Star Wars: Han Solo

The comic book miniseries, Star Wars: Han Solo, a Marvel publication, features the writing of Marjorie Liu alongside the illustrations of Mark Brooks. Taking place in the timeline between the cinematic releases of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, the narrative hones in on the character Han Solo during his nascent involvement with the Rebel Alliance. This series, comprising five issues, commenced its release in June of 2016.

Development

On March 4, 2016, Entertainment Weekly initially broke the news regarding the Star Wars: Han Solo project. The comic book miniseries, scheduled for its debut in June 2016, showcases the storytelling of Marjorie Liu and the artistic talents of Mark Brooks, complemented by cover artwork created by Lee Bermejo. Liu opted to craft a narrative where Han Solo grapples with the transformation of his existence, transitioning from a self-centered individual to a participant in the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire. He is dispatched by Leia Organa, a character Liu particularly admires, on a mission aimed at uncovering spies infiltrated within the Rebellion's ranks.

When Liu joined the project, she was informed that the story was situated between Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope and [Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back], but was otherwise granted creative autonomy in shaping the narrative. She presented a variety of concepts while maintaining the central idea that Solo is a witty, street-smart everyman, con artist, and smuggler who typically operates for his own benefit, but now faces an internal conflict regarding his loyalties, something he had never confronted before. This allowed the story to evolve into an exploration of Han Solo's identity. Chewbacca, whom Liu regards as the core of his bond with Solo, also plays a role in the story.

The plot revolves around the Dragon Void Run, a race drawing inspiration from the movie The Cannonball Run. Liu drew inspiration from the film, envisioning the comic's story as "Han Solo in Cannonball Run in space," which enabled her to develop the concept of an age-old and notorious starship race, one that every pilot dreams of participating in and winning. Although the race serves as a facade for the mission he is tasked with, Solo's internal struggle involves deciding whether to take the race seriously: Should he abandon his mission, he might actually secure victory in the race.

A fresh character introduced within the storyline is Loo Re Anno, a member of a declining ancient race that originally established the Dragon Void Run. Also a pilot, she is nearing the end of her life and anticipates this to be her final race. This species is a novel creation for Star Wars: Han Solo, as Lucasfilm encouraged Liu to develop new species. Furthermore, two antagonists present the primary challenge to the characters in the comic, one from Solo's past and another intent on thwarting his mission. While the Empire makes a cameo, they are not the central villains of the story. The demise of Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens influenced Liu's approach to the storyline. She had to contemplate whether to allow the future events of Solo's life to shape her writing, and although she hadn't fully resolved this question during her interview with Entertainment Weekly, she acknowledged the impossibility of disregarding the character's eventual fate.

Following the release of the second issue, Lucasfilm reached out to Brooks, informing him of George Lucas's interest in acquiring the original artwork from the initial two issues.

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