Han Solo #3 Review!
Jondee here at the Dragon Void,
The Dragon Void Run continues! Marjorie Liu is at the controls of the Falcon with Mark Brooks navigating the artistic waters. The comic book features a cover by Lee Bermejo of Han piloting with Falcon flying underneath him. A holonet reporter is covering the race with Leia watching a screen showing Han and the other pilots in binders surrounded by stormtroopers. Admiral Airen suspects that Han turned them in, but Leia still has hope. Officer Tomine has them detained looking for Han after a fight last issue with a female bounty hunter after the Duros contact, Bot. He wants to blast the lights of Loo Re Anno (the tall, blue alien with four arms), which she says are alive, and Han tries to calm the situation down. I suspect that Anno is not only protecting Han, but has some connection to the informants, possibly the leak maybe to save herself or the lights (which I’m suspecting is an embryonic form of her race). Short note: Brooks’ art is brilliant! Of course, there is photo captures to get an actor’s likeness, but Brooks has gone beyond that to get Harrison Ford’s expressions especially highlighted by the lights. The hooded alien race officials on hover platforms threaten to cut off fuel to the Imperials. Tomine frees the pilots and they race to their ships.
Han races into the Falcon to see the young contact who he thinks is dead, but Chewie has just given him a paralytic and he can only talk. Love Bot’s line, “Please don’t ever rescue me again.” Han contacts Anno who thanks him for saving the lights and he wants the globe following him to stay away. Bot says he suspects that there is a mole, but doesn’t know who it could be only Leia would know. The pilots reach a debris field which they must navigate for twelve hours. Glimpses of the twelve hours are seen as the Falcon races. The Falcon strikes one of the debris, but a grappling hook drags it from a rival pilot, Delan Vook, whom Han saved last issue. They reach the planet for repairs and Han walks off to find the contact. He is surrounded by camera droids and the light destroys them. Han knocks on a door and shows the Rebel symbol. The contact wears a full mask and hooded cloak when he speaks Han recognizes him. They reach the Falcon and the contact takes off the mask to reveal a pale cat-like head and a blaster to settle an old debt in a splash page. The story reminds me of the Han Solo Adventures books by Brian Daley where Han has to be resourceful, faced with allies and enemies, and out of his game. Five Blasters out of Five!
