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Star Wars Resume – Comic Books

Continuing my Star Wars Resume!  In the summer of 1981, I discovered Star Wars comic books.  Prior to then I’d picked up an issue or two like any kid might have picked up Archie or Sad Sack.  When I bought Marvel Comics Star Wars #50 off the shelf, I knew I was buying something different.  This wasn’t just some throw away tale for kids, this comic was packed with great storytelling, amazing art, and expanded the Star Wars universe.  From that point I stuck with the Marvel series, eventually buying all the issues (some of the harder to find issues I got in trade paperback format). Once the Marvel title ended in 1986 at issue #107, there really wasn’t a Star Wars comic book outlet.  I moved on with my comic reading interests, always with a fond memory towards those adventures.

Then in late 1991, shortly after the publication of the novel Heir to the Empire, Dark Horse comics obtained the license to produce Star Wars comics.  They started with Star Wars: Dark Empire.  Wow, what a series!  My friends and I nitpicked it, but really we loved the heck out of it.  It was an epic tale with amazing art.  Some of the plot points still don’t sit well with me, like the cloned Emperor, but I’m willing to forgive that given the importance of this series.  This was the first new Star Wars comic in six years and spawned Dark Horse’s Star Wars comic line that remains in publication today.

For me personally, I enjoy the comics that take place after A New Hope.  My favorites include: the aforementioned Marvel Comics series (specifically issues #49 – 81, set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi), Dark Horse’s Star Wars: Empire & Star Wars: Rebellion (both set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back), Dark Horse’s Classic Star Wars (reprints the old newspaper strips from the early 1980s), and Dark Horse’s current title Star Wars Legacy (takes place 125 years after Return of the Jedi).

I now own well over 350 hundred Star Wars comics.  Below you’ll see all my Star Wars comics stacked up, along with some of my Expanded Universe action figures.  Click the image to enlarge.

Star Wars comic books - Marvel and Dark Horse

Here are the Expanded Universe toys in the picture above:

  • Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade from the Timothy Zahn novels and comic adaptations;
  • Micro-machine ships from Shadows of the Empire: Hound’s Tooth (Bossk’s ship), Outrider (Dash Rendar’s ship), IG-2000 (IG-88’s ship), and Stinger (Guri’s ship);
  • Swoop Bike and rider, Dash Rendar, Prince Xizor, Luke Skywalker in Imperial Guard Disguise, and Chewbacca in Bounty Hunter Disguise from the Shadows of the Empire novel and comic adaptation; and
  • Luke Skywalker (on the path to the Dark Side), Jedi Leia Organa Solo, and an Imperial Sentinel from the Dark Empire comic series.

MARVEL COMICS in the picture above:

  • Star Wars (Marvel Comics series) – I have nearly all 107 issues and Annuals
  • Star Wars: A Long Time Ago volumes TPB  (reprints the Marvel Comics series) – vol 1 – 5
  • Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi (Marvel Comics adaptation)

DARK HORSE COMICS in the picture above:

  • Star Wars: Legacy – I have all 46 issues and still going
  • Star Wars: Empire – I have all 40 issues
  • Star Wars: Rebellion – I have all 16 issues
  • Star Wars: Dark Times – I only have a few issues
  • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – I only have a few issues
  • Star Wars: Republic – I only have a few issues
  • Star Wars:  X-Wing – Rogue Squadron – I have about half of this 35 issue series
  • Star Wars Tales – I have nearly all of this 24 issue series
  • Classic Star Wars (reprints the old newspaper strip) – have nearly all of this 20 issue series
  • Star Wars:  Dark Empire (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Dark Empire II (limited series)
  • Star Wars – Dark Empire U.K. edition (limited magazine series)
  • Star Wars:  Heir to the Empire (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Dark Force Rising (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Last Command (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Mara Jade – By the Emperor’s Hand (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Shadows of the Empire (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Shadows of the Empire – Evolution (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Tales of the Jedi (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Tales of the Jedi – Freedon Nadd Uprising (limited series)
  • Star Wars:  Tales of the Jedi – Dark Lords of the Sith (limited series)
  • Star Wars: The Force Unleashed OGN
  • Star Wars: Crimson Empire TPB
  • Classic Star Wars:  Devilworlds (limited series)
  • Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Squadron – The Phantom Affair TPB
  • Star Wars:  Boba Fett – Twin Engines of Destruction (one shot)
  • Star Wars: The Bounty Hunters – Soundrel’s Wages (one shot)
  • Star Wars: The Bounty Hunters – Kenix Kil (one shot)
  • Star Wars Underworld – The Yavin Vassilika (limited series)
  • Star Wars: X-Wing Rogue Leader (limited series)
  • Star Wars: Union (limited series)

If you’re interested, click here for a well-organized list of Star Wars comic books on Wikipedia.

I’m ecstatic to report that on Sunday night my 10 year old step-son picked up one of my trade paperbacks reprinting the Marvel series and was immediately hooked!  He’s blazed through several issues and is devouring them at lightspeed.  If you are a fan of the Marvel Star Wars comics, check out the Two True Freaks Star Wars Monthly Monday podcasts.  Their mission is to review each and every Marvel Star Wars comic in order.  These guys are incredibly knowledgeable in the area of Star Wars and they also know how to bring the funny. Well worth your time.

Check back here tomorrow for more of my Star Wars Resume.

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