Star Wars #52

Darth Vader looms enormous against the star field on Walter Simonson's cover for this October 1981 issue, his imposing figure flanked by a massive Star Destroyer and a TIE fighter locked in a red laser exchange, while C-3PO and R2-D2 watch from a corner inset. The title "To Take the Tarkin" hints at high-stakes confrontation involving one of the Empire's most formidable weapons. With Simonson handling both pencils and inks on the cover — and the interior team of David Michelinie, Tom Palmer, Don Warfield, and John Morelli backing him up — this is a strong entry in Marvel's long-running Star Wars series.