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MANGA REVIEWS

Star Wars ®: A New Hope - Manga © 1997, 1998 Lucasfilm Ltd. Title and character and place names protected by all applicable trademark laws. All rights reserved. Used under authorization. This material was originally published in Japan in book form in 1997 by Media Works Inc., Tokyo.





—by Jeremy Johnson

Remakes are not eagerly anticipated. Where memories are concerned, there's a chance of inferior design, or worse, a betrayal of the original image. Unease turns to shock or dismay when the remake involves a classic, a story so loved its passing generated a mythology of events and feelings many fans find together and enjoy again and again. The recent attempt at a new PSYCHO was one such example (remember how quickly it disappeared?) If you asked anyone if STAR WARS needed to be "done again," most people—and especially die-hard fans—would reply, "why bother?"
  Along comes STAR WARS: THE MANGA, created by Tamaki Hisao. I had been a long time fan of the saga and one of those people who could recite the script in my sleep. I had read the old American Star Wars Comics and the dozens of spin-off novels, and rejected them as merchandising hype. "But Star Wars manga?" I asked myself. At the least skeptical but always up for an otaku moral superiority boost, I grabbed it off the shelf and thumbed through the pages. My own sense of ego ebbed as I read. I was shocked—at how good it was.
  Both faithful to the original and unique in viewpoint, the graphic novel visually re-spins the story in humorous and dramatic ways. STAR WARS: THE MANGA is all about experiencing the movie as if it had been hand-drawn instead of filmed. Tamaki-san kept the original dialogue intact, and edited only where necessary to maintain page flow. All the trappings are familiar, and all the famous lines right where you left them (even the inside note from Dark Horse apologizes for reversing the pages from right to left for Western readers).
  The result is a delight for both fans and newcomers alike. The art style alternates between serious and goofy, capturing just the right mood for everyone's favorite scenes. Tamaki's Luke portrays a full range of emotions, and is very believable as the young and naive son of Skywalker. Ben gains a gritty old veteran feel while retaining the fatherly figure persona established in the original role. Darth Vader is even more menacing as the Lord of Sith. The manga uses black lines and shadows well to enhance his symbolizing the embodiment of evil. The clash between Ben and Vader on the Death Star is particularly noteworthy. Han, Leia, and Chewie are all nicely drawn and very entertaining. My personal favorites are the jawas ("Wabba! Wabba!"). In all aspects I found the characters as good, if not better, than the originals. Luke's dramatic moments, first at the burning moisture farm, and then as witness to Obi-Wan's death, are poignant. The rescue of the princess brought tears of laughter to my eyes several times.
  I am happy Dark Horse released this as a graphic novel series. The cover and pages are sturdy and should handle the abuse of being leafed through time after time. STAR WARS: THE MANGA is involving and incredibly funny, yet requires little foreknowledge to be entertaining. Tamaki's version seems a worthy addition to anyone's manga library; I would recommend it to the die-hard and non fan alike.

B/W, 96 pages
ISBN: 1-56971-362-6
Price: $9.95
Available Now
Where to buy


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