Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago. . . Volume 4 by various artists and writers

(pb; 2011: graphic novel. Collects Star Wars issues #68─85, the King-Sized Annual #3 and the original four-issue adaptation of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi from the Marvel Comics Star Wars series from the 1980s)

From the back cover

“In this volume alone, there are nearly 500 pages of classic Star Wars adventures! Luke Skywalker and his rebel friends battle the oppressive Empire in stories set shortly before and after the galaxy’s restoration to a New Republic in Return of the Jedi. This volume collects Marvel Comics Star Wars #68─85, as well as the original four-issue adaptation of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”

Overall review

 This eighteen-issue edition collects issues #68─85, King-Sized Annual #3 and the original four-issue adaptation of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, which were originally published in the early 1980s.

Vol. 4 is a fun, action-packed collection. Again, many of the stories are standard science fiction stories that could be applied to any series, but then the same could be said about the original Star Wars films. The artwork, again, varies from decent to god-awful, but between nostalgia and the general fun tone of the work, this volume is a worthwhile read for fans like myself. Followed by Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago. . . Volume 5.

Story arcs/issue #s: 

“The Search Begins” [#68]: Leia, Threepio and R2-D2 seek out Denga, one of the bounty hunters who hunted Han Solo in Empire Strikes Back) on Mandalore, a distant planet. While there, they meet Fenn Shysa, an acquaintance of Boba Fett’s, who wears armor similar to Fett’s.

“Death in the City of Bone!” [#69]: Leia, R2-D2, Threepio and Fenn Shysa take on a Mandalorian slave colony army.

“The Stenax Shuffle” [#70]: En route to the plaent Stenos, Luke and Chewie to tell Lando about the last time he, Han, Leia and the droids were there (prior to the events of Empire). Luke and Chewie also mention how they looked for an ancient artifact, one that may win the Rebels new allies. (This issue fetures the first appearance of Rik Duel, Dani and Chihdo, Han’s acquaintances and fellow mercenaries.)

“Return to Stenos” [#71]: On Stenos, Luke and Lando are recognized, leading to a violent run of luck, mostly bad, as well as encounters with Bossk and IG-88 (Boba Fett’s bounty hunter partners in Empire).

“Fool’s Bounty” [#72]: Luke and Lando, caught by IG-88 and Bossk, fight for their freedom ─ with help from unexpected, multiple friends and acquaintances.

“Lahsbane” [#73]: While attempting to recover the ship tapes of a downed Rebel pilot (Tay Vanis) our heroes encounter silly ─ later hostile ─ aliens (Lashsbees) and an Imperial patrol, also looking the tapes.

“The Iskalon Effect” [#74] ─ “Artoo-Detoo to the Rescue!” [#76]: On Iskalon ─ a peaceful planet of gilled, water-loving aliens ─ hope, sorrow, treachery and milestone tragedies play out.

“Chanteuse of the Stars” [#77]: Back at the Rebel base on Arbra, an unexpected hologram of pre-Empire Han impels Luke and Leia ─ the latter still fervidly missing Han ─ to a mixed-alien ball that is sometimes screwball, sometimes terrifying. This is an especially fun, light issue.

“Hoth Stuff” [#78]: Luke and Leia search a transport ship for Wedge Antilles, Luke’s longtime friend and Rebel pilot. They find a hologram made by the still-missing Antilles, whose fate appears to be grim.

“The Apprentice” [King-Sized Annual #3]: On the planet Belderone, two young friends (Barney and Flint) are caught between the Empire and the Rebellion, setting them on their possibly-divergent paths.

“The Big Con” [#79]: Lando and Chewie try to trick a gang of thieves into helping them find Han ─ and discover the thieves already know. (This knowledge paves the way for the certain events in Return of the Jedi.)

“Ellie” [#80]: Luke and Leia discover the probable location of Tay Vanis, the missing Rebel, and his Bothan tape. (Both were first mentioned in issue #73.) Their seeming victory does not come without a high cost, however.

“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” [#1─4 of the “four-issue limited series”]: This miniseries recounts the events of the 1983 film.

“Jawas of Doom” [#81]: Leia and Han go to Tatooine to retrieve money han had stashed away. They encounter trouble in the form of bellicose Jawas, legal red tape and Boba Fett, who ─ amazingly ─ survived his descent into the sarlaac (a beast with a long, torturous digestive cycle).

