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Star Wars: Han Solo (2016) #1-5
Star Wars: Han Solo
Collects Han Solo (2016) #1-5.
Everyone's favorite scoundrel goes Solo! Han is given a top-secret undercover mission for the Rebellion: rescuing several informants and spies! His cover for the assignment? Only the biggest and most infamous starship race in the galaxy, the Dragon Void—a tournament he has dreamt of winning his entire life. With a chance of glory, can Han keep his mind on the mission? Or is failing Leia worse than losing? If that wasn't enough, there's also the small matter of finding a traitor within the Rebellion. As the Dragon Void heats up, can a certain Wookiee pal lend a hand in the mole hunt? Place your bets for the ultimate space race! Our money's on Han and the Millennium Falcon — after all, it's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs!
Everyone's favorite scoundrel goes Solo! Han is given a top-secret undercover mission for the Rebellion: rescuing several informants and spies! His cover for the assignment? Only the biggest and most infamous starship race in the galaxy, the Dragon Void—a tournament he has dreamt of winning his entire life. With a chance of glory, can Han keep his mind on the mission? Or is failing Leia worse than losing? If that wasn't enough, there's also the small matter of finding a traitor within the Rebellion. As the Dragon Void heats up, can a certain Wookiee pal lend a hand in the mole hunt? Place your bets for the ultimate space race! Our money's on Han and the Millennium Falcon — after all, it's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs!
108 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2016
207 people are currently reading
2158 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie M. Liu
322 books4,297 followersNew York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and she leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop.
Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”
Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.
Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.
Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”
Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.
Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 427 reviews
April 12, 2017
Great artwork, fun story and cool aliens. A very entertaining episode - can't wait for the Han Solo mini-movie. I wonder if they will draw the plot from this mini-series. Definitely worthwhile!
January 27, 2017
Good Golly Miss Molly, Marvel is shitting the bed with their comics these days! Unfortunately the crap has now spread to its Star Wars line as well. You’d think a Han Solo comic would be a home-run but instead it’s one big yawner with a helluva convoluted plot that’s not worth trying to puzzle out.
Like many of the new Marvel Star Wars comics, this one is set between A New Hope and Empire. Leia needs Han to pick up some Rebel informants in an Imperial system - they have important information the Rebel Alliance needs. Why not send the information through whatever the Star Wars version of email is? No clue. They need to be physically picked up and brought to Leia so she can figure out who the traitor is.
But Leia knows they can’t send Rebel ships to an Imperial system so she wants to send Han and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon, who aren’t recognised as part of the Rebel Alliance (even though they played a major role in blowing up the Death Star). Except they can’t just go to the system and pick up the informants, they apparently need a good cover reason to be there (even though, not being a part of the Rebels, they shouldn’t be stopped by the Empire) so she’s enrolled them in something called the Dragon Void run, which is mega-dangerous. Why aren’t other, safer, good reasons like shopping, trading, visiting friends, or just being there for the fuck of it acceptable? No clue. Why exactly does she need the Falcon - why not use a different non-Rebel ship with a Rebel pilot for the mission? Well, the Falcon is well-suited to racing because it’s fast… which she set up as the reason for their being there. What contrived garbage!
This is just a badly conceived premise that reads as sloppily as it’s constructed and isn’t in the least bit interesting. How the, er, “mystery”?, plays out is equally as dumb as the rest of the book. Han accuses someone, they say something like “Noooo, you found me out!” and tries to kill him. How fucking stupid is that?! Why not just be silent or deny it? Han’s only guessing after all, he hasn’t got any evidence! It’s like a child wrote this drivel.
I guess the race aspect is meant to be exciting but it isn’t. We don’t see the track or have any idea of the race; it’s just spaceships flying into space, pew-pewing stuff - am I meant to be on the edge of my seat over who’ll win? The supporting characters are totally forgettable and dull, and even Han and Chewie come off as boring.
Mark Brooks’ art though is spectacular. Even though I had no idea what was happening in the race, it looked amazing with all the spaceships flying through chaos, lasers everywhere, stuff ‘sploding - it’s very visually arresting - and it’s always cool to see the Falcon in action. Some of the covers are amazing too, especially Lee Bermejo’s - one of them is the cover to the book.
Marjorie Liu’s script though is complete Wookie shit and the book is an absolute bore to endure. There’s bound to be some great stories to be had from Han and Chewie but she’s definitely not the writer to realise them. Not recommended in the least - Kessel run away from this crappy comic!
Like many of the new Marvel Star Wars comics, this one is set between A New Hope and Empire. Leia needs Han to pick up some Rebel informants in an Imperial system - they have important information the Rebel Alliance needs. Why not send the information through whatever the Star Wars version of email is? No clue. They need to be physically picked up and brought to Leia so she can figure out who the traitor is.
