Star Wars at Marvel (1977-1987): Reviews by Confessor
Jun 20, 2016 13:10:16 GMT -5
shaxper, dbutler69, and 3 more like this
Post by Confessor on Jun 20, 2016 13:10:16 GMT -5
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #2
Cover dated: November 1983
Issue title: The Emperor Commands!
Script: Archie Goodwin
Artwork: Al Williamson (pencils & inks)/Carlos Garzon (pencils & inks)/Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks – uncredited)/Rick Bryant (pencils & inks - uncredited)
Colours: Christie Scheele, Bob Sharen
Letters: Ed King
Cover art: Bill Sienkiewicz
Overall rating: 10 out of 10
Plot summary: Having incurred the wrath of the gangster Jabba the Hutt, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca are taken to the Dune Sea in a hovering skiff to be fed to the Sarlacc – a tentacled maw, with razor-sharp teeth. With help from R2-D2 and a disguised Lando Calrissian, Luke launches an escape attempt, as a deadly laser blast from Jabba's nearby Sail Barge rocks the skiff, sending Lando tumbling towards the Sarlacc. Luckily, he manages to grab a dangling cable on the underside of the craft to temporarily save himself. Meanwhile, on board the Sail Barge, Princess Leia takes advantage of the sudden confusion and kills Jabba by strangling him with the chain she is tethered to him by.
Using the Force, Luke leaps onto the deck of the Sail Barge, hewing down Jabba's men, as the bounty hunter Boba Fett joins the fray on board the skiff. Han attacks Fett, accidentally igniting his jetpack and sending the bounty hunter careening into the Sarlacc's hungry mouth. Back on board the Sail Barge, a well-aimed blaster shot damages Luke's cybernetic right hand, as Leia gains control of the barge's deck gun and, at Luke's urging, turns it on the Sail Barge itself. Han and Chewbacca form a human chain on the skiff to reach down and rescue the dangling Calrissian and the Rebels escape into the desert, as Jabba's barge explodes behind them. As they leave Tatooine, Luke turns his X-wing fighter towards the planet Dagobah, promising to join his friends later.
Elsewhere, on the partially completed Death Star, Emperor Palpatine arrives to personally oversee the final stages of the battle station's construction. Sensing that Darth Vader wishes to continue his search for Luke, the Emperor assures the Dark Lord that, in time, Skywalker will seek him out and when he does, they will turn Luke to the dark side of the Force together. Palpatine also commands that the Imperial fleet be sent to the far side of the nearby planet Endor, where it will wait to take part in the final destruction of the Rebel Alliance.
Meanwhile, having arrived back on Dagobah to complete his Jedi training, Luke finds that Yoda has fallen ill. The ancient Jedi Master tells Skywalker that he must face Vader once again, prompting Luke to ask if Vader is indeed his father, as the Dark Lord has claimed. Yoda confesses that this is so, confirming Luke's worst fears.
Leaving Yoda to rest, Luke wanders back to his X-wing, as a ghostly vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi appears. Kenobi explains that Vader was originally named Anakin Skywalker and that, due to his failure as a teacher, the Emperor was able to lure Anakin to the dark side. Luke tells Obi-Wan that he has sensed some good still remaining inside of Vader, but Kenobi disagrees, stating that he is more machine than man and that no part of Anakin's goodness remains. Kenobi also reveals to a stunned Luke that Leia is in fact his twin sister and that they were separated at birth, with Leia being raised by the royal family of Alderaan, while he grew up on Tatooine.
Comments: This second chapter of the comic book adaptation of Return of the Jedi is probably the best, given that there's plenty of exciting action, some absolutely jaw-dropping revelations, and the first appearance in the Marvel comics of the long-talked-about, but never-before-seen Emporer. In addition, this chapter probably has the best artwork, with artists Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon still very much on top of their game at this point and not yet having been overwhelmed by their workload or a looming deadline, as they were in following instalments.