“Diplomacy” [#82]: Luke and a Plif (a hoojib, first mention in issue #55), fly to Iskalon ─ whose inhabitants’ serene society was destroyed in issue #74─76. Luke and Plif’s mission: to invite the Iskalions to join an interplanetary council. While there, Luke and Plif discover Dani, Rik Duel and Chihdo (last seen together in issue #72), as well as Kiro and Mone, Iskalions with notably different worldviews.

“Sweetheart Contract” [#83]: On planet Dragheda, Lando gets caught between royal intrigue and explosive revolution.

“Seoul Searching” [#84]: Han Solo and Chewie find and seek valuable crystals in a legendary city long thought destroyed. Of course, they encounter Imperial forces there,  also hoping to find the crystal to use as a devastating telepathic weapon.

“The Hero” [#85]: On planet Keyorin, “the Hunter’s World”, Lando, Han and Chewie get tangled in a conflict between multiple criminal parties, two of whom are Bossk and IG-88. Also: one of Lando’s on-going jokes ─ identifying himself as one of his enemies ─ lands him in a difficult situation.

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago. . . Volume 3 by various artists and writers

(pb; 2011: graphic novel. Collects Star Wars issues #50--67 and King-Sized Annual #2. These stories take place between The Empire Strikes Back [1980] and Return of the Jedi [1983].)

From the back cover

"From 1977 to 1986, Marvel Comics produced monthly 'Star Wars' comics. This was when the continuity for that galaxy far, far away was still brand-new, when almost anything could happen-- and often did."ar,
far
away was stil
Overall review

Volume 3 is a fun, action-packed read with the occasional plot-awkwardness that marred the previous volume. This time out, though, there are less discrepancies with now-established canon. Again, many of the stories are standard science fiction stories that could be applied to any series, but then the same could be said about Star Wars. The artwork, again, varies from decent to god-awful, but between nostalgia and the general fun tone of the work, this volume is a worthwhile read for fans like myself. Followed by Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago. . .Volume 4.


Story arcs

“The Crimson Forever” [#50]: A deadly plague sweeps across the galaxy, Luke numbering among its barely-alive victims. His friends seek a cure for it. Domina Tagge, last seen in issue #37, makes an appearance.


“Resurrection of Evil” [#51] ─ “To Take the Tarkin” [#52]: The Rebels face a new Imperial super-weapon, as dangerous as the Death Star was. Meanwhile, Vader fends off a coup among his men.


“The Last Gift from Alderaan” [#53] ─ “Starfire Rising” [#54]: Cheesy and melodramatic characters and events highlight this “meh”-writerly tale about Leia, sword-wielding people on Shiva IV (a backwater planet), the Empire and a black hole.


“Plif!” [#55]: Chewie, Leia, Artoo and See-Threepio scout out a planet (Arbra) as a possible new base for the Alliance and get to know the smart and fierce wildlife, one member of it named Plif.


“Coffin in the Clouds” [#56]: Lando Calrissian returns to the Cloud City. While there, he faces a killer robot, Imperial troops, treachery and possible allies.


“Sundown!” [#58] ─ “Bazarre” [#59]: While Leia, Artoo and See-Threepio try to rig a force field around a sun-circling Rebel fleet, Luke, Chewie and Lando deal with a sneaky black marketer (Ferret) in order to secure more ships for the Alliance.


“Shira’s Story” [#60]: Shira Brie, the hot-shot Rebel pilot and Luke’s friend, returns to her Empire-devastated homeworld with the Jedi apprentice. Once they arrive, they ─ of course ─ encounter hostility in the form of Gundarks, a war-loving race. (Brie originally appeared in issue #56.)


“Screams in the Void” [#61] ─ “The Mind Spider” [#63]: When Luke makes what appears to be a tragic error about Shira Brie, he is shocked to discover that the truth may or may not be worse than he thought.


“Serphidian Eyes” [#64]: On a medieval alien world (Serphidia, in the Belial system), Luke tries to recruit new allies by negotiating with their Imperialistic, corrupt leader.


“Golbraith Never Forgets!” [#65]: When the Rebels realize that a crystalline record of their activities was left at an old base (Golbraith), they race there to erase it ─ only to find that an Imperial military attachment has beat them to the site.


“Water Bandits!” [#66]: Luke, accidentally abandoned by his Rebel friends after the events of the previous issue, helps a water farmer (Darial Anglethorn) fight off thieves and odd alien creatures.


“Shadeshine!” [King-Sized Annual #2]: Lando and Luke, pursued by stormtroopers on Ventooine, are told a tale about Han Solo via a recording made by Solo years before.


“The Darker” [#67]: On Arbra, planet of the new Rebel base, See-Threepio, Artoo, Chewie and some hoojib (including Plif) discover and combat a negative-energy creature seeking to escape its force shield prison.

Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago. . . Volume 2 by various artists and writers

(pb; 2010: graphic novel. Collects Star Wars issues #28--49 and King-Sized Annual #1)

From the back cover

"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away..."Farm boy Luke Skywalker dreamed of going to the stars, only to get more than he ever hoped for when he joined an old Jedi to rescue a princess, aided a galactic rebellion, and singlehandedly destroyed the deadliest super-weapon ever devised. But Luke's adventures in the film Star Wars: A New Hope were just the beginning. From 1977 to 1986, Marvel comics published monthly adventures in comics form, keeping alive the excitement and fun of Star Wars for a whole generation as they waited for the next chapter in the film series.

"Collected here are issues #28 to #49, and the Giant Size Annual #1."


Overall review

This twenty-two-issue edition collects issues #28─19 and King-Sized Annual #1, which were originally published in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A lot of these stories took place between A New Hope (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). They also include the comic book version of the latter film, as well as between-film stories, with additional bad guys and good guys. 

This is a fun, sometimes plot-awkward read, as Luke and Leia’s sibling relationship was not yet known, Jabba the Hut’s appearance and character is different (he is now thin) and other Star Wars themes and elements were not yet established. Many of the stories are standard science fiction stories that could be applied to any series, but then the same could be said about Star Wars. The artwork varies from decent to god-awful, but between nostalgia and the general fun tone of the work, this volume is a worthwhile read for fans like myself. Followed by Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago. . .Volume 3.


Story arcs

“What Ever Happened to Jabba the Hut?” [#28]: Han Solo and Chewbacca battle with some of Hut’s bounty hunters on Orleon, an “obscure planet” filled with acid-blooded stonemites.

“Dark Encounter” [#29]: On Centares, a planet ruined by industrial waste, Dark Vader and Valance ─ a cyborg bounty hunter ─ race and fight each other in order to capture a Rebel Alliance deserter (Tyler Lucian).

“A Princess Alone!” [#30]: Leia Organa sneaks onto the Empire-run factory planet, Metalorn, on a secret mission. While doing so, she tangles with Baron Orman Tagge, last seen in issue #25.

“The Long Hunt” [King-Size Annual #1]: On the planet Tirahnn, Luke and Leia offend the haughty Majestrix of Skye and her beastly Catuman Warriors. They, along with Han Solo, Chewbacca and their old friend [Katya] also fend off an attacking smoke demon. This is one of the my favorite issues in this series, it is one of the better-illustrated works as well.

“Return to Tatooine!” [#31] ─ “Saber Clash! “ [#33]: Luke does that. He encounters an old acquaintance, a hick named Fixer ─ as well as Baron Orman Tagge and his scientist brother (Silas) and a lot of stormtroopers. Han Solo, See-Threepio and Artoo get caught up in the action, also.

“Thunder in the Stars!” [#34]: Luke tries to save his Rebel friends from the Omega Frost, created by Silas Tagge, a device that freezes ships in space.

“Dark Lord’s Gambit” [#35] ─ “In Mortal Combat!” [#37]: Seeking new recruits for the Rebellion, Luke and the gang visit the fourth moon of Yavin, where the flirtatious Sister Domina, Priestess in the Order of the Sacred Circle, holds sway. Complications arise when her family history is revealed and Darth Vader shows up.

“Riders in the Void” [#38]: Luke and Leia find themselves stuck in an icky, hallucinogenic alternate reality. This is an especially fun issue.

“The Empire Strikes Back” [#39] ─ “Duel a Dark Lord!” [#44]: These issues are the comic book adaptation of the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back.

“Death Probe” [#45]: Artoo and Luke battle an Imperial death probe, which is tearing their ship apart, and the Star Destroyer it contacts.

“The Dreams of Cody Sunn-Childe!”: Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian crash land on an unfamiliar planet and meet legendary Rebel heroes (Cody Sunn-Childe and others) ─ who have sworn off violence. When Imperial trackers find them, the tale takes a tragic turn.


“Droid World!” [#47]: Artoo and See-Threepio try to stay alive on a space station where hostile droids hunt them.

“The Third Law” [#48]: Leia, See-Threepio and Artoo fend off assassination attempt ─ guided by Darth Vader ─ on a neutral-ground banking planet (“Aargau. . . third planet of the Zug system”). There is a lot of potent and imaginative writing in this issue.

“The Last Jedi!” [#49]: A rescue signal brings Luke and Leia to an out-of-the-way planet, where they cross paths with an Empire-deposed prince (Prince Denid of Velmor) and Jedidiah, a legendary Jedi Knight ─ as well as an Imperial attaché, Traal, who wants to kill Denid.

Essential Marvel: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man by various artists and writers

(pb; 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, and 2006: graphic novel. Collects Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #1-31.)

From the back cover

"Spidey faces some of his most fearsome foes - including Tarantula, Kraven, Lightmaster, Vulture, Hitman, Morbius, Brother Power, Hate Monger, Beetle and the Enforcers! Guest-starring the Fantastic Four, Inhumans and Champions!"

Overall review

Spectacular is a fun, action-intense and occasionally ridiculous comic book. Many of its storylines loosely tie in with those of The Amazing Spider-Man. What separates Spectacular from Amazing is the former series, which debuted years later, shows a more mature Peter Parker, and Spectacular’s writing is often better. Spectacular Vol. 1 is worth owning.

Story arcs

"Twice Stings the Tarantula!” [#1] ─ “And There was Lightmaster!” [#3]: A mysterious man hires the Tarantula, a South American assassin, and Kraven the Hunter to kidnap civic leaders and a college professor ─ leading the Tarantula and Kraven on a collision course with Spider-Man. This three-issue arc introduces Lightmaster, a head-blaster of a bad guy.

“The Vulture is a Bird of Prey!” [#4] ─ “Spider-Kill!” [#5]: Spidey squares off against the Vulture and Hitman, the latter a gun- and gadget-using professional. Behind the scenes, Mr. Morgan works a protection racket and keeps Hitman in work.

On the Peter Parker’s-friend front, Flash Thompson continues to be concerned about the sudden reappearance and disappearance of his Vietnamese friend, Shan Shan ─ she was last seen in The Amazing Spider-Man, issue #109.

“The Power to Purge” [#6]: Spider-Man and Johnny Storm (a.k.a. The Human Torch) battle Michael Morbius (a.k.a. the Morbius the Living Vampire) on a college campus.

Meanwhile, Flash Thompson obsesses over his kidnapped friend, Shan Shan.

“Cry Mayhem ─ Cry Morbius!” [#7]: Morbius the Living Vampire, in part controlled by a mysterious being ─ the Empathoid ─ returns. Morbius kidnaps Glory Grant, a Daily Bugle co-worker of Peter Parker’s. Morbius’s reasoning: to lure Spider-Man to him. The living vampire succeeds in doing so. This is the Empathoid’s first appearance in Spectacular Spider-Man.

“And Only One Shall Survive!” [#8]: The web-slinger, now possessed by the Empathoid, fights Morbius, who wants to end the mega-destructive threat of the alternate world creature. But not all is at it seems.

While this happens, Flash Thompson rescues Shan Shan from her captor ─ only to receive a heart-rending blow.

“. . . Like a Tiger in the Night!” [#9] ─ “Tiger in a Web!” [#10]: Spider-Man must contend with another college campus protest. While doing so, our hero must recover a stolen and priceless document, the Erskine Manuscripts (named for the scientist who wrote them, and created the “Super Soldier” formula that turned Steve Rogers into Captain America).

A more immediate concern for the wall-crawler is the appearances of the tough-to-beat White Tiger (also seen in another Marvel title, the Deadly Hands of Kung Fu), and a group of criminals, known as the Black Hand.

“A Life too Far” [#11]: While trying to retrieve an anti-venom vial to save a boy’s life, the web-slinger is forced to confront Medusa from the Marvel series the Inhumans, who has the vial for her own desperate reasons.

“Brother Power, Sister Moon” [#12] ─ “The Final Rage!” [#15]: Spider-Man, Razorback (a.k.a. Buford Hollis) and Flash Thompson try to eliminate the global threat of Brother Power (Achmed Korba, a former Vietnamese smuggler) and the Hatemonger (Korba’s animalistic puppeteer), who have taken Shan Shan and Bobby Sue Hollis (Razorback’s sister) into their cultic thrall.

