No, this isn't right. The Marvel Omnibus retains the original colouring. The re-coloured pages you posted earlier in this thread, thwhtguardian, are from the Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope adaptation that Marvel are re-releasing as single issues in March. I found this out on the Back Issue magazine Facebook page, when I was moaning about the re-colouring in the new Marvel Omnibus. It is just the 6-part movie adaptation, being published as individual monthly comics in March, that has the new, computerised re-colouring.

So the Omnibuses, whether Marvel or Dark Horse, all have faithful colouring to the original comics.

Looks like the omnibuses are safe but they are doing a remastered version of just the issues  that adapted A New Hope: marvel.com/news/comics/23844/relive_the_original_marvel_star_wars_adaptations_with_remastered_graphic_novels_in_2015

It wouldn't be Star Wars if we didn't get a digitally recoloured, re-mastered version many years later which doesn't actually add anything of importance to the original work.

Star Wars #12
Cover dated: June 1978
Issue title: Doomworld!
Script: Archie Goodwin
Artwork: Carmine Infantino (pencils)/Terry Austin (inks)
Colours: Janice Cohen
Letters: John Costanza
Cover art: Carmine Infantino (pencils)/Terry Austin (inks)
Overall rating: 6 out of 10




Plot summary: Stranded on the water world of Drexel in an escape pod from their crashed spacecraft, Luke Skywalker and his droids R2-D2 and C-3PO are caught in the middle of a battle between the sea-dragon riding Dragon Lords and men in hydra-skimmer craft. Each side wants possession of Luke's wrecked spaceship, as anything mechanical is extremely valuable on the water planet. The battle ends with the Dragon-Lords retreating and Luke and his droids being captured by the hydra-skimmer pilots, who take the trio back to their base and their leader, Governor Quarg. The Governor wants to strip the droids for spare parts, but Luke tries to convince him that R2 and 3PO are more useful to him intact.

Meanwhile, Han Solo is leading Crimson Jack and his gang of space-pirates to the Drexel system under the pretense that there is a horde of Rebel treasure there. The pirates become suspicious of Solo's claim, however, when their ship-board sensors reveal that the planet is covered entirely in water.


Comments: So, here we have the second Archie Goodwin and Carmine Infantino issue of Star Wars, and I must say that there's a noticeable improvement in the artwork. I attribute this to Infantino doing full pencils on this issue, rather than breakdowns, as he did in issue #11. There's a clarity of line, a heightened level of detail and a confidence to the artwork that is quite satisfying to see. The sea-dragons also look less cartoony in this issue too. Of course, the art still has the usual Infantino idiosyncrasies and overly-angular tendencies, which bug me throughout his run, but leaving aside my personal prejudices for a moment, this is prime 1970s Infantino artwork and, arguably, as good as he gets on the series. In particular, there's a lovely full-page splash of Governor Quarg's floating base (see my favourite panel below).

While we're on the subject of the artwork, it's interesting that Infantino draws Luke with longer hair than previous artists did; he sports an almost Conan the Barbarian-style mane in these issues. I'm guessing that the reason for this choice of hairstyle is down to the "Barbarian fantasy in space" aesthetic that early Star Wars promotional material seemed to favour (like the original cinematic poster, for example). Anyway, I don't necessarily dislike Luke's 'do in these issues, it's just an observation.

Archie Goodwin's story really starts to pick up pace with this episode and I found myself racing through this issue quite quickly as a result. I like the idea that metal and technology is a hugely valuable commodity for the ocean-bound population of Drexel. Governor Quarg is also a pretty good character and villain, but I'll talk more about him in my next review.

Goodwin also gives us some interesting detail about how Crimson Jack runs his operation: turns out that he has financial backers and shareholders, which is how a lowly space-pirate like him can afford to maintain and run a huge Imperial Star Destroyer. We also get to see more of Jack's first mate Jolli and her man hating ways. At one point, all hell breaks loose on the observation deck, when Jolli talks to some of Jack's male crew members about kissing and one or two brave souls attempt to give her a practical demonstration. Yeah, that doesn't go down well, to say the least!

