U.S. Issued Star Comics
Special thanks to Queen Lynxana for donating many of the pdf scans for the US series. Those files will be denoted by an asterisk (*)
You will need adobe reader to view pdf files.
Enjoy.
#13 SNARF TAKES UP THE CHALLENGE!
Vol 1, No. 13 - Issued July 1987
Based on the original teleplay by Peter Lawrence. Adapted by Tom DeFalco. Art by Delbo, Severin
Special thanks to Wolfra for the scans and credit information.
Download* the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 5.4MB.
For the most part, it re-tells the story from the episode of the same name. The major difference is the point of view by which its told. See my episode reviews for more information.
#14 SAFARI JO
Vol 1, No. 14 - Issued August 1987
Based on the original teleplay by Steve Perry. Art by Colon, Severin
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 6.8MB.
Again this is a re-telling of the story from the episode of the same name. See my episode reviews for more information. And yes, the comic does drop the 'e' on Joe's name for whatever reason.
#15 THE TIME CAPSULE!
Vol 1, No. 15 - Issued September 1987
Loosely based on the original teleplay by Peter Lawrence. Adapted by Tom DeFalco. Art by Delbo, Severin
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 5.4MB.
Special thanks to Wolfra for the scans and credit information below.
Again this one retells a story from the show with only minor variations. See my episode reviews for more information.
#16 THE QUEEN OF EIGHT LEGS
Vol 1, No. 16 - Issued October 1987
Based on the original teleplay by Steve Perry. Art by Mooney, Severin
Download* the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 5.4MB.
Yet again, this is a re-telling of the story from the episode of the same name. It does end slightly differently from the show episode, but nothing major enough to report in detail. See my episode reviews for more information.
#17 TOWER OF TRAPS
Vol 1, No. 17 - Issued November 1987
Based on the original teleplay by Leonard Starr. Art by Delbo, Scotese
Download* the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 5.3MB.
Largely based on the episode of the same name, this version sports a few differences to the televised episode. The biggest one is the way it starts out - sure the kittens rescue a traveling Wolo from attacking theives but the Wolo turns out to be not-so-poor and WilyKat plays dead as a tasteless practical joke. From there, other minor differences occur, but see my episode reviews for more information.
#18 PUMM-RA
Vol 1, No. 18 - Issued December 1987
Based on the original teleplay by Julian Gardner. Art by Colon, Scotese
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 4.49MB.
Yep, yet another adaptation of an episode, and this one stays pretty true to its screenplay. For more info see my episode reviews for more information.
#19 THE DOOMGAZE
Vol 1, No. 19 - Issued January 1988
Based on the original teleplay by Steve Perry. Art by Mooney, Scotese
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 4.26MB.
You guessed it - a re-telling of the story from the episode of the same name. This version does reveal some tidbits the TV episode left out - like Tashe and Mumm-Ra being brother and sister. See my episode reviews for more information.
#20 EXCALIBUR
Vol 1, No. 20 - Issued February 1988
Based on the original teleplay by Peter Lawrence. Art by Colin, Scotese
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 6.9MB.
Largely based on the episode of the same name, this version sports a few differences to the televised episode. The biggest one is the way it ends - Lion-O is taken by Merlin to the Lady of the Lake to return Excalibur to its rightful place. I also like Merlin's parting advice here, "A sword must know its arm. The arm must know its heart." It was amusing as well to see some extra barbs shot at Lion-O from Mumm-Ra while in his King Arthur disguise, heh heh. From there, other minor differences occur, but see my episode reviews for more information.
#21 FATHER SNARF
Vol 1, No. 21 - Issued March 1988
Written by Dwight Jon Zimmerman. Art by Mooney, Stein
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 4.48MB.
It looks like this issue was going for pure comedy. It begins with Snarf finding a cute little cub in a basket, with a note left pleading with whoever finds the babe to care for it. Knowing he's not up to the task (there's grown Lion-O to look after, haha), he heads to Canineville to find a more suitable caretarker. In an amusing sidenote, a plaque by Canineville's entrance reads "Est. 1785 A.D."
Anyway, Snarf doesn't understand it, but the townspeople freak out and run him out of town with that 'monster', i.e. the baby. They are kind enough to explain before literally ejecting Snarf from the village, that the child is a 'Hercules' baby - meaning, it's a disaster waiting to happen. Snarf takes the tot home and readies a nursery for it. As he muses about why the Canineians would be so afraid of such a tiny and cute sleeping cub, the child awakes - and its cries shatter the windows! Following, is a mildly amusing sequence in which Snarf scrambles to heat some milk and whip up a makeshift bottle - complete with a rubber glove for the nipple.
