Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars: Han Solo—Imperial Cadet/Star Wars: Beckett
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Robbie Thompson/Gerry Dugan
Artist: Leonard Kirk/Edgar Salazar/Marc Laming/Will Sliney
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2019
Star Wars: Han Solo—Imperial Cadet #1 Variant
Reprints Star Wars: Han Solo—Imperial Cadet #1-5 and Star Wars: Beckett #1 (October 2018-May 2019). His attempt to escape Corellia has met with mixed results and now Han “Solo” finds himself enlisted in the Imperial Army’s cadet program where the only way out is death. With hopes to learn to fly and return to Corellia to rescue Qi’ra, Han’s cavalier attitude isn’t necessarily Empire material…but behind the controls of a ship, Han could become one of the Empire’s biggest assets.
Written by Robbie Thompson, Star Wars: Han Solo—Imperial Cadet is a Marvel Comics Star Wars spin-off collection. The series features the art of Leonard Kirk and also includes the one-shot Star Wars: Beckett #1 (October 2018) written by Gerry Duggan with art by Edgar Salazar, Marc Laming, and Will Sliney.
The first Han Solo limited series was rather weak. The fact that this entry is more of a Solo: A Star Wars Story tie-in was more interesting…especially since plans for the Solo follow-up films were scrapped. Star Wars: Han Solo—Imperial Cadet is a better “solo” Solo story, but like a lot of the Marvel stories, it feels rather inconsequential.
Star Wars: Han Solo—Imperial Cadet #5
In the Star Wars trilogy, Han was always the reluctant Rebel. He’d say he didn’t want to be there, but he would always be there. As a cadet, there is a similar attitude which is a nice consistency with the character. Han is very loyal to his teammates even if he doesn’t believe in the mission…and this feels true to the character. Unfortunately, none of the story actions really matter…you know where Han is going, and you know he is in no danger of dying.
The collection also contains a stand-alone Star Wars: Beckett issue (aka the Woody Harrelson character in Solo: A Star Wars Story). While its inclusion in this just fattens out the rather slim collection, it once again is a nice addition to the Solo movie. Harrelson and his team were a fun aspect of the movie, but they also were underdeveloped due to the time of the film. Here, you get to see them working as a team before Han arrives and though he wasn’t with him long, it feels that Han might have learned a bit from Beckett.
Star Wars: Han Solo—Imperial Cadet is a quick read and worth seeking out if you are a fan of Solo (the movie or the character). It was of particular interest to me in that the storyline also reintroduces Beilert Valance of the original Marvel Star Wars series (who was kind of a pre-Cable version of Cable) and who now is the star of the Star Wars: Bounty Hunters title. While Solo does leave a little wiggle room for more adventures of Solo as a member of the Empire, it can also stand alone as an expansion on a small aspect of the character…either way, I’m fine.
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