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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

BTS DH Comics to release 'The Star Wars' in September

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by Darth_Nub, Apr 5, 2013.

  1. Darth_Nub

    Darth_Nub Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2009
    Oh, come on.

    [​IMG]

    Brilliant stuff.

    For the three or four seconds before it takes for any SW fan to remember that Darth Vader was a Heinrich Himmler-esque war criminal that Mon Mothma herself would have disembowelled, while forcing Luke & Leia to watch.

    The OT Infinities series were still fun, though...

    Nevertheless, I still think the Infinities label won't really apply to this new series, although it'd be great if it could spawn its own little sub-genre.
     
  2. DarthBoba

    DarthBoba Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2000
    Vader living is one of my biggest dislikes...it just robs ROTJ of what impact it has...which is really the entire problem of Infinities-they seem to feel compelled to cram the entire trilogy into a single film, whether that's ANH, TESB, or ROTJ.

    And then there's Yoda Armageddoning Coruscant with the Death Star :p
     
  3. Force Smuggler

    Force Smuggler Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    That was the best part!
     
  4. Darth_Nub

    Darth_Nub Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2009
    Variant covers for issue #1:

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Interesting seeing this attempt to 'translate' the characters to the poster of the final version, largely because the main character (Annikin Starkiller) isn't there! Clockwise from the top, it looks like you've got:

    Prince Valorum (who would evolve into Darth Vader)
    Princess Leia
    R2-D2
    C-3PO
    Chewbacca
    General Luke Skywalker (eventually Obi-Wan Kenobi)
    Darth Vader (much the same character as Grand Moff Tarkin)
    Kane Starkiller (Annikin's father)
    Han Solo

    So for the cover, they've gone with 'Luke Skywalker' as the focus, when, in fact, it should be on Annikin Starkiller, and Kane Starkiller probably shouldn't be there at all (he's in Obi-Wan's spot from the original, which you'd put General Luke Skywalker in).

    Valorum looks fantastic.
     
    Merlin_Ambrosius69 likes this.
  5. Vthuil

    Vthuil Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 3, 2013
    I'm really loving the ship designs for this series.
     
  6. Darth_Arapsis

    Darth_Arapsis Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 21, 2013
    Looks great.
     
  7. bstnsx704

    bstnsx704 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 11, 2013
    This is looking fantastic. Definitely the first Star Wars comic I really care to own.
     
  8. Jae-Dec

    Jae-Dec Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 20, 2013
    Might have to get two copies of this series. One for my collection and one for actual reading :D .
     
  9. The Hellhammer

    The Hellhammer Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    Damn these are nice.
    Darth Vader concept art looks so badass.
    He's like a space SS-officer. Can't wait.
     
  10. Jedi General Gelderd

    Jedi General Gelderd Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2004
    This looks super! I can't wait to check this out.

    And I totally agree with you Hellhammer, the concept for Vader looks too cool for words - so much power and fear in just a drawing must speak volumes. :D
     
    The Hellhammer likes this.
  11. The Hellhammer

    The Hellhammer Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    About Infinities... hm...I kind of expected more out of those. They really crammed all three movies into a single comic, three times over. It had so much potential, that I kinda felt let down when I read it. Not to mention three or four pages of word for word recreated scenes from the movies, just shoved somewhere else along the timeline. Felt kinda lazy.
    The whole Yoda blowing up random ships and obliterating Coruscant... ugh.
    I mean it's one thing to take an "alternate history" route but that one was so ridiculously out of character for everyone involved.
    Wasted potential.

    But these seem really promising!
     
  12. Lt.Cmdr.Thrawn

    Lt.Cmdr.Thrawn Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 23, 1999
    Does the Valorum design in those covers come from a specific piece of concept art from McQuarrie or Johnston or Barry or somebody? Darth_Nub (tagged you because I figure you would be one of the people to know)
     
  13. Darth_Nub

    Darth_Nub Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2009
    I don't think so, those covers were the first I ever saw of it, hence why I was so interested to see what they did with Valorum. It's clearly inspired by a Samurai/Japanese war helmet, but although there's a few early McQuarrie sketches for Vader's helmet which reflect that aesthetic more strongly than the final result, this is something completely new. The teeth/fangs aren't a part of McQuarrie's concept, he started out with the grill design over the mouth (the 'breath mask') and stayed with it.

