Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Star Wars Comics Review/Recap (Spoilers!): Han Solo #3


The third issue of the Han Solo comic had about everything you could want in a single issue. The comic has quickly become one of my favorite of any Star Wars comics to come out of Marvel since the new cannon has started. It is exactly the fun fast paced story Star Wars fans would expect a Han Solo adventure to be. The third issue picks up directly at the end of the second with the group of racers being arrested by the Empire.

If there is one drawback to this issue it is how easy the pilots get out of their Imperial entanglement. They talk back and forth with the Imperial Officer, but are quickly released when the race organizers talk the Imperials off a ledge. It was a little anticlimactic with the tension the last issue ended on, but the comic quickly picks back up. There has to be a reason to include the Imperials at this point of the story, and they will probably play more of a role in the last two issues. Hopefully we will get to see Han take on and best the smug Imperial Commander who looked down upon him. It only fits for Han to put the officer in his place.

One of the best parts of the issue is the setup and explanation of why Han and Chewie were set on the race. It was good to develop this part of the story in this issue. We saw the setup in the first issue, the race last issue, and now we have an explanation of why it is important and dangerous to rescue the spies. The explanation was intricate, and I could understand some not enjoying how windy Liu made the plot. It was perfect for how the story has been developed, and I want to know more about the spy network in the Rebellion. The main Star Wars comic has touched on the spy network in one of its latest runs and in last year annual edition. I’m interested how much that will play into this run, since this issue takes place before the latest issues in the main line.

The standout portion of the comic again is the race, and how Han manages the challenge. I love the fact Chewie is ready to take it easy and focus on the main mission. Han is the one pushing the issue and making sure he finishes and wins the race. I love the setup for the obstacle in this portion of the race. It adds to the character of Han, and plays into why he was able to navigate the asteroid field in Empire Strikes Back. I also like the fact Han needed help to finish the race and the other racer payed a favor back. It was good to see Han not being infallible and still being able to screw-up.

The big question I have from the end of the comic is about the character revealed. I am curious if the alien is the same character as the gunner we see in the sizzle reel footage of Rogue One, or if it just the same species. I am hoping it is the same character, Bistan, who was shown in the footage. It would be a great tie in, and we would get some more information on the character before the release of the movie, even if this takes place after the events of the film. We would at least know he makes it out of Rogue One, and it also seems he has some ties to Solo and Chewie from a previous encounter.


The Han Solo comic has been fantastic all around, and I’m excited to see where the story goes in the final two issues. I’m not sure exactly where the story is going to go, but I am assuming Han will have to make a choice over the main mission and winning the race. In the end he will choose the Rebellion, but it won’t be an easy choice for him to make. It is interesting to see Han at this point in his character’s journey. I didn’t like that the comic started with him away from the Rebellion, but I’ve grown into the idea of this series helping cement his place in the Rebellion. 

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