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Classic Star Wars (1992) #8-14
Classic Star Wars: The Rebel Storm
There is no peace for the crew of the Millennium Falcon between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. Follow their adventures as they plunge head first into an underwater hunt that leads to a demonsquid, a treasonous and plotting Kraaken, the ferocious night beast, lost power gems, stranded Calamarians, and giant sea worms. Full-color throughout. Graphic novel format.
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 1995
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133 people want to read
About the author
Archie Goodwin
972 books70 followersArchie Goodwin was an American comic book writer, editor, and artist. He worked on a number of comic strips in addition to comic books, and is best known for his Warren and Marvel Comics work. For Warren he was chief writer and editor of landmark horror anthology titles Creepy and Eerie, and for Marvel he set up the creator-owned Epic Comics as well as adapting Star Wars into both comics and newspaper strips. He is regularly cited as the "best-loved comic book editor, ever."
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 3, 2020
More of the same for the most part, but Christ, fucking Skorr. Look at that guy. His sunglasses. What is going on here. There's also a fairly odd story arc here where Luke fights a reanimated Massassi defense beast and uses the Force to load it on a medium transport and launch it into space to find its masters. Wonder if that's ever gonna turn up anywhere (looking at Wookieepedia there are actually apparently a couple references in Legends). The most interesting part of this volume is maybe the time Vader hires an actor to impersonate Obi-Wan and lure Luke into his clutches (incidentally also a place where the artist's inability to depict the actors' faces is a strength). Luke is often portrayed as unmoored in this period, desperate for guidance from Ben's ghost or other Jedi, but this storyline makes him pretty aggressively thirsty, to his own detriment, which is good. Unfortunately it ends in that same trope where the hero's goodness is so bright that it wins over anyone with even a shred of goodness on the other side, not a fan of that. Also the striped poncho he wears in this is powerful, in a bad way.
The power gem storyline is mostly offensive to me because it's called a "power gem" and it's a glowing crystal they stick on the end of a rod at the front of the ship. But it's also generally indicative of the shallow narrative quality of the whole thing, which gets a bit old. No one has any personality or history or interest to their motivations, it's always either simple self-interest motivating evil or simple goodness motivating otherwise. Quite boring.
The Hoth arc is really weird. It's the same dumb shit where Luke travels to a remote corner of deep space only to once again find an attractive (white obv) girl who loves him instantly and a stern father who hates him for no reason. Except it's really blatant and aggressive this time, like Goodwin knows we've seen this before and don't need to see it again, just rushing through it to get to the new twist on the trope. Which is that this time they're droids? Except that doesn't have any meaningful impact on their motivations or behavior, or seem to change our interpretation of events in any way? Does that make it okay that Luke killed the dad? They seem so human, are we meant to have this change how we understand droids in general? Who knows!
It's weird that all the monsters look the same, long tubular worms with black splotches. The artists even color them the same shade of green. Even though they're sometimes tentacles or serpents or flying dragons etc.
The power gem storyline is mostly offensive to me because it's called a "power gem" and it's a glowing crystal they stick on the end of a rod at the front of the ship. But it's also generally indicative of the shallow narrative quality of the whole thing, which gets a bit old. No one has any personality or history or interest to their motivations, it's always either simple self-interest motivating evil or simple goodness motivating otherwise. Quite boring.
The Hoth arc is really weird. It's the same dumb shit where Luke travels to a remote corner of deep space only to once again find an attractive (white obv) girl who loves him instantly and a stern father who hates him for no reason. Except it's really blatant and aggressive this time, like Goodwin knows we've seen this before and don't need to see it again, just rushing through it to get to the new twist on the trope. Which is that this time they're droids? Except that doesn't have any meaningful impact on their motivations or behavior, or seem to change our interpretation of events in any way? Does that make it okay that Luke killed the dad? They seem so human, are we meant to have this change how we understand droids in general? Who knows!
It's weird that all the monsters look the same, long tubular worms with black splotches. The artists even color them the same shade of green. Even though they're sometimes tentacles or serpents or flying dragons etc.
January 7, 2021
Star Wars Legends Project #247
Background: The Rebel Storm, released in July 1995, collects issues #8-14 of Dark Horse's Classic Star Wars reprints (April-November 1993) of the original Star Wars newspaper strips (March 1982-April 1983). Like the previous collection, they were written by Archie Goodwin and drawn by Al Williamson. The two did many issues of other Star Wars work, most notably this run together of some years, but also Goodwin was writing for the original Marvel run of Star Wars during this time, and Williamson drew the adaptations of both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
The Rebel Storm takes place during the year following the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Darth Vader. This volume also features the first-ever appearance of Admiral Ackbar. The stories take place in various locations, including Yavin IV and Hoth.
Summary: Darth Vader has delayed the day when the Empire will crush the Rebel base on Yavin IV while he waits for his new flagship to be completed, but now the Rebels are out of time. As a desperate plan to neutralize the Executor comes together, it seems the Rebellion may have waited too long to relocate, pinning their hopes on another long-shot victory. Can a plan where so much could go wrong hope to succeed? And even if it does, what will be the cost?
