I love Star Wars. From the original trilogy to the prequels and sequels, and most of the Disney+ fare, the world of a galaxy far, far away has entranced me since I was a kid. And one of those favorite parts? Return of the Jedi, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. There’s so much to love about it: the grand battle between Luke Skywalker and his father Darth Vader. The siege on Jabba the Hutt’s sand barge. And of course the fight in space against the second Darth Star. Now one of the most important elements gets the spotlight in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Lando #1.
Taking place before the events of Return of the Jedi, the one-shot finds Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca racing to find plans to Jabba the Hutt’s palace in order to rescue Han Solo. But they run into a number of obstacles: many of the people Lando encounters don’t fall for his charm, and Chewie often resorts to physical violence to try and get results. The only way to get the plans? A game of Sabbacc. But with the Empire closing in on him, has Lando’s luck finally run out?
Lando Calrissian might be one of the most polarizing characters in Star Wars history. Some fans haven’t forgiven him for his betrayal of Han in The Empire Strikes Back, while others feel he’s been woefully underutilized. Thanks to ancillary material like this one-shot and the current Star Wars ongoing, he’s been given some much-needed dimension. It helps that a writer like Stephanie Phillips is at the helm. Phillips writes Lando as a man racing against the clock, but more importantly as a man trying to make things right with his friend. I’ve always felt Lando would do anything to protect the people he cares about (his betrayal in Empire was meant to protect the people of Cloud City, which fans forget), and Phillips gets that.
Artist Alvaro Lopez delivers a simple, yet striking art style that feels right at home in the Star Wars universe. The planet Lando and Chewie visit is packed full of visually distinct aliens – especially Elocin, an old “acquaintance” of Lando’s. Lopez draws her as a tall, amphibious creature draped from head to toe in body armor, yet instead of being frightening, she’s surprisingly alluring. Lopez even pulls off a neat trick in one page, using the criss-crossing of blaster bolts to separate a page into different panels. It gives off the illusion that the reader’s actually in the thick of things, which is really fun.
Rounding out the artistic team is colorist Antonio Fabela and letterer Travis Lanham. Lanham has fun lettering Chewie’s word balloons, with the Wookiee’s growls taking on a distinct shape depending on his mood. But it’s Fabela who turns out to be the comic’s secret weapon – his bright and vibrant colors give life to the aliens and spaceships. This is especially true in the casino where most of the story takes place; the deep purples and vibrant gold give off an air of wealth while providing a nice contrast to Lando’s bright yellow shirt and dark blue cape.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Lando #1 continues to give some much-needed dimension to Lando Calrissian, and is a fun caper story. It makes me wish that there was a Lando ongoing, as there’s so much you could do with his character in the years in-between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Let’s hope the rest of the Return of the Jedi one-shots follow the same track.
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