I'm not really a fan of the movies any more (Empire is pretty good) but I had read some of these comics when I was a kid and wanted to revisit them.

It's a very different experience reading this series today than it was back then. The first six issues, adapting the original film, are pretty rough in the art department. Howard Chaykin has said that if he knew how big Star Wars was going to be, he would have tried harder--movie adaptations being mostly forgettable merchandising tie-ins. Of course, no one knew how big it would be. The movie wasn't even out yet when the comic series began. Obsessive, err, I mean astute fans will notice "discrepancies" that are a result of having worked from an earlier version of the script (or not having been provided information at all)--most notably in the case of Jabba the Hutt who is neither human nor slug here. If you're going to get upset about such things, you won't enjoy this book at all. Die-hard fans should relax and try to see the comic as it's own thing.

Roy Thomas writes the first several issues, we get some great art by Tom Palmer and then the new team of Archie Goodwin and Carmine Infantino takes over for most of the duration. I was never a fan of Infantino's style, but it looks alright (particularly when inked by Terry Austin). Goodwin does a fine job building up his own Star Wars "universe" in spite of the restrictions placed upon him. He couldn't, of course, make any drastic changes or do anything that would interfere with George Lucas' plans for the continuing film story. This is where "knowing too much" as a reader affects the experience. After a while, it starts to feel like it is spinning its wheels waiting for the next "official" or "real" chapter to begin. Not fair, perhaps, but it can't be helped.

The book ends with the adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back. Goodwin continues to write while Al Williamson handles the art. The art in this section of the book is fantastic. Not only is it easier on the eyes, it also has a near-photo-realistic attention to detail. For the first time, everything looks just as it does in the movies. The story ends on a cliffhanger, but it finishes the volume on a high creative note. ( )