Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Sept 9, 2016 5:45:01 GMT -5
I understand that Carmine Infantino may not have been the ideal SW artist due to his own "take" on the SW characters/tech, etc. However, I think that's what made his SW work interesting - he put his own "spin" on the SW universe. In fact, Infantino's Stormtroopers are my favorite artistic depiction of these characters - to the extent that I would like to see Hasbro make a comic-book two-pack with figures of these Infantino Troopers. Well, I think we're talking about an aesthetic predisposition towards or against the stylistic traits present in Infantino's work here. There is no right or wrong answer to this: it's just a matter of personal taste. For the record, I have grown to enjoy Infantino's work on Star Wars much more in recent years than I ever had done before, but I also realise that a lot of that is down to the rosy nostalgia it elicits in me now, rather than because I genuinely love his artwork. I'm certainly not an Infantino "hater" though; his storytelling was always crystal clear and with that said, I just want to counter and clarify some of the points that brutalis raised... I want to make vocal my support of the Infantino contribution to Star Wars. At this time of publishing it was common practice that you could NOT USE THE ACTOR'S FACES and therefore you had to guesstimate a general likeness which could still promote the sense of the character. I understand this and you're right for the most part (although the series did use very good likenesses of the actor's on rare occasions, such as Dave Stevens' drawing of Luke on the penultimate page of Star Wars #6). But I certainly have no beef with this particular aspect of Infantino's work on the series because none of the other artists on Star Wars gave us particularly serviceable likenesses either. However, there's a difference between something that was common practice and wilfully ignoring reference photos (which we know that Marvel had) and as a result just drawing things inaccurately. Take Chewbacca for example; it took Infantino eighteen issues of the series to draw the Wookiee correctly! Prior to issue #31, he drew Chewbacca with a largely hairless face and weirdly "Farrah Fawcett-esque" body fur, giving him the appearance of a pampered Sasquatch or an extra from Planet of the Apes. Then there's all the technology -- blasters, spaceships etc -- which were drawn badly. I mean, yes, on the surface of it, his renditions of the Millennium Falcon, X-wing fighters or Star Destroyers are easily recognisable as the crafts that they are meant to be. But the more you look, the more inaccuracies you can find. Just take a look at the X-wing fighter he drew in issue #20 -- a year into his tenure as the series' regular artist -- which has the wrong number of engines, no droid socket, and no visible cockpit canopy, among other things. I pointed this, frankly, terrible depiction of an X-wing out in my review of Star Wars #20, which you can read here... classiccomics.boards.net/thread/1039/star-wars-marvel-reviews-confessor?page=20&scrollTo=68723Given that Infantino was the regular artist on the officially licensed Star Wars comic, with abundant reference materials available to him, there really is no excuse for this. Infantino putting his own stylised "take" on SW is one thing, but I think that these kinds of examples I've outlined boarder on the deliberately slap-dash. It was evident Chaykin was rushing and sloppy and the inker's were doing much of the work in finishing the adaptation. The next storyline it was Tony DeZuniga who carried the inking which really did not suit or fit the Star Wars universe. Finally with Infantino Marvel had an artist capable of giving them solid pencil work that looked futuristic and felt closer to the Star Wars movie than anything coming before. We can definitely both agree that Chaykin's work was rushed and sloppy. The inking of Steve Leialoha and others really sharpened his pencils up in the first movie adaptation. DeZuniga only inked the first Pizzazz strip, not the immediately post- A New Hope issues of the regular SW comic. That was mostly Tom Palmer, whose style fits right in with SW in my opinion. I disagree that Infantino's artwork was "closer to the Star Wars movie than anything coming before", as I'm sure you might expect. I think Chaykin and the variety of different inkers working with him on issues #2 – #10 made for much more authentically Star Wars-y art. But that's obviously just an opinion...and I realise that it's one you don't share. Infantino provided action packed science fiction/fantasy that looked good. Marvel had a veteran willing to work on a low paying job which required referencing lots of photo work so the comic would look like the movie while not being the movie. Infantino provided stability and his art was an interpretation of a visual world only defined in a 2 hour movie. I do agree with a lot of this actually. As noted above, I'm not an Infantino "hater" at all. While I don't believe that he was necessarily the best fit for SW, I appreciate his effortlessly slick storytelling and his masterful pacing. He was, without doubt, one of the comic book greats, but his work has never been my favourite on the series. It's not my least favourite either though -- that "honour" is bestowed on Cynthia Martin later in the run. Something else to note about Infantino's art on Star Wars is that by late 1979 at least (possibly a fair bit earlier), writer Archie Goodwin was providing very rough sketches of every panel in the