As much of the world faces quarantine to help combat the pandemic, staying at home opens up a lot of free time for many people. It’s a time to catch up on movies one has always wanted to watch, shows to binge, books/comics to read, boardgames to play, etc., and since the halting of new comics has opened up time/space at the Manor, we’ve decided to start a long overdue service: the Concierge! Staying at hotels, B&Bs, and even Airbnb’s there are often concierge services available about what to see and do in the area you’re visiting, so we’ve opened the concierge desk at the Manor to offer suggestions on what to read, watch, and enjoy when wanting to find out more about your favorite Star Wars characters now that you have the free time to do so! For the inaugural Mynock Manor Suggests, I’ve decided to focus on the smooth talking entrepreneur, Lando Calrissian.
Disclaimer: Since most people have likely already seen the Star Wars films, the Manor Suggests series will focus on the various publishing aspects of the GFFA. We also highly suggest, if a local comic shop or book store is still open/offering curbside service or other social-distancing options, please consider picking up many of the suggested titles below from them!
In no particular order, we’ll dive into canon suggestions first and a few Legends later on. Hope you find something new to enjoy!
CANON
Lando (Comic Miniseries; Written by Charles Soule; Art by Alex Maleev, Colors by Paul Mounts, Lettering by Joe Caramagna; Marvel 2015)
It’s no secret I absolutely love this miniseries, as I mention it to a probably annoying degree in many articles (especially when talking about Soule-created works) and it made the #1 spot in my Top 10 Unforgettable Comic Moments, so of course I’d recommend this highly for getting to know more about its eponymous character. The true beauty of what Lando accomplishes is adding some fresh and tragic backstory for Lando’s friendship with Lobot, changing the way one watches their interactions in The Empire Strikes Back, with a thread many other stories have built on since (some I’ll be mentioning in this list). It’s also one of the better characterizations of Lando’s distinct style and swagger, including an excellent pay-off for Lando’s insistence about not using blasters, as I found myself laughing often regarding his ability to talk down the increasingly insane and dangerous moments of their heist of a certain Emperor’s yacht. The rest of the supporting cast is well-rounded and intriguing (bounty hunter Chanatha Cha being one of my favorites), the ever-evolving heist gets crazier with each issue, the art hasn’t quite been matched since for fitting so well with a subject and its story, while the tragic ending really hits home for both the character and reader.
Last Shot (Novel; Written by Daniel José Older; Del Rey 2018)
Lando might hold dual leading role duties with Han in the supremely fun Last Shot, but I felt it was a far more important and telling book for him as a lack of material about him since the new canon started means plenty of room to expand and explore. Last Shot, thanks to Daniel José Older’s punchy writing, offers a no-holds barred dive into many aspects of Lando’s larger-than-life personality and actions, providing one of the most authentic and committed portrayals of his sexuality and charismatic ways (mainly in the younger set sections). If I felt like the Lando miniseries had one of the better characterizations And if you’ve wanted more of L3, and a much better look at Lando’s connection with her, you’ll not be disappointed by the events in this book. Plus, this book has an Ewok slicer…how can you beat that?!
Star Wars Vol. 2 (On-going Comic; Written by Charles Soule; Art by Jesús Saiz; Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg & Arif Prianto; Lettering by Clayton Cowles)
While this is one of the many comics affected by the pandemic, the relaunch of the Star Wars series to a post-The Empire Strikes Back timeline means Lando is front and center to the action after the fallout from the events on Cloud City. Since it’s Soule writing, Lando is a joy to read, as his “Lando Style!” tagline results in some hilarious and absolutely smooth moments in the first 4 released issues. It’s also interesting to see him attempt to gain Luke and Leia’s trust after Cloud City, and how the two treat him understandably for his actions. Plus, Soule revisits the tragic thread between Lando and Lobot, as he attempts to make good on his debt to his implant-controlled friend. Now’s a really great time to catch up on Lando’s leading roll in the series so you’ll be ready for its eventual return.
