Lit Coop's MARVELous Voyage

Difference there Rik Duel was mentioned in the Dark Empire Source book, whilst Bey did not come back around until Gamer 1 and even there it had the remark about wobbly canon. Though funny enough like you listed the Nagai at least got mentioned again as far back as 1995.

 

I just realised something; this image show Han without his vest! He actually owns a jacket!

 

That is Han's Empire outfit, after all.

But one of my favorite things about Al Williamson's art, especially in the comic strips, was that Han, Luke and Leia were often wearing all kinds of clothes, not just the official movie outfits. The early Marvel years until somewhere between Empire and Jedi stuck with those same outfits, too.

 

You never let me down!

I think I spot at least three Mon Cal cruisers. The rest look very Marvel-esque in shape and color. Sometimes I forget how far comics have come in the past few decades!

I will save this for potential future avatar use!

--Adm. Nick

 

Those pics are from #99, BTW--the Williamson stuff is prettier.

 

Something seemed to happen around the Star Wars Gamer issue with the Aduba story - it got slapped with an Infinities label which, IIRC, was later retracted.

 

Ah, that. Here's the cover in question:



Definitely an Infinities stamp there. However, I seem to remember someone in the letters column of a subsequent Gamers (Gamer 5, maybe?) asking about that, and them being told that the Infinities stamp was there due to the comic that was included in the issue, "What They Called Me". So, not the Aduba-3 stuff.

 

My recollection of the period is that Infinities was a new thing and they just wanted to avoid making definitive statements on the matter.

 

Have you not read the Marvels? Nick, you HAVE to read the Marvels. And the Goodwin/Williamson strips, if you haven't already.

They're the ultimate in classic Rebel action.

 

Yeah, I have never gotten around to reading the Marvel Star Wars line. I have seen a few issues here or there, but not much more than that. I guess I will have to start collecting them!

--Adm. Nick

 

And start your own read-through thread?

 

No, we have enough of those.

--Adm. Nick

 

We're a few days away from having one less.

 

Yeah, get the Marvels. You'll like them. And make sure and get the Goodwin/Williamson collections, too, because you'll like them even more. They are the greatest of all possible classic Rebellion stories.

 

Are they ever going to appear in an Omnibus? (since the last compilations of them seem to be out of print.) I recall some appearing in Wild Space Part 1- but the contents page listing for Wild Space Part 2 on Wookieepedia doesn't seem to mention them as far as I can tell- I don't they they're in it.

 

The original set of huge trade reprints is still pretty easy to kind at comic stores--at least, I see it around a lot myself. I've been getting them from the library.

Issue 102



Man, way to spoil the Kiro thing right there on the cover.

Lando's back in the ship from #100--JMM, you're right--this has gotta be the Cobra.

The Nagai base has egresses into the water, but in the establishing shot it looks like it's on land.

Aqua-stormies. Neat.

Racism alert: "Consider what the people here are really like...they have no secrets. And almost no individual will." That might be more reasonable if Iskalonians were one distinct species and not a collection of many aquatic species.

Now the base looks totally underwater. That other panel must've been a coloring error.

Oh, good, they bothered to explain why the chiaki are just sort of hanging around.

Well, I left Kiro's survival alone on the assumption that there'd be a good explanation, but there really wasn't much of one--any more than there was for the shot to the chest he took in this issue, for that matter. I can see why he'd feel the need to stay on Iskalon now, but I'm disappointed that even Kiro doesn't seem to know how he got back here in the first place. Ah, well.

Issue 103

Note about this issue: I was dimly aware of someone in this story named "Tai", but I know nothing about them. I'm guessing Nagai defector.

Den Siva's got some pretty swanky digs for a Lieutenant.

Actually, looks like the whole interior of the Nagai ship is pretty sweet.

Bahb (or Jahn, or whoever) says that he recognized the ships as being "from Nagi", which I guess is their home planet...but how the hell would he know that name? Am I forgetting a mention somewhere?

This must be the Tof, I'm guessing. I'd almost forgotten there were Tof.

Gee, we really should've, y'know, restrained our prisoner somehow.

...so the Tof are dwarves?

