It’s been nearly 10 years since Disney rebooted Star Wars with The Force Awakens and, in many ways, we’ve only just begun to explore the era established by the sequel trilogy. That seems intentional — never have I seen a community so divided as this one was after the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. However, denying something’s existence just because I’m not too fond of it seems like a fool’s game, so I personally have been waiting for more Sequel-era stories. Making up for lost time is Star Wars: Han Solo – Hunt for the Falcon, a comic book miniseries from writer Rodney Barnes and illustrated by Ramon Rosanas. And in its first issue, this new comic is giving me something I didn’t know I wanted: Han Solo is getting his “Old Man Logan” moment.
Originally created for the comics by writer Mark Millar and artist Steve McNiven, Old Man Logan is pretty much exactly what the name implies: An older and even grouchier version of Wolverine. The original Old Man Logan comic launched in 2008, and was later adapted into Mangold’s 2017 film, Logan, which is how many fans came to know this darker and more cynical X-Man (myself included). I admit that the concept lingering over Han Solo, who was already plenty jaded before he got roped into Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa’s shenanigans in the original trilogy, did fill me with dread. An even more cynical and jaded Han Solo? Great, we’re going to have him moaning about how his family ruined his life and he just wants to be left alone forever and ever. Count me out. But no, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this first issue (of five) and the level of nuance it’s giving to Han.
Our adventure starts on familiar territory: Han Solo losing money. Alongside his old pal Lando Calrissian, Solo watches as the pilot he bet on in a podrace inevitably ends up doing poorly. So poorly in fact, that Han has no choice but to jump into the arena and finish the race himself. It’s a not-so-subtle indication that this older Han Solo is out of sorts with his life. With so many losses — including his son Ben Solo and the relationship he has with fellow rebel legend, Leia Organa — Han just wants to win something.
This sense of loss follows Han throughout the entirety of the first issue. Lando tells him to embrace his new life, but Han just can’t. He mourns the time where he was seen as a hero, and laments that he wants his old life back. What that old life seems to be is his adventures on the stolen Millennium Falcon, or at least that’s what Han says to himself. The comic panels lingering on old holo pictures of Han with Leia and Ben seem to say something else entirely about what adventure Han is really missing. I appreciate the lack of subtlety that comics give, and it really does lean into the same message that plagues Logan in the 2017 film, the life he’s running towards is actually him running away from something else – his past.
Unfortunately for Han, gunrunner Gannis Ducain has the Falcon, and the only way to get it back is to find Ducain.
One trip to Kashyyyk later, we get to see what Chewbacca has been up to, alongside his family. Chewie agrees to join Han on the adventure, but not before asking if his Wookie family can come too. Han quickly dismisses that idea, but the sad look on his face reveals how much he misses his own family. This life of adventure seems less about Han rekindling the adventures of his youth and much more to do with him wanting his family back. In Logan, Wolverine also meets old friendly faces that serve as reminders of the things he’s lost. So it makes sense that Han rejects the idea of a family joining him and Chewie. He’s already lost one, can he stand to lose another?
Considering that the Millennium Falcon ends up in Unkar Plutt’s scrapyard by the time Star Wars: The Force Awakens occurs, I have an inkling that Han’s adventures in getting it back won’t go as planned. Hunt for the Falcon may even take readers directly to the scene where he first encounters Rey, Finn, and BB-8.
If that does end up being the case, it’s a great start to that lead up by showing us a new version of Han. Jaded as he may be, the thing that makes him so great isn’t just that he’s a scoundrel, but that he cares deeply despite pretending he doesn’t. That side of the character is still very apparent in Star Wars: Han Solo – Hunt for the Falcon. I, for one, am eating it up and can’t wait to see what the next issue will bring. While Han’s story does end on just as depressing a note as Wolverine’s in Logan, I hope that the comic also manages to capture the pockets of joy to be found in that film, too.
Star Wars: Han Solo – Hunt for the Falcon issue 1 is available to read now.
