This week, New York Times bestselling author Marjorie Liu makes her return to Marvel Comics, partnering with veteran artist Mark Brooks to debut the most highly anticipated Star Wars series since, well, since the last Star Wars series.
Han Solo takes place just after A New Hope and the Battle of Yavin, opening with the titular character hustling the smuggling beat, looking for jobs to help pay off that Jabba debt (we all know how that works out, however). When a pair of Rebel agents proposition him to “borrow” the Falcon, Han Solo finds himself, once again, selling his unique talents and services to Princess Leia and The Rebellion for another no-questions-asked, top secret, fast-as-hell operation.
Leia is looking to rescue three Rebel spies, and the only way to do that is if a ship – and pilot – unaffiliated with the Rebellion participates in the Dragon Void, a legendary space race that draws the most well-known and well-trained pilots in the galaxy. Han Solo’s job is to simply recover the agents at each of the three requisite refueling stops. Of course, nothing could possibly be that simple…
Since the Star Wars license made its expected return to its new in-laws at Marvel, the creative teams have been knocking out one outstanding series after another. Liu seems to have an excellent grasp of Solo’s character post-ANH, and Mark Brooks seems like he was born to draw aliens and spaceships. Hang on, Your Worship. We’ve got a very good feeling about this.
Other Marvel Highlights
It’s an election year, and, as it turns out, Donald Trump and LeBron James aren’t the only villains doing some heavy politicking this month.
Run the clock to Week 37 of All New All Different Marvel, and we are treated to another new series, this time taking advantage of the most mind-boggling presidential election in our lifetimes to spin forth some devilish political satire. Social and cultural events used to be regular fodder for the funnybook spinracks, but the tide of superhero approval has changed all that over the last decade-plus. Kudos to Christopher Hastings (Gwenpool) and Langdon Foss for successfully combining the two in Vote Loki #1.
Yes, this incarnation of Loki was born in the United States (Maryland, to be exact). And, yes, he’s running for president. The God of Lies and Mischief calls out the other candidates and bluntly expresses what we all know to be true: “These candidates dance around questions like they’re hot irons. They make up half-positions based on whatever people want to hear, and they clearly stand in contrast to their true history. And then once they take office, they do whatever they want anyway, as quiiiietly as possible.” Is it so far-fetched? If you’re voting for someone who you know is a liar, why not vote for the best liar possible?
DC: Rebirth, Week 4
Superman #1
This is great. The first few pages set up how Superman has been for such a long time, all grey and dark, but then they hit you with the wonderful splash page of his brightly colored suit followed by the double page origin. Really nice work. I like how this book seems to be about the child. If it keeps going like this it will be a new favorite of mine. Tomasi gets these father/son relationships, as he proved with Bruce and Damian, so I trust him, and Gleason’s art is always fun to look at. High hopes for this.
– BC
The Institute of Idle Time 