Sana and Lando stir up trouble.
It seems that Jason Aaron is ending his Star Wars run with a series of standalone, one-shot stories spotlighting the various heroes of the Rebellion. It's not necessarily the most exciting way to wrap a two-and-a-half-year saga, but it is an entertaining way of allowing Aaron to bid farewell to these characters. Consider Star Wars #34 a flawed but endearing celebration of Han Solo's "ex-wife," Sana Starros.
Apart from that, the obvious selling point with this issue is the guest role for Lando Calrissian. Apart from his surprisingly excellent solo mini-series, Lando hasn't played much of a role in Marvel's new Star Wars line yet. While that's to be expected given Marvel's emphasis on the pre-Empire Strikes Back timeline, Lando's presence is still sorely missed. This issue goes a little way towards rectifying that problem. Lando makes for an amusing foil to Sana as she carries out an elaborate and highly dangerous con. But he doesn't really bring anything more to the table. By the end of this issue, I found myself questioning whether Lando actually needed to appear in this story at all. Why did Sana need him around in the first place? I don't blame Aaron for wanting to squeeze in a little Billy Dee before leaving the series, but maybe he deserved his own, separate adventure?
In the end, this is Sana's story, and it serves as a fitting farewell while still leaving plenty of room for her to return in Kieron Gillen's run. Sana makes for a compelling lead as she brazenly cheats and bluffs her way to a higher and higher payday. There's a quiet rage to the character, but also a clear undercurrent of nobility. Not unlike Doctor Aphra, she taps into dangerous allure of the Star Wars universe's seedy underworld while displaying a strong personal depth. This issue makes a strong case for a an ongoing Sana series. A Sana Solo, if you will.
Sadly, the series' ongoing visual woes are in full force with this issue. If anything, the Sana/Lando pairing only exacerbates the problems in artist Salvador Larroca and colorist Edgar Delgado's work. The duo have a tendency to rely too heavily and too blatantly on photo-referenced images from the movies. In many cases, it's painfully obvious which shot of Lando they're re-purposing from The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi. But given that Sana is a non-movie character, the same resources aren't there. So the end result is that you have many panels where Lando suffers from the Uncanny Valley effect while standing alongside a far less detailed and life-like Sana. The two rarely look they occupy the same plane of existence. Nor are they the only two characters that suffer from this bizarre juxtaposition. These quirks are endlessly frustrating because Larroca is an excellent storyteller, bringing a nice flow and cinematic feel to every page. But at some point the flaws in his work begin to outweigh the strengths.
The Verdict
Star Wars #34 is a visually muddled but still enjoyable showcase for Sana Starros and Lando Calrissian. It's not entirely clear why Lando needed to be included, but he makes for a fun counterpart to his headstrong, relentless partner. And Sana herself really shines here, proving that she deserves to follow in Doctor Aphra's footsteps and branch out into her own series.
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