Review: Maybe my judgment is a bit skewed by the relief of returning to strips by Goodwin after suffering through an entire volume of Russ Manning's atrocities, but there's still plenty to enjoy here. I like, amidst the dozens and dozens of stories I've already read from this post-Death Star victory period, finally getting some of the connective tissue that leads into the Rebellion's relocation to Hoth. I also like how, even though this is a story being told through brief snippets in a daily newspaper, Goodwin is really able to not only put out compelling arcs, but also weave those arcs together into an effective larger narrative.
He plays with a number of interesting ideas here . . . Maybe my favorite arc from that perspective was "The Return of Ben Kenobi" just because it was so different from anything else I've read. I won't spoil it for you, but suffice to say . . . Ben Kenobi hasn't actually returned, obviously. Even some of the goofier elements, like the entire "power gem" plot device, are at least written in a way that doesn't run everything off the rails, and are put to good use in building tension and giving the story a direction. I also enjoyed the story showcasing Admiral Ackbar's skills as a tactician and military leader.
Again, maybe this is something of an acquired taste . . . It's not the kind of Star Wars I'd want all the time, but it's absolutely worth checking out.
B-
Background: The Rebel Storm, released in July 1995, collects issues #8-14 of Dark Horse's Classic Star Wars reprints (April-November 1993) of the original Star Wars newspaper strips (March 1982-April 1983). Like the previous collection, they were written by Archie Goodwin and drawn by Al Williamson. The two did many issues of other Star Wars work, most notably this run together of some years, but also Goodwin was writing for the original Marvel run of Star Wars during this time, and Williamson drew the adaptations of both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
The Rebel Storm takes place during the year following the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, C-3PO, R2-D2, and Darth Vader. This volume also features the first-ever appearance of Admiral Ackbar. The stories take place in various locations, including Yavin IV and Hoth.
Summary: Darth Vader has delayed the day when the Empire will crush the Rebel base on Yavin IV while he waits for his new flagship to be completed, but now the Rebels are out of time. As a desperate plan to neutralize the Executor comes together, it seems the Rebellion may have waited too long to relocate, pinning their hopes on another long-shot victory. Can a plan where so much could go wrong hope to succeed? And even if it does, what will be the cost?
Review: Maybe my judgment is a bit skewed by the relief of returning to strips by Goodwin after suffering through an entire volume of Russ Manning's atrocities, but there's still plenty to enjoy here. I like, amidst the dozens and dozens of stories I've already read from this post-Death Star victory period, finally getting some of the connective tissue that leads into the Rebellion's relocation to Hoth. I also like how, even though this is a story being told through brief snippets in a daily newspaper, Goodwin is really able to not only put out compelling arcs, but also weave those arcs together into an effective larger narrative.
He plays with a number of interesting ideas here . . . Maybe my favorite arc from that perspective was "The Return of Ben Kenobi" just because it was so different from anything else I've read. I won't spoil it for you, but suffice to say . . . Ben Kenobi hasn't actually returned, obviously. Even some of the goofier elements, like the entire "power gem" plot device, are at least written in a way that doesn't run everything off the rails, and are put to good use in building tension and giving the story a direction. I also enjoyed the story showcasing Admiral Ackbar's skills as a tactician and military leader.
Again, maybe this is something of an acquired taste . . . It's not the kind of Star Wars I'd want all the time, but it's absolutely worth checking out.
B-
March 7, 2020
I love that KJA provides the intro to this. He really explains that all the stories DO fit together.
- Krakken is a traitor, and when his shenanigans are exposed, the trio heada back to Yavin 4.
A TIE Fighter crashes on the moon and unleashes night beasts, left by the Massassi. What bothers me most with that arc is that the tech from ages ago is essentially the same...including X-Wing-looking fighters.
- The Rebels smuggle weapons on Aridus where an actor pretending to be Obi-Wan is. The Empire has an Iron Tower there, which is destroying the locals, a species called Chubbits.
- I really hate how Leia is drawn (and colored) in part 11.
One last Power gem of Iridum is being held by Raskar. Han and Chewie risk their wellbeings by going after it.
Meanwhile, Luke and R2 escape from the Empire on their own mission and crash land on Hoth.
I think part of that arc was entirely unnecessary.
- when all are reunited, the trio seeks help from the Mon Calamari.
- Krakken is a traitor, and when his shenanigans are exposed, the trio heada back to Yavin 4.
A TIE Fighter crashes on the moon and unleashes night beasts, left by the Massassi. What bothers me most with that arc is that the tech from ages ago is essentially the same...including X-Wing-looking fighters.
- The Rebels smuggle weapons on Aridus where an actor pretending to be Obi-Wan is. The Empire has an Iron Tower there, which is destroying the locals, a species called Chubbits.
- I really hate how Leia is drawn (and colored) in part 11.
One last Power gem of Iridum is being held by Raskar. Han and Chewie risk their wellbeings by going after it.
Meanwhile, Luke and R2 escape from the Empire on their own mission and crash land on Hoth.
I think part of that arc was entirely unnecessary.
- when all are reunited, the trio seeks help from the Mon Calamari.
