Tuesday, April 20, 2010

I go on and on about action figures, then buy this one for the comic...


I picked up the Star Wars Comic Two-Pack with Luke and Lumiya the other day, and while it's a pretty good pair of figures, the tipping point for buying it was the enclosed comic, Star Wars #96. From back in the day after Return of the Jedi when Star Wars fandom was going into a low ebb, Marvel still managed a few decent issues before the series ended. (Although it says Dark Horse on the reprint cover, since they have the license now!)

This month, Luke faces off against a mysterious female, who wields a whip with energy and barbed tendrils, and beats his ass with it. The mysterious Lumiya, allied with the unknown alien race the Nagai, plots an invasion against the still-unsteady galactic Alliance.

Luke's friend Kiro, a water-breathing Iskalonian, was beaten and left for dead in the previous issue; but manages to recover and free Luke. Seeing Kiro's short-sword, Luke has an idea on how to take Lumiya; and also promises to try and train Kiro as a Jedi, if he still wants.

After preparing, Luke faces Lumiya again, but this time ready:

With a second lightsaber (somehow cobbled together, seemingly without a crystal, or whatever) Luke recovers his original, and turns the tables. He also lets on that he recognizes her now, infuriating her. Lumiya wraps her whip around Luke's long saber, but it's a trap, and she loses her whip in the attempt. Lunging at him, Luke slices her mask and armor off...revealing an old friend.

While I love this issue, the Nagai invasion introduced didn't seem to catch on, and there were only eleven issues left of Marvel's series. I don't know if the art caught on at the time either, but I dug it then and still do now. "Duel with a Dark Lady!" Written by Jo Duffy, pencils by Cynthia Martin, inks by Bob Wiacek. Dig up a copy from 1985 or try and find the figures!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I loved the art on that one. read it recently too, as I was making my way through the tpb's that reprinted the series. That one in particular was one of my favorites.

1337W422102 said...

The only comic pack I got recently is the one with Kyle Katarn, because he's Kyle Effing Katarn. Oh, and the Mara Jade one's in the mail. This one looks kinda cool, though.

Anonymous said...

One of my favorite issues. I am always pro Good Side but was always fascinated by Lumiya's costume. Saw a gal dressed as her at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando. She looked great.

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Unknown said...

I also remember this one. It was awesome!