Today saw the release of issue #47 in the current volume of Marvel Comics’ flagship Star Wars title, and below are my brief recap and thoughts on this installment.
Star Wars #47 begins with Lando Calrissian in his cell on the Rebel Alliance flagship Home One. Mon Mothma has been rescued from her captives, and the scoundrel’s trial is set to resume, but before that can happen there’s an assassination attempt in the form of a Gonk droid filling Lando’s cell with poison (we learn later on that these green fumes are actually the droid’s waste gasses, which not only means that droids fart, but that those farts are literally deadly). Lando survives the incident thanks to a suspiciously timed wellness check courtesy of his Advocate Salli Georgio and her droid 3L. Either way, the next day Lando finds himself in court being defended by Georgio once again as the trial continues with Mon Mothma’s return. Salli accuses someone in the Alliance of having tried to poison her client and then calls Lobot to the stand as a character witness. Lobot gives a very heartfelt testimony about how his friend Lando saved his life and how his loyalty works in a hierarchy, and then it’s time for Calrissian himself to take the stand. But before he does that, he asks to speak to Princess Leia, who agrees only if the conversation remains a public one.
Lando tells Leia that he now has valuable information about the layout of Jabba’s palace and where exactly Han’s carbonite-frozen body is being displayed. He offers the Alliance those details if they promise to let Lobot off scott-free, and then proceeds to take the stand and gives one of the best, most accurately Lando-esque speeches in writer Charles Soule’s (who has always been good at writing Lando) run on Star Wars. Then there are closing statements and deliberations, and even an implication on just how exactly Lando becomes a General in the Rebel Alliance (now I’m wondering if the Battle of Taanab was ever even a real thing, or just a smokescreen), followed by the assembled rebel leaders beginning their deliberations. Considering all the evidence and testimony, Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, and Crix Madine find Calrissian guilty of the charges levied against him, but instead of executing him by throwing him out of an airlock as he has predicted multiple times, instead they fine him 250 million credits. And they even give him the opportunity to work that money off by continuing to serve the rebellion.
So we knew that Lando would survive this ideal somehow, but we didn’t know exactly how. And even Calrissian himself is suspicious about the circumstances– he basically accuses Georgio of staging the droid poisoning and Mon Mothma’s kidnapping, which is a step too far even for him. But overall he’s happy about the outcome at the end, as are we, the readers, not to mention Lando’s friends in the Alliance. I’d say this turned out to be an interesting chapter in the character’s life and a satisfying step forward toward the events of Return of the Jedi, with the implication being that Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Lando, and the droids will launch their rescue attempt relatively soon. Speaking of which, as far as I can tell my prediction of this run of Star Wars ending with issue #50 is likely coming true, with no issues announced by Marvel past that point. I predict we will be hearing more at San Diego Comic-Con next month. Until then, I remain quite happy with the recent stories we’ve been getting from Soule and artist Madibek Musabekov.
Star Wars #47 is available now wherever comic books are sold.