Comic(s) Relief: Why The Hell Is Bucky O’Hare On This Star Wars Cover?
Who is that wascally wabbit?
This article is more than 2 years old
Of the various things you might expect to find on a Star Wars comic book cover, a giant green space rabbit probably isn’t very high on the list. But that’s precisely what we’ve got on the above variant cover for Star Wars #1, the first of several new Marvel comics set in George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away. And unless you were a fan of Marvel’s classic Star Wars comics back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, you could be forgiven for wondering if this signaled some sort of ill-conceived Star Wars/Bucky O’Hare crossover. That’s exactly the sort of hare-brained scheme fans were worried about when it was first announced that Disney had purchased Lucasfilm!
But no, he isn’t Bucky, but rather a blast from Marvel and Star Wars‘ past. The space bunny in question is actually named Jaxxon. He was created by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin way back in 1978 and first appeared in the eighth issue of Marvel’s ongoing Star Wars comic series. That put him in the second story arc in the series run, and also made him one of the earliest original characters to be introduced into the embryonic “Expanded Universe.” And like the rest of the original EU, he’s been swept aside to make room for Disney/Lucasfilm’s more interconnected and closely policed Star Wars canon. Don’t worry, he won’t actually appear in the new Star Wars series; Jaxxon just drops in for the “Party Variant” cover, which will only be available at Star Wars #1 launch parties. Bonus points if you show up to one dressed like him and refuse to answer to anything but “Bucky.”
This Week’s New Sci-Fi Comics
Alex + Ada #10 (Image Comics)
Alex and Ada must find a resolution.
Army of Darkness #1992.1 (Dynamite Entertainment)
With Ash getting hitched and the army of darkness continuously at the heels of the Chosen One, it’s time to party like it’s 1992… point one! Dynamite celebrates the success of the Army of Darkness series by going back to a simpler time — when the internet was young and cell phones were ten pounds. This one-shot features stories that are classically Ash, by your favorite Army of Darkness Writers: James Kuhoric, Steve Niles, Elliott Serrano, and Mike Raicht. Not to mention your soon-to-be new favorite, Cullen Bun — with a story that ties directly into the new story arc!
The Bigger Bang #1 (IDW Publishing)
The Big Bang created all life as we know it. The Bigger Bang creates just one: a being named Cosmos. Is he a destroyer? A hero? A god? All he knows is that he’s completely alone in what was our universe… so he seeks out another where he’ll try to atone for the sins of his mysterious creation. From the inventive minds of D.J. Kirkbride (Amelia Cole, Never Ending) and Vassilis Gogtzilas (Augusta Wind) comes a sprawling space-epic of multi-dimensional proportions.
Borderlands: The Fall of Fyrestone #4 (IDW Publishing)
The hit comic based on the hit video game continues! Outgunned and outmanned, Roland, Lilith, Mordecai, and Brick will use everything at their disposal to save the city of Fyrestone. But like all battles, what will the cost of victory be? Sit tight for a shocker of a finale in the last issue of this arc.
Copperhead #3 (Image Comics)
Sheriff Clara Bronson’s plan to catch a murderer takes her deep inside the copper mine.
Dead Squad #2 (IDW Publishing)
Betrayed by their superior officer, Blake, Hooper, and Shane find themselves unwitting pawns in a treasonous game — not to mention stone-cold dead. Even after being revived by cutting-edge technology, they remain prisoners… of the U.S. government. But a life sentence in Leavenworth is the least of their worries since the nanobots keeping them re-animated have a short shelf-life, giving our heroes just 30 hours to set things right… 30 hours to make their resurrection permanent.
Deep State #1 (Boom! Studios)
You know all those conspiracy theories you hear about? Like how the Jonestown Massacre was a failed MKULTRA experiment by the government, or how Lee Harvey Oswald was trained and brainwashed to be an assassin? Well, what if some of those were true? DEEP STATE is a dream (nightmare?) come true for conspiracy theory nuts like us here at BOOM!
John Harrow doesn’t exist, and his job is to make sure that other things don’t exist, too. At any given time, the government is running dozens of black book operations, experiments that aren’t on any official record and are never acknowledged to exist. Some of these are innocuous. Some of them are monstrous beyond reason. And most of the time, they go as expected and the public is never the wiser. Most of the time. John Harrow’s job is to handle them when things go wrong, and do anything to make sure the government’s secrets stay just that — secret.
Dream Police #5 (Image Comics)
Who exactly are the Dream Police? Where do they come from? How are prospective officers chosen? Those seem like fairly straightforward questions…except that they are cover for a secret that goes back to the beginnings of civilization, a secret that must be protected at all costs, especially from the inquiries of Lieutenant Detective Joe Thursday. Joe has always been a loyal member of the Dream Police…but when his instincts as a cop tell him that the people he’s working for are aligning against him, how far will he go to find the truth about them?
Drifter #1 (Image Comics)
FROM THE CREATORS OF VIKING: Writer IVAN BRANDON (Wolverine, Men of War) and artist NIC KLEIN (Captain America, Thor) reunite to bring you a sci-fi ONGOING SERIES joining the dark revenge themes of Unforgiven with the mind-bending sci-fi universe-building of Dune. In its frantic rush to survive itself, mankind has spread across the universe, colonizing and strip-mining countless planets. Abram Pollux barely survives a crash landing on Ouro, a lawless backwater world where life is cheap. What starts as a struggle for survival quickly becomes a journey to the very edges of what it means to be human.
Guardians 3000 #2 (Marvel Comics)
The Guardians and their reluctant cosmic allies find themselves caught in a deathtrap ambush… but who is out for their blood? And with time collapsing, do they stand a hope of surviving? Guest-starring Gladiator of the Shi’Ar, the ‘original’ Star-Lord, and an all-new Herald of…. you know who!
Prometheus: Fire and Stone #3 (Dark Horse)
Chaos breaks loose when a member of the Prometheus’s recovery team is exposed to the dangerous and mysterious genetic accelerant! Now, with the crew divided and hope for survival fleeting, a terrifying discovery offers a glimpse into the fate of the Prometheus…and the colony on LV-426!
Star Trek #38 (IDW Publishing)
The STAR TREK event of 2014 continues in Part 4 of ‘The Q Gambit!’ Captain Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise find themselves in a true no-win scenario thanks to the mischievous Q! Trapped in a dark future, at the mercy of the mighty Dominion, this adventure might prove to be their last! Don’t miss this all-new story produced in association with STAR TREK writer/producer Roberto Orci!
Star Trek: Harlan Ellison’s The City on the Edge of Forever #5 (IDW Publishing)
The final act of Harlan Ellison’s Hugo and WGA Award-winning Star Trek teleplay! Is James T. Kirk willing to sacrifice the woman he loves, to save the universe as he knows it?! You may have seen the episode, but you only think you know how it ends! From the mind of literary legend Harlan Ellison!
Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #35 (IDW Publishing)
Days of Deception begins! PROWL and the CONSTRUCTICONS hunt the world’s deadliest game — three humans with a history of fighting CYBERTRONIANS! Lines are drawn as human and machine alike are drawn into — the ONYX INTERFACE!
One human knows the truth of CYBERTRON’s first encounter with Earth… but will his ancient enigma mean war for the AUTOBOTS?
The Walking Dead #134 (Image Comics)
From whispers to screams.
The X-Files: Season 10 #18 (IDW Publishing)
When we last saw them, Special Agents John Doggett and Monica Reyes seemingly met their final fates at the hands of the alien faction known as the Acolytes. Now in this one-off story, we’ll reveal what actually became of them and what is in store for them next.