But Leia knows they can’t send Rebel ships to an Imperial system so she wants to send Han and Chewie in the Millennium Falcon, who aren’t recognised as part of the Rebel Alliance (even though they played a major role in blowing up the Death Star). Except they can’t just go to the system and pick up the informants, they apparently need a good cover reason to be there (even though, not being a part of the Rebels, they shouldn’t be stopped by the Empire) so she’s enrolled them in something called the Dragon Void run, which is mega-dangerous. Why aren’t other, safer, good reasons like shopping, trading, visiting friends, or just being there for the fuck of it acceptable? No clue. Why exactly does she need the Falcon - why not use a different non-Rebel ship with a Rebel pilot for the mission? Well, the Falcon is well-suited to racing because it’s fast… which she set up as the reason for their being there. What contrived garbage!
This is just a badly conceived premise that reads as sloppily as it’s constructed and isn’t in the least bit interesting. How the, er, “mystery”?, plays out is equally as dumb as the rest of the book. Han accuses someone, they say something like “Noooo, you found me out!” and tries to kill him. How fucking stupid is that?! Why not just be silent or deny it? Han’s only guessing after all, he hasn’t got any evidence! It’s like a child wrote this drivel.
I guess the race aspect is meant to be exciting but it isn’t. We don’t see the track or have any idea of the race; it’s just spaceships flying into space, pew-pewing stuff - am I meant to be on the edge of my seat over who’ll win? The supporting characters are totally forgettable and dull, and even Han and Chewie come off as boring.
Mark Brooks’ art though is spectacular. Even though I had no idea what was happening in the race, it looked amazing with all the spaceships flying through chaos, lasers everywhere, stuff ‘sploding - it’s very visually arresting - and it’s always cool to see the Falcon in action. Some of the covers are amazing too, especially Lee Bermejo’s - one of them is the cover to the book.
Marjorie Liu’s script though is complete Wookie shit and the book is an absolute bore to endure. There’s bound to be some great stories to be had from Han and Chewie but she’s definitely not the writer to realise them. Not recommended in the least - Kessel run away from this crappy comic!
June 23, 2022
Taking place between ANH and ESB, Marjorie M. Liu and Mark Brooks team up for a Han Solo miniseries that sees everyone favorite smuggler race in the Dragon Void, the most infamous race in all of the galaxy, while picking up rebel spies from each of the planets he stops to refuel on, at the request of Princess Leia.
The story was surprisingly strong in this one, and I mainly say this because I have never heard of Marjorie M. Liu writing a comic before, but she did a good job with this. Her voice for Han is great and I adored how everything wrapped up in the end. The story did sag in the middle a bit, but the pacing being off isn’t a dealbreaker, especially since this is a novelist taking a crack at comics. I’m not going act like she knocked it out of the park or anything, but some of the things I’ve heard about her writing over the years made me think this would be terrible. It just wasn’t.
Mark Brooks also does an exceptional job on the interior work, and actually makes me wish he did them more, as he’s mostly a cover artist nowadays. His action scenes during the race were perfect for this story, and even his alien designs are memorable.
Nothing else to really say, this was just a solid Han Solo comic from a great creative team. This is an easy recommendation for any Star Wars fan, even if I can’t give it anything over 3 stars.
The story was surprisingly strong in this one, and I mainly say this because I have never heard of Marjorie M. Liu writing a comic before, but she did a good job with this. Her voice for Han is great and I adored how everything wrapped up in the end. The story did sag in the middle a bit, but the pacing being off isn’t a dealbreaker, especially since this is a novelist taking a crack at comics. I’m not going act like she knocked it out of the park or anything, but some of the things I’ve heard about her writing over the years made me think this would be terrible. It just wasn’t.
Mark Brooks also does an exceptional job on the interior work, and actually makes me wish he did them more, as he’s mostly a cover artist nowadays. His action scenes during the race were perfect for this story, and even his alien designs are memorable.
Nothing else to really say, this was just a solid Han Solo comic from a great creative team. This is an easy recommendation for any Star Wars fan, even if I can’t give it anything over 3 stars.
May 29, 2017
I enjoyed this one, particularly the ending, but I thought it sagged in the middle. I think it would've actually been a better story if it'd been trimmed to four issues, or maybe even three.
Maybe I'm not done with Star Wars comics... I dunno...
Maybe I'm not done with Star Wars comics... I dunno...
November 16, 2017
Set between New Hope and Empire, Han and Chewie enter an intergalactic race as cover for a Rebel mission to collect some spies. Yes, this has been done before many times (I can remember some Speed Racer episodes with a similar plot), but this is fun and engaging with rare interior art from Mark Brooks. His art is fantastic, especially his alien characters. I especially liked the design for the legendary racer, Loo Re Anno. He also draws dynamic space scenes that draw images of the movies to mind.
