Review: Star Wars- Lando (2015)
Quick Summary
Pros: Lando and his friend Lobot are written incredibly well, in a way that makes them both very endearing. This look into Lando’s past will be a real treat for fans of his character. The collection looks good overall.
Cons: The story is a bit generic outside of the focus on the main characters.
Overall: This is a volume that works wonders as a character spotlight on Lando and his friend but fails to provide a significantly entertaining story. Instead, the narrative feels generic, causing a general lack of interest. However, if one is able to look past this, the characters are great and the personal struggles they contend with are enough to push the book forward on their own. If you don’t mind reading a generic story in order to see some great Lando moments, this is the book for you.
Story
Star Wars: Lando is a simply wonderful character piece on Lando Calrissian and his friend Lobot. Writer Charles Soule brings these characters to life and gives them traits that highlight the most interesting aspects of their personality. However, the book’s actual story is far more generic and is barely interesting on its own. There are tense situations and some fun interactions but the story is mostly just a stage upon which the characters have a chance to show off. All in all, this means that if you like Lando, you’ll probably like this book, but if you don’t care about him then you probably won’t care about this book.
(spoilers start here)
The mini-series starts out by reintroducing readers to Lando in the most smooth way possible. He is in the middle of stealing an expensive artifact from a powerful woman. However, instead of just grabbing it, he actually tells her about his intentions and gets her to give him the artifact free of charge. It is a quick and instant indicator that this is the smooth-talking Lando that fans know.
The rest of the collection sees Lando steal a ship loaded with priceless artifacts. Unfortunately for him and his crew, the ship is owned by Emperor Palpatine, who will stop at nothing to prevent the ship from falling into the wrong hands. Lando has to contend with forces sent by Palpatine while also dealing with traitors in his own crew, who are driven mad by Sith relics onboard the ship. This combination allows for a story where our heroes are constantly in danger and tension is always high.
The problem here is that this story is a bit to generic. Sith relics, bounty hunters, and mysterious crew members are all potentially interesting plot points but none are expanded upon enough to be worthwhile. Instead, each one is simply a tool used to push the plot forward without necessarily adding to it. Overall, the story just does not offer much in terms of compelling story elements.
However, all of this is pretty forgivable because the true draw to the book is the two lead characters. Lando is every bit the level-headed scoundrel that fans would expect. He is not afraid of danger, yet has trouble sticking with friends when the going gets tough. He makes progress as the book goes on and even tries to stick up for his friend by risking his own life. Overall, he is written in a way that any one of his fans could enjoy.
The unexpected treat, though, comes from Lando’s friend Lobot. Lobot is a wonderful character who brings an awesome level of charm and humanity to the book. He ultimately is forced to sacrifice his personality to save everyone, which is easily the biggest loss in the book. His final message to Lando is also the most touching moment in the book and is a great way to give Lando one last dose of intense character development before closing the final chapter. After putting this book down, I ended up wanting to read an entire comic focused just on Lobot, simply because he is so endearing here.
(spoilers end here)
Art
The artwork throughout Lando, looks good and works well with the story being told. Alex Maleev’s bold lines and rough pencils give the book a gritty feeling that matches its overall tone. His work has a nice stylized flair to it that is instantly recognizable but not so realistic that it falls into the uncanny valley. The entire book is also structured nicely, with smaller panels detailing action sequences and full-page spreads highlight more important moments. Visually, Lando does not disappoint.
Continuity
Star Wars: Lando takes place sometime before Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back. However, this book’s ties to the movie are virtually non-existent as the book takes place before Lando has met the main cast.