Marvel is wasting no time in expanding the Star Wars universe. It's only been a week since the Princess Leia miniseries concluded, and we already have another Star Wars tale to take its place — this time, starring none other than Han Solo's old smuggling pal Lando Calrissian.
Lando is the perfect kind of character to further explore in the pages of a comic. He was introduced in the second half of Empire Strikes Back — at first as a friend, then as a reluctant villain and eventually as a hero. He's a scoundrel with a heart of gold, but because of his side-character nature, we don't get to see a whole lot of him in Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Good news, then: this comic so far perfectly captures what Lando is all about. He's a smooth talking con-man down on his luck, looking to make his way in the galaxy, in the days before he comes to oversee Cloud City in Empire Strikes Back. The opening pages involve Lando talking an Imperial Governor out of a precious artifact. His plan was originally to steal it from under her nose, but being the playboy he is, Lando develops feelings for the governor and can't bring himself to take it without her knowledge.
So he lets her know he's going to steal it and walks away scott free — because that's how Lando rolls. He thinks that the artifact will settle his debt, but of course that's not the case.
In light of that revelation, he accepts one final job: a risky mission but one that comes with a huge payoff. You might remember the Android character Lobot from Empire Strikes Back, who follows Lando's commands and helps Lando boss people around? He's here too as one of Lando's old pals. Together, the two recruit a ragtag team to pull off the heist.
It looks like everything is going according to plan, but as Lando himself might say, he's about to discover that this deal is getting worse all the time.
A number of new alien races are introduced in the pages of the comic, providing a visual treat for Star Wars fans. Overall, however, the book's art doesn't really stand out. Action scenes in particular come off as confusing here.
But Lando isn't about fighting his way out a situation. He is about thinking his way out of one — using his wits and his fast-talking tongue to come out on top. It's great to see, then, that writer Charles Soule captures that aspect of Lando perfectly in every conversation. From the opening page to the last, it feels like Soule really has captured the voice of this character. Lando #1 is a solid start to this series, and I'm excited to see where Soule will be taking the handsome rogue next.
Story
★★★★☆
Art
★★★☆☆
Overall
★★★★☆
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