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Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Lando #1
- WRITER:
- Stephanie Phillips
- Artist:
- Álvaro López
- Letterer:
- VC's Travis Lanham
- Cover Artist:
- Ryan Brown
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $4.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-05-03
- Colorist:
- Antonio Fabela
As the Star Wars franchise celebrates Star Wars: Return of the Jedi's 40th anniversary, Marvel's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi series of one-shots continues to expand upon the smaller stories that preceded the film. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Lando #1 focuses on Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca's attempts to obtain the plans for Jabba's Palace in order to rescue Han Solo. Through Stephanie Phillips' writing, Álvaro López's art, Antonio Fabela's coloring, and Travis Lanham's lettering, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Lando #1 delivers a fun, nostalgic ride that ultimately centers complicated friendships and opens the doors for new adventures in the future.
Lando and Chewie's plan hits a snag in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Lando #1, so to earn the funds for the map, Lando heads to the Sabacc tables in the club of his former friend, Elocin. However, when Lando's contact Narin betrays them, Lando and Chewie must rely upon Elocin to evade Imperial capture and retrieve the coveted plans. Despite all the action in the issue, Phillips centers it around complicated friendships. While Chewie is still wary of Lando due to his betrayal in Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back, Chewie still trusts Lando enough to pledge his services to Elocin as collateral for their Sabacc bets. Even though both Lando and Han have fallen out with Elocin in the past, Elocin still comes through for them both. Thus, Phillips shows that Han's rescue was even more complicated than in the film.
In Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Lando #1, Álvaro López's art captures Lando's signature swagger as he deals with negotiations, Sabacc, and an unexpected firefight. López captures all the characters' emotions well through excellent illustration and creative framing for each panel. He often breaks up larger images into smaller panels to show conversation progression and the characters' movements throughout a scene. López also breaks through the fourth wall of the panels with blaster fire to convey the chaos of the Imperial firefight. López's innovative use of panels keeps the momentum of the issue going and makes the issue an exciting adventure from start to finish.
Travis Lanham's lettering perfectly compliments López's art throughout Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Lando #1. His sound effects blend seamlessly into the action, and his font choices mirror the sounds. Lanham's lettering for Chewbacca's speech is particularly effective in conveying Chewie's emotions even though his words are not translated.
Antonio Fabela's color palettes throughout Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Lando #1 capture the change in scenes well, from the more muted tones of Narin's shop to the bright colors of Elocin's club. Fabela's palette and coloring for the club also feel reminiscent of the coloring from Marvel's Star Wars (1977). Through his color choices, Fabela heightens the nostalgia factor and connects Lando's adventure in the issue back to where Star Wars comics began.
Ultimately, Phillips, López, Lanham, and Fabela work together to show the core of Lando Calrissian in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Lando #1. While Lando might be a gambler filled with charm, he ultimately comes through for his friends when they need him. By focusing on smaller stories that led to the events of the film, the issue also captures the heart of Marvel's Star Wars: Return of the Jedi one-shot series to embrace nostalgia and expand Star Wars lore.