Han's Solo's own movie may have skipped over it completely, but the secret story of the smuggler's days with the Empire will finally be told in a new Star Wars comic book.
As fans saw firsthand in Solo: A Star Wars Story, the famous outlaw began his life as an orphan on the streets of Corellia. Until a botched escape attempt saw the woman he loved pulled back into slavery, and Han with no choice but to enlist in the Imperial Navy and return home to save her years later. A journey that will now be shown in his very own comic book, filling in the missing years of his own origin movie.
Related: Star Wars Novel Reveals Rogue One/Solo Connection
It might seem silly to get excited at finally seeing Han Solo join the Empire, and receive his training on the way to becoming the pilot and gunslinger Star Wars fans know and love. After all, many assumed that exact tale would be shown in Solo: A Star Wars Story. But those who saw it know that those chapters didn't make the final cut. Instead, Han enlisted with the Imperials (where he received his last name, Solo) before the film jumped forward three years. By then Han had already washed out of the navy due to insubordination, and landed on the front lines of an Imperial battlefield.
Thankfully, Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet has arrived to fill in the missing years of Han's life.
The details on this five-issue series come courtesy of Marvel's November solicitations, promising to begin not long after the film cut to black. The job of showing how well the Corellian takes to Imperial boot camp and basic training - before presumably scrubbing out - will fall to Robbie Thompson (Silk) and Leonard Kirk (Black Panther). Both have experience with the galaxy far, far away in comic form, and it would seem that the film provides a clear arc, completely with explicit start and end points.
But knowing the broad scale of what Han must have gone through isn't the same as seeing it, and all things considered, the years spent being trained as an operative of the Galactic Empire must have been formative ones for the future Imperial-dodging smuggler. In the old canon, as depicted in the extended universe Star Wars stories now deemed "Legends," Han was actually a recruit in high standing with his Imperial superiors before ruining his career for the sake of a tortured Wookiee.
How much that will change now remains to be seen. Was Han Solo truly the roguish rebel he claimed to be when meeting Tobias Beckett and his crew? Or will Han's years with the Navy show a glimmer of the hero and leader he eventually becomes?
Fans can check out the full solicitation information and synopsis below:
- STAR WARS: HAN SOLO – IMPERIAL CADET #1 (of 5)
- ROBBIE THOMPSON (W) • LEONARD KIRK (A)
- Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
- YOUNG SOLO’S ADVENTURES CONTINUE! HAN SOLO escapes Corellia by joining the IMPERIAL NAVY, vowing to return for QI’RA. But how does a thief used to the chaos of the streets adjust to the order and discipline of the military? Not well! Han’s dream of becoming a pilot is quickly grounded as he realizes he may not even survive basic training!
Star Wars: Han Solo - Imperial Cadet #1 will be available from Marvel Comics on November 7th, 2018.