In 1979 Marvel’s US office began producing new stories for the UK, with Goodwin, then Chris Claremont writing now five page episodes, mostly drawn by Carmine Infantino (sample page), with a distinct variance to his art. The printing of a rushed conclusion was UK only. Archie Goodwin’s experience in pacing newspaper strips improves subsequent episodes, during which the strip looks better, first for Tony DeZuniga moving from inker to penciller, then for Walt Simonson’s involvement, followed by Dave Cockrum’s enthusiasm. Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin kick off proceedings, and while they will forever have produced the first Star Wars comics, this tale is hamstrung by being published three pages at a time, and by Thomas’ odd decision to involve, in effect, superheroes. As almost all this material predates the 1980 release of The Empire Strikes Back, and the creators were given a relatively free hand, several stories feature elements later contradicted by official canon. For Star Wars fans, the allure of Wild Space is rare material not seen since its original printing in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a lot from Marvel’s UK title, which featured original stories unseen in the USA at the time.
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