Solo: A Star Wars Story Comic Adaptation, Part 2 - Atop the Fourth Wall

Part 2 of 2.
Welcome to Atop the Fourth Wall, where bad comics burn. In this episode, Linkara ends the holiday celebrations with the adaptation of Solo!
Check out more AT4W shirts at Shark Robot: sharkrobot.com/collections/at...
atopthefourthwall.com
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Originally released December 23rd, 2020.
ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: When you think about it, this just a long, weird weekend for Chewbacca.
#at4w #StarWars #Solo

[@ryanmir9371]

That's right, the head of the Crimson Dawn is none other than.. GRANNY GOODNESS!

[@bluehero-96]

Makes more sense than a guy who couldn't possibly survive bisection with their novice level of power in the dark side.

[@jonathancampbell5231]

The "pettiness" of Maul is kind of the point. He's a tragic villain who was trained and enslaved from a young age and brainwashed to believe he was going to be a big shot...only to lose and be forgotten by his master who moves on to other patsies. By "Rebels" he doesn't even have ANY syndicate. He started taking over criminal organizations during the Clone Wars, when the chaos the galaxy was in made them far more powerful, and used them to take over a planet and try to establish himself as a warlord...which fell apart once Palpatine showed up to kick his ass, then fails utterly when the Empire rises. Being a crime lord is just the best he can do right now. Honestly, the thing that annoyed ME most about his cameo in this film is that it's likely setting up future live-action appearances in things like the Kenobi series, which will might lead to the continuity of "Rebels" or even TCW being messed with, particularly if they decide that Maul is going to be the main villain Obi-Wan has to deal with.

[@FillmGeekOfDoom]

I doubt it. They're making a big deal about Vader coming back in the Obi-Wan miniseries and Lucasfilm is usually VERY careful with established continuity for stuff they keep canon. Crimson Dawn probably goes under due to someone like Jabba amassing enough power to go against them, and Qira probably dies due to back-stabbing Han at some point over something and he kills her. It would explain why he's so jaded in A New Hope. Plus, Qira's not around during the events of the original trilogy onwards so her fate's sealed at some point.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

@@FillmGeekOfDoom Other than the almost completely unplanned sequel trilogy, anyway, playing fast and lose with Imperial, Snoke and Poe backstory, at least.

[@littlekuribohimposte]

@@FillmGeekOfDoom The Hutts are a galactic power before and after the Republic and Empire, so muscling a competitor out of business is a move they could make,

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

Maul's intro here really does feel weird considering his final elements in Rebels. More with Maul, even some live action, sure, Clone Wars and Rebels showed there was good you can put into the character. But as some throwaway element in a movie noone asked for? Really seems odd.

[@BlueHero45]

Maul's first appearance in Rebels is that of someone very much broken, only perking up with the sudden appearance Ezra. His last appearance in clone wars was of someone who know a bomb was about to hit the galaxy and he was desperate to survive. So it's a bit weird that somewhere in between he got his shit together long enough to have a crime syndicate then lose it. Then again Maul's entire life seems to be getting power, getting close to winning, then getting his ass kicked and falling ever deeper into a hole.

[@juanyusee8197]

In fairness to Maul, he did have aspirations for greater powers than just starting a criminal empire and even attempted grander goals (i.e. managing to take over Mandalore and succeeding, his actual goal during the Siege of Mandalore arc and later his offer to Ahsoka Tano to join him to defeat Sidious), it's just that either it doesn't go through, or in the case of his rule over Mandalore, doesn't last. I always saw his criminal empire as a means to an end rather than his main goal, like how his alliance with the Black Sun and the Pykes (along with Death Watch) helped him take over Mandalore. Plus considering he himself got his ass severely kicked by Sidious after he took over Mandalore AND both of his subsequent attempts to thwart his former master getting screwed over, having a criminal empire is basically the best option he had by the point of Solo (yeah sure, being in charge of a criminal empire is rather puny compared to being in charge of a planet or a galaxy, but it's still something) As for the Maul cameo, this actually happened: A few days before Solo released in the cinemas, I joked with a friend that he will appear, and when we watched the film, my joke became reality! I feel trolled after watching that scene lol.

[@AzhreiVep]

Yeah, it's not like Maul just STARTED his own little mafia. He rolled up like a boss and violently seized control of every major criminal organization active at the time. For a while, at LEAST up until he got stomped into the ground by Palpatine, and possibly longer, he was THE boss of galaxy-wide organized crime. That's not nothing. That's not small. That probably represented a greater power base than the Rebellion ever could have claimed before they became the New Republic.

