Review: HAN SOLO #1

HAN SOLO No. 1
MARVEL COMICS – @Marvel

[This review was originally posted on Patreon. Visit "Star Wars Central" review page here.]

WRITER: Marjorie Liu
ART: Mark Brooks
COLORS: Sonia Oback
LETTERS: VC's Joe Caramagna
COVER: Lee Bermejo
VARIANT COVERS: Mike Allred; John Cassaday; John Tyler Christopher; Scott Koblish; Pepe Larraz; Phil Noto
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (August 2016)

Rated “T+”

“Part 1”

Everyone's favorite scruffy smuggler, Han Solo, now has his own comic book as part of Marvel Comics' recently launched line of Star Wars comic books.  A five-issue miniseries, Han Solo is written by Marjorie Liu; drawn by Mark Brooks; colored by Sonia Oback; and lettered by Joe Caramagna.

Han Solo #1 opens between the events depicted in the films, Star Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980).  Han Solo needs to take on some smuggling jobs in order to pay his debt to crime lord, Jabba the Hutt, but Han has been feeling kind of strange.  Every job offer seems wrong, so Chewbacca says that Han is spooked.  Then, Han gets a call from Princess Leia Organa, delivered in a most peculiar manner.  Her request involves “The Dragon Void Run,” a race Han Solo has always wanted to enter, just not like this.

I have to admit that I have not been crazy about all the new Star Wars comic books that Marvel Comics has released since the beginning of 2015.  The Chewbacca miniseries and that awful C-3PO one-shot come to mind.  However, Han Solo, judging from the first issue, seems like it will be a winner.

I think that this “new hope” begins with writer Marjorie Liu (Monstress), who captures the essence of Han Solo.  He is a loner, used to looking out for himself, but, in spite of his protestations, he knows what's right and wrong.  He balances a sense of justice or “moral compass” with the desire to survive and thrive.  He can look out for number one and also help his friends.  There is tension in this balance – an ebb and flow, a constant tug between me-first and taking-one-for-the-team.  When a writer can capture this furious conflict within Han Solo, she is halfway to writing an engaging, intriguing, and truly enjoyable Han Solo comic book.

Artist Mark Brooks strengthens this series' potential.  He fills the pages with evocative backgrounds that recall the original Star Wars film trilogy.  Brooks creates stylish space ships and an alien menagerie that gathers familiar Star Wars people and beings, but also adds some bits from his own imagination.  Sonia Oback gives Brooks' art a look similar to classic sci-fi film and science fiction art.

I pretended that I was not expecting a lot from this Han Solo miniseries, but I am expecting this to be really good.  So far, so good...

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-------------------

Albert Avilla Reviews: Astonishing X-Men #55

Astonishing X-Men # 55
Marvel Comics

Reviewed by Albert Avilla

Writer: Marjorie Liu
Artist: Mike Perkins
Cover: Phil Noto

Spoilers!
The bullets on the cover must have all been blanks, because that is what this story was shooting. I was under the impression that this title’s purpose was to give us cutting edge X-Men stories. This misses that mark completely.

The most intriguing part of the story was the flashback to Susan Hatchi’s earlier life. Hatchi turns the pressure on the X-Men to take over Madripoor. The airport is destroyed by a group of imposter X-Men. This group is so lame that they don’t have a name and the members don’t have code names. Normal humans using technology to imitate mutant powers; for the amount of effort it took the X-Men to defeat them they need to get a refund for that technology. The X-Men had them out of the picture before they could say two lines, and the X-Men had their powers taken away.

Tyger Tiger arrests the X-Men and takes them to a warehouse where Karma’s supposedly deceased father is waiting for them. Susan Hatchi shows up with a rocket launcher and blows up the warehouse. She expects to find buried bodies. They survived being buried under the rubble of a building and also survived attacks by some of the most powerful evil mutants ever. Why waste a rocket when you have nano-worms that control the X-Men’s bodies? Didn’t she threaten to kill Warbird and Northstar with the nano-worms? Am I the only one asking these questions? Who is to be held accountable for this? This is just irresponsible writing.

Overall the art is bland. The characters look roughly drawn. There is no detail in the background just a lot of pretty colors hiding a lack of effort. A few of the headshots do reveal some talent that is inconsistent.

I rate Astonishing X-Men #55 Read it in the Store. #4 (of 5) on the Al-O-Meter Ranking

Albert Avilla Reviews: Astonishing X-Men #54

Astonishing X-Men #54
Marvel Comics

Reviewed by Albert Avilla

Writer: Marjorie Liu
Artist: Mike Perkins
Cover: Phil Noto

(Spoiler Alert)
The story starts with the X-Men buried under tons of rubble. With the super-human effort of Cecilia Reyes, the X-Men escape. The moment the X-Men are free, Hatchi shows up and infects them with nano-worms. She blinds Northstar to demonstrate her power over them. She orders the X-Men to take over Madripoor for her or she'll infect New York City. The X-Men find their way to Madripoor. Wolverine arrives on the island in his Patch persona. The X-Men meet with Tyger Tiger in a steel mill. Northstar and Iceman get into an argument about whether they are taking over Madripoor. Iceman ends up falling into a cauldron of molten iron.

The story flows well, and it is eventful with mild action. The big shocker of Iceman dying at the end is interesting. Eagerly anticipating finding out how Bobby will escape this predicament. Liu does a good job of handling the group; all of the characters make a contribution to the storyline. No one seems to just be along for the ride.

The art is uninspiring. It's hard to distinguish any facial features. I had to look closely at times to tell which character was speaking.

I rate Astonishing X-Men #54 Read a Friend's Copy