May 9, 2017
I enjoyed this compilation of recent comics, maybe a bit more than just 3 stars. It does justice to Han Solo in the period after A New Hope.
Does it advance the narrative of the original Episode 4-6 trilogy? Not much. Is the plot substantial? A bit thin.
Solo is backing away from the Rebels and trying to get back to smuggling. It isn't working for him and when The Princess reaches out he kind of agrees to help get back some "moles" who were deep in The Empire's organization. They will be at various required stopping points in a race known as The Dragon Void.
His competitors are fairly two-dimensional and certainly break no new ground in the Star Wars catalog of aliens, with only one exception. The greatest "racer" in the galaxy is Loo Re Anno, and she has been racing for generations. Her backstory and contribution to the plot is a major asset.
If you come for the story, it may not hook you, but the artwork is magnificent and it certainly was the major satisfaction for me in reading this by light of my Kindle Fire. One of the best renditions I have see so far.
Does it advance the narrative of the original Episode 4-6 trilogy? Not much. Is the plot substantial? A bit thin.
Solo is backing away from the Rebels and trying to get back to smuggling. It isn't working for him and when The Princess reaches out he kind of agrees to help get back some "moles" who were deep in The Empire's organization. They will be at various required stopping points in a race known as The Dragon Void.
His competitors are fairly two-dimensional and certainly break no new ground in the Star Wars catalog of aliens, with only one exception. The greatest "racer" in the galaxy is Loo Re Anno, and she has been racing for generations. Her backstory and contribution to the plot is a major asset.
If you come for the story, it may not hook you, but the artwork is magnificent and it certainly was the major satisfaction for me in reading this by light of my Kindle Fire. One of the best renditions I have see so far.
April 3, 2017
This was fantastically fun! Loved the "race in space" angle and the dazzling space-based panel art.
If the upcoming Han Solo movie is half this much fun we're in for a treat!
If the upcoming Han Solo movie is half this much fun we're in for a treat!
June 1, 2018
Adoré el tráiler del spin off de Han Solo. Mucho mejor que The Last Jedi😱
July 11, 2017
Historia situada entre las películas "Una nueva esperanza" y "El Imperio contraataca", Han Solo es de nuevo un héroe renuente que accede de mala gana a hacerle un 'favor' a Leia realizando una labor por la resistencia en el marco de una famosa carrera espacial; el Dragon Void.
O donde no nos queda claro si Han Solo actua encarnando a Penelope o a Pierre o el Palomo: aunque estamos seguros que Chewie seria un buen Patán :P
Deseaba que esto me gustara más, pero la imagen entintanda no puede transmitir lo mismo que el carisma del personaje y esa caracterización de Harrison Ford que le hicieron un icono, pese a que todos sabemos que hay cliches por todos lados (como en este comic).
El arte esta bien, sin ser excelente, mejor se ve cuando no se trata de algo conocido. Pero es dificil ser imparcial cuando tenemos una imagen de este personaje. Claro, tiene una que otra sorpresita.
Pero le falta, le falta 'algo'. Bueno, seguro que ya sabes que.
March 8, 2017
This was like basically Fast in the Furious in space and I was pretty into it. It's prob a 3-star comic but I'm awarding a bonus star for the panel of Leia punching Han in the face.
March 31, 2018
A Solo 'solo' adventure set in the aftermath of A New Hope, though of course Chewbacca is by his captain's side throughout the book. This one started favorably enough (the Han / Leia scenes captured that amusing "will they? / won't they?" tension in the early part of their relationship), the artwork was great, and the story - a secret mission conducted using the cover of the Falcon's entry in the 'Dragon Void' spacecraft competition - was initially interesting. However, I'll admit I grew bored with both the race itself (as either an actual or a moral victory for Han is assured - I mean, are there stars in the sky?) and the Alistar MacLean-inspired 'guess the traitor among us' plot angle.
January 16, 2021
*4.75
The way I look at life has always been simple. You can fight, you can run, or you can die. Dying ain't an option. Which means I've gotten real good at fighting and running. Seems like that's all I ever do. Never thought much about it. Until recently.
I initially read this comic a while back, but I only remembered bits and pieces. Going into this after absorbing so much more SW content was interesting.
Reading this, I found myself thinking about Han's story in Star Wars, Vol. 6: Out Among the Stars, and the annual comic in that volume. They're both fairly short, but they each have great insight into his character. Knowing that, I was wondering what this book would bring out about Han's character.
This comic is about Han and Chewie participating in a race while also on a mission for the Rebellion. I really liked the use of the Millenium Falcon in all its glory while still linking to the Rebellion and Han's character.
