Hitting its fifth issue in January, Rodney Barnes and Roman Rosanas’ Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon miniseries comes to an end. Much of the potential glimpsed in its opening issue fizzles out by the end, as not even the search itself remains entertaining. However, interactions with Chewbacca, brief touches on home life with Leia, and whip-smart dialogue are highlights, yet they aren’t enough to overcome the shortcomings.
If there was one place I thought Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon could deliver, it was Han Solo dealing with his past, coming to terms with it, and have this whole thing lead into The Force Awakens. The confusion regarding when this story takes place doesn’t get any clearer by the miniseries’ finale, as Han and Chewie split up once again, nor does Han make more peace with his past. What we end up getting instead is a Han Solo who finally admits he needs to make amends and leave the Falcon behind. But this is a very small part of the larger aspects Han has and should be dealing with in this era, and while I know this series couldn’t cover certain aspects with The Force Awakens looming overhead, what it did cover doesn’t feel substantial enough to sustain this story in the first place. Was it fun to see Han and Chewie together, looking for the Falcon? Sure! Was it neat to get small slices of life of Ben, Leia, and Han? Absolutely. But Han coming to terms with himself and his own shortfalls of chasing his old glory doesn’t seem too different than the journey we already saw on-screen in TFA. As I said in my review of the opening issue, it’s always about the journey, not the destination, and this journey didn’t feel necessary or substantial enough to hold up the miniseries, while its destination is more confusing than revelatory.
It would’ve helped if the journey to chase down the Falcon would’ve been more interesting, but it never gains enough traction to be worth the full 5 issues. It’s a very convoluted chase, with slapstick setbacks and pitfalls all set to some fun dialogue between Han and Chewie, but it doesn’t get over the hump of us all knowing how it’ll end. Also deflating the story, those involved with the Falcon’s snaking ownership journey aren’t unique. Ducain, the Irving Boys, and even Unkar Plutt don’t have different enough personalities to make the constant bickering about the Falcon, and the fights over it, memorable. And given Han seems surprised the ship was even on Jakku when he meets Rey in TFA, this all feels so strangely out of place compared to what is said in the film, since Han visits Jakku and, while Plutt never explicitly states he has it, they get into a whole fight over him having the Falcon. So did Han simply forget? Hear a different rumor someone had taken it from Plutt so didn’t think of going back? What makes Han and Chewie get back together to go on the search again? It makes this part of the miniseries also feel unnecessary given it only confuses things, not brings them into the light.
What did work for me was Han’s time with Chewbacca, the little glimpses of Han’s past with Ben and Leia, and how Chewie and Leia commiserate about him. Barnes’ characterizations of Han and Chewie match up pretty closely to how they are in TFA, another reason it was so odd they part ways here, and it makes for some funny interactions throughout. In issues #3 and #4, the two finally really get into it, marking one of the best parts of the miniseries. Han acknowledging and apologizing to Chewie, even if there’s humor involved to sort of undercut the seriousness of it, feels long overdue and a great development. The short flashbacks to Han, Leia, and Ben display how unprepared and out of place Han is at domestic life, compared to his fly by the seat of his pants smoothness in the miniseries’ present. It was also just neat to see these moments, something I’m hoping will start becoming more of a norm sooner than later, as it’ll go a long way to add tragedy and delight to the Solo family story. Lastly, the little convos between Chewie and Leia were heartwarming. Too brief, sure, but it gave a better dimension to the friendship and understanding the two people closest to Han have about him. I hope we’ll get to see more of them being friends and commiserating over Han in the future as well.
The art team carrying us through this journey is Ramon Rosanas, colorist GURU-eFX, and letterer Joe Caramagna. As I said in my review of the first issue, Han’s drawn more like his appearance in Shrinking than TFA, looking a bit older to me but you get used to it before long. However, the near trace-like quality of the work makes his appearances stiff compared to what’s often happening in the rest of the panel, which I guess is fitting since he’s older, but it was distracting at times. There was even a confusing moment in issue #4, when Han and Chewie are first escaping from Plutt’s grasps, but I’m not sure if it was on the art or the script. Vorill serpents appear in the depths of the cave they are escaping through and Han tells Chewie to run. Han sets off running, but Chewie is wrapped up by one of the serpents, howling loudly thanks to Caramagna’s red-lettered word bubble. Han is inches away when he first yells and barely seems far away when Chewie lets out the louder howl, but Han keeps going, muttering to himself about hating snakes (surprise surprise). Was it because he was afraid? Was it supposed to show there was more distance between Han and Chewie so he might not have heard him, as eFX’s colors did make it look dark? Han quips about it when he comes back, saying he ran because a serpent was going to get him, so it might be more a script thing than an art thing. Otherwise, Rosanas had plenty of good work, per usual. The opening flashback in issue #3 was a highlight not only because of its story. I liked the mundanity of their Chandrilan home, reminding me of the unique aesthetics of Skeleton Crew’s At-Attin, which were maybe too on the nose, but the designs here are a little more out there, but still very normal looking. There’s a pleasant set of trees that look more like mushrooms, well-trimmed bushes, and their big, art deco-ish styled home. Leia fits in here the most, her clothes regal and relaxed, like she’s happy to be here. Ben is in-between, his colors a little darker, yet more formal like Leia’s, as if he’s half happy to be here and half wanting to go elsewhere. And then there’s Han, while he’s in the look popularized in Star Wars (2025) where his signature vest is white and the shirt beneath is black, he looks so informal, more like he’s still living in the past. It’s a small, but vital way to denote how each person fits into their home life. The transition away from the flashback to the series’ present is a startling reminder of how much things have changed for Han, as compared to the bright and pleasing colors of the past, the present is full of darker, blander elements, as if it’s not as full of life.
After Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon’s issues #2-5, what initially felt promising doesn’t quite land its mark, like Han coming up short in his search for the Falcon. There are some intriguing tidbits of what could’ve been, but it’s not enough to elevate this into something memorable.
+ Chewie and Han dynamic
+ Glimpses of the past and Leia’s conversations with Chewie
– Never quite verifies a good place or reason for it to fit within the era
– The wild goose chase doesn’t hold readers attention
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky.