Star Wars: Manga vs. Marvel

By Alex in Comics & Cartoons, Film on Mar 4, 2008 at 4:10 am

The official Star Wars website has a very neat post comparing the comic adaptation of the movie by Marvel (1977 to 1986 series) to that done in Japanese manga style by Media Works (1997 – I believe these are created by Tamaki Hisao, published in English by Dark Horse comics).

When the two are placed side by side, the contrast couldn’t be greater. Take, for instance, the battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. The manga version showed the gruesome scene in two-page spread. Marvel, on the other hand, were forced to tone down the visual by hiding the action behind a "convenient scenery."


The manga version


The Marvel version

Check out the entire article here: Link


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  1. Ali S.
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 6:52 am

    I think the Manga version just looks cleaner versus the pastel look of the Marvel work. Also, I think Manga artists are quite good at doing action scenes.

  2. fz
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 7:40 am

    If not for the ridiculous manga art style (the faces, of course), I’d say manga was much better. But it just seems too over the top in places.

  3. Tony LaRocca
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 9:29 am

    Yes, but does the manga version have Jabba the Hutt as a human-seal hybrid the way the Marvel comics did?

  4. S-r-ex
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 10:07 am

    I also wonder why Jabba was a green humanoid in the Marvel version (got the IV Marvel in Norwegian). But as stated by the site, this was before the film release and the artists had very little reference material.

    But the Alderaan destruction in the manga was awesome! Never has a planet been destroyed such visually impressively since -.-

  5. sos Mike
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 10:18 am

    It’s a fun comparison, but I think the 15-20 year difference is as important as what side of the Pacific the comics came from. Pretty sure an American comic (even a Marvel one) would have looked far different in ’97 as well.

  6. Justin
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 12:17 pm

    I just wish they would color stuff in!

  7. heather
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 3:19 pm

    These are phenomenal, especially the destruction of Alderaan scene; the use of 10 freaking pages was could have easily become redundant, but Hirotomi uses it perfectly. However, the death scenes should have been dragged out to at least a whole chapter, depending on the importance of the victim. Obi Wan’s death alone should have taken at least two pages :)

  8. Tony LaRocca
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 6:44 pm

    S-r-ex – TheForce.net has a hysterical comic strip explaining WHY there are three Jabbas (Man, slug, & seal)
    http://www.theforce.net/image_popup/image_popup_global.asp?image=humor  /jaxxon/pics/jaxxon_18.jpg

    Enjoy.

  10. ted
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 9:50 pm

    Everything else is so beautifully drawn, but those manga faces are nightmarishly crappy.

    As for spending so much time on Alderaan exploding, perhaps that sort of destruction unleashed has more impact on a Japanese audience, considering WWII.

  11. Denita TwoDragons
    Mar 4th, 2008 at 11:04 pm

    I love the execution of the manga–but yes, the classic Japanese BESM (Big Eyes Small Mouth) faces just don’t fit with the movies. But Vader looks downright terrifying, which is appropriate.

    But I was bummed to find that the article’s writer didn’t show us pics of Vader’s sans-helmet manga face. The article stopped just shy of the Big Reveal. AARGH!!

    –TwoDragons

  12. davej51
    Mar 6th, 2008 at 7:16 pm

    Light sabers cauterize. There should be no blood. I don’t remember Luke having a blaster?!?


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