Han Solo & Chewbacca #8 - Comic Review

Greedo became enemy number one as intel that he’s on Tatooine and knows where the Falcon is made its way to Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Phaedra last issue. Han Solo & Chewbacca #8 starts with a Greedo shakedown to secure Solo’s ship. The trio aren’t giving up the hunt for Jabba’s urn, the ultimate prize with a 500 million credit payday. The urn’s location might just be the trickiest yet: a Grand Moff’s office on Imperial controlled Coruscant. A smelly and sneaky plan is put into action, but will our hero’s escape unscathed?

Writer Marc Guggenheim delivers another episodic heist tale, what we’ve come to expect from Han Solo & Chewbacca. As each issue is released it’s become more evident that this series takes the comic book format to heart, each story is self-contained enough to be entertaining on its own, while connecting to a larger narrative. Like a Saturday morning cartoon, Han Solo & Chewbacca doesn’t take itself too seriously, and the stakes are never very high. I attribute this to the title being aimed at younger readers who might not be looking for something deeply connected to Star Wars lore. With this perspective, Han Solo & Chewbacca #8, while filled with familiar tropes and a quippy script, is another satisfying issue in the series. Guggenheim does a nice job of balancing the familiar (Solo and Chewie’s bromanctic relationship) with the new (Phaedra, the B storyline of Marshal Buck Vancto and Corbus Tyra) as the overall story marches on to a conclusion. Though after 8 issues, the end of the main story seems more nebulous than ever. Regardless of how long this journey is, Guggenheim ensures that readers will have a great time.

Artist David Messina, colorist Alex Sinclair and letterer Joe Caramagna similarly do their part to make sure Han Solo & Chewbacca #8 looks amazing. Solo’s more present than he has been for a few issues, and Messina has plenty of panels to fill with classic Han facial expressions. Sinclair’s colors paint a rainbow of contrast from the desert landscape on Tatooine, to the sterility of the Empire on Coruscant. And Caramagna’s letters make each blaster bolt, window shatter and Wookiee shriek explode off the page.

Cover artist Phil Noto chooses a more quiet moment of drama, featuring Grand Moff Tarkin, Solo and Chewbacca. Jerry Ordway and Laura Martin’s variant cover goes for heroic vibes, with the titular duo striking an epic, mid-mission pose. The Attack of the Clones 20th Anniversary variant by Caspar Wijngaard, while not connected to the story in any way, will entice collectors with its depiction of a battle between clones and droids.

Han Solo & Chewbacca #8, filled with humor, action and drama, is on sale now!