As ever with Williamson, the artwork here is simply gorgeous. You get that signature bold use of shadow, the authentically lived-in aesthetic, and plenty of dynamic movement in the art – especially in the action sequences showing Luke taking on Jabba's men on board the Sail Barge. In fact, the scenes with Luke battling Jabba's men are arguably more kinetic under Williamson's hand than they were in the film. In particular, this three-panel sequence, which also includes my favourite panel of the issue (see below), is absolutely fantastic...
Another thing about Williamson's art is that he always draws beautiful women and his Princess Leia looks every bit as good in a gold bikini as Carrie Fisher did.
Actually, while we're on the subject of Leia, writer Archie Goodwin has her take out the deck gunner on board the Sail Barge with a discarded spear, whereas in the film Luke does it with his lightsaber. Goodwin also inserts a nice little cliffhanger moment, in which, just after she's killed Jabba the Hutt, a sinister shadow falls across the princess's face as her deed is discovered. Ultimately, it turns out to be nothing more than R2-D2 arriving to free the princess from her bondage, but it's a nice additional moment of peril during the Sarlacc scene that's sadly missing from the film. On a related note, I've always felt that Jabba's death is somewhat underplayed in the comic. It's all over in two panels and seems rather anti-climactic to me. It's definitely a lot more satisfying in the movie.
Although Goodwin – courtesy of Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas's screenplay – gives us some pretty significant revelations in this issue, such as confirming that Darth Vader is Luke's farther and revealing that Leia is Luke's twin sister, Yoda's death is unfortunately absent. The scene in which the ancient Jedi Master dies is entirely skipped over: we see Yoda telling Luke, "When gone am I … last of the Jedi will you be", and then the narration explains that Skywalker "leaves Yoda to much-needed rest."
I've speculated before in this thread about why such an important scene might've been omitted and I don't believe it was due to the adaptation's shortened length (the two previous Star Wars film adaptations had been six issues long, whereas Jedi was only four). While it's certainly true that space would've been a concern, this is such an important scene that surely Williamson could've squeezed in a couple of panels dealing with it somehow? No, I think, given that Lucasfilm had instructed Williamson to not show the Wampa or the giant space slug in his adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back – so as not to spoil the surprise for cinema audiences – the reason that Yoda's death scene was omitted was due to their request, rather than because of a lack of space.
Something that this comic has in common with all the issues of this mini-series is that it features a new title splash page by an uncredited Bill Sienkiewicz, which hadn't appeared in any of the earlier versions of the adaptation (like the one published in Marvel Super Special #27, for instance). There's also another exclusive splash page in this issue of Luke battling Jabba's men by an uncredited Rick Bryant. It's a shame that this page couldn't have been drawn by Williamson because it's inserted directly into the adaptation, between two of his pages, as if it had always been there. Here's Bryant's page, in case you're interested...
It's not like it's a terrible piece of art or anything and, actually, Bryant does a reasonable job of aping Williamson's style, but unfortunately it adds nothing to the overall narrative and the sudden change in artist is both noticeable and jarring. Bryant would also contribute new, in-story splash pages like this to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #3 and #4. As for why these were needed, I can only guess that it was in order to provide a unique selling point for the mini-series to those who had already bought one of the earlier editions of the adaptation. There are also three pin-up posters by Bryant at the back of this issue, along with one by Paul Becton and Marie Severin.
All in all, this is a cracking comic. It's very faithful to the movie that it adapts and, on occasion, it even scores over the film in one or two tiny respects. Yes, I could've done without the Rick Bryant splash page that is clumsily inserted into the narrative and, yes, the absence of Yoda's death scene is a regrettable omission, but the beauty, emotion and sheer zip of Williamson's artwork, along with the thrilling momentum of this portion of story make for a gripping read. As such, I've no choice but to award this comic top marks, despite the criticisms I have.
Continuity issues:
Favourite panel:
Favourite quote: "That carbon freeze was pretty close to bein' dead. Now comin' back … well, my eyes aren't the only things seeing different, buddy." – Han Solo attempts to articulate to Luke Skywalker how his time encased in carbonite has effected his view of their friendship and his role in the Rebellion.