book for Infantino to follow. These were very crude sketches -- likely just stick-figures -- rather than proper breakdowns or layouts, but it does mean that some of the "staging", panel composition and pacing was being guided by Goodwin, rather than being solely Infantino's work. It is during this run of his art combined with Goodwin's stories that the series managed to not only stay alive but yet grow so that the series continued until Empire Strikes Back came out. Without Infantino as the stabilizing monthly artist it is quite possible that the comic could have been dropped before Empire came out as most licensed properties are lucky to last 1 or 2 years at most due to their diminishing revenue back to the publisher. Though I have no absolute proof, I think pretty much the opposite is true. I think that Infantino's angular and highly stylised artwork actually did irreparable damage to the series in terms of sales. Let me explain... If you look at records of what Marvel's Star Wars comic was selling in the U.S. throughout its run (which I have, using online resources), you'll see that sales of the series peaked in 1978 and 1979. From there, it was a steady decline throughout the rest of the run. This is surprising because interest in SW among consumers continued to grow through the ESB and reached fever pitch in 1983, with the release of ROTJ. The SW comic, however, peaked early and then fell in sales. If you then read the letters pages throughout the inter-ESB/ROTJ era, you'll find plenty of examples of fans writing in to say that they had tried the series earlier on, but were put off by the artwork, and had only just come back on board...usually stating that they were drawn in by Walt Simonson or Ron Frenz's more faithful looking artwork. Although it's only speculation on my part, this suggests to me that a lot of potential readers picked up the book in 1978 and 1979, but were put off by Infantino's art and most of those readers never returned. Like I say, I can't prove that, but that's my theory. I never made the connection between Infantino's consistent work on the series & the series continuing up to & well beyond the ESB adaptation. However, you're absolutely right that most of Marvel's licensed series from the '70's & '80's never lasted nearly as long as SW. I.e., Marvel's Battlestar Galctica, Logan's Run, Godzilla, and Star Trek didn't have extended runs at all. As noted above, my theory is that Infantino actually drove away fans and that it was the huge fan mania surrounding Star Wars (which was much, much bigger than the likes of Battlestar Galctica, Logan's Run or Godzilla) that enabled it to survive for so many years. |
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Post by brutalis on Sept 9, 2016 7:43:13 GMT -5
All you state is true Confessor. It may be the rose colored glasses of remembrance i wear are a bit scratched and dull from time having passed. I must have been of the few and not the many who truly enjoyed Infantino's art on Star Wars. While he wasn't prone to truly following the guides and doing his own stylized interpretations of Star Wars vehicles and characters that is what was interesting to me as a teen artist myself it looked to me as what somebody would be drawing from memory and as long as the "feeling or sense" of Star Wars was there i felt happy. Also it may be my appreciation of Infantino art in general with his sleek and futuristic styling. Who knows?
I also think there being less access to Star Wars then in the pre-internet days allowed more imagination and fun. While i do like the photo realistic art styles at time i hate now how that has taken over making the art look almost static or drawing over an already existing picture.
Lucas original vision of Star Wars was fast fun eclectic excitement drawing from many sources and to me those Infantino issues captured that sense far more readily than you think it did for you. As you say, it is all a matter of a person's taste. But we can all agree that there was something in Star Wars itself that drew us to it and has never let go!
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Post by rom on Sept 9, 2016 8:36:44 GMT -5
Yes, you're definitely right about the fan mania surrounding Star Wars - it was obviously a much huger property than any other franchise that was around during that time (or before or since then, for that matter). So, it's very possible that no matter which artist drew the Marvel series it would have still have done well - or, at least done well enough to not get cancelled.
It's also worth noting that these Marvel comics were pretty much the only new SW material that was coming out between ANH & ESB. I.e., back in the late '70's if you wanted to read new SW stories, these were basically it...other than Splinter of the Mind's Eye (1978), which was also great (I also think one of the Brian Daley Han Solo novels came out in the late '70's as well). So, I can understand that fans of the films would have grabbed up the comic - no matter who drew this. I myself was a young elementary-school age kid then & didn't even have access to these comics most of the time, but I do remember trying to collect as many as I could.
Re: Infantino's art, I still attest that it was far superior to the other artists that had worked on the Marvel SW series up to that point. That being said, I do prefer most of the later post-ESB artists, especially Walt Simonson. My all-time favorite comic book artist - the late Gene Day (most associated with MOKF) - also drew/inked?! 1-2 issues of this series (between ESB & ROTJ).
