Yeah, I'm generally a big fan of Roy, but he's been a little overbearing in the last two issues.

So do the non-film adaptation stories begin with #7? And what do they do when Empire and Jedi come around?

But quite Yoda-esque, no? In fact, doesn't Yoda say exactly that phrase in one of the prequel movies?

I think one of the most interesting aspects of the Marvel Comics adaptations is that we get to see how Star wars was scripted before shooting of the film began. There are a number of really good lines that were obviously added as filming went on that are missing from the comic for that reason, and Kenobi's "only a master of evil, Darth" is one of them.

Yeah, that panel is a head scratcher...if I had never seen the movie before I'm not sure I would have understood what happened.

I' never heard of Pizazz before this forum (before my time)... what was it exactly? You say 'teen magazine', but, with comics? Or just Star Wars?

Star Wars #5
Cover dated: November 1977
Issue title: Lo, the Moons of Yavin!
Script: Roy Thomas
Artwork: Howard Chaykin (layouts)/Steve Leialoha (inks)
Colours: Glynis Wein
Letters: Tom Orzechowski
Cover art: Rick Hoberg (pencils)/Dave Cockrum (inks)
Overall rating: 6 out of 10




Plot summary: Escaping from the Death Star in the Millennium Falcon, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the two droids R2-D2 and C-3PO, race toward the Rebel Alliance's base on the fourth moon of Yavin. After a fierce battle with some Imperial TIE fighters, they deliver R2-D2 to the Rebels, who use the information he is carrying to formulate a plan to destroy the Death Star.

Meanwhile, a homing beacon has been placed on board the Falcon, allowing the Death Star to follow the ship to the Rebel base, with the intention of destroying Yavin 4 and the Rebellion. However, the Rebels plan to strike at a weakness in the battle station's defences and as the Death Star approaches, they launch a squadron of fighter craft – one of which is piloted by Luke Skywalker – on a desperate mission to destroy it.


Comments: The Howard Chaykin and Steve Leialoha artwork in this issue is more or less on a par with last issue, which is to say that it's not quite as good as it was in issues #2 or #3. That said, there's a really nice opening splash page of Han Solo, which, despite a somewhat awkward angle, is nicely staged and serves as a dynamic intro to the issue. As a kid, this was one of my favourite pages of the entire Star Wars adaptation. Check it out...




One of the best sequences in this comic, from an artistic and storytelling perspective, is the battle against the TIE fighters, after the Falcon escapes from the Death Star. Roy Thomas also gives a weird description of how the Force works in one of the narration boxes during this sequence: he describes Luke as "getting in touch with himself – and thus all mankind." Hmmm...now, I know that the Force is supposed to be generated by all living things, but this sounds a lot like a Haight-Ashbury "Summer of Love" version of the Force to me!

As usual with this adaptation, there are some slight (and not so slight) differences between the dialogue in the film and what we read on the page. However, in this issue the comic dialogue is superior on occasion. For example, I love how when Commander Willard greets Princess Leia on Yavin 4 with, "Thank the stars you're safe! We had feared the worst!", Han interjects with a sarcastic, "So did we!" I can just hear how Harrison Ford would've delivered that line, had it been in the movie.

There's also some fun incest japes in an awkward scene at the Rebel hanger, where Leia gives Luke another kiss on the lips – a proper, eyes closed, hands locked passionately together, kiss on the lips – and this one's definitely not just "for luck". Actually, this same scene occurs in the movie too, but Leia just gives Luke a peck on the cheek, which is much less awkward in hindsight.

There's also a scene in the Rebel hanger that was cut from the original film (although part of it was re-inserted for the 1997 Special Edition of A New Hope), in which Luke runs into his old friend Biggs Darklighter from Tatooine. Biggs, who was last seen in issue #1, is a Rebel pilot now and, like Luke, is about to go up against the Death Star. The pair enthusiastically greet one another, but are interrupted by the squadron commander, who tells Luke that when he was a boy he once met his father. Now, the main problem with this conversation is that the commander refers to Luke's father as "[one] of the original Jedi Knights", but it's established in the film that the Jedi order has existed for over a thousand generations (although no such claim is made by Kenobi in the comic adaptation, it should be noted).

The front cover of this issue is a bit of a head-scratcher really. It shows Luke and Chewie running towards Han and the Millennium Falcon, as the Death Star looms overhead (clearly within Yavin 4's atmosphere), taking potshots at the Rebel base. I mean, it's quite nicely done, I guess, but it's just a bit weird because nothing of the sort actually happens in the film or in this issue. It makes me wonder whether Rick Hoberg and Dave Cockrum, who penciled and inked the cover, had actually read the shooting script when they drew it. Or maybe it's just a simple case of dramatic license. Either way, it bugs me and is one of my least favourite covers of the series.

Something I've noticed as this adaptation goes along, is that it seems as if each issue is covering less and less movie time. For example, the first issue crammed in over half an hour of the film into its 17 pages, but issue #2 was more like 20 minutes and this issue is probably not even a quarter of an hour. I'm not necessarily saying that's a bad thing, it's just an observation. I guess that Roy and the gang had to break up the story at the points where there would be some kind of cliffhanger to end each issue.

Overall, I'd say that Star Wars #5 is a bit of an improvement on last issue. It's a shame that there is no letters page like there was last time, but I guess that not enough people were writing in to Marvel about Star Wars yet. The artwork isn't the best we've seen Chaykin and Leialoha do in this series and some of the faces of the main cast look downright weird. Also, in the final panel, it looks as if Chaykin has had some trouble getting the whole of the X-wing fighter into the frame, so he's shortened its nose, which makes it look kinda stupid.

Continuity issues:

• The Millennium Falcon battles five TIE fighters after escaping from the Death Star, rather than four, as in the movie.
• The interior of the Falcon is still being drawn wrong, with the cockpit adjoining the recreational lounge.
• Blue Leader refers to Luke's father as "[one] of the original Jedi Knights", but it's established in the film that the Jedi order has existed for over a thousand generations, so how could he be an "original" Jedi Knight?
• The X-wing fighters that attack the Death Star are designated as Blue Squadron, rather than Red, as they are in the film.
• The front cover shows Luke, Chewbacca and Han racing to get on board the Millennium Falcon as the Death Star hovers over head, firing lasers at them – something that never happens in the film. Also, Han Solo's waistcoat and trousers are brown on the cover, instead of black.

Favourite panel:




Favourite quote: "So, what do you think, sweetheart? Not a bad bit of rescuing. Y'know, sometimes I amaze even myself!" – Han Solo conceitedly asks Leia's opinion of her rescue.

Han got around a bit. I assume, after being the Emperor's instrument of death for almost two decades, that Darth Vader would be well known about the galaxy.