March 22, 2017
This is much like the first volume in terms of art and writing skill, which makes sense, because it's still the same team working on it. One thing I realized one reading this volume that I like is that Leia has a variety of outfits throughout the stories, which mirrors the movies pretty well. The stories here continue to be pretty entertaining. The Star Warriors, as the narration calls our heroes, continue their visit to a water planet and discover whether an old buddy of Han's is a traitor. There's a run-in with a monster out of the distant past of Yavin IV, a really well written and poignant encounter with an actor impersonating Ben Kenobi, and an adventure by Han to find a crystal that may help stop Vader's new Star Destroyer. Plus, these comics show how Luke discovered Hoth and how Admiral Ackbar and the other Mon Calamri joined up with the Rebel Alliance. All in all, there's some pretty fun stories here, some that touch on things from the films and many others that tell totally new tales. The pacing is great, with one story flowing into another without any time spent on reflection or things that aren't quality Star Wars action. I definitely recommend this series to Star Wars fans, and I think these comics hold up just as well as they did when originally published.
June 26, 2020
Loved the art in this volume and lots of interesting exploration of stories between Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back
December 5, 2020
Continuing where volume 1 ended, our heroes move from one adventure to the next trying to figure out how to escape from Yavin's fourth moon before the Empire crushes them.
March 8, 2012
Simply a case of "if you liked the first volume, you'll like the second". Let's not kid ourselves that this is deep stuff, or anything other than more of the same, but I had a blast reading these stories that, admittedly, sometimes lurch into the ridiculous ... but that's just part of the fun.
These stories set their own tone and avoid being slavish to Lucas' movies whilst remaining very "Star Wars" in feel. Nevertheless, I love how there are little pieces of continuity between the stories here and the movies, such as fleeing to Hoth, Vader's new Command ship and the introduction of Admiral Ackbar (still cool), it contextualises the pure pulp nicely and gives me warm fuzzy Star Wars feelings.
The stories never quite reached the peak of the first volume, for me, and I enjoyed the more ominous settings, beautiful planetary artwork, wide variety of monsters and so on perhaps a little more than some of the more ludicrous narrative devices. The fake Ben Kenobi was taking things too far, whilst Han's search for the "Power crystals" seemed a little *too* pulp and reminded me of the turgid "Splinter for the Mind's Eye" too much. The volume finishes on a particular high, though with Luke facing off against a pilot revial whom he suspects to be a fraud and a coward, just before a hugely important battle against Vader's Command ship. I can't wait to see how this one concludes.
These stories set their own tone and avoid being slavish to Lucas' movies whilst remaining very "Star Wars" in feel. Nevertheless, I love how there are little pieces of continuity between the stories here and the movies, such as fleeing to Hoth, Vader's new Command ship and the introduction of Admiral Ackbar (still cool), it contextualises the pure pulp nicely and gives me warm fuzzy Star Wars feelings.
The stories never quite reached the peak of the first volume, for me, and I enjoyed the more ominous settings, beautiful planetary artwork, wide variety of monsters and so on perhaps a little more than some of the more ludicrous narrative devices. The fake Ben Kenobi was taking things too far, whilst Han's search for the "Power crystals" seemed a little *too* pulp and reminded me of the turgid "Splinter for the Mind's Eye" too much. The volume finishes on a particular high, though with Luke facing off against a pilot revial whom he suspects to be a fraud and a coward, just before a hugely important battle against Vader's Command ship. I can't wait to see how this one concludes.
January 31, 2016
Continuing the newspaper series by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson. In this collection, the Rebellion sniffs out a traitor amongst some new allies, Han enters Chewie in a gladiator match to the death to retrieve a mystical gem, Luke faces an ancient evil lurking in the Massassi Temples on Yavin, Darth Vader christens his super star destroyer, The Executor, and the Mon Calamari join the rebellion.
The stories are excellent and I think after 2 volumes, I finally have the unique pacing down pat. But what I really love is the artwork. Not every panel of Luke, Han, and Leia look like their real life counterparts. But the renderings of droids, Lord Vader, and vehicles by the talented artist, Al Williamson is stunning! It also helps that the editorial team at Dark Horse did a museum quality job on the restoration and coloring of these strips.
I am so glad that I have volume #3. This book ends on a cliffhanger and I don' think I could wait very long to find out what happens next in what is, unfortunately, the swan song to a fantastic run of Star Wars universe tales.
The stories are excellent and I think after 2 volumes, I finally have the unique pacing down pat. But what I really love is the artwork. Not every panel of Luke, Han, and Leia look like their real life counterparts. But the renderings of droids, Lord Vader, and vehicles by the talented artist, Al Williamson is stunning! It also helps that the editorial team at Dark Horse did a museum quality job on the restoration and coloring of these strips.
I am so glad that I have volume #3. This book ends on a cliffhanger and I don' think I could wait very long to find out what happens next in what is, unfortunately, the swan song to a fantastic run of Star Wars universe tales.
April 14, 2015
The rebels try to find a new base as the Empire is heading with its new Destroyer to their current one. There's a series of stories of them going to different planets. The Hoth story, the Obi wan plot and the one with the Force creature are the most memorable. It is very much of its time. A good read.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews