SWNN Review: Marvel’s Chewbacca #5

Chewbacca 5 Cover

By and large, Marvel has knocked it out of the park with its multiple additions to the Star Wars universe. From solid mini-series like Shattered Empire to very entertaining ongoing series like Star Wars and Darth Vader and their epic crossover Vader Down, Marvel has delighted comic fans and Star Wars fans alike with their consistent storytelling. However, with so many new additions, there are bound to be a few missteps along the way.  Sadly, the Chewbacca series is one of them. Read on for the full review of the final issue in the Star Wars: Chewbacca mini-series.

 

Okay. So it might be a bit unfair to call the Chewbacca series a misstep. Maybe a better label for the 5-part series would be an “unnecessary step”. Yeah, that sounds about right. This story arc about everyone’s favorite Wookiee was an unnecessary tale that came across as an opportunity for Disney/Marvel to push one more series on us as if they were trying to meet some kind of quota. Now, whereas I believe a comic series about Chewie and Han Solo would have been more successful, I think ultimately, as much as everyone loves Chewbacca, he’s just not that compelling when he isn’t playing off of the old pirate.  In light of the events of The Force Awakens, how great would it have been to get one last hoorah with the odd couple?  Here’s one more label to add to this series: “missed opportunity”.  Anyways, I digress.  Let’s get on with the review…

 

Issue #5 picks up exactly where the last issue left off.  I’m not going to get into all the specifics here, but basically, sometime soon after A New Hope Chewie heads out on his own personal mission and ends up crash-landing on the world of Andelm-IV.  There, he meets a young human girl named Zarro, who along with her people is forced into slave labor for an opportunistic gangster named Jaum who has dealings with the Empire.  Having been a slave himself, this doesn’t sit well with Chewie and he ends up helping Zarro set her people free.  At the end of the previous issue, Chewie and Zarro are captured and taken aboard a Star Destroyer.

 

Chewie and Zarro

 

Long story short, Chewie and Zarro escape the Star Destroyer via a TIE bomber and Chewie survives yet another crash-landing on Andelm IV.  Maybe this would have been cooler if I didn’t just see a very similar scenario on the big screen.  I liked that it was a bomber though and not just a typical fighter.

 

Stealing the Bomber

 

Upon landing, the pair make the short walk to Chewie’s crashed ship and say their goodbyes.  This series has very few redeeming qualities in my opinion and in the end they are not enough to merit the existence of the series, but I will say that the last few pages were the best of the thankfully short run.  Through the whole thing, we’ve seen Chewie do what Chewie does…ripping peoples arms out of their sockets and smashing bucketheads, but the final pages showed us a different side to the big hairy oaf.

 

Chewie's Medal

 

After giving Zarro his medal that was given to him for his heroics at the Battle of Yavin (I know, what you’re thinking…Chewie didn’t get a medal!…but Greg Rucka actually remedied this in Smuggler’s Run clarifying that he was in fact given a medal; it just didn’t fit around his neck, which is why you don’t see him with it at the medal ceremony.  I know, I know…retconning at it’s finest.), Chewie heads home to Kashyyyk with a mysterious box.

 

Life Day Gift

 

Within the box is a bandolier, much like his own, that seems to have belonged to a fellow Wookiee who is being remembered in death by his family.  Upon arriving at the memorial service for the fallen Wookiee, Chewie presents the bandolier to a young Wookiee who I assume is the dead Wookiee’s son.  It’s all starting to come together now.  We then follow Chewie to his home where he is greeted with a hug from a smaller Wookiee, who is more than likely his son Lumpawarrump (his wife Malla was made canon in the junior novel of A New Hope by Alexandra Bracken so I’m assuming they will keep his son’s name as well).  So there you have it, Chewie’s got a family, and Wookiee Life Day is totally a thing; now they are no longer contained to the notorious Holiday Special.

 

Chewie and Son

 

I can’t say much more about this series than I have already said, but in closing, I will say that although it was not a complete and utter waste of time, it definitely does not serve the overall story moving forward.  I appreciate what they were trying to do with Chewie here, but I just feel like a one-shot issue would have sufficed.  Unless you are a canon completest like myself, I recommend passing on this one.  Until next time, may the Force be with you, and don’t forget to support your local comic shops.

 

Obi-Wan and Anakin Next Week

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Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

Jordan Pate (Hard Case)

Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

7 thoughts on “SWNN Review: Marvel’s Chewbacca #5

  • December 31, 2015 at 11:53 pm
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    Well at least, they didn’t ressurected Palpatine 😛

  • January 1, 2016 at 1:00 am
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    Is this a review or a recap?

    • January 4, 2016 at 4:31 pm
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      A little bit of both. The recap portion is intended to fill in non-comic readers on the events of the series.

  • January 1, 2016 at 1:08 am
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    I got Obi & Ani this week, hehehe.

    • January 1, 2016 at 1:09 am
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      Spoiler: I liked it a lot.

      • January 1, 2016 at 12:02 pm
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        What was it like? Did it have real and important consequences, was it very well drawn and written, and did it still fit into the tone of the prequels? Was it a nice big step or a small important step in covering the 10 year gap between TPM and AOTC? Sorry for the questions, but I really would like to know, I’m really looking forward to it!

        • January 2, 2016 at 1:11 am
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          So to avoid any spoilers and to answer your questions: Yes.

          Those that say Disney are ignoring the prequels have yet another release to be blind to.

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