On a related note, I was always amused by the "continuity" in the comics between ESB & ROTJ - even at the time. I.e., at the end of the ESB film, Luke & Lando told each other that they would meet on the rendevouz point on "Tattoine" - in order to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt. This was obviously carried over into the beginning of ROTJ.
However, in the comics set between ESB & ROTJ Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewie were going all over the galaxy looking for Han, despite the fact that they presumably knew where he was the entire time?! Sure, I understand that Marvel had to make the stories interesting in those three years - however, it still makes for some poor continuity.
The 1996 multi-media novel/comic/video game Shadows of the Empire (also set between ESB & ROTJ) made a lot more sense re: this continuity.
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Sept 9, 2016 12:11:24 GMT -5
All you state is true Confessor. It may be the rose colored glasses of remembrance i wear are a bit scratched and dull from time having passed. I must have been of the few and not the many who truly enjoyed Infantino's art on Star Wars. While he wasn't prone to truly following the guides and doing his own stylized interpretations of Star Wars vehicles and characters that is what was interesting to me as a teen artist myself it looked to me as what somebody would be drawing from memory and as long as the "feeling or sense" of Star Wars was there i felt happy. Also it may be my appreciation of Infantino art in general with his sleek and futuristic styling. Who knows? Oh, I totally understand the nostalgic appeal of Infantino's work. I was never that big of a fan and even I experience it when looking at his art these days.  As I say, I like Infantino's artwork fine, in and of itself. In fact, I think it worked very well on the handful of issues of Marvel's John Carter: Warlord of Mars that he drew around this time. It's also worth noting that these Marvel comics were pretty much the only new SW material that was coming out between ANH & ESB. I.e., back in the late '70's if you wanted to read new SW stories, these were basically it...other than Splinter of the Mind's Eye (1978), which was also great (I also think one of the Brian Daley Han Solo novels came out in the late '70's as well). So, I can understand that fans of the films would have grabbed up the comic - no matter who drew this. I myself was a young elementary-school age kid then & didn't even have access to these comics most of the time, but I do remember trying to collect as many as I could. You're absolutely right about the comic pretty much being "it", in terms of a monthly (or weekly if you were in the UK) fix of Star Wars back in those days. You guys in the U.S. had the newspaper strip as well, but we never had the Russ Manning era stuff over here in the UK and the Archie Goodwin/Al Williamson strips only began to be published for a year or so in about 1984. On a related note, I was always amused by the "continuity" in the comics between ESB & ROTJ - even at the time. I.e., at the end of the ESB film, Luke & Lando told each other that they would meet on the rendevouz point on "Tattoine" - in order to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt. This was obviously carried over into the beginning of ROTJ. However, in the comics set between ESB & ROTJ Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewie were going all over the galaxy looking for Han, despite the fact that they presumably knew where he was the entire time?! Sure, I understand that Marvel had to make the stories interesting in those three years - however, it still makes for some poor continuity. I've actually already addressed this aspect of the Marvel series, in my review of Star Wars #68 "The Search Begins", but I guess that you maybe haven't seen it (it is a long thread, after all). Here's what I wrote about that very continuity glitch (which actually isn't  )... The Search for Han Solo:The first thing I probably need to address is why there's any need for the Rebels to search for Han Solo in the first place. After all, we know that Boba Fett captured Solo in The Empire Strikes Back in order to take him back to the gangster Jabba the Hutt, who lives on the planet Tatooine. So why aren't the Rebels just heading directly for Tatooine? Well, at the end of Empire, Lando says to Luke and Leia, "When we find Jabba the Hutt and that bounty hunter, we'll contact you", to which Luke replies, "I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine." Lando then says to Leia, "Princess, we'll find Han. I promise", with Luke replying, "Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal." It's clear from this dialogue that, although Luke, Leia and the others know that Fett will eventually take Solo to Tatooine, they know that Fett won't be going directly there. Otherwise, why would the Rebels need Lando to contact them when he has located Fett and/or Jabba? The Rebels know that some searching will be required, otherwise the end of the second Star Wars movie would just be Luke, Leia, Lando and Chewie saying, "OK everybody, let's get to Tatooine and rescue Han!" In reality, of course, the ongoing search for Solo in the comic book was also necessitated by the fact that Marvel had three years of comics to fill between the release of Empire and Return of the Jedi, during which time they couldn't have Han being rescued. But, as I've explained, Fett hiding out somewhere with Solo's frozen body, before delivering it to Jabba, does sort of fit in with the films. It was also a godsend for the