    [​IMG]

    Ralph McQuarrie's involvement came between drafts two & three (hence the notorious "Luke was originally a girl" myth, which was based on an abandoned idea that was never scripted), so this series can't ever be a true reflection of what GL necessarily pictured with his earliest treatments & drafts, as that's when the earliest pictures appeared.

    You've also got Valorum wearing the hood of a robe in these pictures, as opposed to the full metal helmet & face mask, which would imply that his headgear is largely ornamental. What will be particularly interesting to see is what he looks like underneath. GL did refer to the Sith Lords having the facial appearance of "Linda Blair in The Exorcist", but that was from notes that date later than the first draft (again, between drafts two & three, IIRC, c1975). I'd love to see Valorum look like his direct inspiration, General Tadokoro in The Hidden Fortress - scarred, but still human, not a deformed monster.

    [​IMG]

    Look familiar?

    [​IMG]


    Incidentally, it's worth mentioning, just to clarify, since a few have been so impressed with what he looks like - 'Darth Vader' in this story isn't a Sith Lord/Knight, he's a snivelling Imperial officer, someone along the lines of Grand Moff Tarkin, Admiral Piett or Jerjerrod. They've given him that familiar shoulder gear, but it's still nothing more than a name. The Darth Vader we all know & love is embodied by Prince Valorum in this early version (and the hero's father is Kane Starkiller, a separate character).
     
    VanishingReality likes this.
  14. TOSCHESTATION

    TOSCHESTATION Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2003
    Kenny Rogers, maybe?
     
  15. TOSCHESTATION

    TOSCHESTATION Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2003
    [face_laugh]
     
  16. Jedi_Ford_Prefect

    Jedi_Ford_Prefect Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 9, 2003
    I think they're playing on both the obvious names, but also the way they're using the iconography. It packs a punch to see "General Luke" pointing his gun right to the viewer, looking very much like a pissed off George Lucas. "Who's shooting first NOW, bitches?"
     
    Bacon164, StarWarsVerses and lbr789 like this.
  17. Darth_Nub

    Darth_Nub Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2009
    Some more images floating around (these are from the preview, although three are from an article - http://www.newsarama.com/18083-a-galaxy-far-away-4-adapting-the-star-wars.html - and don't have the text & dialogue):

    The Palace of Lite on Aquilae
    [​IMG]

    General Luke Skywalker interrupts a meeting of the Aquilaean Council
    [​IMG]

    The human in black goes by the name of Count Sandage, the alien in purple robes is Grand Mouff Tarkin.
    Princess Leia's little brothers, Biggs and Windy, run in and greet their father, King Kayos
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Some interesting tidbits from the article:



     
  18. Kay Suhyun

    Kay Suhyun Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 29, 2013
    The art looks really good.
     
  19. Randwulf Crescentmoon

    Randwulf Crescentmoon Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 25, 2013
    I don’t know how I feel about this, as it is an entirely new experience for sure, but I’m of the opinion that Star Wars is perfect as is (Chewie’s EU death notwithstanding).

    However, it would be an interesting read.
     
  20. Darth_Arapsis

    Darth_Arapsis Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 21, 2013
    Forget about Chewie, Luke should had died already,
     
  21. Force Smuggler

    Force Smuggler Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Luke should have died after the NJO from the poison.
     
  22. Aegon Starcaster

    Aegon Starcaster Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 27, 2013
    Patience, Viceroy. Patience...he will die.

    But until then, I'm having vision of a The Star Wars movie.

    [​IMG]
     
    JediFan215 likes this.
  23. VanishingReality

    VanishingReality Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 21, 2013
    So Valorum is evil after all?

    "Cyborgs under my command! Kneel before Valorum!"
     
    Sarge likes this.
  24. Darth_Nub

    Darth_Nub Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2009
    Cover art for issue #2

    [​IMG]

    The mushroom cloud's an interesting bit of imagery, certainly not something we've ever seen in the SW galaxy.

    Alternate cover art (Ralph McQuarrie's original poster concept, unchanged):

    [​IMG]
     
  25. DarthBoba

    DarthBoba Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2000
    They're both genuinely gorgeous.

    Edit: Really like the "war comes to aquilae!" banner at the end of the preview..very pulpy. Made me giggle a bit, at any rate :p