Fair enough. If you really enjoyed the comic, that's great. For what it's worth, I've seen "The Third Law" turn up on at least a couple of Ten Best Stories From Marvel's Original Star Wars Comic lists online, so you're not alone. For me though, this is an issue that just hasn't aged all that well: I liked it a fair bit as a kid, but the older I've gotten the more I can see its flaws.

I liked "The Third Law." It was surprisingly comic, especially as Vader is involved.

I liked it when Marvel SW would do different. According to old EU sources; the Old Republic numbered somewhere along the lines of a million worlds, with the Empire itself larger than that. And that isn't including the other territories outside the Republic's borders. Our own Earth is rich with cultural diversity; why wouldn't an entire galaxy be even moreso?

One of my pet peeves with how the SW Universe's been depicted since the mid/late '90s or so is in how homogenous the aesthetics have become, both in EU works and in the films. No one's interested in stepping outside the box anymore.

I did enjoy this issue a lot. The Hoojibs are a unique race, and I thought it was all very credible. And different from so much else. It was intriguing how one of the rebels was so willing to intrude on them and their home, proving that even those on the side of good can exhibit tunnel vision. Liberators or conquerors? Sometimes the lines are blurred. Thank God for Leia.

10 out of 10 would be my score, too. Nothing wrong with it at all - and now I’m intrigued about Cloud City.

Hey confessor, I love your reviews. I was reading all the EP 4-5 comics earlier last year, and even plotted out the various plot lines. I then lost interest in the line between #44-#50 with the constant change of writers and lack of an overall narrative cohesion.

In the past year, I've been reading different comics (various rebirth-era DC, modern marvel Starwars, and the complete run on the Knights of the Old Republic comic) but I found my way back to the Marvel Comics, and back to your excellent reviews.

I loved the long runs from both David Michelinie & Mary Jo Duffy, but I've been thinking about the "search for Tay Vanis" that happened in #72-#80 (but not in #78 or Annual #3)

Obviously we join the movie heroes through their journey to recover the plans, but I've been thinking how these events must have unraveled for the two missing rebels. Piecing together the backstory we get.

----

Tay Vanis & Yom Argo were minor offices in the rebellion at the time of Yavin 4, They were both from planet Telfrey in the Iskalon system.
(#74 backstory)

They returned home following a message from their family about increased Imperial activity
(#74 backstory)
Worried about a new Imperial threat or new superweapon, they returned home, and started fomenting rebellion sentiment across the sector.
(#74 backstory)
This led to a harsh Imperial crackdown, leading to the Telfrey holocaust, the complete subjugation of Gamandar & the murder of Iskalon's peace negotiations. As well as the deployment of sea troopers in Iskalon
(#74 backstory)
Tay, Yom & their droids were welcomed at Iskalon, and stayed there at the city of Pavilion. Tay even be-friending the Prince Mone
(#74 backstory)
Tay, Yom & droids eventually took on a mission to Gamandar.
(#74 backstory)

On Gamandar, they found more information about the Imperial project, which led them to the Bothan system.
(#80 backstory)
In the Bothan system, they learned about the Second Death Star. And received the plans from the Bothans.
(#80 backstory)

Here they go separate ways, with Tam planet hopping along a pre-arranged path, while Yom travelling towards the rebels via Lashbane.
(#80 backstory)

Unfortunately Yom crash landed on Lashbane, and died.
(#72 backstory)

Tay was being tracked by Vader, fleeing down his pre-arranged path to Kabray station, where he left a clue in a delegate room of his next location (#77 backstory) then onto 'Dennaskar" (world unnamed in comics)
(#80 backstory)

Vader caught up to Tay on "Dennaskar", where Tay was shot down. Tay left the death Star II plans with his droid, LE-914, before Tay was then captured by Vader.
(#80 backstory)

Vader then had a vision of Luke eventually rescuing Tay, so decided to keep his capture of Tay a secret, and use this to lure Luke towards him and waste the time of the rebels & his Imperial rivals on the fruitless search.
(#80 backstory)

Vader planted his security droid, K3PX on the planet Iskalon, and informed Prince Mone's partner, Kendra, that her family would be spared if she sent further rebels to Gamandar to locate the droid K3PX. In hopes of capturing Luke again.
(#74-76 backstory)

------

After the search for the bounty hunters ran cold (#72) Luke & Leia were joined by the Zeltron, Dani.
Rebel high command diverts the heroes to Lashbane, to follow up on Yom Argo. They confirmed that he crashed and perished, but they located his data tapes. (#73)

The rebels follow the trail, heading to Yom's last known location, the Iskalon system. (Although Dani leaves)

As Lando had a pre-existing friendship with the Iskalon leadership, they started their search at the city of Pavilion. (#74)
Lando, Chewie, R2-D2, C-3PO & Prince Mone follow in Tay's footsteps, heading to Gamandar, in search of his heading or his old droid, K3PX. (#74-#76)
Little did they know that they were being led astray by Kendra, right into a trap. (#74-#76)
Luke & Leia stayed behind on Iskalon, which was attacked by an imperial missile. (#74-#76)
Both sides were eventually rescued thanks to R2-D2's infiltration of the Imperial base. He managed to free Lando's party, get clearance flight codes for the Falcon out of the system, before Vader's arrival.
(#74-#76)
Lando's party went on to rescue Luke & Leia, however the diplomatic relationship between the rebels and the ruling family of Iskalon was shattered and the rebels were forced to leave.
(#74-#76)

Upon arriving back at Rebel base, they find that the imperials are searching for Han Solo in relation to Tay's info. (#77)
(This is never explained why, but did originate from Gamandar base, so may be a deliberate misdirect from R2 from when he was infiltrating the imperial, made to restart the search for Han Solo)
The rebels also have a new lead on Tay. He was spotted in Kabray statio
(#77)

The droids stay at the base to debrief while the rest go on separate missions.
Luke & Leia mission have a mission to Kabray station, where they find Tay's message and continue to follow his trail (#77)

Meanwhile, Han & Chewie's mission takes them to Arcan IV, where they infiltrate a criminal gang to gain information on Han solo's location.
They learn that he was recently transferred to Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine (#79)

Luke, Leia & C-3PO (#80) have a mission to "Dennaskar" where they find Tay's crashed x-wing, locate his droid and eventually Tay himself. He was held in Vader's cell, and was tortured and broken.
A recording of Vader explains that he captured Tay, and foresaw Luke's eventual rescue into a force vision. He set it all up to waste Luke's time in a fruitless search. (#80)

Luke & Leia acquiring the plans from Tay's droid, before the droid sacrifices herself to mercifully put Tay out of his perpetual misery. (#80)