

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.


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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 peopleand especially die-hard fanswould
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 shockedat 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
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