The side characters were also really cool in this. I found myself getting invested in other pilots and how they actually had depth. I also liked that they had morals; it definitely made me hope that they would all make it out of this.
That ending was great - Han's got some great depth in here, and this is a really solid story about him. I do think some of the aliens in here were a little weird, as was that last reveal , but hey, that's Star Wars for you. 4.75/5 stars.
The way I look at life has always been simple. You can fight, you can run, or you can die. Dying ain't an option. Which means I've gotten real good at fighting and running. Seems like that's all I ever do. Never thought much about it. Until recently.
I initially read this comic a while back, but I only remembered bits and pieces. Going into this after absorbing so much more SW content was interesting.
Reading this, I found myself thinking about Han's story in Star Wars, Vol. 6: Out Among the Stars, and the annual comic in that volume. They're both fairly short, but they each have great insight into his character. Knowing that, I was wondering what this book would bring out about Han's character.
This comic is about Han and Chewie participating in a race while also on a mission for the Rebellion. I really liked the use of the Millenium Falcon in all its glory while still linking to the Rebellion and Han's character.
The side characters were also really cool in this. I found myself getting invested in other pilots and how they actually had depth. I also liked that they had morals; it definitely made me hope that they would all make it out of this.
That ending was great - Han's got some great depth in here, and this is a really solid story about him. I do think some of the aliens in here were a little weird, as was that last reveal , but hey, that's Star Wars for you. 4.75/5 stars.
April 6, 2017
This is a good 'un.
We get a story by Marjorie Liu that has Han take part in an intergalactic race across the universe, threaded into an important mission for the Rebellion involving three informants and a murder plot. There's a lot to grapple in five issues, and Liu manages to make it all feel satisfying as well as getting a good look inside Han's head at the same time; the dilemmas he's grappling with in this story make perfect sense given when the story is set.
Mark Brooks very rarely does interiors, but they're definitely worth the wait. His visuals never fail to impress, and well done Marvel for giving him enough lead time to finish out this series with the same level of detail as it starts. The man can draw starships racing across the galaxy, let me tell you.
Recommended reading, probably the best of the Star Wars minis so far.
We get a story by Marjorie Liu that has Han take part in an intergalactic race across the universe, threaded into an important mission for the Rebellion involving three informants and a murder plot. There's a lot to grapple in five issues, and Liu manages to make it all feel satisfying as well as getting a good look inside Han's head at the same time; the dilemmas he's grappling with in this story make perfect sense given when the story is set.
Mark Brooks very rarely does interiors, but they're definitely worth the wait. His visuals never fail to impress, and well done Marvel for giving him enough lead time to finish out this series with the same level of detail as it starts. The man can draw starships racing across the galaxy, let me tell you.
Recommended reading, probably the best of the Star Wars minis so far.
September 15, 2019
The Marvel “Star Wars” title “Han Solo” is a little bit of “Force 10 From Navarone” meets “Cannonball Run”. In space. Starring Harrison Ford. Written by Marjorie Liu, drawn by Mark Brooks. It was good. ‘Nuff said.
March 16, 2017
On the cover, Chewie's bag makes Leia look like a blunt eared elf. Just saying.
February 10, 2017
Marvel's 2016 run for Star Wars: Han Solo has just been released in trade paperback, so even though I acquired it issue by issue, I'm still reviewing it at around this time, so go figure.
Yet another star wars comic in the new canon that takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, this comic suffers a similar problem that Jame's Luceno's recent Star Wars novel Catalyst had: it has an extremely strong start, but in the final two issues it loses steam.
THE STORY: There is a mole in the Rebel Alliance that is picking off informants one by one. It is determined to be too risky to send a rebel ship, so Princess Leia wants the Millenium Falcon to be sent instead because it won't stand out among other ships. The problem is that Han Solo flatly refuses.
Desperate for time, Leia reluctantly sends Han Solo and Chewie on the Dragon Void run, which is basically a more badass version of the podrace from the Phantom Menace except that it involves spaceships. The idea is to go to each designated rest stop and pick up each rebel informant, while also figuring out which one is the mole.
THE BAD: The narration done through Han Solo's inner thoughts got annoying pretty fast. If they had these kinds of inner thoughts in a novel, it would be fine. But this is a visual medium and the extra text boxes just crowd the panels. Please, comic writers, use the visuals to your advantage! THAT'S WHY GRAPHIC NOVELS EXIST, RIGHT??