writers of the comic in those inter-sequel years, because the search could end up getting broken off and then re-started again, as other threats loomed over the Rebellion, providing perfect plot fodder for the ongoing comic narrative. The reason the Rebels went searching for Han, instead of waiting until he was deliverd to Jabba, was presumably because it would be much more difficult to rescue their friend from Jabba's palace and also because they wanted to save him sooner, rather than later. Of course, rescuing Han is something that the Rebels ultimately failed to do in the comics, which is why we get the rescue attempt at the start of Return of the Jedi. So, I think Marvel got it pretty much spot on, in terms of how their comics fit in with what happened in Empire and Jedi. My all-time favorite comic book artist - the late Gene Day (most associated with MOKF) - also drew/inked?! 1-2 issues of this series (between ESB & ROTJ). Gene Day actually inked a fair few of the Carmine Infantino drawn issues between 1978 and 1981, but the two issues you're thinking of, which he pencilled (and Tom Palmer inked) are issues #68 and #69. Day's artwork was absolutely fantastic and really inventive in those issues. I think that Star Wars #69 must've been one of the last -- if not the last -- comic Day worked on, since it came out a couple of months after he had died. Here are links to my reviews for Star Wars #68 and #69, in case you're interested... classiccomics.boards.net/thread/1039/star-wars-marvel-reviews-confessor?page=49&scrollTo=134038classiccomics.boards.net/thread/1039/star-wars-marvel-reviews-confessor?page=50&scrollTo=137783 |
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Post by rom on Sept 9, 2016 12:51:17 GMT -5
Thanks for the info., Confessor. Yes, I haven't read all of this thread yet - but plan on going back & doing so at some point. This is definitely a very comprehensive review of the Marvel SW series. (Years ago, there was a similar-themed Classic Marvel SW review thread on the Star Wars theforce.net forums, but IIRC those forums re-configured in Fall 2012, and the info. that was in there beforehand got lost - also, there's no search engine on there anymore so it's tough to find older posts/threads).
Re: the availability of the SW newspaper strips in the U.S. in the late '70's/early '80's, it's worth noting that not all areas got both strips. I grew up on the East Coast of the U.S. during that era, and do specifically remember the first Russ Manning strips. However, I never saw the later Archie Goodwin/Al Williamson strip in my area. I first became aware of these AG/AW strips around Fall 1992, when Dark Horse started editing, coloring, & reprinting these to fit into a monthly comic book format.
Your explanation makes sense re: the events taking place between ESB & ROTJ in the Marvel series. That being said & as you mentioned, obviously Marvel couldn't have the heroes finding Han before ROTJ - so they had to lengthen the search to take place in the three years of comics they produced. However, these are some of the favorite EU comics - and, I liked how different stories focused on the bounty hunters that were first briefly seen on the bridge of The Executor (DV's Star Destroyer) in ESB. That also being said, this continuity is contradicted by 1996's Shadows of the Empire novel/comic series. However, I somewhat prefer these Marvel comics - nostalgia has a lot to do with this, of course.
As far as Gene Day's art, yes - it was definitely stellar, and SW #68 - #69 (w/Dengar and the Mandalorians) are quite possibly my favorite two SW comics in the entire series. I'll write more on GD in the Master of Kung Fu threads, since he's primarily associated with that title. |
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Post by chaykinstevens on Sept 13, 2016 6:45:43 GMT -5
Gene Day actually inked a fair few of the Carmine Infantino drawn issues between 1978 and 1981, but the two issues you're thinking of, which he pencilled (and Tom Palmer inked) are issues #68 and #69. Day's artwork was absolutely fantastic and really inventive in those issues. I think that Star Wars #69 must've been one of the last -- if not the last -- comic Day worked on, since it came out a couple of months after he had died. I think Gene passed away while working on the Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #3, which was published in the same month as Star Wars #69. Gene pencilled the first half of the story, and Richard Howell pencilled the second half. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Sept 13, 2016 6:51:17 GMT -5
Gene Day actually inked a fair few of the Carmine Infantino drawn issues between 1978 and 1981, but the two issues you're thinking of, which he pencilled (and Tom Palmer inked) are issues #68 and #69. Day's artwork was absolutely fantastic and really inventive in those issues. I think that Star Wars #69 must've been one of the last -- if not the last -- comic Day worked on, since it came out a couple of months after he had died. I think Gene passed away while working on the Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #3, which was published in the same month as Star Wars #69. Gene pencilled the first half of the story, and Richard Howell pencilled the second half. Ah, OK...that sounds likely. Thanks for the info. |
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Post by rom on Sept 13, 2016 8:44:34 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. re: Gene Day's art in Marvel's The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. I do remember that issue, but had forgotten that Day drew part of this.
