Review: Star Wars- Han Solo (2016 series)
Quick Summary
Pros: The main storyline does a wonderful job in creating suspense and tension. Complications in this storyline help build interest and excitement. Han Solo is written well. The examination into Han Solo’s character is well done.
Cons: The spaceship fights are not the most exciting element of the story or the art.
Overall: This Han Solo mini-series proves to be an entertaining and exciting look into the life of a fantastic character. Readers get to see the crew of the Millennium Falcon take on a variety of threats and deal with the constant possibility of death. Though the space battles aren’t the best, this collection more than makes up for it with suspense and insightful character development. This is a book for any fan of Star Wars.
Story
Star Wars: Han Solo tells the adventures of everyone’s favorite smuggler shortly after he helped the Rebels destroy the first Death Star. Writer Marjorie Liu perfectly captures Han Solo as a person and shows why he cares so much about the Rebels. She does this through an incredibly entertaining story that involves plenty of tension and suspense. Overall, this ends up being one of the best Star Wars mini-series so far.
(spoilers start here)
The book’s main storyline follows Han Solo on a mission for the Rebel Alliance. This mission has him enter a dangerous race against the universe’s most prolific pilots. However, this is simply a cover designed to allow him to pick up Rebel informants who happen to be along the race route.
Right off the bat, readers will recognize that this is not an exciting story in the traditional way. The galactic battles and spaceship maneuverings are not quite as exhilarating on a comic page as they are on screen. There are a few pages where these showdowns are done well, but readers who pick up the book entirely for these pages will be a bit disappointed.
Instead, the main source of excitement comes from the gripping conflict that happens within the Millennium Falcon. Watching Han and Chewie face death in the race is great, but it becomes even more tense as additional complications are added. Soon, Han has to survive the race while also avoiding Imperials and contending with disagreements from other pilots. All of this drama plays out incredibly well and provides a wonderful source of excitement throughout the collection.
The greatest of these complications, though, is the possibility that one of the three Rebel informants is a double agent. With all three informants on the Millennium Falcon, tensions are incredibly high and readers are in constant fear that the double agent could strike at any moment. Then, when someone is actually killed, these fears are confirmed and doubled. This is a fantastic way to add a lot of excitement and suspense to the book and is something that will easily addict anyone to the plot.
Alongside all of this, Marjorie Liu also manages to wonderfully capture the charm and personality of Han Solo. Seeing him flirt with Leia, come into conflict with near strangers, and grow closer to the Rebel cause are all things that give readers a feeling that this is the same Han Solo they have seen in the movies. In addition, Han’s desire to win the race, even at the cost of the mission, and his obvious relationship with Loo Re Anno are plot points that examine his character and leave readers with an insightful look into the gruff smuggler. Overall, this is not just an exciting book about a race in space, it is a entertaining story about one of Star Wars’ most beloved characters.
(spoilers end here)
Art
The artwork throughout Star Wars: Han Solo does well in giving readers the impression that they have not left the Star Wars universe. Character depictions and vehicle designs mirror what can be found in the movies and, thus, ease the transition into comic books. Mark Brooks’ pencils make this a good looking book that comic fans and non-comic fans can both appreciate.
The only problem is that the spaceship maneuverings do not translate quite as well to the comic book page. There are moments where battles look cool and interesting, but these are definitely in the minority. This book simply falters a bit when conveying the speed and urgency of space travel. However, this is a rather minor flaw since the majority of the book’s focus is on the characters themselves.
Continuity
Star Wars: Han Solo starts shortly after Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope ends. However, this book’s ties to the movie are extremely thin and only amount to a few quick references.
Han Solo continues his Star Wars comic adventures in Star Wars Vol. 1: Skywalker Strikes (Review).