The Star Wars #1 (of 8)

   As a long-time fan of Star Wars (as in, I was in the theatre the first day the original film played in my hometown), I was entertained by the thought behind this mini-series, which adapts the first draft of the original film as written by George Lucas in 1974.

   What that translates to is a very different cast of characters and places all transposed on a similar concept of a galactic battle between an Evil Empire and the resistance.

   I should admit that I wasn't expecting much here - there's a reason why most of the story was reworked for the final screenplay.

   Where the original film manages to take all kinds of strange concepts and streamline it into a fast, fun and easily-understandable story, this version is kind of a mess.

   We meet Jedi Luke Skywalker, who is an old man with two young sons - Annikin and Deak, both Jedi in training. They're being hunted by the Sith, an evil army that works for the Empire. It's all a prelude to an upcoming war between the Empire and the resistance.

   There's a lot to like here - writer J.W. Rinzler keeps things moving nicely, and he has a lot of information to impart here. Artist Mike Mayhew creates a striking world that is similar to the Star Wars we know - but with a unique design of its own.  

   But the end result is a bit of a muddle, with a cascade of names, places and conflicts - all a bit much to sort out, even for longtime fans.

   Thank goodness Lucas didn't try to put this one on film!

Grade: B-

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