Star Wars Life Day #1
LIFE DAY
As the galaxy recovers from the dark days of Imperial rule, the Wookiee tradition of Life Day has spread far and wide-it’s a celebration of love and unity where differences are put aside and the citizens of the New Republic face a brigher future together.
But not everyone is full of cheer. Captain Han Solo, formerly of the Rebel Alliance, has lost the ”Millennium Falcon” and is on the run from the notorious criminal organization known as Kanjiklub.
A call from an old friend takes Solo and his longtime co-pilot Chewbacca to Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, where Life Day festivities are in full swing. But where Han Solo goes, danger is never far behind….
Writers: Cavan Scott, Justina Ireland, Jody Houser, Steve Orlando
Pencillers: Ivan Fiorelli, Kei Zama, Paul Fry, Georges Jeanty
Inkers: Ivan Fiorelli, Kei Zama, Paul Fry, Victor Olazaba
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Colorists: Alex Sinclair, Chris Sotomayor, Pete Pantazis, Ruth Redmond
Cover artist: Phil Noto
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: November 24, 2021
With Life Day now a staple of the Star Wars calendar and arguably the second most memorable thing to come out of The Holiday Special after Boba Fett, it was only a matter of time (43 years to be exact) before Marvel delivered their own entry in the story of the Wookiees most treasured day of the year. That one-shot, created by a number of authors and artists, sees a trio of stories slotted into a wrap-around story written by Cavan Scott that has Han and Chewie, post-Return of the Jedi and without the Millennium Falcon which is now lost to them until the events of The Force Awakens, on Batuu on the run from Kanjiklub. Ignoring the observation that Solo is wearing his A New Hope outfit, he is keen for his furry pal to have a good Life Day, knowing how it hurts Chewie to be away from his family on such an important day.
Chased by Kanjiklub we dive back for the first time in a Justina Ireland story set during the era of The High Republic as Burryaga heads home to Kashyyyk to meet with Attichitcuk, the father of Chewbacca, to investigate a plague of voracious plant animals, and together Burriyaga and his master Nib Assek use the Force to gather them in the air and have them destroyed by Wookiee firepower. The next segment by writer Steve Orlando heads to Lessa-7 a number of years ago where Han (in exactly the same clothes) and Chewie are conducting a deal for Jabba the Hutt with some especially blunt Trandoshans who unwisely rub Chewie up the wrong way. He’s noticed other captured Wookiees and after freeing them learn that the explosives they are selling use the acid from the gut of a sarlacc. The Wookiess explain how the facility was once owned by them, where the sarlacc juice was used as a medicine not a weapon.
The framing story dips in again as Oga holds Solo at gunpoint, clearly distrusting the Correllian as the final story by Jody House begins in the Corvair system as Solo (wearing the same clothes) explains to Threepio how low Chewie’s morale is and how he’s determined to cheer him up. Concurrently, Leia and the Rebels are there to make contact with the freedom fighters and bring them into the Alliance, something Threepio inadvertantly stumbles upon when it’s learned that their communications are conducted through the childrens songs.
There’s a very warm, Star Wars Adventures vibe to this one-shot, as Han seems driven to make sure their usually harsh life on the lanes is broken up by a ‘day of peace, of harmony’ for his furry brother-in-arms, and if the last frame of Han and Chewie hugging doesn’t bring a smile to your face, I don’t know what will.
Charming to the last, and worthy of future issues down the road.
Star Wars: Life Day #1 @ ForbiddenPlanet.com
