– Spoiler Review –
Krrsantan strikes in the middle of Han and Chewie’s latest heist, leaving Chewbacca to rescue the plucky smuggler from the other Wookiee’s grasps, making for a Wookiee-centric delight in Han Solo & Chewbacca #4!
Since the initial announcement, we’ve known there would be an issue told from Chewbacca’s POV, without translation, and it’s something I’ve grown more eager to see as the series released. With the art team of David Messina, Alex Sinclair on colors, and Joe Caramagna lettering, each successive issue assured me more and more they could carry a non-translated script by Marc Guggenheim, and the end results by both the art and writing didn’t disappoint. Not only is Chewie out there rescuing Han and the two Wookiees brawl, but the issue also manages to move the plot forwards, including casting even more doubt on the legitimacy of Ovan’s claims on being Han’s father.
Chewie cares a lot about his buddy Han, so it was great to see his reaction to the abduction and efforts to rescue his pal from his POV. There have been other moments in recent comic memory that have put Chewie front and center, most notably the Chewbacca miniseries back in 2015 where he fought alongside a young local girl on a planet he crashed onto, but also in the initial run of the Star Wars mainline comic as he and Threepio go on an adventure and its current iteration as he fights alongside the Rebellion after Han’s frozen in carbonite. Whereas both the recent Star Wars comic story and this series deal with Han Solo missing and Chewie trying to get him back, he doesn’t have as many options to save his pal in the other series due to what we already know will happen, but in both we get a few spare moments to see how the loss of Han affects him before he’s on the go and on a mission. If there’s one aspect I wished this issue was able to have more of, it would’ve been a contemplative Chewie, but the urgency of the situation prevents it so the issue doesn’t dig as deep, but that’s sort of the vibe of the Han Solo & Chewbacca series anyways so it’s fitting how fun and enjoyable Chewie running solo is.
From the very first panel, the stage is set for the Wookiee’s takeover, a giant panel with Chewie front and center, a howl piercing the word bubble. The letter’s position is always important to comics and often isn’t as appreciated, but it’s Caramagna’s work (a long-time letterer for Star Wars as a whole) which carries and aides the issue from beginning to end. He’s lettered Chewie before (including the aforementioned miniseries!), and I can’t say I’ve ever quite picked up a pattern before, but he’s deliberate here, with Guggenheim’s script necessitating it sure, but maintaining the consistency of how he letters Chewie’s growls in the bubbles leads to a small understanding of what he might actually be saying. Ovan’s brief appearance after waking up from the stun blast at the end of last issue helps point out some of the Wookiee’s reused growls, leading to a rather funny exchange between Wookiees later, but it’s almost not necessary thanks to the situations unfolding in each panel, Caramagna’s work, and Messina/Sinclair’s art. With not too many people talking, Caramagna ramps up the SFX as well, creating more comedy like he has in past issues, be it the “plop” of Ovan as Chewie sets him down or Ovan’s aggressive “bump” when fading out due to the blast, but also adding a lot of character and might to the mighty Wookiee’s appearance, with the big, red lettering breaking bubbles or the meaty, wide SFX as the Wookiees trade blows. Caramagna’s been a big part of many comics we’ve all enjoyed, and he’s had great, standout moments before, but I can’t state enough how vital his contributions were this issue.
As I’ve come around on Messina’s style, with Sinclair’s colors, I was curious to see how they would do when their work would be in even sharper focus with a mostly wordless script to bring to life. Chewie’s face might default to angry, and Messina highlights the Wookiee’s anger often as he’s either blasting at Krrsantan to try to initially rescue Han or when they start to brawl. It isn’t all anger on the lovable oaf’s furry face, as there’s a smile here or there, especially when he tells Ovan of his daring deeds because we all know Chewie’s prone to tooting his own horn (who else will, Han?), and a few grins when humans guards run from him instead of fight him. Krrsantan looks close to his TV costume, rather than previous comic appearances which varied greatly, though the reference stuff comes back a bit with the side-eye look from The Book of Boba Fett twice in the issue. Otherwise, when these two titans meet, it’s lots of fur and giant panels to capture the heft and massiveness of their fight; I like how both of their arms have hair that sort of bell sleeves out, to exaggerate their furry nature, which makes their punches seem more powerful, their fight more messy. My favorite bit, and it’s the humorous moment I mentioned earlier between the two Wookiees, is when Chewie busts out a thermal detonator and Krrsantan’s shock is plain, his “ARA” a pleading no, no you wouldn’t, while Chewie’s face is sly, smug even, the “HARRRO” aka “Yes” loud and clear to us and the deadly Wookiee. The coloring on the two Wookiees is distinct, but where Sinclair’s colors really shine, and highlight Messina’s art, is in a few panels like Chewie landing on an asteroid before taking the Falcon down to the planet, or when he runs through a green field with Han to escape, the desolate colors and shading over them turning the moment to hopeful to dark in a second.
Ovan/Corbus (as I’m still sure that’s who he actually is via issue #1’s little scene of a man being contacted via hologram) initially seems fazed by the stun blast, with Chewie forcing him to stay behind on the Falcon and feel better, but the mischievous, thoughtful look he has the last time we see him followed by the Falcon‘s disappearance sure seems to hint at his ulterior motives. He must remember the urn, which he’s out for, fell in the resulting mess with Krrsantan (something we can see even in the art) and I’m betting he’s heading back to grab it and turn it in. Will he have a change of heart though, actual Papa Han or not? We’ll see a little later this year!
Han Solo & Chewbacca #4 puts the titular Wookiee front and center in a race to rescue Han from Krrsantan and it gives me hope we’ll have more issues like it in the future!
+ Art and lettering bolster a Wookiee-focused script
+ The always dependable Chewbacca
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.