To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this whole "Jolli the man hater" sub-plot. On the one hand, we will learn in later issues that her attitude towards males is perhaps somewhat justified, given events in her past, but on the other, this seems to be a very two-dimensional version of misandry. Also, the way that Princess Leia antagonises Jolli by talking about what a good kisser Han Solo is – with the princess clearly manipulating Jolli's own attraction to the Corellian smuggler – makes for some unintentionally humourous scenes.

Overall though, this is a much better issue than #11, with some very nice looking Infantino art, sympathetically inked by Terry Austin. Unfortunately, I'll never be convinced that Infantino is a particularly good fit for capturing the "feel" of the Star Wars Universe though and this issue, like most of his run, suffers because of that. However, the plot is starting to gather pace and there's a much higher action and intrigue quota in this instalment compared to last issue. So, I'm going to give this a fairly mediocre rating, but still higher than issue #11.

Continuity issues:

• The blade of Luke's lightsaber is pink instead of blue/white in this issue and on the front cover.
• Chewbacca is described as being a 100 year old Wookiee, when, in fact, he is 200 years old.

Favourite panel:



Favourite quote: "A l-lightsaber! The bare-faced little pup is a Jedi!" – One of Governor Quarg's men realises that he may have bitten off more than they can chew by attacking Luke Skywalker.

Pizzazz #9
Cover dated: June 1978
Issue title: The Final Fury! (The Keeper's World, Part 9)
Script: Archie Goodwin
Artwork: Tony DeZuniga
Colours: Marie Severin
Letters: Jim Novak
Overall rating: 3 out of 10




Plot summary: Fleeing in their shuttle craft from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and rock falls that have been secretly caused by the super computer known as The Keeper, the squad of Imperial soldiers conclude that the uncharted world on which Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, R2-D2 and C-3PO are stranded is unstable and vow never to return. Though the Imperials believe the Rebels to be dead – buried alive in the collapsed cavern that they followed them into – they are actually alive and well, having been sheltered from the devastation by the Keeper. The computer has even repaired the Rebel's wrecked star-cruiser. After saying their farewells, Luke, Leia and the droids depart the Keeper's world for new adventures.


Comments: This is the final instalment of The Keeper's World and it definitely ends on a bit of a high artistically. Tony DeZuniga's artwork in this episode looks much less rushed and scratchy than it has done of late. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this is probably the best we've seen DeZuniga do on this Pizzazz strip and certainly it's the best we've seen since The Keeper's World storyline began. Marie Severin's colouring is really nice here too.

Archie Goodwin's storyline is pretty simplistic – although, as noted in earlier reviews, this must surely still be Roy Thomas's plot that Goodwin is finishing up for the most part – but the scripting is reasonably good. One big criticism would be that it's never explained how the Imperials managed to escape from the collapsing cavern at the end of last issue.

Ultimately, despite The Keeper's World being an important story (in terms of it being the very first attempt at writing a Star Wars story set after the original movie), for the most part it is a poorly drawn and childishly simple tale that's not an essential read at all. However, if anybody is interested in having a look at this earliest of expanded universe tales, The Keeper's World has been reprinted three times, to my knowledge: firstly in Star Wars Weekly #47–50, then in a special Star Wars #0 one-shot put out by Dark Horse Comics in 1999, and most recently in Dark Horse's 2013 Wild Space, Volume 1 trade paperback collection.

Continuity issues:

• The Imperial shuttle craft looks like a TIE fighter, which is a small, one man spaceship incapable of carrying a squad of stormtroopers, as it does here.

Favourite panel:




Favourite quote: "...maybe someday, if enough of these missions against the Empire go well, things in this crazy galaxy will be more peaceful for all of us!" – Luke Skywalker optimistically looks forward to an end to the Galactic Civil War.

I think it has a certain charm, but yeah, it's not the best Star Wars story Marvel ever put out. I preferred the Aduba-3 storyline that proceeded this really.