"This is not something you could film," Rinzler said of the original script and his adaptation of it. "Here's a giant city and then here's a giant vista filled with huge spacecraft. (Lucas) was doing his blue sky version of what he wanted to do. He knew this was not going to be filmable."
The story has its similarities to "Star Wars," but the differences throughout "The Star Wars" are plentiful and noticeable, Rinzler said, and readers will notice many of them as they explore each page, some big, some small.
"It's just great when the Jedi break out their lazerswords. Guess what? The storm troopers break out their lazerswords," he said, noting that in this draft, there are no lightsabers and the Jedi are more akin to Errol Flynn-types than warrior monks.
Artist Mike Mayhew likened the book to a cinematic-inspired vision of "The Magnificent Seven" because it's a team-oriented story with "each character having a big stake and they're all connected."
He also said his artwork, which goes into great detail in showing the characters, the ships, the worlds, gives a nod to conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie, who created the original concept art for the initial film trilogy.
Mayhew said there's "so much more action, set creatures, such visual candy" in the mini-series.
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Moore reported from Philadelphia. Follow him at http://www.twitter.com/mattmooreap
