Friday, May 25, 2007

Special Bonus Post: 30 Years and Counting

As most of you probably now, today's the thirieth anniversary of the premiere of Star Wars. I was only 5 or 6 when I saw it, and despite any defensiveness or snark I may have for the prequels, I still love all the movies. Wars and Empire are the favorites, like kids that finished school and got good jobs. Return is the underachiever that could've done more but was perfectly content to stay at that midmanagement spot. Attack and Revenge are the problem kids, full of potential and life and heads full of bad wiring, and Phantom Menace is the slow, annoying one but by god you love him anyway.

But, lots and lots of people have already written about the movies, I'm here for the comics. I had read other comics before getting the Marvel version, but this was the gateway book for me.

Anyway, I just wanted to hit a couple of my favorite scenes, ones I think hold up all these years later, continuity be damned.
Luke's practicing for his Charles Atlas ad.
I still think this scene was pretty telling, regarding Luke's character: if anyone else blew up the Death Star, they would still be wearing the medal. Every day.

Stupid Luke, rain on my day, saving my life...
Lando Calrissian's finest hour, Colt .45 be damned.

Countdown to the longest thirty days of my life in 3, 2, 1...
Possibly the greatest/most terrible last page reveal in 1983: Luke and Lando track down Bossk and IG-88, then end up following a group of bounty hunters moving a Carbonite storage block...
If you listen closely, you can hear the echoing scream of my twelve-year-old self...
...Only to find instead of Han Solo, it's Rodian (Greedo lookalike) Chihdo frozen as a decoy! (Poor Chihdo was apparently grabbed and frozen at random, or maybe because Bossk thought he would look cool frozen.)

A big thank you to Roy Thomas, Archie Goodwin, and on these issues: Star Wars #62, "Pariah!" Script and plot by David Michelinie, layouts and plot by Walter Simonson, finishes by Tom Palmer. Star Wars #59, "Bazaar!" Script and plot by David Michelinie, layouts and plot by Walter Simonson, inks by Tom Palmer. Star Wars #71, "Return to Stenos" Script and plot by Jo Duffy, breakdowns by Ron Frenz, finishes by Tom Palmer.

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