Anyways, there are a few more problems aside from the narration, mostly due to the story. I didn't understand why the empire was getting involved and trying to stop the racers. They felt like they were just kind of there because its Star Wars, but I think the other obstacles in the race were dangerous enough. I also wasn't satisfied with the way the "Clue" scenario with the rebel mole was resolved. Even though it wasn't entirely predictable, the chosen culprit was a cliched choice. Finally, the resolution of the dragon void race felt a bit out of character for Han Solo. I know he is supposed to have a heart of gold and the other possibility would have been a bit too predictable and meh, but
I would rather have an outcome that is done to death and predictable but is executed well and, more importantly, makes sense than one that is out there and different just to be different. If Dreamworks' How To Train Your Dragon showed me anything, you can follow every single cliche, done to death, and predictable outcome and still turn into one of my favorite animated films in existence because of phenomenally perfect execution. On the flip side, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and Darth Bane - Path of Destruction tried to do something different but (in my opinion), completely botched the execution, and in the case of Path of Destruction, does not even fully make sense.
I also didn't find many of the side characters all that interesting either. There's a pantoran pilot who is just kind of there. The comic has a pair of Twilek sisters who remind me of the pair of female twilek bounty hunters from KOTOR 2 that you must defeat playing as Atton Rand, but other than that are pretty forgettable. I don't remember any of the informant characters and the imperials are lead by another officer of the week. Loo Re Ano was interesting enough but her motivations weren't all that clear.
THE GOOD: This comic, despite its problems, was tons of fun.
I found the worldbuilding done with the whole time and space mumbo jumbo and Loo Re Ano's species pretty cool. I can understand why other readers may find it too silly or stupid and not like it, but for me it was a nice touch and literally and figuratively adds another layer to the galaxy we know and love.
The forgettable side characters can be forgiven due to how excellent the main characters are. Han Solo is done perfectly almost all the way through the comic. He's snarky and selfish, just like we knew him from the movies. And despite how annoying the narration is, we get some insight on why he became a smuggler in the first place through his inner thoughts, even though they are hopefully saving most of that for 2018's Han Solo film.
I really like how Marjorie Liu characterized Leia in this comic, as it is very reminiscent of the headstrong personality that is not completely immune to vulnerability we see in Empire Strikes Back. The moments between her and Han in this comic are just fantastic.
Chewie is also done just fine, being the perfectly likeable loyal sidekick he always is, but the art helps make him more expressive.
Speaking of which, wow, is this artwork damn good, or what? I didn't think anybody could outdo the spectacular talents of Marco Chechetto, but Mark Brooks and Sonia Oback blew me away with how well designed the characters were, how intense the action was, and how vivid the color scheme turned out to be. What really makes this artwork stand out is how perfectly they blended blurriness with clarity to create a sense of DEPTH. I love the artwork done by Chechetto and Larocca/Delgado, but even their best work still looks flat. But Brooks and Oback make their galaxy look 3-Dimensional, and the closest thing I have seen to a comic book capturing the feeling of watching a Star Wars film. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, Marvel, get these two to draw for more comics, Star Wars or otherwise!
THE CONCLUSION: For most of the run I was thinking this comic had the potential to outclass Lando, but the last two issues prevented that from happening. Despite this, I really enjoyed the comic for the well done portrayals of Han and Leia and the phenomenal, out of this galaxy artwork. I almost went with a 4 stars, but I took into account that other readers who are following the star wars comics may be getting tired of how nearly every new comic being released is post-New-Hope-pre-Empire-Strikes-Back. So far, of the 12 comic series considered canon, 6 of them take place between episodes 4 and 5- leaving 50% of the comic book canon is being taken up by only 3 years out of the roughly 50 year timespan that the star wars canon universe is currently occupying!
This was overall a good comic, but I'm ready for the new star wars canon to branch out to different eras with its comic books. Why can't there be more comics utilizing the 30 year stretch between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens? Do more between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Even that 10 year gap between Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones!
Here's to hoping that the upcoming Darth Maul Comic taking place pre-phantom menace will be good, and hopefully that volume of Aaron's Star Wars run focusing on Yoda works out. But until then, hopefully Kieron Gillen's Star Wars: Doctor Aphra is the only comic book series between Yavin 4 and Hoth that we will be seeing for a while.
Yet another star wars comic in the new canon that takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, this comic suffers a similar problem that Jame's Luceno's recent Star Wars novel Catalyst had: it has an extremely strong start, but in the final two issues it loses steam.
THE STORY: There is a mole in the Rebel Alliance that is picking off informants one by one. It is determined to be too risky to send a rebel ship, so Princess Leia wants the Millenium Falcon to be sent instead because it won't stand out among other ships. The problem is that Han Solo flatly refuses.
Desperate for time, Leia reluctantly sends Han Solo and Chewie on the Dragon Void run, which is basically a more badass version of the podrace from the Phantom Menace except that it involves spaceships. The idea is to go to each designated rest stop and pick up each rebel informant, while also figuring out which one is the mole.
THE BAD: The narration done through Han Solo's inner thoughts got annoying pretty fast. If they had these kinds of inner thoughts in a novel, it would be fine. But this is a visual medium and the extra text boxes just crowd the panels. Please, comic writers, use the visuals to your advantage! THAT'S WHY GRAPHIC NOVELS EXIST, RIGHT??
Anyways, there are a few more problems aside from the narration, mostly due to the story. I didn't understand why the empire was getting involved and trying to stop the racers. They felt like they were just kind of there because its Star Wars, but I think the other obstacles in the race were dangerous enough. I also wasn't satisfied with the way the "Clue" scenario with the rebel mole was resolved. Even though it wasn't entirely predictable, the chosen culprit was a cliched choice. Finally, the resolution of the dragon void race felt a bit out of character for Han Solo. I know he is supposed to have a heart of gold and the other possibility would have been a bit too predictable and meh, but
I would rather have an outcome that is done to death and predictable but is executed well and, more importantly, makes sense than one that is out there and different just to be different. If Dreamworks' How To Train Your Dragon showed me anything, you can follow every single cliche, done to death, and predictable outcome and still turn into one of my favorite animated films in existence because of phenomenally perfect execution. On the flip side, Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and Darth Bane - Path of Destruction tried to do something different but (in my opinion), completely botched the execution, and in the case of Path of Destruction, does not even fully make sense.
I also didn't find many of the side characters all that interesting either. There's a pantoran pilot who is just kind of there. The comic has a pair of Twilek sisters who remind me of the pair of female twilek bounty hunters from KOTOR 2 that you must defeat playing as Atton Rand, but other than that are pretty forgettable. I don't remember any of the informant characters and the imperials are lead by another officer of the week. Loo Re Ano was interesting enough but her motivations weren't all that clear.
THE GOOD: This comic, despite its problems, was tons of fun.
I found the worldbuilding done with the whole time and space mumbo jumbo and Loo Re Ano's species pretty cool. I can understand why other readers may find it too silly or stupid and not like it, but for me it was a nice touch and literally and figuratively adds another layer to the galaxy we know and love.
The forgettable side characters can be forgiven due to how excellent the main characters are. Han Solo is done perfectly almost all the way through the comic. He's snarky and selfish, just like we knew him from the movies. And despite how annoying the narration is, we get some insight on why he became a smuggler in the first place through his inner thoughts, even though they are hopefully saving most of that for 2018's Han Solo film.
I really like how Marjorie Liu characterized Leia in this comic, as it is very reminiscent of the headstrong personality that is not completely immune to vulnerability we see in Empire Strikes Back. The moments between her and Han in this comic are just fantastic.
Chewie is also done just fine, being the perfectly likeable loyal sidekick he always is, but the art helps make him more expressive.
Speaking of which, wow, is this artwork damn good, or what? I didn't think anybody could outdo the spectacular talents of Marco Chechetto, but Mark Brooks and Sonia Oback blew me away with how well designed the characters were, how intense the action was, and how vivid the color scheme turned out to be. What really makes this artwork stand out is how perfectly they blended blurriness with clarity to create a sense of DEPTH. I love the artwork done by Chechetto and Larocca/Delgado, but even their best work still looks flat. But Brooks and Oback make their galaxy look 3-Dimensional, and the closest thing I have seen to a comic book capturing the feeling of watching a Star Wars film. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, Marvel, get these two to draw for more comics, Star Wars or otherwise!
THE CONCLUSION: For most of the run I was thinking this comic had the potential to outclass Lando, but the last two issues prevented that from happening. Despite this, I really enjoyed the comic for the well done portrayals of Han and Leia and the phenomenal, out of this galaxy artwork. I almost went with a 4 stars, but I took into account that other readers who are following the star wars comics may be getting tired of how nearly every new comic being released is post-New-Hope-pre-Empire-Strikes-Back. So far, of the 12 comic series considered canon, 6 of them take place between episodes 4 and 5- leaving 50% of the comic book canon is being taken up by only 3 years out of the roughly 50 year timespan that the star wars canon universe is currently occupying!
This was overall a good comic, but I'm ready for the new star wars canon to branch out to different eras with its comic books. Why can't there be more comics utilizing the 30 year stretch between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens? Do more between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Even that 10 year gap between Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones!
Here's to hoping that the upcoming Darth Maul Comic taking place pre-phantom menace will be good, and hopefully that volume of Aaron's Star Wars run focusing on Yoda works out. But until then, hopefully Kieron Gillen's Star Wars: Doctor Aphra is the only comic book series between Yavin 4 and Hoth that we will be seeing for a while.
