Star Wars #97

Marvel's long-running Star Wars series reaches issue #97 with a cover by Cynthia Martin and Art Nichols that puts an Imperial Stormtrooper front and center, blaster raised and ready, while a striking ensemble of colorfully dressed figures — some armed, some wary — fans out behind alongside additional Stormtroopers against a vivid orange-red backdrop. The tension between the Empire's armored soldiers and this eclectic, lively crowd hints at exactly the kind of desperate situation the story title "Escape" promises. With Jo Duffy writing and Cynthia Martin on interior art, this 1985 chapter of Marvel's galaxy far, far away is a fine example of the series firing on all cylinders.