'STAR WARS' AT 40: 'THE DEATH-STATION OF DARTH VADER!'

It's a wonderful fusion of Classic MARVEL'S larger than life visual excitement of the seventies mixed with the ambitious, beyond its time cinematic storytelling of the original STAR WARS, as the cover of the UK's STAR WARS WEEKLY issue II (from 1978) shows us a defiant Darth Vader, lightsaber raised to the enemy forces, realizing what a threat these seemingly puny and small fighters actually are to the Death Star, that there is some ultimate purpose to the enemies attack on the surface, and soon issuing orders that the TIE fighter crews are dispatched for engagement.

I think it's unlikely that series art starter Howard Chaykin did the cover for the weekly- it doesn't look his style, and his work Stateside for MARVEL on the comic was likely nearing its end. If anyone knows the artist please get in touch.Tony Dezuniga, perhaps?

http://episodenothing.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/looking-back-at-star-wars-weekly-issue.html

TIE fighter pilots scramble:
https://starwarsaficionado.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/classic-image-death-star-battle.html