“Idiot’s Array” Star Wars Rebels Season 1, Episode 11 (TV Show)
While The Rise of Skywalker is the first time Billy Dee Williams reprises his role as Lando in live-action, he first returned to the role on a little episode of Star Wars Rebels, “Idiot’s Array.” Sure, it was a tad obvious he was an older man trying to sound like a younger one, but he was still silky smooth and it really added some panache to the character’s supporting role in the episode. If you want a good show of how the Lando of this time period always has an ulterior motive, with his hidden heart of gold shining through ever so often, then this early episode of Rebels is one of the better ways to see it. The show is on Disney+ right now so it’s a few easy clicks away…
Age of Rebellion – Lando Calrissian #1 (Comic Issue in Age of Rebellion Miniseries; Written by Greg Pak; Art by Matteo Buffagni; Colors by Tamra Bonvillain; Lettering by Travis Lanham; Marvel 2019)
While Charles Soule has dominated the canon Lando writing, there are others who have written the character, like Greg Pak in the Age of Rebellion miniseries issue, Lando Calrissian #1. Despite it being a different writer and artist team, the issue feels like an epilogue to the Lando miniseries, as it deals with Lando’s commitment to honoring Lobot’s final wishes for him and his continued desire to help his friend. It also honors the stylish, gritty artwork of the earlier miniseries, as Matteo Buffagni’s art and Bonvillain’s colors manage to capture a similar vibe while making it their own.
“The Angle” – From a Certain Point of View (Short Story Anthology; Written by Charles Soule; Del Rey 2017)
Where Age of Rebellion – Lando Calrissian #1 feels like an epilogue to the Lando miniseries, the “The Angle” from the wonderful anthology From a Certain Point of View can be seen as a prequel…especially since it’s once again Soule writing. In the middle of the one of the more complex but interesting gambling games ever conceived for Star Wars, Lando learns about Han’s involvement in the destruction of the Death Star, trying to understand his once former friend’s angle in helping the Rebellion. It shows a Lando not quite ready to commit to something greater than himself, something we’ll later see play out in the aforementioned miniseries, hence why it feels like a prequel. Overall though, FCPOV is full of excellent little character stories and worth picking up regardless.
Honorable mentions: Battlefront II (2017) Single-player campaign allows you to interact and play as Lando post-Endor, as well as the multiplayer; Lando – Double or Nothing, a comic miniseries that wasn’t quite my cup of tea but it’s a direct lead-up to Solo; The Rise of Skywalker novelization, for a hint at what happened to Lando since RotJ.
LEGENDS
The Lando Adventures Trilogy (Written by L. Neil Smith; Del Rey 1983)
In Solo – A Star Wars Story, when Lando is narrating his Lando Calrissian Chronicles, he name drops the Sharu, a race of aliens seen in his first Lando Adventures novel, Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of the Sharu. While those novels aren’t canon anymore, it’s a fun way to acknowledge both their absurdity and existence while framing them, in a way, as stories Lando told within the canon universe, meaning reading them now would be like reading his “Chronicles,” as they are outlandish and likely untrue. Plus, they include the invention of sabacc! The three novels really are something else, full of weird and fantastical events, which Manor writer Chris covered in his Legendary Adventures series recently; check out his thoughts on them here: Mindharp of Sharu; Flamewinds of Oseon; and Starcave of ThonBoka.
Scoundrels (Written by Timothy Zahn; Del Rey 2013)
If you want more interactions between Han and Lando, with plenty of tension from their falling out in Legends-verse, look no further than this dizzying joy-ride bringing Ocean’s Eleven to Star Wars in Timothy Zahn’s final Legends work: Scoundrels! As much as I enjoy the ending’s twist, getting to see Lando in all his swindling glory is a real blast, while the tension with Han adds an extra spice to whole thing. Chris also covered this release not too long ago in his Legendary Adventures series, so check that out that as well for more details on the book’s hi-jinks.
And that’s all for the first Mynock Manor Suggests, dealing with the smooth-talking Lando Calrissian. If you have a character you’d like us to cover, please reach out in the comments or the social media options below! And mainly, I hope you found something new to enjoy in Star Wars and make sure to return to the Manor for more Suggestions on what to look into next.
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.