Cover dated: November 1983
Issue title: The Emperor Commands!
Script: Archie Goodwin
Artwork: Al Williamson (pencils & inks)/Carlos Garzon (pencils & inks)/Bill Sienkiewicz (pencils & inks – uncredited)/Rick Bryant (pencils & inks - uncredited)
Colours: Christie Scheele, Bob Sharen
Letters: Ed King
Cover art: Bill Sienkiewicz
Overall rating: 10 out of 10
Plot summary: Having incurred the wrath of the gangster Jabba the Hutt, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca are taken to the Dune Sea in a hovering skiff to be fed to the Sarlacc – a tentacled maw, with razor-sharp teeth. With help from R2-D2 and a disguised Lando Calrissian, Luke launches an escape attempt, as a deadly laser blast from Jabba's nearby Sail Barge rocks the skiff, sending Lando tumbling towards the Sarlacc. Luckily, he manages to grab a dangling cable on the underside of the craft to temporarily save himself. Meanwhile, on board the Sail Barge, Princess Leia takes advantage of the sudden confusion and kills Jabba by strangling him with the chain she is tethered to him by.
Using the Force, Luke leaps onto the deck of the Sail Barge, hewing down Jabba's men, as the bounty hunter Boba Fett joins the fray on board the skiff. Han attacks Fett, accidentally igniting his jetpack and sending the bounty hunter careening into the Sarlacc's hungry mouth. Back on board the Sail Barge, a well-aimed blaster shot damages Luke's cybernetic right hand, as Leia gains control of the barge's deck gun and, at Luke's urging, turns it on the Sail Barge itself. Han and Chewbacca form a human chain on the skiff to reach down and rescue the dangling Calrissian and the Rebels escape into the desert, as Jabba's barge explodes behind them. As they leave Tatooine, Luke turns his X-wing fighter towards the planet Dagobah, promising to join his friends later.
Elsewhere, on the partially completed Death Star, Emperor Palpatine arrives to personally oversee the final stages of the battle station's construction. Sensing that Darth Vader wishes to continue his search for Luke, the Emperor assures the Dark Lord that, in time, Skywalker will seek him out and when he does, they will turn Luke to the dark side of the Force together. Palpatine also commands that the Imperial fleet be sent to the far side of the nearby planet Endor, where it will wait to take part in the final destruction of the Rebel Alliance.
Meanwhile, having arrived back on Dagobah to complete his Jedi training, Luke finds that Yoda has fallen ill. The ancient Jedi Master tells Skywalker that he must face Vader once again, prompting Luke to ask if Vader is indeed his father, as the Dark Lord has claimed. Yoda confesses that this is so, confirming Luke's worst fears.
Leaving Yoda to rest, Luke wanders back to his X-wing, as a ghostly vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi appears. Kenobi explains that Vader was originally named Anakin Skywalker and that, due to his failure as a teacher, the Emperor was able to lure Anakin to the dark side. Luke tells Obi-Wan that he has sensed some good still remaining inside of Vader, but Kenobi disagrees, stating that he is more machine than man and that no part of Anakin's goodness remains. Kenobi also reveals to a stunned Luke that Leia is in fact his twin sister and that they were separated at birth, with Leia being raised by the royal family of Alderaan, while he grew up on Tatooine.
Comments: This second chapter of the comic book adaptation of Return of the Jedi is probably the best, given that there's plenty of exciting action, some absolutely jaw-dropping revelations, and the first appearance in the Marvel comics of the long-talked-about, but never-before-seen Emporer. In addition, this chapter probably has the best artwork, with artists Al Williamson and Carlos Garzon still very much on top of their game at this point and not yet having been overwhelmed by their workload or a looming deadline, as they were in following instalments.
As ever with Williamson, the artwork here is simply gorgeous. You get that signature bold use of shadow, the authentically lived-in aesthetic, and plenty of dynamic movement in the art – especially in the action sequences showing Luke taking on Jabba's men on board the Sail Barge. In fact, the scenes with Luke battling Jabba's men are arguably more kinetic under Williamson's hand than they were in the film. In particular, this three-panel sequence, which also includes my favourite panel of the issue (see below), is absolutely fantastic...
