Force Matters: Them Irving Boys Are Up To No Good in ‘Hunt For the Falcon’ #2
by Austin Gorton
In this week’s Star Wars books, Han continues his hunt for the Falcon in the aptly named Han Solo – The Hunt For The Falcon #2, while Kit Fisto tries to escape from some alien sharks in Tides of Terror #2!
Star Wars: Han Solo – The Hunt For the Falcon #2 by Rodney Barnes & Ramon Rosanas
The titular hunt leads Han and Chewbacca to the Irving Boys!
- The opening panels with Chewie surreptitiously talking with Leia is great — not only does it make it clear that Chewbacca abandoning his family for Han last issue is still very much an open issue (as Leia counsels him to return home), but it also suggests that the status of Han and Chewie’s relationship is something this series is going to explore, showing how they ended up back in a traditional partnership despite Chewbacca having fulfilled his obligations to Han and, unlike Han, still having a rich family life.
- Timbra Ott, the planet most of this issue takes place on, is a former penal colony that was introduced in one of the role playing game supplements from West End Games.
- I’m always a sucker for flashbacks, however brief, to happier times between Han, Leia and a pre-Kylo Ben Solo. Seeing lil’ Ben jump the Falcon to lightspeed is bittersweet.
- As this series continues its journey through the history of post-Han Falcon ownership laid out by Rey in Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, it bring us to the Irving Boys (who, true to Rey’s word, stole the ship from Ducain). Though obviously mentioned in TFA and having appeared in a few other text-based places, this is their first appearance in terms of being the first time they’ve appeared visually in a story.
Two issues in, the plot is already a little repetitious. But I continue to appreciate Rosanas’ art, and Barnes has a pretty good handle on Han’s voice (he sounds like “Cranky Grampa” Han from the Sequel Trilogy, which is different than “regular” Han), so it’s not all bad.
Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories – Tides of Terror #2 by George Mann & Luis Morocho
With the Axill Research Station flooding, Kit Fisto and Nahdar Vebb race to evacuate the station.
- All of the engineering staff in the bowels of the station are wearing red uniforms; I’m not sure if that’s an original series Star Trek reference or not, but I’m going to assume it is.
- The shark-like sea creatures seen here are called “Carcaros”, which seems like a Tuckerization of “Carcharodon”, the genus name of white sharks (a Great White Shark is a Carcharodon carcharias, for example).
- Kit Fisto’s apprentice Nahdar Vebb will ultimately die at the hands of General Grievous in the tenth episode of The Clone Wars’ first season, “The Lair of Grievous“, serving as an object lesson of sorts for the younger Jedi who want to take a more aggressive approach to the execution of the war.
The conflicting dangers of “the station is flooding” and “but the water outside is filled with ravenous sea creatures” adds a fun wrinkle to an otherwise straightforward story.
Cover of the Week – Hunt For The Falcon #2 Carlos Pagulayan Variant
Love a layout where the person the hero is fighting is between the hero and the “camera”, but not fully visible. Props for working in the titular ship as well.
Question of the Week
What’s your favorite bit of Star Wars lore that was first established via the role-playing game? Let me know on the socials!
I still love that one of the best pieces of Star Wars storytelling of all time can trace its origins back to the first mention of the “Ghorman Massacre” in a West End Games sourcebook.
