Book Review: Marvel Comics 'Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary'

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Cover art by Paul Renaud. (C) 2017 Marvel Comics Group and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL)

On April 18, 2017, Marvel Comics published Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary, a slim volume that collects 48 illustrations created for various Star Wars comic book titles (Doctor Aphra, Poe Dameron, Darth Maul, and Yoda’s Secret War, just to name a few) in honor of the franchise’s 40th year.

Written by Jess Harrold and edited by Heather Antos, this 168-page book presents artwork by some of Marvel Comics’ best illustrators, including Juan Gimenez, Stuart Immonen, Adi Granov, Michael Walsh, Paul Renaud, Terry and Rachel Dotson, Mike Mayhew, Will Robson, Jordan Boyd, and Pepe Larraz.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, a galaxy of comic-book stars – from David Acuna to Chip Zdarsky – come together to present the legendary saga as you’ve never seen it before, across 48 stunning covers. The works of talents including Mark Brooks, Terry Dotson, Adi Granov, Stuart Immonen, Salvador Larroca, Ed McGuinness, Phil Noto, Chris Samnee, and Leinil Francis Yu is accompanied by behind-the-scenes sketches and new text guiding you through Luke Skywalker’s epic journey – from the deserts of Tatooine to joining the rebels as they take on the Empire’s devastating Death Star! It doesn’t stop there, as a bonus gallery of covers features all of your favorite characters from A New Hope: Luke, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, Obi-Wan Kenobi and, of course, the deadly Darth Vader – as depicted by John Cassaday, Joe Quesada, Alex Ross, Skottie Young, and more! Plus: insightful commentary from creators and the classic first issue of Marvel’s original adaptation of Star Wars! ­– back cover blurb, Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary
Proposed cover for Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary (derived from Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #7. Art by Greg Land and Edgar Delgado. (C) 2017 Marvel Comics Group and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) 
My Take


I’m a fan of both the Star Wars film series – especially the Original Trilogy – and Marvel Comics’ adaptations of what the publisher used to tout as “the greatest space-fantasy film of all!” I saw Star Wars in a South Florida theater for the first time 41 years ago, and I remember borrowing issues #1-6 of the Marvel comic-book from one of my neighbors in a Sweetwater apartment complex in December of ’77. I eventually got my hands on Marvel’s 1978 Marvel Special Edition Featuring Star Wars 3,  an oversized (10 x 14 inch) comic Treasury edition which collected the first six Star Wars issues written by Roy Thomas and illustrated by Howard Chaykin. 


For various reason – financial as well as practical – I have limited my Star Wars comic-book purchases to the adaptations of the live-action movies, so I don’t own any of the Marvel Comics issues that continue the saga in such series as Darth Vader, Han Solo, Darth Maul, Doctor Aphra, or any of the others that are mentioned in Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary. All I can say about those 21st Century visits to George Lucas’s galaxy far, far away is that Lucasfilm considers those Marvel series to be part of the overall canon, and the artists and writers seem to be among the best in the comics business.

As for Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary, I picked it up on a whim when I was at a store with some of my loved ones this weekend. I knew – by reading the back-cover blurb – that it wasn’t a new adaptation of A New Hope, but I thought the conceit was a clever one. Also, it was a 40th Anniversary item, so why not? 

Juan Gimenez's cover art for Star Wars: Doctor Aphra 3. (C) 2017 by Marvel Comics Group and Lucasfilm Ltd. (LFL) 



Marvel Comics’ Jess Harrold wrote the sparse text, while the book itself was designed by Adam Del Re and Salena Mahina. The main part of the book is done to mimic the appearance of A New Hope’s blue lettering-on-black starfield “end credits" sequence and the “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” card. The 48 covers are presented in the first section of the book, arranged to follow the chronology of Star Wars: A New Hope from the Empire’s capture of the Tantive IV to the Rebels’ medal ceremony in the Massassi Temple on Yavin Four.

Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary also features a transcript of a conversation between Jordan D. White, Marvel’s Star Wars editor, with writers Kieron Gillen and Jason Aaron. The trio discusses the concept behind the Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary project, as well as other topics of interest to fans of the movies and comics.

This is followed by a gallery of covers that were considered for the 40th Anniversary book’s main section but didn’t make the final cut. Some of them, such as a Complete Trilogy illustration by Mike Mayhew for Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Shattered Empire are abstract but uber-cool. Others include “Wanted” posters for Han Solo and Chewbacca done for Star Wars issues #16 and 17 by Francesco Francavilla. 
Star Wars #1 cover art by Howard Chaykin. (C) 1977 Marvel Comics Group and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation


Finally, Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary presents a reproduction of Star Wars #1, which Marvel’s Stan Lee presented in April of 1977. Unlike the 2015 “remastered” edition with coloring by Sotocolor, this reprint of Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin’s oft-reprinted and reissued classic features Marie Severin’s 1970s-style coloring scheme.  In this presentation, the Roy Thomas essays about George Lucas’s film and how Marvel acquired the license to adapt Star Wars are included, but they precede and follow the main content of the Thomas-Chaykin comic book.

All in all, Star Wars: A New Hope: The 40th Anniversary is a unique retelling of the very first film in the storied Lucasfilm saga. It’s also a nifty collectible for comic-book lovers and Star Wars fans alike.

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