It's worth mentioning that the underrated TFAOIJ series was reprinted by Dark Horse circa 2008/2009-ish in three Omnibuses. These are smaller than average comic size (to cut down on costs, presumably), but are worth getting if you don't already have the original floppies. Though the whole series was well-done, the first two issues with John Byrne art are especially impressive. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Sept 13, 2016 10:49:34 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. re: Gene Day's art in Marvel's The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones. I do remember that issue, but had forgotten that Day drew part of this.
It's worth mentioning that the underrated TFAOIJ series was reprinted by Dark Horse circa 2008/2009-ish in three Omnibuses. These are smaller than average comic size (to cut down on costs, presumably), but are worth getting if you don't already have the original floppies. Though the whole series was well-done, the first two issues with John Byrne art are especially impressive. Yeah, that was a good series. I have almost the complete run and the three Marvel movie adaptations. |
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Post by Confessor on Sept 20, 2016 17:58:28 GMT -5
Star Wars #84Cover dated: June 1984 Issue title: Seoul SearchingScript: Roy Richardson Artwork: David Mazzucchelli (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks) Colours: Glynis Wein Letters: Rick Parker Cover art: Roy Richardson (pencils)/Tom Palmer (inks) Overall rating: 7 out of 10  Plot summary: Following a successful diplomatic mission to Zhotta 3, Han Solo and Chewbacca stop off on a backwater planet, where Solo engages in a card game and wins a mysterious crystal and a map to the near mythical planet of Seoul 5. The crystal is said to originate from the long-lost planet and is worth a fortune as an artefact, as well as having the power to amplify any energy source, including mental energy. Deciding to follow the map and investigate the mysterious planet, Solo soon arrives at Seoul 5, but as the Millennium Falcon touches down on the outskirts of a ruined city, Chewbacca picks up humanoid life-signals coming from the planet's surface. Puzzled by this, but undeterred, Solo takes the crystal and ventures into the ancient ruins, while Chewie remains with the ship. Nearby, an Imperial landing force – who are the humanoid lifeforms that Chewbacca detected – have come to Seoul 5 on orders from the deceased Emporer's governors to acquire wealth and power for the remnants of the Empire. The Imperials detect the Falcon's arrival and Captain Drezzel, his telepathic adjutant Ssssk! and a squad of stormtroopers soon corner Solo in an overgrown plaza, where the smuggler is investigating a statue. As a firefight erupts, Solo manages to trigger a trap door behind the statue and floats down into a crystal control room, just as his map describes. As Solo investigates his surroundings, the crystal in his satchel begins to interact with similar looking crystals located upon the room's central console, producing a loud hum. Before he can investigate further, however, a squad of stormtroopers appear, forcing him to duck into a side room. Inside, Solo discovers two tied-up archaeologists named Dr. Xathan and Fem Nu-Ar, who explain that it was they who led the Imperials to the planet while on an expedition. They also reveal that the Empire wants to use the crystals' tremendous power for a secret weapon. Nu-Ar convinces Solo to free them both and help prevent the Empire from getting their hands on the crystals. As Imperials flood the crystal control room, Solo lays down covering fire, while directing the two archaeologists to leave via the shaft that he entered by. Ssssk! launches a psychic attack on Solo, causing him to writhe in agony, but the Corellian manages to use his crystal to boost his own mental energy and reverse the attack, causing the alien telepath to fall, howling in agony. Making his escape, Solo places his crystal into the console, causing the combined energy of the assembled crystals to build to exploding point. As Solo, Xathan, Fem Nu-Ar and Chewbacca leave the planet in the Falcon, the ancient city and the Imperials are destroyed in a huge explosion. Comments: Like last issue, Star Wars #84 is a fill-in story and, I must say, it's a fairly good one too. Guest writer Roy Richardson usually worked as a comic penciller or inker, but here he's given the chance to write, temporarily replacing the series' regular author, Jo Duffy. "Seoul Searching" is a pretty fun, done-in-one adventure story, that finds Han Solo and Chewbacca between missions for the Alliance, and is very much in the same vein as Brian Daley's late '70s trilogy of Han Solo novels. As such, I do kinda wonder how old this story is because parts of it, and some of Han's dialogue especially, makes it feel a bit like a pre- Empire Strikes Back adventure. Certainly, the story here, which is essentially a treasure hunt, is exactly the sort of thing that Han and Chewie might have gotten involved in during their younger days. However, the presence of a few handily inserted narration boxes neatly ties this issue into the current Star Wars continuity and the ongoing Alliance of Free Planets storyline. This issue serves as an homage to two different fictional sources. Firstly, there are definite nods to Indiana Jones, not just in the archaeological treasure hunt that is central to the story, but on the front cover too, which is reminiscent of the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark in which Indy approaches the golden idol. As if to ram the point home, the first letter of the opening narration box is rendered in the "Raiders" title font...  