The ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Books and Comics We Can’t Wait For

With the release of a new Star Wars film, along with it comes a slew of toys, apparel and video games, sending collectors into a fervor of obtaining every new piece of merchandise. Other collectors, however, prefer to dive deep into the various products released by Lucasfilm Publishing, which offers adventures for fans of all ages.

What makes the published materials so exciting for the Star Wars series is no matter what the medium or intended age of readers, audiences can learn endless amounts of details about the film they just saw in theaters. Whether it be behind-the-scenes information or various gaps in a film’s narrative, Lucasfilm Publishing never fails to disappoint audiences with the wide range of books and comics they release.

Check out our picks for the upcoming books and comics we’re most excited for that celebrate the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story!

(h/t Entertainment Weekly)

‘Last Shot’

“Part of it takes place before the events of Solo and focuses on Lando and L3-37,” Lucasfilm Publishing creative director Michael Siglain explained of the story to Entertainment Weekly. “Part of it takes place between Solo and A New Hope, and that focuses on Han and Chewie, and that’s where we get Sana Starros for the first time.”

“Part of it takes place post-Return of the Jedi,” Siglain added, “and that’s where we see Han, Leia, a very young Ben Solo, and Lando come into the story.”

Given Lando’s absence in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, this sounds like the book that will most appease Lando fans.

Siglain pointed out that Lucasfilm has wanted to explore Lando’s adventures following Return of the Jedi for quite some time, with the fractured narrative creating an interesting story about how the character has evolved over time.

‘Lando: Double or Nothing’

Marvel has already released a comic book that focused on Lando, yet this new mini-series will depict a slightly different time in his life.

“It’s focused on Lando set during an incident right before the film, with backstory about Lando and L3-37,” Siglain said. 

The events of the story will tie directly into events from the film, with the release of the comic being delayed until after Solo hits theaters.

“Coming out of the film, we think everyone is going to want to read more about Lando,” Siglain pointed out.

‘Most Wanted’

The upcoming film will show Han’s early years and his “partnership” with Qi’ra. Solo will also jump further into the future to see where their different decisions have taken them, with Most Wanted focusing on the duo’s early years.

“This is about the younger, young Han solo,” Siglain noted of the YA novel. “We’ll see what it was like for these two kids from Corellia to survive the seedy streets of this industrial world. They’re definitely products of their environment, and this story shows that.”

‘The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Creatures + Aliens’

In the 40 years since the first Star Wars debuted, special effects technology has come a long way. No longer do filmmakers have to rely on constructing elaborate sets or manipulating intricate puppets, as virtually everything can be done from a computer.

The new book The Moviemaking Magic of Star Wars: Creatures + Aliens, which is geared towards younger readers, “strives to teach some of the history of filmmaking, makeup, and special effects through all the films, starting with 1977’s A New Hope and going up through Solo.“

Whether you have an aspiring special effects artist on your hands or you merely want to show off potentially antiquated technology, this book is sure to show off how many of the series’ memorable characters were created.

‘Solo: The Official Guide’

One of the joys of being a Star Wars fan is familiarizing yourself with every character, creature and location that debuts in a film. Unfortunately, these identifiers aren’t always spoken out loud in the film, forcing fans to use nicknames when referring to things. Luckily, that’s where the Official Guide comes in to confirm virtually every detail that appears in a film.

Siglain pointed out that Solo: A Star Wars Story – The Official Guide combines two popular book series that regularly complement the release of a film. Not only will there be elements regularly found in the Visual Guide series of reference books, but also elements borrowed from the popular cross-sections book. To add authenticity, the book was written by Lucasfilm story group member Pablo Hidalgo.

‘The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story’

In recent years, the series of Star Wars books that show off the concept art that helped inspire a movie has gained popularity, with The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story continuing that tradition.

“This is another of those really beautiful art books that shows various pieces of concept art that went into this film,” Siglain confessed. “You see the evolution of Solo through this book, and the insight that [author] Phil [Szostak] gets from everyone in the production is incredible.”

In addition to learning behind-the-scenes details about the film and its development, we also see how the film changed from concept to creation, oftentimes including interesting elements that never made the final could that would have changed the entire narrative.

‘The Mighty Chewbacca: Forest of Fear’

The various timelines of different Star Wars properties can sometimes make it difficult for characters to appear in more than one medium. In The Mighty Chewbacca, the worlds of Solo, Rogue One and Star Wars Rebels combine as Chewie, K-2SO and a Loth-cat all embark on a journey together.

According to Siglain, the book will follow Chewbacca’s (mis)adventures after accepting what would appear to be a dull babysitting job. The Wookiee is delivered a handful of surprises, as he is tasked with rescuing his best friend, Han Solo. Along the way, Chewie crosses paths with Cassian Andor and K-2SO prior to the fateful events of Rogue One.

‘Star Wars: Adventures’

Younger comic book readers who might not be ready for Lando’s adventures are in luck, as three different issues of Star Wars: Adventures will honor Solo, kicking off with an issue being released in honor of Free Comic Book Day.

The Free Comic Book Day issue will feature Han and Chewie targeted by familiar foes: Zuckuss and 4-LOM from The Empire Strikes Back. This journey spans across the three books, as a malfunction with the Millennium Falcon results in an aquatic crash landing.

“Everything on this planet is powered down, and no technology works,” Siglain added, “Then they figure out a way to turn it on and realize that was the worst mistake they could make — the planet comes alive and attacks them.”