Classic Comic Cover Corner

Every Sunday morning we showcase a classic comic cover, complete with compelling pop culture commentary, for your cordial contemplation. It’s the Classic Comic Cover Corner!

Star Wars #11 – May, 1978

Cover art by Gil Kane

Where is Luke Skywalker? A couple of weeks ago it was discovered that Darth Vader’s favorite son was conspicuously not featured on the final Star Wars: The Force Awakens one-sheet movie poster; and not since a certain bespectacled, beany-capped, red and white striped shirt-wearing vagabond began blurring people’s vision with his misadventures has a missing-person mystery so captured the attention of pop culture fans.

Speculation has run rampant. Is Luke disguised in the poster? Has he turned to the dark side? Is he suffering from the Bantha Fever and the Csillian Flu? Only one thing is for certain: this isn’t the first time Luke has been strangely absent from Star Wars promotional material where you would think he would be up front and center.

After Marvel Comics wrapped up its 6-issue adaptation of the original Star Wars movie in 1977, its next issue (Star Wars #7), which featured the very first story beyond the film, was noticeably missing the franchise’s biggest hero, Luke Skywalker, from its cover.

Marvel’s Star Wars #7-10 featured a Han Solo and Chewbacca storyline, with only brief appearances of Luke as he looks for a new planet for the Rebel forces to hide upon. Poor Skywalker would not appear again on the cover of the series until Star Wars #11 (cover dated May 1978), a book where he would, again, only make a short appearance at the end of the story (an appearance completely summed up by the cover’s action.)

Luke’s storyline would pick up in earnest again in Star Wars #12, when he faces the Dragon-Lords of the Drexel system. It remains to be seen whether Luke will be battling any sea-monsters in the upcoming film – but wouldn’t that be awesome?

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