Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Art: David Messina and Alex Sinclair
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagnia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Price: $4.99
Release Date: March 9th, 2022
For decades, Star Wars fans have wanted to see what Han Solo and Chewbacca were up to before fate brought them together with Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Han Solo & Chewbacca #1, the first issue of a new ongoing series, flashes back to several years before Star Wars Episode IV, where the duo are looking for that one perfect job that will make them rich.
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The Story
Han Solo & Chewbacca #1 kicks off with Han and Chewie rescuing criminal associate Khel Tanna (who looks like Grace Jones) and her band of rogues as they escape a heist, and we get to see yet again why Han is considered one of the best pilots in the galaxy.
From there, the issue slows down a bit, as Han is offered a new job that sounds simple, but when has anything ever been simple for Han and Chewie? It’s fun seeing Han and Chewie before they became soldiers for the rebellion. Han’s a full-blown rogue here, laser-focused on getting more credits and doing whatever he has to do to get them. Chewie doesn’t see much action in this issue, but he’s very much in character here, moving between fierce, grouchy, and adorable, much like he is in the films.
A few old characters that we’re all familiar with pop up in the book, and it’s interesting to see them again. One of my favorite things about these Star Wars comics is getting to see the characters outside of the limited time frame of the films. We get a chance to see more of what makes them tick, and we get that here with a couple of characters from Han’s past. This is a good start to a book I hope has a long run.
The Art
David Messina does a great job drawing Han Solo to look exactly like Harrison Ford in Han Solo & Chewbacca #1, right down to the facial expressions and mannerisms. While reading the book, I could practically hear Harrison Ford saying the dialogue. The Millennium Falcon, which is as much a character in the book as Han and Chewie, is drawn in painstaking detail, especially on one page where Han brings the Falcon in close in a rescue operation. You can practically count the rivets and pressure valves on the base of the ship. The action scenes, including blaster fire, light up the pages and looks great.
Final Thoughts
Han Solo & Chewbacca #1 throws us right into the action, and it’s fun seeing an edgier Han Solo trying to find that one big score.
Marvel’s doing a great job of showing the darker and grittier side of the Star Wars universe, and this book is no exception.