"The Star Wars"; an 8-issue comic of the original 1974 SW script

No, this is not an April Fools Day joke. This is real, and it was actually announced yesterday at Wondercon.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/NATL-George-Lucas-Original-The-Star-Wars-Screenplay-to-get-Comic-Book-Treatment-200863051.html

that poor poor cow.

It's not that bad. I mean, there hasn't really been anything like the Infinities for a long while now, so a new "What-if" type story is kinda neat.

I, for one, am seriously intrigued by this announcement.

Given what I know of the original script I think this will be even more hated than the prequel trilogy.

Wasnt the main protagonist (or Luke Skywalker) originally a girl? I just want to confirm or debunk that rumor

Maybe in one draft but not the first. The original draft focused on a guy named Annikin Starkiller.

edited 4th Apr '13 4:59:12 PM by Kostya

This actually sounds pretty cool, if you ask me! :D

Annikin Skywalker, actually. In the final draft he was merged with another character, Luke Starkiller, to create the Luke we know.

Here's some info from the Wookiepedia. I'm looking forward to see how much has been changed to make the film that started it all.

This sounds interestingly hilarious.

The "Luke was originally a girl" rumor apparently stems from some of the concept sketches done for the first film. Lucas never intended his protagonist to be a girl.

But there was concept art done (full paintings, not just "sketches") with a female protagonist. They're included in the bonus features of the Blu-ray series boxset.

edited 18th Jul '13 7:19:35 PM by stingerbrg

This early art, in particular.◊

that's a female version of Luke?

Here's a trailer for the comic book series.

edited 7th Aug '13 7:06:14 PM by higherbrainpattern

So I see this thread is long dead; nevertheless I got the whole series yesterday for Christmas and thus want to post my thoughts on it.

This comic is weird. But weird in a good way. The best parts definitely are when comparing this version of the story to the final version in the films. Some of the weird stuff includes: Han Solo is now a tall green alien, Annikin Skywalker is a headstrong apprentice to the wise Jedi-Bendu General Luke Skywalker, R2 (no D2) can talk, "lazerswords" are a common weapon, the Death Star is just "the Space Fortress" with no superlaser dish, the Wookiees are a primitive tribe living on Yavin not unlike the Ewoks, the "Force of others" doesn't appear to give superpowers here, Darth Vader is split in two characters: the Tarkin-esque general who still bears Vader's name and body armor, and his Dragon Prince Valorum who is a Knight of the Sith and even wears a breath mask. Perhaps the most surreal moment is near the beginning, where we see the Imperial Capital Alderaan, a floating city resembling Bespin defended by, I kid you not, miniature Imperial Star Destroyers, which are now common fighters.

As for the plot, I'd describe it as a mix between A New Hope, Phantom Menace, and Return of the Jedi. While it still concerns the good guys looking to destroy the Not-The-Death-Star, it starts out way more complicated, with following the leadership of the planet Aquilae (sorta a mix of Naboo and Tatooine) as the Empire prepares to invade the planet. After Luke and co. flee the secret base when their first attack on the NTDS fails, from there they meet up with more allies, evacuate the princess, narrowly escape the planet, crash on Yavin, and then ally with the local folks to attack the Death Star a second time. I can see why Lucas rewrote this story: A New Hope's "Hero's Journey" is far simpler to follow, with a clear protagonist and more gradual introduction to the vast galaxy. It's not unenjoyable, but this is probably what Star Wars looks like to outsiders, with so many names, planets, and jargon to keep track of.

The characters aren't too interesting. Most of them feel like variants on the same determined underground freedom fighter archetype. Characters die and then are forgotten about a page later. A pair of kids become a Damsel Scrappy of sorts and then are written out abruptly near the end. Sometimes one perks up upon hearing a recognizable name like Bail Antilles or Mace, only for them to vanish a little later. Princess Leia is much ruder than her canon counterpart, in an ill attempt to do a Slap-Slap-Kiss thing with Annikin. Even back in the 70s, George Lucas still couldn't write romance.

But although the plot is familiar, there are still a few twists that keep things unexpected. The Episode VI "ally with a local primitive tribe" is done, except this time Luke teaches the Wookiees to pilot starfighters. It's an implausible twist (he taught them to be that good in a day?) but still cool because it's so unexpected. Other twists include a few robotic reveals and the Sith pulling an Enemy Mine with the Jedi against the Empire. Some other scenes are surprisingly identical to the final film, like the confrontation as the Mos Eisley cantina or the group stealing a recognizable Alderaan blockade runner ship.

Overall, it was a worthwhile experiment. It's not that great as a story, but as an exercise in comparison I'm glad I read it.

edited 25th Dec '14 10:44:17 PM by Tuckerscreator

If nothing else, it's definitely fascinating to see where the franchise started compared to what actually got on screen and what it's become.

Anyone else enjoy Splinter Of The Minds Eye?

There should be an entry.

And no, I haven't read it, so "make one yourself" is not an option here.