Well ****, did not see that ending coming. And maybe he wasn't a defector, but I was close. I was also expecting more explanation of the Tof in this one, but I guess not. This was definitely one of the better issues all around--and it had interesting shades of Randy's issue, too; Leia really has crappy luck when it comes to recruiting people. I was also glad to have Cynthia Martin back after #102, and I'm fairly certain it's all her from here on out.

Letters page: a reader (female, no less) complains that Dani is less "lusty" now that she thinks Kiro is dead, and the editors claim that Luke's lightsaber attaches to his belt with velcro. No comment.

Issue 104

Issue summary based solely on the cover: Hiromi vs. Luke, Leia vs. chandelier.

Oh, Hirog escaped. Does the Alliance even know what happened with him?

"Mr. Tahkay, set a course for Zeltros."

Hey, a couple of these Hiromi actually aren't wearing the hats.

"...a force of ruthless invaders known as the Knives...or Nagai." Yeah, they're really not known as Knives. That was just you.

I like that even Luke doesn't take the Hiromi seriously. Two different wars of conquest at one time would be a bit much--comic relief I can live with.

Ha, the Zeltrons are hitting on the droids now. Maybe Artoo will get some action for once.

I love that Lando's totally cool with the Zeltrons (as he would be), but he just came awfully close to encouraging Han to cheat on Leia.

The Hiromi have been running Zeltros for one page and I'm already done with this.

The letters page confirms that #101 was indeed originally supposed to be #98, but doesn't explain why the switch happened.

Issue 105

I like the cover of this one a lot; reminds me of Pasqual Ferry.

So there's three issues to go, and I'm starting to get worried about just how abruptly this series did get cancelled. I was just starting to really invest in the Nagai story and now there's all this nonsense with the Hiromi--it would've been okay as a one-shot story somewhere, like Small Wars in #94, but it's just one too many balls for them to finish juggling by #107.

I take it back, the Tof aren't just dwarves--they're green pirate dwarves.

I can see what JMM was saying about the art getting...looser.

Nice to see Luke really cut loose for once--he hasn't been in a good hand-to-hand fight since Lumiya. And his army of Hoojibs is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Well, as bat**** as the Hiromi are, I'm glad to see how quickly they switched sides once the Tof showed up. Lilke the Hoojibs, they're much more tolerable as silly allies than silly antagonists.

Still no hint in the letters column that the series is about to end. Someone even wrote in to thank them for keeping the worlds of Star Wars alive, to which they respond "we won't let you down, pal".

Issue 106

Monitoring the art situation: #104 was penciled by Cynthia Martin, and inked by--and I'm quoting--an incredible simulation. #105 had layouts by Martin and Steve Leialoha, with finished art by Ken Steacy. This issue still has Steacy on finishes, but Martin at least did all the layouts herself. Based on that trajectory, I'm guessing she'll be back in full for the final issue; in fact, that could be what kept her from giving the last couple her full commitment.

Okay, I've tried to avoid asking this, but: are the Hiromi naked, or what? The boots and hats are clear, but it seems like their torsos are shells or exoskeletons or something, and their arms are bare--except she keeps drawing their legs (which are sticking out from inside the shell things and are the same color as their arms and heads) like they're pants. So either the entire thing is an outfit, more or less, or their legs just naturally bunch up above their boots like fabric. Or they're really into skin-toned leggings.

I'll give the Hiromi this: they know how to appreciate a good lunch.

Jahn: "...since we joined the Alliance and people began making us prisoners all the time..."

I've really enjoyed Luke's serene demeanor in this story, despite all the nuttiness. I think Plif brings out the best in him.

The Tof ship--I'm already salivating at the prospects of a Farfalla connection.

Using the Force to predict the trajectory of a laser ricochet--cool.

Still no acknowledgement of the cancellation from the editors, but the "NEXT!" thing admits that next issue is "the final chapter in Marvel's continuing adventures of Luke Skywalker". In the days before advance solicitations, the readers must have been surprised to see that.

Issue 107

I might just not have been noticing it all this time, but this is the first time I can remember "Star" and "Wars" on the cover being two different colors.

Anyway--last issue, baby! That can mean only one thing...



He-Man Luke to the rescue!! Oh, and it also means invasion.

