last third were def skimmable. Still old school fun.
October 31, 2017
This is a collection of Star Wars comics released between the original two films. Do , there is not as much source material to draw from.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews