Star Wars Omnibus: A Long Time Ago...., Volume 4 [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

With STAR WARS OMNIBUS: A LONG TIME AGO... VOLUME 4, Dark Horse continues to collect the entire Marvel Comics Star Wars series in affordable digests. Containing issues 68 through 85, Annual #3, and the four-issue adaptation of Return of The Jedi, Volume 4 is a whopping 576 pages (the thickest one yet), yet retains the price of the previous releases - a heck of a deal. By using the subtitle "A Long Time Ago..." on this series of omnibuses, Dark Horse is unintentionally reminding me of just how ancient I am, as the original comics were an essential part of my childhood collection; however, unlike many other series of that time, I really enjoyed getting into them again. The first half of this volume features two parallel storylines that lead the series into the adaptation of Return of The Jedi. First, you have the Rebel Alliance trying to locate Han Solo, who was frozen in carbonite and handed over to Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back. At the same time, they're searching for two missing Rebel spies who have information on a certain new Imperial superweapon with which we're all familiar. One has to wonder how the Alliance could let several of their key members roam all over the galaxy like this, but Luke, Leia, Chewie, Lando, Threepio, and Artoo certainly get the job done. There are many events in these stories that are regarded as non-canon in the modern Star Wars Expanded Universe, yet in doing some research, I was amazed at the lengths to which some people have gone to make them fit. The best approach is to realize that these stories were written long before the Expanded Universe really took off, so anything that is outside of "official" continuity should simply be accepted as an oddity, and nothing more.

Writers David Michelinie and Mary Jo Duffy do a good job of marking time yet maintaining the suspense up to ROTJ, which is adapted by Archie Goodwin. The rebels' adventures take them to exotic worlds such as Stenos, Lahsbane, and Iskalon, where they encounter all sorts of strange alien races, and they even pay a visit to Boba's homeworld of Mandalore and fall in with one of his old contacts. Dengar, Bossk, and IG-88 make appearances, Lando dresses up like Captain Harlock, and there's a funny nod to Daffy Duck. We even learn what happened to Wedge Antilles after the battle of Hoth - one of my favorite stories in the book. After ROTJ, it seems like Marvel wasn't sure where to take the series, other than tying up a few plotlines from earlier issues. I believe that we're seeing the beginning of the decline that resulted in the title's cancellation a couple of years later. Art-wise, Ron Frenz and Tom Palmer make a great team on these stories, with a style strongly resembling that of Al Williamson. Mr. Williamson himself provides his standard beautiful pencils for the movie adaptation, and Klaus Janson illustrates the annual.

There's one more volume to go with the Marvel reprints, and I'm hoping Dark Horse will continue with the comic strips and UK stories. There's so much more to see!

Once long ago when the first reprinted collections came out I was unable to afford the hefty price tag. I was to young to buy the original comics so I was disappointed when I couldn't read these stories.

Now finally I can read these stories that have had a few characters added into recent novels. This is a great collection with color and is fun to read. I like to see how the stories of old compare with the new EU and Dark horse stories that seem to be cranked out these days.

A great treat for someone who missed the time era these were printed in and when they reprinted them around the late 90's was to broke to afford the hefty price.

Now with kids of my own and money still as tight the 20 dollar price range isn't so bad. Since the Eu has started adding characters into their novels from these issues it is fun to read and actually see how they first came to be in a galaxy far far away. A great collection for new and old alike! This collection has 68-85 with Return of the Jedi adaptation included. Enjoy!

When I think of Marvel's Star Wars run, two types of stories pop into my head: Some are zany and goofy but still tug at your nostalgic heart strings and take you on an enthralling, if corny, adventure. Others are the kind of well-thought-out and plot-developing tales that could easily fit into the Star Wars material that is being produced today. This volume includes issues of the comic that, in my opinion, shifted the focus of the series from the former to the latter. These stories perfectly capture the feel of the Original Trilogy and are sometimes, again in my opinion, profoundly deep. However, they still possess the humor and innocence that permeated the first issues of the comic's run and will forever be a part of Star Wars. In other words, this book contains some great, great stories.

For those fans of the Saga who are interested in what specific stories they'll be getting, here is a brief overview: The book begins with Leia's journey to Mandalore, the first story in Star Wars canon to deal with that planet and its legendary inhabitants. The focus then shifts to Luke and Lando's quest to track down bounty hunters involved in the plot to kidnap Han Solo. Next, readers travel to the planet Iskalon where Imerial subjugation reveals just what the "Star Warriors" are fighting against. After a while, the story reaches the events of Return of the Jedi, with a four-issue comic adaption of the film. After this, the volume contains several adventures taking place after the final film in the Saga.

But enough about the stories, let's talk about the book itself! At nearly 600 full-color pages, it is an absolute steal at $15! My advice is that whether you are a die-hard fan of the Saga, a comic bok enthusiast, or someone looking for an entertaining way to spend several hours (or days), you should pick up this volume!