– Spoiler Review –
After a two-month hiatus, we’re back in the middle of Han and Chewie’s latest heist on behalf of Jabba the Hutt, with Greedo and a man claiming to be Han’s father along for the fun. Like all good heists, things go from bad to worse, but it means a more entertaining issue than the first for the Han Solo & Chewbacca series.
The big question of the series is if Ovan, the old, eye-patched man who approaches Han Solo at the end of the first issue, really is Han’s dad, and much like how my excitement of being right on a theory turned to instant distrust of it, Han goes from surprise to instant distrust too, punching the man who claims to be his father! Ovan has a lot of work to do to convince both Han and us readers, especially after the single panel from issue #1 about a mysterious cloaked man with a similar profile as “Ovan” who has a much different name remains unresolved. For Han, he’s instantly against the potential of this being his dad because cons like this could only work if the person doesn’t remember their father, who is conveniently shadowed out in a brief flashback that opens the issue (itself a scene from Most Wanted!), which infers Han remembers what his dad looks like. But a few panels later, Han seems unsure when he talks to Chewbacca about it, and had they been friends much sooner, he’d been able to help with this conundrum so for now he just backs Han’s gut. Ovan works hard to try and gain, at the very least, Han’s trust, but Han’s moment with Beckett in Solo: A Star Wars Story means it’ll be very hard to obtain, and all the details of their past together he mentions still aren’t enough to convince the man (and us readers) of his identity. Ovan recalls a conversation the two had in the opening flashback and even has a hologram of himself giving Han the dice made prominent in Solo, but most of these things are something a co-worker of Ovan, or family member, could’ve learned or got simply from knowing the real Ovan. The burden of proof is on Ovan, and while I’d like him to be Han’s dad, I’m leaning more and more towards he really isn’t and the real Ovan is either dead or still out there, somewhere. Hopefully the ending to this tale means closure for Han and us readers.
After finding out last issue they need heavy tech to break into their mark’s vault, a job to grab the urn of Jabba’s enemy Greedo told the slug about, they realize their previous way in has been burnt, but at least Ovan conveniently happens to have the right stuff to deal with the vault if they can make it back in. The crew sneaks into a laundromat to steal uniforms as their way in, posing as the guards, and the heist part of this issue gives all the characters a chance to flex their skills. Han with his bumbling smooth talking gets them an unlocked door, Greedo hacks into the system that gives them the uniforms, Ovan’s ability to lie and his tech give them the entrances they need, and Chewie secures a getaway vehicle with his might. I appreciate writer Marc Guggenheim provided everyone a chance to shine, even Greedo since for the rest of Han Solo & Chewbacca #2 he’s the singular butt to all of Han’s jokes, which felt a bit too much, almost alienist, even for Han. Regardless, the humor’s good and the pace better, even more so than the opening issue, as everything unfolds both naturally and fast, like you’d expect in a heist story, which helps push away my original concerns over the lack of stakes with all the plot-armored characters around. In fact, the empty vault, while not surprising, is a nice twist handled by both Guggenheim and the art team, setting up for a big showdown as the real guards arrive.
Elsewhere, we catch up with Buck Vancto hunting down Han Solo as his next marshal-for-hire job, where he interrupts Bib Fortuna’s fun to call in a favor. Bib Fortuna’s been a punching bag for most of his appearances, and while H&C #2 doesn’t change that here, it at least hints at a fuller past for the character, and said info is enough for Fortuna to give up Han’s location…just as long as Vancto allows the other people on the job to finish Jabba’s mission. This also adds some color and layers to the new marshal character, as he’s willing to look the other way on one crime to get what he’s been hired to.
While it still feels plastic-like overall, the art team of David Messina, Alec Sinclair (colors), and Joe Caramanga (letters) has grown on me from the opening issue. It still sometimes looks like traces of Han’s face to get such specific facial expressions Han’s known for, hence the plastic-like feeling the often shiny colors don’t help with, but it felt more like original art from Messina this time around. As I mentioned earlier, the twist of the empty vault made an impression thanks to the art, as it was drawn in a way that plays with the expectations of this classic twist and offers humor to the moment, as Han’s dumbfounded expression tells you what he sees and “Ovan’s” head peaking in a panel later is a comedic timing moment, so when we see the vault is empty, it feels like we’re ahead of the characters. The shift to Tatooine for a brief moment was jarring, in a good way, thanks to the team’s work, as the bright, sunny colors compared to the seedier tone to Corellia was a stark contrast despite both places containing seedy endeavors. Vancto remains my favorite look from this team, as he’s the most fitting in their style, but he’s also quite intriguing, with what looks like eyes above where his eyes are on his helmet, almost to distract or making him look bigger than he is to foes and ne’er-do-wells, and his high, red turtleneck is an intriguing choice, as the overall looks gives a cold, calculating, but somehow personality filled voice. Caramanga’s letters puts tension in the alarm at the end, as it invades the panels and overwhelms the backgrounds, while the lack of SFX for the flashback of Solo feels like a way to distant ourselves from the moment, like it is a fleeting memory and not something here and now.
Here are a few other things:
- It seems the comic delays might be behind us, as release dates for coming issues have stayed solid for a few weeks now. Issue 3 hits shelves June 29, 4 will be out July 20, and issue 5, which wraps up this arc, out August 10.
Han Solo & Chewbacca #2 almost feels like this series’ attempt to replicate Solo’s tone, asking you to come along for the ride of your life as Han and Chewie survive job to job, and it accomplished it well-enough I’m actually eager for more now.
+ Papa Han mystery deepens
+ Heist and pace whip up enjoyment
+ Plenty of little humor throughout from writing and art
– Art still feels plastic-like at times
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.
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