Parts of this story are crazy fun, others feature dumb character interactions. This is Razorback’s first appearance in Spectacular Spider-Man.

“The Beetle and the Badge!” [#16]: Sad tale about Joey Macone (a NYC cop) who gets caught up in a dust-up between Spidey and the Beetle. This issue has a PSA feel to it.

“Whatever Happened to the Iceman?” [#17] ─ “My Friend, My Foe!” [#18]: The web-slinger and the Angel (a.k.a. Warren Worthington III), formerly of the X-Men and the Champions, combat a brainwashed Iceman (a.k.a. Bobby Drake). Iceman is being controlled by a physically crippled villain, Rampage, also called Stuart Clarke.

This issue ends on a cliffhanger note, with an appearance by lovebirds Flash Thompson and Shan Shan.

“Again, the Enforcers!” [#19] ─ “Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?” [ #20]: The Lightmaster (a.k.a. Edward Lansky) hires The Enforcers (Fancy Dan Montana and the New Ox) to fight Spider-Man, before Lansky enters the fray. Unfortunately for the bad guys, the White Tiger ─ also called Hector Ayala ─ is in the same area at the same time. (The Lightmaster was last seen in issue #3.

“Still Crazy After All These Years” [#21]: The Scorpion ─ once a P.I. named Mac Gorgan ─ comes gunning for the man who helped turn him into a villain: J. Jonah Jameson. Of course, Spider-Man is there to save the day.

“By the Light of the Silvery Moon Knight!” [#22] ─ “Guess Who’s Buried in Grant’s Tomb” [#23]: Spider-Man and Moon Knight meet each other, then tangle with Cyclone, who has been hired by M [a.k.a. the Masked Marauder], leader of the Maggia.

“Spider-Man Night Fever” [#24]: Maggia soldiers hijack a plutonium truck. Peter Parker, against his will, is taken to the Beyond Fever disco, where the Hypno-Hustler and the Mercy killers stage a robbery.

“Carrion, My Wayward Son!” [#25] ─ “Till Death Do Us Part!” [#31]: Spidey, with help from the White Tiger and Daredevil, engages in extended conflicts with the Masked Marauder and his Maggia minions, as well as Tri-Man, a living biped bomb. Things get creepy when Carrion, born of a tragic misunderstanding, unleashes his clone-based horror on the web-slinger and those around him. This may be one of my favorite multipart story arcs in this collection.

Spider-Man: The Birth of Venom by various authors and writers

(oversized pb; 2007: graphic novel)

From the back cover:

"The origin of Venom!

"The Beyonder's Battleworld might seem a stranger place to get new threads, but it's Spiderman who becomes unraveled when his shape-changing costume attempts to darken his life as well as his fashion sense! But ridding himself of his riotous rainment proves an even greater mistake when its alien enmity bonds with mortal madness to form our hero's most dedicated decimator! Plus: the first appearance of Puma and the Rose! Mary Jane Watson's startling secret! And the debut of the battling. . . . Bag-Man!? Guest-starring the Black Cat, the Fantastic Four and more!

"Collecting Secret Wars #8; Amazing Spider-man #252 - 259, #298 - 300,  #315 - 317 and Annual #25; Fantastic Four #274; and Web of Spider-Man #1 -- written by Jim Shooter, Tom DeFalco, John Byrne, Louis Simonson and David Michelinie; and illustrated by Mike Zeck, Ron Frenz, Rick Leonardi, John Byrne, Greg Larocque and Todd McFarlane."


Review:

Venom is an exciting, chock-full-of-action-and-personal-drama read that I burned through in two hours. Being older and being a writer, I prefer the earlier issues in this collection, whose publication dates span from 1984 to the early nineties. While nostalgia no doubt plays a part in my preference, it is ultimately that the older issues have more interesting takes on the characters, as well as stronger and more complex writing. Not only that, the artwork is more consistently excellent.

Later storylines are simplified and seem to favor Todd McFarlane's ultra-splashy artwork, which give the characters, their motivations and their actions a paper-thin feel. The characters are too cartoonish. This cartoonishness dominates the writing, as well. Bear in mind, I am not saying that McFarlane is not talented; I admire his work a lot. What I am saying is he should have reined in his page-splashes to allow for more nuance, complexity and consistency in his Venom work.

Having written that, this was a mostly-excellent, fun collection, one worth owning (for cheap) for three-quarters of its content. If you can check it out from your local library, even better.