Han Solo & Chewbacca Issue 1 Spoiler Review

 Marvel is finally doing a Han Solo monthly series, in the tradition of Darth Vader, who has long deserved one and Dr Aphra who some fans feel don't deserve one. But nevertheless, Han, along with Chewbacca are finally after all these years getting a new monthly series! So how is it?

Format

Not a big change. While the Dr Aphra series has gone away from the opening crawl, instead showing a short paragraph and character head shots. While I do like that format, it breaks what Marvel started in 2015 opening every issue with an opening crawl. The opening crawl tradition started with Dark Empire, but only for the 1st part of the story. Also it's your standard 22 page story for $3.99.

Art

David Messina does the penciling and inking chores, and does an excellent job as always! He captures a younger Han Solo quite well. This is just after the time Solo A Star Wars Story took place, and the temptation to go with Alden/Han is there but instead it's young Harrison Ford. Chewbacca is also perfectly drawn as he's big, but not as big as some other artists draw him. The ships look good, as do the streets of Corellia and other characters, like Greedo. Messina drew parts of War of the Bounty Hunters issues 3-5, so he is new to drawing Star Wars.

Writing & Story

The most important part, next to art in a comic book is the story. The art catches your eye and the story has to catch your attention. Marc Guggenheim has long been a veteran comic book writer and has written for TV shows like Law & Order, Arrow & CSI Miami. Needless to say, he knows what he's doing. He's also taking advantage of doing stories in an era largely ignored by Star Wars writers over the years. I know you're shouting about the Han Solo Trilogy's by Brian Daley and AC Crispen, but those are largely set a couple years before A New Hope. This takes place a few years after Solo, which was 10 years before ANH.

The story starts off with Han being late for a pickup up of a mercenary team, and drops them off at Jabba's Palace. The lead mercenary vows to never work with Han again, so it's clear they had a long working relationship, LOL! But while Han hoped for downtime to fix up the Falcon, Jabba has other plans. He needs something stolen, an urn of verillix (I have no clue what it is so don't ask!). But there's a catch, Han has to work with the informant who gave Jabba the information: Greedo. Han and Greedo have a past, and amazingly speaks Basic (English) when not in Jabba's presence. Han gives him a warning about pulling a double cross and takes the job. He just has to go back to Corellia. But they need to break in not once but twice. Once to case the joint, and the other time to steal the item. They make their plan for the 2nd break in after successfully getting an access card and breaking in. Han is left to his own planning as Greedo and Chewbacca work on securing the gear they'll need to steal the urn. But an older man bumps into Han, and they have drinks. Meanwhile an armored bounty hunter who isn't Boba Fett is on Han's tale, after getting hired by a mystery woman. At the end of the issue we learn Han knew his father worked on YT-1300's (Millennium Falcon's class), and that the old man claims to be Han's long lost father...


Verdict

The story and art both get strong A grades. It is a heist story but this time we know a couple of the players involved. No, I do not believe the old man is Han's father but just someone who is playing a con game, but for what reason? Whether you like Disney Canon or not, this is an interesting read. I highly recommend it if you liked the Brian Daley Han Solo Trilogy. It will be interesting to see where this all goes, which means Han and Greedo aren't getting the payout. But it will be fun to see just how they lose out.