Beta Ray Greg Presents : Star Wars #57

“Queen Trios of Shu-Torun’s betrayal has left the heroic Rebel Alliance at the mercy of the evil Galactic Empire! Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo have been on the run ever since and barely one step ahead of the Empire’s agents…”

Shirtless Han Solo! Heroes on the run! Raging alien bear/wolf hybrids! Oh my!

We’ve got it all here folks, let’s chew some fat.

Marvel Comics Presents : Star Wars #57

We find our trio-o’-heroes stranded on a moon called Hubin. Their transporter is busted and they got picked up by some locals. Issue opens up with the three sitting in the courtyard of a mansion. Han is lavishly enjoying the moment. The droid butler to the household is feeding him expensive drinks left and right. The droid calls his master ‘My Thane’. Thane means a man who holds land given to him by the or a king. Above a hereditary noble and below a commoner. That seems important.

The Thane shows up covered in muck and in battle gear that’s reminiscent of every assassin in Star Wars canon. Also seems important. He introduces himself to be Thane Markona, Hubin is his moon. His droid butler is MK-1. He insists he wants to change before they meet further, then he disappears. Han, Luke, and Leia discuss their apprehensions, and how to get another free drink.

They enter a ballroom still discussing a plan of escape in case the sitch goes sideways. Luke doesn’t trust Markona. Han figures untrustworthy people are just his style. Thane Markona arrives in the ballroom all cleaned up and showered with his hair pinned back and flowing.  He prefers they stick to first names so he doesn’t ‘know too much’. Guys. They are literally known by their first names. Like the most famous fictional characters of all time and called literary by their first names. Clearly I take issue with this.

He sends 3PO And R2 off to be checked out because droids have a special place in his household…or they can be easily hacked for info. Leia inquires how they can get off-planet. Thane says you cannot. This is where Luke takes exception, he’s no ones prisoner. Thane explains that they don’t have transporters, it’s just not possible to leave. Markona’s daughter enters and announces lunch,. Luke can’t close his jaw.

At lunch in the grand dinnering room, Leia says ‘when I think of isolationist hermits, I don’t ten to envision mansions…’ She has a grand point. See what I did there? Anywho…Self efficiency doesn’t mean poverty Thane retorts. But he does finish with ‘..we came here with quote some surplus’. Well, that’s secretive. Luke seems extremely inquisitive and distrustful. Markona mentions the Empire leaves them alone because he tithes and in his previous career he earned the ‘rights’ to the moon. It’s his retirement package. Luke asks him if it was in service of the Republic or the Empire. Thane responds with ‘…as someone who lives through those times. I’m unsure i could mark that line.’ Whoa. Telling and mysterious at the same time. This guy has a reason to be an isolationist, but will we find out?

Lunch wraps up and Markona is essentially giving them the HOA spiel. Crops grow, children prosper, etc. Tula, Markona’s daughter offers to walk everyone to town if they want to see more of where they may be for quite a while. Leia wants to stay. They separate by one. Han makes the bonehead move of the issue…calls her Princess. Everyone stops. Tula says ‘princess?’ Oh uh uh it’s a nickname…She’s a handful…oh uhuh. Han, Luke, and Tula make their way into town. These houses, well they’re not mansions…Tula leans in to Luke and ask him if the Death Star is real. He said ‘it was’. Ha! Han gets distracted when he sees the local tavern. Now separated by two. Barkeep tells Han they don’t use credits to drink, you work to drink.

Cut to Luke and Tula. Luke, still prying, ask Tula if Hubin was his father’s idea. She repsonds with ‘not exactly. I understand it was my…’ ‘Ah, that’s my story to tell, Tula.’ Oops, you got caught. Markona  knows Luke will not be sated by nothing but the truth. The Thane offers Luke to walk with him. He knows he embarrassed his daughter with his cut in. He asks Luke if he was close with his own father. Luke tells Markona that his father died in Clone Wars.

Cut back to Han at the tavern. He’s chopping wood, shirtless, in a scene a novella with Fabio would be proud of. Leia was told she could find him out back. Oh, she finds him alright. She mutters some words like ‘Oh!’ and ‘Han, I…’ as she blushes. Han asks her if she wants to grab dinner. Oh, that’s not the only…ok we’re not going to finish that.

Back to Markona and Luke. They’re at The Thane’s family burial sanctuary. He tells Luke, going back to his parents and his wife, they’re all there as will one day he and Tula. ‘…Life wins the war.’ Luke again asks what he did in his past life. Markona just responds that he was a fighter. MK-1 arrives to get Markona. A pack of Thanrax has circled from the north and is attacking the fringe parts of the city. Thane asks Luke if he’s up for it. They sprint. As they run, Luke tells Markona straight out ‘You being coy about whatever you did is why I can’t trust you.’ Markona appreciates his straightforward words.

Ah, the Thanrax attack. They look like a ManBearPig + a wolverine – the pig and about 15 feet tall on it’s hind legs. Wow. Luke is trying to figure out how to approach the situation, looking for his blaster. Markona says blasters wouldn’t be…’sporting’ as he releases hard light blades from gauntlets around his forearms. This dude is strapped. Question is, are those gauntlets or his arms?

Why was he so armed if he was with company he thought he could trust. Is Luke’s apprehension the force? Who is this Markona? I’m super excited for this story arc. It has so many possibilities. Tula and Markona. Friends, or foe?

7/10

BRG