The second source that this story attempts to homage are the science fiction novels of Andre Norton. In a 2015 interview with the Star Wars gaming fansite, Deckplans Alliance, Richardson noted that Norton had a race of reptilian aliens in her books called the Xacathansa, explaining, "They were scientists and historians who were also pacifists. They spent most of their time as supporting characters known for exploring alien ruins." Clearly the character of Dr. Xathan is named in honour of the Xacathansa. This issue also represents the first time in the post- Return of the Jedi continuity that we've seen the Empire – or what's left of the Empire. Judging by the events of this book, it seems that the Empire does still exist in some form and that the surviving Imperial governors are still continuing to send out troops in order to secure wealth for the rebuilding of their shattered armies. On the artistic front, David Mazzucchelli, who is probably best known to comics fans as the artist on the classic Batman: Year One and Daredevil: Born Again storylines, makes his one and only appearance as a penciller on the series. Mazzucchelli brings some pretty dynamic art to the table too, aided and abetted by the incomparable inking skills of series' regular Tom Palmer. There are some really well staged action sequences and some lovely individual panels here. In particular, the issue opens with a really nice splash page; I love the realistic light distortion/magnification of Han's face that Mazzucchelli and Palmer work into this page...  One fairly big criticism I have is that I've never particularly liked the feline looking alien Ssssk!. Aside from his ridiculous name – which has an exclamation mark as a constituent part of it, rather than as simply a piece of punctuation – he just looks a bit too much like a giant, bipedal housecat for my tastes...  I can accept a bipedal space-rabbit like Jaxxon because he's green and therefore looks somewhat alien, but Ssssk! just doesn't seem to fit into the aesthetic of the Star Wars universe at all. Yes, we've seen cat-like creatures in the Star Wars comic before, such as the Catuman warriors in Star Wars Annual #1 and the kitten-like Lahsbees in issue #73, but Ssssk! looks altogether too much like a regular cat for me. Something else I want to note is that the corner cover symbol, up in the top left of the front cover, has changed. Gone is the Al Williamson designed image of C-3PO and R2-D2, which has graced the front cover since issue #39, and in its place is a new Ron Frenz and Tom Palmer design, featuring Han and Chewbacca. This is one of a number of corner box images that Frenz designed before he left the series and we shall see some of these on the remaining 24 covers of the series. Here's a scan of the original Frenz and Palmer artwork for these corner images, including a few that were never used...  All in all, I like this issue quite a bit. Clearly it's an inventory story that has been shoehorned into current continuity, but it's also a classic Han Solo adventure and one that zips along at a good pace, with some nicely executed artwork. Admittedly, this story is completely inconsequential within the context of the ongoing Star Wars comic series, but it's a pretty good little comic story in spite of that. Continuity issues: None Favourite panel:  Favourite quote: "Sheesh, Chewie! What a tightwad of a planet! You almost had to be rude to that attendant before he'd take an I.O.U. for our docking fees!" – Han Solo grumbles to his Wookiee co-pilot about what he sees as the unreasonable expectancy of payment from the spaceport they've just left.
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Post by rom on Sept 22, 2016 10:06:05 GMT -5
Great review of Marvel SW #84, Confessor. This is one of the better post-ROTJ stories.
Re: the b&w Frenz/Palmer images of the SW heroes (some unused), I recognize a couple of those drawings - they were probably "inspired" by ANH & ESB production photos, i.e. the picture of Luke in Bespin outfit with his laser pistol drawn; and, the group picture of the heroes (Han, Leia, Luke, Chewie) was probably inspired by a photo of the group on Hoth, with their weapons drawn (though I'm not 100% that Chewie was in the original picture). Ditto re: the drawing of Han standing with Chewie.