December 12, 2020
Set between the new hope and the empire strikes back, the rebellion ask Han to rescue some informants on different planets and to do it he has to participate in some Dragon void race where the best pilots race and he does and he and chewbacca have to overcome various challenges and races and interference from the Empire and rescue the informants meanwhile having to find out who the "betrayer" is and finish the race and get these back to the rebellion. Its a good story but the main thing is art, Mark Brooks doing the rare interior art makes it worth reading and every page is so cleanly drawn and Leia looks gorgeous, though the race is nothing exciting and seems dull at times, but this character Loo Re Anno was interesting and what she did for Han in the end was good. Its a generic race but shows Han doing the good thing for Leia and you can feel it throughout from the beginning to the end "Will they, won't they" tension. Its good read overall and adds another layer/mission to Solo/Chewbacca's belt for the rebellion! The art and colors are a blessing mainly!
March 21, 2020
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This is a collection that takes place in between Episode IV and Episode V. In this one, Leia asks Han for a favor. He is to enter a race as a cover to pick up rebel spies that are in danger. Han and Chewie get more than they bargained for.
There are parts of this collection that I absolutely loved but there were parts that I did not. I loved the characterization as I had no problem with Han, Chewie, and Leia. The interactions between Han and Leia will put a smile on your face while giving you the feels at the same time. The highlight of this collection is the artwork. Absolutely amazing artwork!!! The likeness to the actors are spot on and the reader can easily see the current emotions of the characters for that particular scene. The low point of this collection is the actual plot. It is a little flimsy at best and it did get convoluted at some points. Just not enough depth to it but the introduction to Loo Re Anno was a delight. I also did like that this collection was a nod to Cannonball Run especially the two Twi'lek women which was a nod to the two beautiful women in the lamborghini in the movie.
As a one off series this was fine and I am glad this isn't on going. It was fun but it doesn't really add much to the overall arc. I recommend it because of the artwork and it is nice to revisit more scenes between Han and Leia.
This is a collection that takes place in between Episode IV and Episode V. In this one, Leia asks Han for a favor. He is to enter a race as a cover to pick up rebel spies that are in danger. Han and Chewie get more than they bargained for.
There are parts of this collection that I absolutely loved but there were parts that I did not. I loved the characterization as I had no problem with Han, Chewie, and Leia. The interactions between Han and Leia will put a smile on your face while giving you the feels at the same time. The highlight of this collection is the artwork. Absolutely amazing artwork!!! The likeness to the actors are spot on and the reader can easily see the current emotions of the characters for that particular scene. The low point of this collection is the actual plot. It is a little flimsy at best and it did get convoluted at some points. Just not enough depth to it but the introduction to Loo Re Anno was a delight. I also did like that this collection was a nod to Cannonball Run especially the two Twi'lek women which was a nod to the two beautiful women in the lamborghini in the movie.
As a one off series this was fine and I am glad this isn't on going. It was fun but it doesn't really add much to the overall arc. I recommend it because of the artwork and it is nice to revisit more scenes between Han and Leia.
April 16, 2018
Not all of the "We now own Star Wars and Marvel, let make them do things together. You're welcome, love Disney" books have been home runs. Most that I've read have been entertaining, a few have brought me back for more in the series. This is maybe my favorite yet.
Han Solo does Han Solo-y things. He pilots the Millennium Falcon, he argues with Leia, he smuggles, he picks fights, you know, Han Solo-y things. Chewbacca is here and holds his own considering we can't understand him, yadda yadda yadda.
Here's the thing, it was still fun and interesting even though it wasn't like new ground. The story that Marjorie M. Liu painted around Han was compelling and detailed. There were characters we may never see again who still made a lasting impression and there were real stakes. It wasn't just the Rebellion and the Empire, there were other races (pun intended) who gave the universe a larger feel.
There may not be more to this particular run, but this book is definitely worth checking out.
Han Solo does Han Solo-y things. He pilots the Millennium Falcon, he argues with Leia, he smuggles, he picks fights, you know, Han Solo-y things. Chewbacca is here and holds his own considering we can't understand him, yadda yadda yadda.
Here's the thing, it was still fun and interesting even though it wasn't like new ground. The story that Marjorie M. Liu painted around Han was compelling and detailed. There were characters we may never see again who still made a lasting impression and there were real stakes. It wasn't just the Rebellion and the Empire, there were other races (pun intended) who gave the universe a larger feel.
There may not be more to this particular run, but this book is definitely worth checking out.
January 8, 2017
This was significantly better than I'd thought it would be. Not fantastic, sure, and certainly not the best of the new Star Wars comics. But it's a fairly good story, it suits Han, and it's entirely unlike what the other books are doing.
January 21, 2018
Beyond fun. Marvel takes on Han Solo, and gives the most fun tale possible. Great tale.
