Han Solo Imperial Cadet #1

Reviewed by: Robbie Rowe, Lead Comic Correspondent

Rating: 8 out of 8

Han Solo rarely had it easy. Whether as a smuggler with the irrepressible

Chewbacca, or a Rebel along the Princess I’d gladly rescue, life’s been a

rollercoaster for this ‘scruffy lookin!’ nerf herder. From what I’ve seen and read so far, Han’s earlier days weren’t any easier than his later ones, which is shown most prominently in this year’s Solo.

One of the more surprising elements of the film was Han joining the Empire,

something explored in more detail here. We got a lot of interesting moments and compelling new characters in the film, but very little of his time as an Imperial was covered. In this series, Robbie Thompson covers Solo’s time as a cadet, charting both the inevitable negatives – and the welcome positives.

Han’s signature attitude is illustrated perfectly by Leonard Kirk, particularly when he’s getting his hair cut. The way he always tries to talk his way out of near death situations is something he does twice in the issue. Stuff like this really shows to me how much Thompson loves Han as a character and I really appreciate it. There’s a moment of TIE Fighter theft which is just totally awesome and really in sticking with the character.

I’m enjoying the series so far and am really looking forward to the next few issues for more of Han’s time as an Imperial Cadet. The art works particularly well in a rain soaked, nameless planet which reminds me of somewhere Han ends up early into Solo. I recommend you join your Empire today!