After all the recent casting news about Star Wars Episode VII, it is a lot of fun to be back in this alternate Star Wars Universe. I wasn’t able to read issue six, but there is an excellent summary at the start of this issue. Our heroes are on Yavin and have been separated, the Wookiees have been introduced and are living on Yavin and not on Kashyyyk, and Owen Lars is introduced as being an archaeologist and not Luke’s uncle.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
Luke and Han go looking for Leia and Annikin, while Annikin sneaks out of the Wookiee camp to look for Leia, who has been kidnapped. The Wookiees look… different, to say the least. They look more ape-like than how movie Chewbacca looks. They are also more primitive, like the Ewoks. Annikin can’t understand a Wookiee who wants to befriend him, but the Wookiee follows him. Luckily this Han can understand him and says that he’s Chewbacca, which is what I figured.
Luke, Han, and Annikin lead the Wookiees in an assault against an Imperial base in hopes of getting Leia back. With a bit of ingenuity and luck, the assault is a success. However, Leia isn’t there and something has happened to her brothers. Annikin wants to save Leia and Luke wants to teach the Wookiees to fly the ships the Imperials had lying around. Meanwhile, Leia is in what looks like the Death Star being tortured by Darth Vader. They want to break her down so they can control her and place on her on her planet’s throne.
I’ve said this before, but it is so interesting to see how Star Wars was first envisioned. Some of the changes, like combining characters and moving relationships around was a good idea, but I would have loved to see a talking R2 or a Leia with younger brothers. As you read through these first seven issues, you can really see where the first trilogy came from.