Another thing about Williamson's art is that he always draws beautiful women and his Princess Leia looks every bit as good in a gold bikini as Carrie Fisher did.
Actually, while we're on the subject of Leia, writer Archie Goodwin has her take out the deck gunner on board the Sail Barge with a discarded spear, whereas in the film Luke does it with his lightsaber. Goodwin also inserts a nice little cliffhanger moment, in which, just after she's killed Jabba the Hutt, a sinister shadow falls across the princess's face as her deed is discovered. Ultimately, it turns out to be nothing more than R2-D2 arriving to free the princess from her bondage, but it's a nice additional moment of peril during the Sarlacc scene that's sadly missing from the film. On a related note, I've always felt that Jabba's death is somewhat underplayed in the comic. It's all over in two panels and seems rather anti-climactic to me. It's definitely a lot more satisfying in the movie.
Although Goodwin – courtesy of Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas's screenplay – gives us some pretty significant revelations in this issue, such as confirming that Darth Vader is Luke's farther and revealing that Leia is Luke's twin sister, Yoda's death is unfortunately absent. The scene in which the ancient Jedi Master dies is entirely skipped over: we see Yoda telling Luke, "When gone am I … last of the Jedi will you be", and then the narration explains that Skywalker "leaves Yoda to much-needed rest."
I've speculated before in this thread about why such an important scene might've been omitted and I don't believe it was due to the adaptation's shortened length (the two previous Star Wars film adaptations had been six issues long, whereas Jedi was only four). While it's certainly true that space would've been a concern, this is such an important scene that surely Williamson could've squeezed in a couple of panels dealing with it somehow? No, I think, given that Lucasfilm had instructed Williamson to not show the Wampa or the giant space slug in his adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back – so as not to spoil the surprise for cinema audiences – the reason that Yoda's death scene was omitted was due to their request, rather than because of a lack of space.
Something that this comic has in common with all the issues of this mini-series is that it features a new title splash page by an uncredited Bill Sienkiewicz, which hadn't appeared in any of the earlier versions of the adaptation (like the one published in Marvel Super Special #27, for instance). There's also another exclusive splash page in this issue of Luke battling Jabba's men by an uncredited Rick Bryant. It's a shame that this page couldn't have been drawn by Williamson because it's inserted directly into the adaptation, between two of his pages, as if it had always been there. Here's Bryant's page, in case you're interested...
It's not like it's a terrible piece of art or anything and, actually, Bryant does a reasonable job of aping Williamson's style, but unfortunately it adds nothing to the overall narrative and the sudden change in artist is both noticeable and jarring. Bryant would also contribute new, in-story splash pages like this to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi #3 and #4. As for why these were needed, I can only guess that it was in order to provide a unique selling point for the mini-series to those who had already bought one of the earlier editions of the adaptation. There are also three pin-up posters by Bryant at the back of this issue, along with one by Paul Becton and Marie Severin.
All in all, this is a cracking comic. It's very faithful to the movie that it adapts and, on occasion, it even scores over the film in one or two tiny respects. Yes, I could've done without the Rick Bryant splash page that is clumsily inserted into the narrative and, yes, the absence of Yoda's death scene is a regrettable omission, but the beauty, emotion and sheer zip of Williamson's artwork, along with the thrilling momentum of this portion of story make for a gripping read. As such, I've no choice but to award this comic top marks, despite the criticisms I have.
Continuity issues:
- It's Princess Leia who defeats the deck gunner on board Jabba's Sail Barge here and not Luke Skywalker, as it is in the movie.
Favourite panel:
Favourite quote: "That carbon freeze was pretty close to bein' dead. Now comin' back … well, my eyes aren't the only things seeing different, buddy." – Han Solo attempts to articulate to Luke Skywalker how his time encased in carbonite has effected his view of their friendship and his role in the Rebellion.
