Star Wars: Han Solo – Hunt for the Falcon #5
“PART FIVE”
He was a smuggler. A scoundrel. Then a rebel hero and a family man. Years after the fall of the Empire, he’s a man who finds himself wanting to relive the excitement of those early adventures, with the ship that took him all across the galaxy….
HAN SOLO has reached a point in his life where it seems that all his best adventures are behind him. By losing his prized ship, the ”MILLENNIUM FALCON”, he lost his way. Deciding he would need his ship back to feel like himself, he has searched across the galaxy trying to find it, bringing his old friend CHEWBACCA along for the quest. The duo had run-ins with scum and villainy like GANNIS DUCAIN and the IRVING BOYS before being led to nefarious junk dealer UNKAR PLUTT’S lair, where they were imprisoned. Now they’ve escaped and are closer than ever to reuniting with the ”Falcon”….
Writer: Rodney Barnes
Artist: Ramon Rosanas
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Guru-eFX
Cover artist: Ramon Rosanas
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Release date: 7th January 2026
We arrive at the fifth and final issue of Han Solo: Hunt for the Falcon, and as well as giving us even more insight into Han’s current state of mind pre-The Force Awakens era it also continues to do a brilliant job of explaining just why Solo and his beloved YT-1300 are so intrinsically connected. Opening in the past, we see Han flying the Falcon, in tune with his ship, believeing that despite the ship having had previous owners, he’s connected to the ship in a way no one else possibly could be (which also makes you wonder if L3-37 might have been the one droid Solo could have become friends with, rather than simply tolerating her). We see Solo alone flying the Falcon through asteroids, chased by TIE Fighters, avoiding them, and explaining how when he’s not with the ship he feels incomplete – he wants her back so he can feel like himself again, and with that we cut to the present as a silver-haired Solo and Chewie hunker down, yelling at Unkar Plutt to give him back his ship, but making a run for it they quickly get boxed in and as gas fills the air they’re both down.
We’re back in the past, or are we? We see Han – still with his silver hair – and a young looking Luke, Leia, Chewie and a very young Ben as they take on a squadron of TIE Fighters. Leia is angry, scolding Han for putting them in danger, but quickly the situation is averted as Han wins the day, much to the relief and appreciation of everyone, until they blur into the background and Han wakes with a start, the effects of the gas wearing off. Chewie, also knocked out, wakes and we see two unconscious bodies on the floor, and learn that the wookiee had a similarly realistic dream which he acted out with the unfortunate prison guards. Thankfully he nabbed the key to allow them to escape, but on one condition – that they cut their losses and leave. Han disagrees, explaining that now they have the element of surprise, and they silently make their way through Plutts building until they reach his office, kicking in the door and confronting him. Han and Plutt start a fistfight, which went back and forth with Plutt getting the upper hand until Chewie attacks and Solo once again demands to know where his ship is.
That’s when Gannis Ducain returns, picking up the discarded blaster and holding it at Solo’s head, and as Plutts security droids enter the room they all scatter, battling their way to Ducains ship. Han is clipped by a blaster bolt, which significantly slows him down, and it’s a this moment that reality seems to hit home with him. He tells Ducain that he’ll be back for his ship one day, and the three of them make it to Ducains transport. It looks like the three of them are going to make a temporary peace, but as they prepare to lift off Han notices there’s something wrong with the hydraulics, and Ducain steps outside to check only for Han to close the door and blast off, leaving the Nikto alone and stranded on Jakku to face the security droids and Plutt.
We change location, to Kashyyyk as the transport arrives to drop off Chewbacca, reunited with his family as Han says that he needs to go and clear his head and that one day they’ll reunite to find the Falcon. We end the issue, and the series, as Han and Lando catch up, sharing a drink as Han promises his old friend that he’ll find his ship again one day, and that ends Hunt For The Falcon, a surprisingly engaging series that initially looked set to offer a simple chase for the freighter (which we know ends in failure) but instead gave us a great insight into where Solo was at this stage of his life, his regrets regarding his family, the tensions with Chewie and his longing to restart his love affair with the Falcon, the second greatest love of his life.
Hats off to the creative team for delivering such an interesting mini series and finding the voices of the characters so well and so consistently. It looks like Marvel are taking their foot off the gas when it comes to upcoming issues, with Legacy of Vader now finished, Doctor Aphra ending after five issues and Jedi Knights concluding, leaving just the flagship title to continue. Fingers crossed Marvel will be allowed to do more with the era surrounding The Mandalorian and Grogu than just a straight up adaptation a year after it lands in cinemas, but as we celebrate ten years of The Force Awakens and the sequel era, it’s certainly been enjoyable to reunite with the older Solo and put more flesh on the bones of why he was in the situation he was when we met him once again after 32 years.
