Welcome, everywookiee to another DrunkWooky comic review! Today, I’m taking a look at Star Wars Adventures Smuggler’s Run #1. This comic is actually an adaptation of the 2015 novel by Greg Rucka.
The adaptation was written by Alec Worley with art by Ingo Römling. Check out the full solicit and order links with my review below!
First comic book appearances in this issue are:
- Commander Beck (ISB Agent)
- Delia Leighton (Cantina owner-rebel sympathizer-Han’s friend)
Lt. Ematt ends up as a General during the Force Awakens era of Star Wars and first appears in the Force Awakens Adaptation (2016) issues #5 and #6:
Interestingly enough, Shara Bey also impersonates Commander Beck in Shattered Empire #4 while trying to land an imperial Lambda Class Shuttle:
Released: 12/23/2020
After the Battle of Yavin, Han Solo and Chewbacca intend to use their reward to settle their debts. But Princess Leia asks them to accept a secret mission for the Resistance. Mortal dangers, traitorous enemies, and thorny situations mark the path of these two heroes of the Star Wars saga. An adaptation by Alec Worley, based on the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens Smuggler’s Run: A Han Solo Adventure by bestselling author Greg Rucka (The Old Guard, Stumptown)!
The premise of Smuggler’s Run is simple. Han and Chewbacca want to take their reward post Battle of Yavin and sail off into the sunset. Perhaps they’ll pay off some bounties and get a little bit closer to being free men. However, Leia has an appeal to Han’s good-natured, but guarded heart. There’s a rebel operative with too much information to allow to be captured that Han and Chewie need to bring in from the cold.
The task would be too easy if the Empire weren’t on the Rebel operative’s tail, so we’re introduced to an ISB agent, Commander Beck. Beck has impressive analytic and detective skills and poses a formidable foil to Han and Chewie’s more ad hoc, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants mission operating style.
Han is written in a way that rides the line between Rebel true believer and hired gun and that’s appropriate. We know he isn’t fully committed to the Rebel Alliance until well into Return of the Jedi, but here Chewbacca gives him the final push to lend a helping hand.
This mission takes place in the space that used to be occupied by formerly canon Star Wars #7 (1977), where Han and Chewie take their reward for rescuing Princess Leia and intend to pay off Jabba’s bounty on their head. In that nearly fifty-year-old- issue, misadventures ensue, of course.
Of course, we meet a cadre of some of the countless bounty hunters that populate the Star Wars universe. After all, Han still has a bounty on his head from a dropped shipment he was carrying for Jabba the Hutt.
This story starts off strong in this issue, doing what Star Wars does well: showing us interesting new worlds with interesting new characters of human, alien, and droid origin, then mixing in ample action and a little comedy. Star Wars is often strongest when it isn’t taking itself too seriously, and the IDW all ages art style tends to help keep the atmosphere fun. The heavy use of animated onomatopoeias lends a hand as well.
I’m not terribly familiar with the story and how it ends up. Obviously (spoiler alert), Han and Chewie are going to survive, as this takes place just after A New Hope. But, what secrets the Rebel operative knows and what his fates ends up being remains to be seen (for those like me who haven’t read the novel).
Being IDW, the art in this book keeps with their more cartoon-leaning house style, but the details present for the ship exteriors of the Falcon and Imperial Cruisers were surprising and a treat to look at. If I could complain about anything, it would be Chewie’s face being a bit scrunched together, with beady eyes. He’s a bit too off model for my sensibilities. Being my favorite Star Wars character of all time, I tend to be pretty harsh on his portrayals.
In the end, this issue (1 of 2) is polished and enjoyable to look at. After reading it, you’ll want to go back and inspect all the different character designs for the denizens of the cantinas and back streets. The story is complex enough to hold your interest and the brand new characters: Commander Beck, Delia, and Emmat, are all intriguing.
You can pick up Star Wars Adventures: Smuggler’s Run #1 now at the following fine e-tailers:
