Marvel To Debut Han Solo Miniseries Set Between Episodes IV and V

The 5-issue series will feature Han Solo struggling between his new duty to the rebellion and his old scoundrel ways.

Marjorie Liu (Astonishing X-Men) is the writer of Han Solo, with Mark Brooks (Amazing Spiderman) illustrating (via Entertainment Weekly). The series, scheduled to debut in June, will be set chronologically in the three years between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

Cover by Lee Bermejo, via Entertainment Weekly

While out on a mission for Leia picking up top-level informants of the Rebellion, Han is sidetracked by the Dragon Void Run, a ship race he’s been longing to compete in for his whole life. He has to make a decision: Will he continue with the mission, or abandon it so he can fulfill his dream?

In EW’s interview, Liu discussed how Han is in a conflicted headspace at this point in his life.

"“This is a Han Solo who doesn’t quite know who he is anymore… He doesn’t think about politics, and suddenly he’s thrust into this life-or-death struggle for beliefs he didn’t even know he cared about — and it has changed him. He doesn’t want to believe 
that change, but he has.”"

Liu says the comic will feature other original trilogy characters: Chewbacca, of course, and Princess Leia. Leia is the one who sends Han to retrieve these informants. She believes there are traitors within the Rebellion, and Han is one of the few people she trusts.

"Again, this is sort of at the start of their relationship. Not that their relationship has ever been very peaceful, but I think we will see at this stage, in this comic, that it is still very contentious as they try to navigate each other and presumably any feelings that are beginning to arise."

The Empire will only have a small role in this story, leaving Han with enemies from his past as well an antagonist who wants to ruin the mission Leia has sent Han on.

More from Han Solo

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• Star Wars needs to embrace recasting actors
• How did the Millennium Falcon make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs?
• The most popular Star Wars ‘ships’ on AO3
• Will Alden Ehrenreich return as Han Solo?

There will be many new creatures and at least one new location, the Dragon Void Run. A new character we’ll meet significant to this series is Loo Re Anno, whose ancestors founded the Run thousands of years before. She’s been racing for a long time, and she also one of the last of her species; the upcoming race is one she’s looking forward to as being her last. Liu noted that, “everyone is in awe of her” and describes her as “elegant.” She also has multiple arms, which her species evolved so they could better pilot their ships.

Liu notes that Anno takes a special interest in Han, because he different from the pilots she’s used to encountering and because he reminds her of herself when she was younger. She may be the reason Han decides not to race; if it’s Anno’s last race, it would be the moral, or at least courteous thing to do, especially if Han thinks he can beat her. It’s also something Han is not used to doing, that is letting someone else win, and choosing to do so would further his development into the loyal rebel leader we see in Episodes V and VI.

I’m looking forward to this comic. It’s hard not to love Han, and, consequently, any story about him. As Liu said, Han is in a special place at this point in his moral career. He’s not yet ready to accept the fact that he’s no longer just working for himself and Chewie, but rather for a bigger cause. Perhaps by the end of this miniseries, he will come to accept that fact about himself and be content with a new identity as a rebel.

Next: Star Wars: Episode VIII - A New Set Has Appeared

Marvel’s Han Solo #1 is scheduled to hit digital and comic book store shelves in June.