Star Wars #35

A giant Darth Vader looms over a life-sized chessboard, his armored fist dangling Luke Skywalker like a game piece while Han Solo, Princess Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, and Chewbacca are arrayed across the squares below — it's a striking visual metaphor for the Dark Lord's cold, calculated menace. The cover tagline "Darth Vader Plays a Game of Death Against the Star Warriors!" sets the stakes perfectly, and Carmine Infantino's pencils (inked by Bob Wiacek) give the whole scene a tense, larger-than-life drama. This May 1980 Marvel issue, with interior work from Archie Goodwin and Carmine Infantino, is a fine example of the series firing on all cylinders.