Star Wars: Han Solo

Rogue race

released OUT NOW! Publisher Marvel

Writer Marjorie liu Artist Mark Brooks

There are few science fiction characters as iconic as Han Solo, and even his fate in The Force Awakens hasn’t dented his immense popularity. Now, for those fans getting impatient for 2018’s Solo-centric spin-off film, there’s a new five-issue Marvel miniseries in which everyone’s favourite intergalactic scoundrel gets up to more action-packed shenanigans.

The story follows Han as he’s given a mission by the Rebellion to rescue some important informants under the cover of flying the Millennium Falcon in the Dragon Void Run, a notorious racing competition. For Han, the idea of actually winning the race is too tempting to miss, but balancing the demands of the mission with his own self-interest isn’t easy, and the stakes are soon getting deadly…

We’re currently three issues in, and writer Marjorie Liu has crafted a pulpy, fast-paced thrill-ride that showcases strong world-building and enjoyable setpieces. The Dragon Void race is depicted as an imaginative gauntlet of lethal dangers, while Liu gives entertaining dimensions to the cast of rogues and racers that Han is competing against.

Most importantly, her portrayal of Han captures the right blend of heroism and roguish charm. Meanwhile, artist Mark Brooks delivers stylish, expansive visuals. Brooks gives us eye-catching character designs and a couple of visually interesting new aliens, while also switching easily between quiet dialogue sequences and vivid space battles. Lurid and energetic, this is a rousing adventure comic that maintains the high standard already seen across Marvel’s other Star Wars titles. Saxon Bullock

George Lucas apparently liked Mark Brooks’s work so much that he’s buying all the original art from issues one and two.