And, please keep these reviews coming. This is definitely the best thread I've read re: reviews of the Marvel SW series. |
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Post by Confessor on Sept 22, 2016 10:22:59 GMT -5
Star Wars #85Cover dated: July 1984 Issue title: The HeroScript: Mary Jo Duffy Artwork: Bob McLeod (breakdowns)/Tom Palmer (finished art & inks) Colours: Glynis Wein Letters: Rick Parker Cover art: Bob McLeod Overall rating: 7 out of 10  Plot summary: Han Solo, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian are summoned to an Alliance briefing in the Ewok village on Endor, during which Admiral Ackbar and Mon Mothma hand out assignments to travel to other worlds as representatives for the new Alliance of Free Planets. As the meeting comes to a close, Ackbar mentions the mysterious "Captain Drebble", who is to be decorated as a hero of the Rebellion for his contributions to their cause. Lando – who is actually the Captain Drebble in question, having adopted the name as part of a disguise on a number of Rebel missions, in the hopes that any trouble he caused would come back to haunt the real Drebble, an old enemy of his – is appalled to learn that his nemesis is to receive a commendation. Han and Chewbacca volunteer for a diplomatic mission to the "Hunter's World" of Keyorin, which will take them close to Chewie's home planet of Kashyyyk, and Lando elects to tag along with them in his own ship. After discharging their diplomatic duty on Keyorin, the trio retire to a cantina, where Chewie and Lando are alarmed to see the bounty hunter Bossk. Explaining to Han that, during his time frozen in carbonite, they manipulated several gangs of bounty hunters into searching for him, the trio quietly attempt to leave the cantina when Drebble himself suddenly appears and recognises Lando. A chase ensues, during which a second gang, led by Lemo and Sanda – who Lando and Chewbacca recently had unpleasant dealings with on the planet Arcan IV – join the pursuit. Eventually, Lando, Han and Chewie are captured by Drebble and his men, as they attempt to board the Millennium Falcon. Lemo and Sanda's gang soon arrive on the scene, demanding that Han and his Wookiee companion be turned over to them. Since Drebble is only interested in Calrissian, he agrees and the rival gang take Solo and the Wookiee as their prisoners. Back at Lemo and Sanda's hideout, Han is interrogated in order to discover where the Dancing Goddess statuette – which Lando has, but which, as "Captain Drebble", he had earlier led the gang to believe was in Han's possession – is. Han tells Lemo that Drebble is the one with the statue, after which, most of the gang depart, allowing Solo and Chewie to escape. Back on board the Falcon, Drebble discovers a holographic message from Mon Mothma reminding all personnel that "Captain Drebble" is to be decorated by the Alliance. Drebble is flattered by the news, but Lemo's gang soon arrive outside the ship to capture Lando, who they believe to be the real "Drebble". Lando convinces Drebble to fake a surrender, but as they exit the Falcon, Han and Chewbacca arrive in the docking bay, triggering a firefight. Lemo's gang are swiftly beaten, while Drebble, who is beginning to enjoy his new role as a Rebel hero, decides to let Han, Lando and Chewbacca go. Before they leave, however, Lando presents Drebble with his "reward", which Lemo and Sanda are shocked to see is the Dancing Goddess! Comments: Jo Duffy returns to the writer's seat with this issue, which sees a continuation of the loose Alliance of Free Planets story arc and also ties in with some of the pre- Return of the Jedi stories. We also see the return of Lemo and Sanda's gang and Lando Calrissian's arch enemy Drebble, who has gotten credit for all the missions that Lando engaged in while using his name. On the latter point, this issue serves as a nice pay off to that particular sub-plot and it's hilarious to see Lando's plan to get Drebble into trouble backfire so spectacularly. The events of this issue clearly take place concurrently with the latter half of Star Wars #82 and the forthcoming "Still Active After All These Years" story that will appear in issue #87, since Mon Mothma refers to Luke Skywalker being away on a diplomatic mission. She also mentions that Princess Leia is away and this is a reference to events that we will later see in issue #88. It's great to have Duffy return to the series after a couple of fill-in issues, bringing her signature snappy dialogue and humour to the comic once more. She also sets up a future storyline, by showing how eager Chewbacca is to visit his family on Kashyyyk, now that the Galactic Civil War is over. Also, I love how Han and Lando try to get the Ewoks into gambling. It's fun to see Drebble again too, since he's arguably one of the most memorable characters from Marvel's original Star Wars comic. Plus, of course, the ongoing trouble between him and Lando never fails to provide amusement. It's also neat that Lemo and Sanda make another appearance, still searching for the missing Dancing Goddess statuette. I also get a really big kick out of the ending of this issue, in which Lando gives the Dancing Goddess to Drebble, knowing full well that it will bring him plenty of trouble, since Lemo and Sanda will gladly kill for it. The Dancing Goddess and its partner artefact, the Minstrel, will later reappear in Star Wars #99. Bob McLeod returns on artistic chores, following his high quality work on issue #83. I mentioned in my review of that issue that McLeod was offered the position of regular penciller on the series, taking over from the departing Ron Frenz. Although he initially accepted that position, McLeod didn't last long on the book, due to his dissatisfaction with the division of labour with inker Tom Palmer. Speaking to a French comics