Before Star Wars, there was The Star Wars! This is the authorized adaptation of George Lucas’s rough-draft screenplay of what would eventually become a motion picture that would change the world.
Annikin Starkiller is the hero . . . Luke Skywalker is a wizened Jedi general . . . Han Solo is a big green alien . . . and the Sith . . . Well, the Sith are still the bad guys. High adventure and derring-do from longer ago, in a galaxy even further away!
Overall, The Star Wars #1 is an interesting and compelling first issue. It paves the way for the remaining nine issues that in all, will tell George Lucas' original story. While yes, this issue focused primarily on set up and meet and greets, this was necessary in order to ensure that we do not assume who the characters are. Just because a character has a name we are familiar with, we shouldn't assume this character is anything like the one on the big screen. I'm excited for the next issue and hope that somewhere down the line, Dark Horse expands on this universe. Read Full Review
The release ofThe Star Warsis a successful first step in telling an untold story. If you love Star Wars with every fiber of your being than you will find everything you love about Star Wars in these pages in a new and interesting way. Rinzler and Mayhew have created a great first step in this new Star Wars journey and if there's one thing I know about Star Wars it will likely be a journey worth taking. Read Full Review
I went into this a Doubting Thomas. I thought this was going to be a train wreck, a last gasp from this publisher. Excuse me for a moment while I remove my foot from my mouth. This is the ultimate tale of what could have been. You will be amazed at the visuals and awe at the subtle twists in the tale. This is not to be missed by fans. Read Full Review
This issue/series kick ass. From cover to cover. The art, the story, the spirit. It's just an awesome comic.The Star Wars is a must read series forStar Wars fans. Other comic readers may also enjoy it, because it is a quality comic, but I doubt that they would get as much out of it asStar Wars fans. I can't wait to see where the next issue (The Star Wars #2: The Empire Strikes) takes us! Read Full Review
The Star Wars #1 is a timeless tale and a refreshing addition to the franchise. Here's hoping this alternative universe springboards into its own saga. But with the groundwork laid here, it's safe to assume some wheels are already in motion. Read Full Review
Yes, it doesn't compare, and it probably won't ever get made into a movie. It doesn't further the canonical universe created by the House of Lucas, and at the end of the day, Darth Vader is so much cooler as a cyborg " but for readers who want to see what could have been, The Star Wars is a gift. Read Full Review
All in all, the story of this first issue is quite all over the place with many narratives occurring simultaneously. This may seem to be quite annoying to readers however I did not mind this aspect about the comic, as a comic of this calibre, I believe, is slowly being set up to be an engaging and familiar story supports will love. The art direction provided by Mike Mayhew and colourists; Rain Beredo and Brad Anderson are absolutely magnificent. The designs of this universe is a breathe of fresh air, with new takes on characters, locations and also vehicles. Being so detailed and subtle, on the colours aspect, it feels as if the tone of the original Star Wars trilogy was implemented into this first issue. Overall, if you were as curious as I was, in regards to the Star Wars film franchise, I would recommend you purchase this issue. Read Full Review
In the end, what can still be said about The Star Wars as a new saga will have to wait, but I know that Rinzler, Mayhew, and the whole Dark Horse team involved have taken a modern American sci-fi legacy and used the historian's craft and some creative interpretation to fashion on a new legacy worthy of Star Wars' mantle of honor, yet uniquely its own monolithic work of fictional pomp and grandeur. The Star Wars #1 is, in short, the beginning of an unfinished vision of Star Wars redefined and perfected with all the insight of nearly 40 years of one of the most successful fictional franchises. Read Full Review
This is just the first issue of an extended remix of Star Wars, so it is difficult to fully form an opinion based on a partial script. However, The Star Wars is likely to please fans looking for something new that is wholly within the spirit of the original movie, and not indebted to the masses of extended universe canon that has build up in novels, animation and comic books over the last four decades. An exciting prospect for the next eight months and beyond, The Star Wars is a terrific glimpse at what might have been. Read Full Review
The Star Wars #1 is a neat little treat. Non-essential, but if you like the property but not so much the franchise, you may have a good time with this. Read Full Review
There's a reticent Sith warrior becowled in black. A princess named Leia. An Emperor with visions of grandeur. (And Brainiac's forehead, apparently.) A young Darth Vader with a crew cut and a glaring lack of body spanning fourth degree burns. And even" George Lucas on the Keto diet?! Read Full Review
