because the version most foundational to like, my view on it is (a compilation reprint of) its old marvel comic adaptation issues. like obviously it's not the first version i was exposed to but that shit was some of my favorite bathroom reading for years when i was younger. to me star wars feels just a little incomplete without luke doing routine vaporator work before spotting a Space Battle or shooting the shit with his local peers at tosche station or hanging with biggs, or without jabba (or like, Early Deleted-Scene Human Jabba, anyway. i dont buy that Slugboy would make the trip out to mos eisley.) coming to gently remind Han of the kind of hot water the smuggler is in after the Greedo stunt. theres something about the little peeks into the lives the cast lead just outside the scope of the Space Wizard Destiny Present. luke especially - like, do you think little wormie kept in touch with anyone back on Nowhere Sandplanet after he got that medal draped over him? had he talked to deak and camie and fixer at any point in the intervening decades leading to his demise? did he ever get the chance to tell them about biggs? do you think maybe they all got together one more time to mourn him
I have no idea when or where my dad picked it up on CD but I listened to it so many times and especially the first couple episodes before Luke leaves Tatooine; Luke is not the same without the extra tension of responsibility vs dreams and how that affects his relationship with Owen (and the tragedy of Owen's death and Luke's sudden forced tragectory towards a semblance of his dream). Tatooine doesn't feel the same without time actually spent in tosche station playing video games with small town self-aggrandizing friends, without speeder races through the canyons (which makes the climax's trench scenes weigh more PLUS makes the pod races of episode 1 feel Complete; a full loop in the Anakin/Luke relationship). Biggs returning to earnestly implore Luke to join the rebelion and Luke wanting to say yes but can't cuz he can't Just Walk Out and how that makes finding Biggs at the rebel base mean so much more. A New Hope is magical and wonderful but it's missing something to me without the radio drama