When he returns to the nursery, the baby is gone. He soon finds the tot in the Lair courtyard, ripping bricks from the Lair's foundation like they were made of foam. When a pile of bricks gives way and buries the child, Snarf fears the worst...only to discover that the cub is invulnerable as well as super strong. Vultureman, lurking nearby, witnesses all of this and thinks the milk Snarf gave the baby is some kind of super-power potion and plots to steal some for himself.
That night, Vultureman sneaks into the Lair to steal the formula, but has to take the baby too as he couldn't get the kid to let go of his grip on the bottle. Of course, the cub wakes up and give the Mutants no end of trouble - not to mention that seeing Slithe suck on a nipple was quite disturbing. The child predictably destroys much at Castle Plundarr, until Snarf wakes up and realizes Vultureman cub-napped the child. He's tempted to leave the kid with the Mutants, but out of a sense of duty goes and retrieves the cub. At story's end it turns out the cub's parents just needed a sitter for the weekend, and come to the Lair to take him away.
By far the weirdest Star issues I've read so far X_x
#22 BAD PLAYMATES
Vol 1, No. 22 - Issued April 1988
Written by James Rose. Art by Delbo, Scotese
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 4.7MB.
In this issue, Vultureman comes up with a set of ThunderDecoys - replicas of the Thunderkittens. These replicas approach the Lair while only Kit and Kat are on watch duty - the others are at the Nai village (from issue #12) attending a harvest festival. The real kittens rush out to 'play' with the fake set, and end up going right into the Mutants' trap. The Mutants kidnap the pair and when the ThunderCats return, send the decoys to demand a ransom for the kittens' lives (the ThunderCats realize the decoys are fakes because they have blue eyes). Lion-O must decide whether to rush in and battle, or risk the treasure the Mutants demand - moon diamonds that belong to the Warrior Maidens - to free the kittens.
Panthro and Lion-O carry huge sacks of what looks like the diamonds, and buy enough time for Cheetara to sneak up on Vultureman to ensure he can't blast the kittens with the Thundranium canon. The Mutants defeated, the ThunderCats are free to romp and celebrate.
#23 DR. DOMETONE
Vol 1, No. 23 - Issued May 1988
Based on the original teleplay by William Overgard. Art by Turner, Scotese
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 6.6MB.
Why out of all episodes this one got a comic adaptation, I'll never know. Though, I gotta give the adapting writer credit for trying to fix and/or leaving out altogether some of the weirder moments in the show. For example, the entire chase scene in the forest and the following stop for a picnic is cut out and Panthro at least mentions trying to come up with a backup plug if the original one gets pulled. If you're lost as to what I'm talking about, see my episode reviews for more information.
#24 THROUGH A DARK GLASS
Vol 1, No. 24 - Issued June 1988
Written by Jerry Conway. Art by Ramos, Scotese
Download the entire issue in pdf format. File size is 5.06MB.
Picking up on the cloning/things-aren't-what-they-seem theme of the previous book, this last issue uses that subject to impart a lesson about pride and controlling your 'darker self'.
Things start out in the Forest of Silence, with the Thunderkittens chatting away (*ahem* - I'm sorry, is this the Forest of Talking?) as they collect berries and such for a peace treaty meeting between the warring factions of the Hill Tribes (goat and sheep derived clans o' critters). They come upon some cocoons that hold duploids of all the ThunderCats. The adult duploids hatch and tie up the real Thunderkittens before heading off to cause trouble betwen the warring clans.
Obviously, Mumm-Ra is behind the scheme, hoping to spark a war that the ThunderCats will be blamed for and caught up in, ultimately destroying them. In the meantime, the real Lion-O makes some headway with the tribe leaders in a prelimenary meeting. All that was undone when the duploids stole into the camps of the tribes overnight, and appealed to each of their own sources of pride and prejudice. As a result, they declared war on one another, which would begin at dawn. And since the ThunderCats 'started' it all, they vowed to destroy the ThunderCats as well.
The real Thunderkittens have since broke free, but then so have their pod duploids. Luckily, they defeated the fakes and arrive on the scene with the other duploids - convincing them their the fake Kit and Kat. This ruse comes in handy, of course, when the 'darker sides' of the ThunderCats face off against the real set. Ultimately, though, it's the sword of omens that sheds the light of truth and saves the day.