Monday Memories #42 - Star Wars: A Long Time Ago #1

Each Monday this year I'll be taking a look back at a random comic, prestige format issue, graphic novel or collection of reprints from amongst my 3,000 or so comics that date from 1962 to 2003 - I figured anything in the last ten years would be too recent to hark back to.

The comics are chosen completely at random and apart from a four week lead-in period, even I don't know what I'll be looking at in the weeks to come!

STAR WARS: A LONG TIME AGO #1 - June 2002

It would seem to be the very definition of a worthless endeavour if I were to try and re-tell the story of the original Star Wars series, published by Marvel but collected years later by Dark Horse. Instead, as I flipped through the pages of this volume, I found myself fixating on the things from the early issues that differed from what appeared on screen. For example, Jabba the Hutt:

Not only did his appearance in the original film get dropped but he wasn't the big, slobbering slug we all came to know and love - he was a yellow, furry faced humanoid. Oh how things might have been different...

Also, I'm sure you all remember Luke and Ben in the cantina having a little trouble with the locals? I'm betting you don't remember it like this:

Ben Kenobi's graceful, understated defence of Luke in the film becomes an all out blaster shooting bar fight on the cover of the second issue.

And check out the green splash text on the left: Luke Skywalker Strikes Back! years before the Empire did!

While I've read these stories a few times, I've never noticed this in the following scene:

Sure, everyone recalls the "I find your lack of faith disturbing" line and the Force choke . . . but check out Vader using the Force to float over a steaming mug of some beverage or other, and calmly holding it in one hand as he chokes the admiral! How was he planning to drink that?!

Ahh, those crazy Marvel adaptations.