Classic star wars comics confusion

I am an EU-padawan on a bold adventure: To read through all relevant EU material up until the release of Phantom Menace (Once I get there, I'll figure out if I can go on).

Anyway, having started off with Splinter of the Mind's Eye, I'm now setting my course for the SW comics, and a problem has arisen: I'm trying to figure out, what re-release series is the most comprehensible for the SW comics released in the 70s and 80s; Classic Star Wars or Star Wars Omnibus?

As far as I can deduct from Wookiepedia, there is some overlap between the two series, but is which of them should I choose, if I want to cover E V E R Y T H I N G - or as close to everything as possible? Also which would be better, if I want to read through the comics chronologically by publication date?


Hope someone can help me,
Thank you in advance,
Silas M. Denmark

 

No overlap.

The Marvel series ran from 1977-1986.

The newspaper strip ran parallel but in its own universe.

Both were canceled in the 1980's.

Dark Horse entered the picture in the early 1990's.

Hope that helps. The Marvel omnibus' are complete.

 

So Classic Star Wars only contains material from the newspaper strip?

 

Which "Classic Star Wars" are you wondering about, exactly? Dark Horse used that name as an overarching title for all its rereleases of pre-DH comics: that includes the newspaper strips, Marvel, and Devilworlds. The comics/TPBs just titled "Classic Star Wars" are the Archie Goodwin/Al Williamson newspaper strips. "Classic Star Wars: The Early Adventures" are the Russ Manning newspaper strips. "Classic Star Wars: A Long Time Ago", which usually just goes by "A Long Time Ago", are the Marvel line (including the Annuals, but not including the ROTJ adaptation or the Marvel UK comics).

Long version:

If you want everything that's been reprinted: the Goodwin/Williamson comics are collected in three TPBs, just called "Classic Star Wars" (here, here, and here). The Russ Manning strips are in one TPB, "Classic Star Wars: The Early Adventures". Yet another newspaper strip was collected by itself, in the "Classic Star Wars: Han Solo at Star's End" TPB. I'm not sure which of those are still in print. Devilworlds hasn't been collected in TPB, so if you want that you need to get the two individual issues.

If you're willing to wait, any or all of these might eventually be collected into Omnibuses.

Marvel, it's a lot easier. Issues 1-107, plus the three Annuals, can all be found in 7 TPBs titled "A Long Time Ago". You can recognize those by the brightly colored covers like this. But, those are going out of print, and if you're willing to wait for some of the later issues, what you probably want are the Omnibuses, also conveniently titled "A Long Time Ago". The first three are out, the fourth is scheduled for August, and there's one more that hasn't been announced yet. The fourth Omnibus also includes the ROTJ adaptation, which you'd otherwise have to get as a separate TPB if you wanted it.

Short version:

Classic Star Wars TPBs 1, 2, and 3, plus "The Early Adventures" and "Han Solo at Star's End", collect all the newspaper strips.

"A Long Time Ago" Omnibuses 1-5 (only three of which are out now) include all the Marvel comics. The large primary-colored "A Long Time Ago" trade paperbacks are the exact same comics, just with the advantage that they're all out now (but the disadvantage of some of them being out of print).

 

Thank you very much; was just about to object the discrepancy I have observed in the Wookiepedia-publication chronology, but you seem to have a good overview of this humongous mess of publications.

And while I'm at it: Some of the earliest, larger story arcs, such as The Keeper's World and Kingdom of Ice, doesn't seem to be included in either Classic Star Wars or Omnibus. Should i just wait for them to be reprinted in the latter, or is there a better/quicker/easier way to get hold of them?

 

The Marvel Pizzazz stories haven't been collected anywhere. If you want hard copies, short of tracking down the actual magazines, the best bet would be to wait for the Omnibuses; I'm not sure if they'll eventually be in one, but DH has been printing some pretty obscure/out-of-print stuff in the Omnibuses, so it's possible.

If you just want to read them, TFN hosts copies of Keeper's World and Kingdom of Ice (which is listed as "War on Ice", on the 1978 page).

 

Don't forget about the Star Comics (under Marvel) Droids and Ewoks comics. There are 8 issues of Droids and 14 issues of Ewoks, which tie in to their respective 1980s cartoons.

They're not collected anywhere yet, but it's been announced that they will be collected in an omnibus. Just not sure which.