the Empire's unrelenting brutality, there is little
hope for change. Nonetheless, rebels have banded
together to fight back against such corruption.
While the Rebellion grows in power, Imperials fight
to crush any hope for an overthrow. With the
Empire's hands full, the opportunities for crime are
endless.
HAN SOLO has taken a step back from the rebel
cause, returning his focus to what he does best -
smuggling. Untrusting by nature, he's skeptical of
any who cross his path. Unfortunately for him, he
cannot stay under the radar forever....
Star Wars: Han Solo is a 2016 Marvel Comics Star Wars mini-series written by Marjorie Liu and art from Mark Brooks. It is the fourth in a series of mini-series released by Marvel that focuses on a main character from the Original Trilogy.
Set shortly after A New Hope, the series follows Han Solo and Chewbacca as they are recruited by the Rebel Alliance to rescue three rebel agents carrying vital information. The catch? All the other members of the spy network have been hunted down and killed by the Empire, indicating a mole has leaked their identities. In order to rescue them secretly and discreetly, the surviving three agents are waiting on the worlds serving as pit stops in the Dragon Void Run, one of the most dangerous and prestigious starship races in the galaxy which Han has always dreamed of winning.
Determined to rescue the rebel agents and win the Dragon Void Run, Han and Chewie will have to contend with the race's deadly obstacles, ruthless racers, and the possibility that the spy has leaked their plan to the Empire...
Tropes featured in this comic include:
- Ace Pilot: Han and Chewie obviously, but the other racers in the Dragon Void Run qualify as well, being professionals who routinely navigate galactic race courses that would kill lesser pilots.
- Call-Back: Leia is seen wearing an nearly identical outfit to the one her mother wore in Attack of the Clones.
- The Casanova: Delan Vook is almost always seen surrounded by women when outside of his ship. Han even refers to him as a Pantoran playboy at one point.
- Chekhov's Gunman: U'il, the female Falleen protecting Bot in the second issues, reappears in the fourth issue and is revealed to be a Rebel agent.
- Fantastic Racism: Dorae shows a little bit towards Twi'leks when she asks Sotna and Nowk if they shouldn't be dancing for their masters somewhere.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Three of the racers, the Pantorian Delan Vook and the Twi'leks Sotna and Nowk, are arrogant and elitist professional racers who look down on Han and Chewie for being smugglers. They even try to get them thrown out of the race after discovering their occupation. However, they all also show different degrees of honor in later issues, with Vook paying Han back for defending him against an Imperial officer by using a tow cable to ensure Han completed the second part of the race while Sotna and Nowk greatly respect Loo Re Anno, who convinces them to save Han and Chewie when Dorae has them at blasterpoint.
- Last of Her Kind: Loo Re Anno is the last known member of her species. An Imperial officer wonders how such a thing happens, and Loo Re Anno tells him that it usually requires some help.
- Living Legend: Loo Re Anno is one of the oldest and greatest racers in galactic history and is respected by all the other participants in the Dragon Void Run.
- Long-Lived: Loo Re Anno's species is implied to be extremely long lived, with her grandmother having founded Dragon Void Run, which has existed for centuries at the least.
- The Mole: One of the three Alliance spies Han is rescuing is actually an Imperial agent who betrayed and killed the rest of the network. In actuality, he's a Manchurian Agent who's been brainwashed and had no choice in the matter.
- Nervous Wreck: Bot, the Duros agent, is constantly on the verge of completely panicking and is convinced that the traitor is going to kill him and everyone else. Han is clearly baffled how Bot survived long enough as a spy to be rescued. Which might explain how he was captured and turned into a Manchurian Agent.
- The Spymaster: General Airen Cracken is the head of Alliance Intelligence and gives Han his mission alongside Leia, although he is considerably more reluctant to trust the smuggler than she is.
- Wacky Racing: The Dragon Void Run is one of the deadliest sporting events in the galaxy. The first leg of the course involves mines that seeking out any ship running power and destroy or disable them. Only four vessels make it past the first round, which the announcers notes is the smallest number in recent memory.