fanzine in 2006, McLeod recalled how he had come to work on the series and some of the reasons why he left so quickly: " After leaving the New Mutants, I asked around for what else was available and I was offered Star Wars after pencilling and inking a fill-in issue (#83). But Tom Palmer was already the regular inker, and he insisted on breakdowns rather than finished pencils. That lowered my page rate substantially, and limited me to mainly doing just the part of the job I thought I was weakest at; the layouts. But I didn't mind, because Palmer is my favorite inker and I wanted to see what he would do with my drawings. I was very happy with the results, and don't remember why I left the series after only a few issues. Another regret." McLeod's work serves Duffy's script pretty well, with some serviceable sequential art, but there's a stiffness or a lack of movement to some of these panels. Ultimately, it's Palmer's slick, lush and very recognisable inking that dominates and, while it certainly gives the comic a sense of continuity from issue to issue, it does rather swamp McLeod's contribution in this instance. However, McLeod gets to pencil and ink the front cover himself, which is quite nicely composed, but what's up with the weird looking faces on Han and Chewbacca? McLeod's rendering of the latter seems to be a throw back to the vaguely Sasquatch version of Chewbacca that we often saw during Carmine Infantino's tenure on the series. Interestingly, according to the advanced listing for this issue in Marvel Age #12, this story was originally intended to have been pencilled by Frenz, although by this time he was hard at work drawing Amazing Spider-Man. Overall, this is another fun issue of the Star Wars comic that nicely ties into the events of the pre- Return of the Jedi continuity, while setting up new adventures further down the line. Artistically, it's good, without ever once being spectacular, and, although Duffy's script is rather lightweight, it's enjoyable nonetheless. Continuity issues: The bounty hunter Bossk is depicted here with orange skin, when it should be green. Favourite panel:  Favourite quote: "Lando … next time I'm in a jam, and you come up with some kind of clever plan to help me -- don't." – Han Solo sarcastically chides Lando Calrissian about his ability to formulate a successful rescue strategy.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on Sept 22, 2016 10:57:32 GMT -5
Re: the b&w Frenz/Palmer images of the SW heroes (some unused), I recognize a couple of those drawings - they were probably "inspired" by ANH & ESB production photos, i.e. the picture of Luke in Bespin outfit with his laser pistol drawn; and, the group picture of the heroes (Han, Leia, Luke, Chewie) was probably inspired by a photo of the group on Hoth, with their weapons drawn (though I'm not 100% that Chewie was in the original picture). Ditto re: the drawing of Han standing with Chewie. You're absolutely right. Many of those corner cover images are clearly based on photo references. And, please keep these reviews coming. This is definitely the best thread I've read re: reviews of the Marvel SW series. Thank you for your kind words. Glad you're enjoying it. There's a new review up today in the post above and I'm making a concerted effort now to finish this thread as soon as I can. It will have been two years since I began it this December, so I definitely want it done by then. I only have 22 regular issues left to review now, and there will also be two supplementary reviews -- one each for the Droids and Ewoks series - after that. |
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Post by Rob Allen on Sept 22, 2016 13:58:59 GMT -5
Roy Thomas is still looking for interesting Star Wars material (including information about the British STAR WARS WEEKLY, in case there are any British people lurking about...)
ALTER EGO #145, out next February, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Marvel's STAR WARS comic (which actually apparently went on sale around March 8, 1977), a couple of months before the actual film's premiere is celebrated on a somewhat larger scale.
I don't see a lot of use in reprinting much of the 1977 comics... though there'll be a bit of that... but I could sure use early STAR WARS materials that are tangential to the comic in some way... drawings by pro artists (even if not in '77)... fanzines and national magazines responding to STAR WARS soon after the movie opened... that kind of thing.
I'm lucky to have been sent a piece on the 1978 Pendulum adaptation of the film, and the unauthorized Russian adaptation from around the same time (a few pages of it, anyway), and could use anything of that kind... to go along with covers from the British STAR WARS WEEKLY that I have (though I DON'T have much info on who drew them, as the GCD lacks that info), for instance.
Naturally, anything sent to me for the first time by someone, and used in AE #145, will bring the sender a free copy of the issue.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
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Post by Confessor on Sept 23, 2016 8:33:27 GMT -5
...to go along with covers from the British STAR WARS WEEKLY that I have (though I DON'T have much info on who drew them, as the GCD lacks that info), for instance. Just thinking that maybe tingramretro and I could perhaps help with identifying some of the Star Wars Weekly covers. Which issues is he trying to identify, Rob? Also, how do we respond to this request of Roy's directly? |
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As I say, I like Infantino's artwork fine, in and of itself. In fact, I think it worked very well on the handful of issues of Marvel's John Carter: Warlord of Mars that he drew around this time.
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