Also, yay, Cynthia Martin's back in full force. Or as the Hiromi would say, YAAYYYY!!!

Huh, I figured the Tof would end up being the bigger threat but I didn't think the Nagai would all join the good guys.

Sweet, Dani's badass now and finally ditched the "Let's Get Physical" outfit.

Another good thing: Fenn doesn't talk like an Irish pirate anymore.

Oh my god I am so tired of seeing Stenaxes everywhere. Worst. Isolationists. Ever.

"His presence was reported to us by our most trusted and skilled agent, whose identity is a closely guarded secret, even from our own people." Bey?

They've gone from drawing Nien Nunb human-size to drawing him Ewok-size. Progress?

The Tof HQ on Saijo has statues out front with bare breasts. Just sayin'.

Oh, man, Lumiya--I'd almost forgotten all about her.

Unstated Marvel Rule #67: whenever possible, get Leia into a dress.

Why is Lumiya suddenly dressed like the Flying Nun?

Also, why is Martin suddenly drawing Luke's lightsabers like they're the plastic toy ones? Even if this issue was rushed, that doesn't seem excessively easier.

Ha! Bey!! Nailed it!

Huh; I didn't expect Lumiya to seem quite so "dead" at the end--by comic book standards, but still. This could easily have been the end of her, yet the EU brought her back anyway; I had no idea.

Well, that's the end of that. What's struck me in these last six issues is that they didn't start rushing the pace even a couple issues ahead of time--right up to #106 it felt like there was a lot more to come, and then they suddenly had to finish the entire story in one normal-sized issue. Makes the end of Legacy seem downright leisurely.

UP NEXT!! So there are two more things I've been holding in reserve for this moment--JJM's awesome-looking CBG Marvel retrospective, and in lieu of The Forgotten War, the wook's Nagai-Tof War article, which I'm assuming incorporates whatever new stuff TFW added. Once I get through those, I'll make one more post with some final thoughts on the series as a whole, and the final storyline in particular.

 

You won't cover any of the Marvel UK material?

 

The what now?

No, I actually read Devilworlds ages ago--which I know isn't quite all of it, but enough that I'm satisfied.

 

Little bit of historical research:

By JD Wiker, R&D Team Member of Wizards of the Coast: As I recall, it was just the Starhoppers article that was considered an Infinities article. I actually asked Mike Mikaelian [the new editor for Star Wars Gamer] this same question, and he told me that the article itself was supposed to have the Infinities logo. We're going to try to identify those in future.

Pablo: Calm down, folks. As far as I know only one story in Issue #4 is marked with the Infinities logo (can you guess which one?). It's on the cover to introduce the concept to those otherwise not familiar with it, and referenced in the editor's foreward.

Since Gamer is a multi-era magazine, it's unlikely that one era symbol would be indicative of its entire content. The marked story aside, the rest of the mag works in continuity.

But you know what? The editorial is all about Jaxxon and company - and it is also goes on and on about 'Infinities' which apparently just being introduced in DHC. It's pretty clear they're talking about Starhoppers.

 

The little I know about Marvel Star Wars is based on the final issues. It would of been interesting to see where Marvel would of taken things had they been given another dozen or so issues to wrap things up.

Speaking of Marvel, does someone have the picture from the Fondor issue that shows Rebel warships at the world? I think it was one of the first post-Endor issues, IIRC.

--Adm. Nick

 

Aha, I stand corrected. What's that from?

 

Nick, the Celebration talk about the Marvel comics (which was fantastic, BTW) indicated that the reason that it did end was because LFL wouldn't let them 'advance' anything - not only Luke reforming the Jedi, Han and Leia's relationship etc. but also the development of the post-ROTJ galaxy.

Searched the old tf.n files, and pulled my old copy of Gamer.
I think it's clear that, though, that Pablo won out in the end. (And there seemed to be a flood of Marvel references afterwards)

 

This reminds me:

I guess that's another thing I'll have to dig out now...

 

What? You don't want to read the three Ewoks short stories? Or the only two Star Wars stories written by Stan Lee and penciled by Steve Ditko?

 

Read? Maybe at some point. Analyze publicly? Nah.

Also, you and I had this conversation already.