There might have been those that though that the idea for a Lando based series might be kind of weird.  After all the character was not very much involved in the Star Wars movie, hovering somewhere between a secondary character and a main one.  He acted mostly as a villain in Episode V, but after redeeming himself at the end of the movie he went on to help to save Han at Jabba’s Palace before being the one to blow up the Death Star.  Although he ended up playing a big enough role in the movies, he also never really became much of a fan favorite.  He was liked well enough, just he never really got the same following as someone like Wedge Antilles or Boba Fett from among the secondary characters in the Star Wars universe.

As with the other comic series set in the new canonical Star Wars universe, the new series is set at some point between episodes IV and V.  Lando is a ne’er-do-well, a thief trying to find out his next score in order to settle his old debts.  It takes him into the hands of an Imperial governor, where he uses both seduction and charm in order to retrieve an item of some value.  It becomes not the solution but rather the source of his problems, as his debtor decides that the payment is not enough, rather that Lando owes him one more job.  It is an easy enough score, to free a ship from an Imperial shipyard, the only problem becomes how it is defended and who it belongs to.  Along the way he recruits some allies as well as his companion Lobot as they attempt to steal something which they probably should not.

There are those that might think that his stories alone might not be enough to lead a series though would probably be mistaken.  There are still a lot of fertile ground for stories in the Star wars universe, even if the old expanded universe is gone, replaced with stories that stick a bit closer to the script.  What makes this story work so well though is the story, as it is not so much focused on the Star Wars universe, but rather acts as good story which would work in any sci-fi setting, only here the players are already defined.  It is also nice how this first issue manages to expand on the role of Lobot, especially the loyalty which he and Lando have for one another.  As with the Princess Leia series which didn’t seem like it would work, but ended up being pretty good, this series starts out on the right foot and looks like a promising and entertaining series.

Story:  Charles Soule Art: Alex Maleev
Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5  Recommendation: Buy