April 8, 2019
Olha zemt, acho que esse é o segundo melhor quadrinho, IMHO, dessa nova leva de quadrinhos de Star Wars. Perdendo apenas para a Princesa Leia de Mark Waid e Terry Dodson. É uma trama envolvente e muito bem tecida pela Marjorie M. Liu que eu acho que não mandava tão bem assim com as séries dos X-Men que ela escrevia. É um dos dispositivos de trama que eu mais gosto: os personagens estão em uma disputa coletiva por um prêmio, mas o protagonista sempre luta por algo mais (como em Jogos Vorazes, talkei?!). Bem, no caso aqui o protagonista é Han Solo e ele está infiltrado em uma corrida de naves espaciais a pedido da Princesa Leia. Durante a corrida, ele precisa encontrar três informantes e obter planos para os rebeldes. Claro, que muitas coisas não vão sair como o planejado. Os desenhos de Mark Brooks estão irreconhecíveis das capas que ele costuma fazer para a Marvel, como as de Império Secreto, por exemplo. Isso aconteceu por uma razão que não saberia explicar. As cores? A arte-final? teste de um novo estilo? De qualquer forma, me diverti muito com esse quadrinho do Han Solo muito mais do que esperava me divertir. Gostei muito!
October 3, 2023
This was both a great Rebellion story and an awesome Han Solo adventure! While sent out on another mission by Princess Leia, Han Solo realizes the potential to achieve one of the greatest accolades a pilot in any Galaxy could ever hope to achieve. Along the way, the Empire is the Empire and Han Solo is Han Solo both in the best ways. This one was a really, really good story with really great art to go with it!
December 10, 2021
A terrific story that has Han Solo working undercover in a galactic race to rescue 3 rebel informants. This one has plenty of twist and turns as well as Imperial pains.
As always Han is a barrel of laughs and insightful enough to pull his and Chewie's butt out of the fire. Plenty of action and good artwork makes this one an enjoyable read.
As always Han is a barrel of laughs and insightful enough to pull his and Chewie's butt out of the fire. Plenty of action and good artwork makes this one an enjoyable read.
July 4, 2017
5 stars
Nice to see a comic featuring Han. Quite enjoyable.
Can't wait to read more Star Wars comics!!!!
Nice to see a comic featuring Han. Quite enjoyable.
Can't wait to read more Star Wars comics!!!!
December 29, 2020
Oh I liked this. I’m usually not a fan of Han stories but this one was great!
August 18, 2017
This is one of the best, if not the best, of the new Star Wars comics. Very compelling story, excellent art, and cool aliens.
February 15, 2017
This was everything you would want from a solo (hehehe) Han Solo adventure to be. Set between "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back" this has Princess Leia sending Han on an adventure that requires him to enter...wait for it...a space race!
I hope they at least make a cartoon movie out of this story sometime in the future because this was amazing! Memorable new characters, great action and snappy dialogue: exactly what I look for in a good Han Solo story.
I hope they at least make a cartoon movie out of this story sometime in the future because this was amazing! Memorable new characters, great action and snappy dialogue: exactly what I look for in a good Han Solo story.
April 6, 2017
(2.5) It is fun.... but nothing beyond that. The story follows Han while he secretly does a rebel mission from who else, Leia. Han and Chewy enter the Dragon Void which is some super hard race through space. The art is on par with the rest of new marvel stuff, digital and crisp. The problem i have with the book is it does not to expand on the character of Solo at all. I get the fact marvel probably puts a tight perimeter around what the writers can do but there is little to get excited about.
Bunn did such an amazing job on the vader series and Aaron is doing a pretty good job as well but Solo isn't close to those series. If you're looking for quick wit and swashbuckling fun than this is your book but don't expect anything new. I will admit i do see the promise of a bigger story unfolding with all the racers but it is hard to say if they take advantage of it.
Bunn did such an amazing job on the vader series and Aaron is doing a pretty good job as well but Solo isn't close to those series. If you're looking for quick wit and swashbuckling fun than this is your book but don't expect anything new. I will admit i do see the promise of a bigger story unfolding with all the racers but it is hard to say if they take advantage of it.
August 23, 2017
While the story's a bit convoluted and messy (Han gets entered into a dangerous race as part of an undercover Rebel mission), it serves up some intense action and interesting characters. And it's wrapped up in beautifully rendered and colored artwork. There's a surprising amount of introspection as Solo has to balance his personal goals and moral code with the goals of the rebel agents he is interacting with. And at least one of the fellow racers is a fascinating creation who serves as a bit of a deus ex machina, but it works in the confines of the story. Han's dialog and behavior feels fairly true to the character, and I just really enjoyed the entire package provided here. It nails the spirit of Star Wars, and I heartily recommend it to any Star Wars fans.
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