Overall the issue was a positive if flawed one. There are a number of potentially interesting threads and it is a nice sideways version of the movie. Hopefully the exposition heavy middle segment will not reoccur in future issues, the nice final line of the book seems to confirm that. The artwork is the real stand out; Mike Mayhew's work is gorgeous. His designs of both ships and characters elevate the book above its sometimes clunky dialogue, as Harrison Ford famously said "you can type this $hit, but you can't say it," turns out even when typed it is still as clunky. Read Full Review
So is The Star Wars any good? Sure, its good pulpy fun, much like the original Star Wars was. I look forward to see where George Lucas' original vision takes us. Read Full Review
Still there's no getting around it; this kind of space opera nonsense just plain works, at least to a certain subset of the nerd population of whom I am definitely a part. For all the disappointments we've been handed under the Star Wars banner"and all the disappointments likely to come"there's a reason people keep returning to it. This kind of strange new vantage point is the kind of thing that reminds us of how deeply Star Wars still has its hooks in us. Read Full Review
Overall, then, the first issue of "The Star Wars" is a mixed bag. Fans of the real "Star Wars" won't dare miss it, and rightly so; it's also worth checking out for anybody who likes a good space opera. The series should also improve as it moves out of the exposition and into the action, and some of Mayhew's art is absolutely gorgeous, even if some isn't. Time will tell how the comic plays out, but for now, take it with a grain of salt -- after all, it's based on a rough draft. Read Full Review
The first issue of The Star Wars is just what you'd expect, it's different, significantly. Fans of the franchise will enjoy the different approach that almost was, they'll also enjoy the similarities and fun nods toward the original peppered throughout the issue as well. Overall, this was a adequate start to the interpretation of Lucas's rough draft. Read Full Review
This is a very intriguing start, not only because it's a nice first chapter to what appears to be a rousing space adventure, but because it also provides a valuable insight into the creative process. I assume that by the time this is over, we'll get a good idea how Lucas' ideas solidified and how the marketplace affected later drafts. Read Full Review
Overall the issue was a positive if flawed one. There are a number of potentially interesting threads and it is a nice sideways version of the movie. Hopefully the exposition heavy middle segment will not reoccur in future issues, the nice final line of the book seems to confirm that. The artwork is the real stand out, Mike Mayhew's work is gorgeous. Read Full Review
Overall, this feels more like an exercise in bringing a story that has not been seen by many to established fans of the series than anything else. While the faithfulness of the adaptation is admirably, there's not a lot here for anyone not already enamoured by the universe Lucas created in 1977. It's a book clearly aimed at those who are already so invested in Star Wars that they'd pick up a comic adaptation of a rough draft script and for that it does it's job admirably. There's just not a lot here for anyone else, unfortunately, despite Mayhew's gorgeous artwork. Read Full Review
I'm not sure how many readers will be reading this series without any knowledge of the Star Wars Universe, but I am guessing that number is low. Taking this story on its own, and trying not to compare it to the original movie is hard, because making these comparisons ends up being one of the bright spots of the issue. By itself The Star Wars #1 is beautiful looking,slow, somewhat boring start to a Sci-Fi story. I am hoping that this series becomes more than just a showcase for Mike Mayhew and an exercise in redesign, but for now that is exactly what it is. It is easy to see why this was based off of a first draft of what would become the Star Wars we all know and love. Read Full Review
But after getting past those small details, 'The Star Wars' is a pretty fun sci-fi comic. If I had no prior knowledge about how the story actually turned out, I think I'd just as interested and invested in how this story ends as I am now. But seeing as I am a big fan of the 'Star Wars' movies, I'm definitely into riding this thing out because it's essentially the highest profile 'What If?' story ever and I want to see how it might have ended if Lucas stuck with this version of the story. Read Full Review
The rest of the story is about as exciting as a Hutt triathlon. I can only hope that The Star Wars is able to deliver a unique experience, one that becomes as memorable as its predecessor. Read Full Review
A reason to check this story out is the alternate designs for different planets, characters, and spaceships. For example, the giant, triangular Star Destroyers are now smaller X-Wing sized Stardestroyers, while the Palace of Lite looks a lot like Jabba's Palace with a dash of Naboo. It's unclear how much of this was inspired by the original script versus the prequels and Expanded Universe content, but it all works together to create an interesting looking new universe inspired by the original one we love. Read Full Review
All in all I was very displeased with The Star Wars and I am very glad George Lucas changed the things he did around. If he didn't, I believe it would have been a big Box Office bust. Read Full Review
Be the first to rate this issue!
Click the 'Rate/Write A Review' link above to get started.
© 2024
Prev