[@BullseyeRey]

Yeah, after Sidious killed his brother, the Syndicate was all he had left and he eventually lost that too.

[@AzhreiVep]

@@emperorsean1 Bringing Maul back was REALLY stupid. Just a terrible, ridiculous idea. And they made it work anyway. Fantastically. I don't blame anybody for not trusting it, though.

[@pokejoseph]

They didn’t even play “I’m Han Solo” in the credits WHYYYYYYYYY!!?!?!!?!?

[@KHFMcAwesome]

My major problem with Han in this movie is that I felt they were trying a bit too hard to make him like Star Lord. At least that’s how it felt to me.

[@straker454]

Which is weird because if he was more like Star Lord he would have been more like the Han Solo we know. XD You know, selfish, arrogant, and capable while being a bit of a doof.

[@Archon3960]

Agree. This is, as Linkara said, a bit out of character for him.

[@KHFMcAwesome]

@@straker454 The key word is “tried” 😜 I mean it in the sense that they made him a bit TOO much of a dufus 😜

[@_NIKOS9_NIKOS]

My problem with L3 is how her story ended. I mean she was someone who fought for the freedom of her kind, herself and others and she ended up becoming an object with no will of her own to be used by other people. I mean Han ends up winning her remains in a card game for Christs Sake!

[@viraltang]

That's kinda one of the reasons why it feels like her and her cause are treated as a joke.

[@ianr.navahuber2195]

@@viraltang keeping the tradition of treating even the relevant droids like crap

[@R0-83-RT]

@@viraltang That plus It feels like none of the characters treat the idea with any sense of urgency or seriousness. Granted I don't expect every character to bend over backward for droid rights, that would seem very out of character, especially for Han Solo of all people. However, maybe having some of the characters actively discuss it instead of all scoffing off the idea would have helped sell it. Granted I do realize in real life whenever civil rights are brought up the opposers do try to act like it's not a big deal, but considering none of the characters are seen as particularly bad because of this it does undermine this parallel. Perhaps a discussion could be the threat droids have to the current way of life, maybe it might have been something simple like the loss of jobs, or even something further such as the potential for droids to evolve and kill. Granted the conversation doesn't have to go too far, that would make the film lose focus, but it should be enough where the idea is seen as a tangible thing by some of the characters.

[@paulgibbon5991]

That was why it didn't really work for me either. If you're going to bring that akward issue in the setting up, then do something with it! If not, it's better to just gloss over the issue of droid rights entirely.

[@davidpeters6743]

That's kind of the general problem for shows like this. Like you can't do anything that messes with the status quo.

[@MJFERMEZLA]

I don't think Lando is serious when he says he want to erase L3 memory, I think he said that just to hide his soft side and keeping the tough "no one tell me what to do" act. I mean, we saw how easy it is to put her data in another drive like the falcon one, so clearly, he could do that... but don't.

[@chrissonofpear1384]

@That Hippie Gamer I think L3 might be a bit deluded, or be having Qi'ra on in that scene - but that it's also left very much up to the viewer's interpretation. Is another thing that may have varied from the Lord and Miller script, too?

[@Wraithfighter]

Aye, that line really has the feel of a joking “...I’d shoot/fire her if she wasn’t so damn good...” line. :)

[@chrissonofpear1384]

@That Hippie Gamer Well, other tie in media of recent might nail it down further, however.

[@mattwo7]

@That Hippie Gamer I have HFA and I've learned to understand subtext, it just didn't come naturally to me (probably helps that I have a interest in psychology that goes beyond the natural vested interest one with mental disorders would have)... As others have said, it was hinted at but never made clear.

[@mattwo7]

@That Hippie Gamer It's also implied Elthree was lying about not being into Lando btw.

[@Donovaneagle2098]

I always actually liked the idea that young Han was a bit of a hero and optimist, and then future adventures with Q'ira and the crime syndicates drove him to be more cynical. Thats what I thought the last Beckett encounter was foreshadowing. The person Q'ira called a good guy cynically shooting his mentor and friend rather than trusting him. And he's proven right to do so. So that way, him becoming a hero again in New Hope is a bit of a redemption. Not just a cynical person becoming good, but a once good person redeeming himself.

[@xavierfrendick6581]

As a bit of an expansion on that (and I freely admit I looked this up, I didn't just have this trivia on hand) - Solo took place about ten years before the first movie. That's ten years working with criminals and smugglers - plenty of time to get worn down into a cynic.

[@PolarPhantom]

It's the sort of thing that could work better if the planned sequels came out (and were good).

[@tomhur1]

@@PolarPhantom Apparantly they're gonna fill the gap between Solo and a New Hope with comics so we can probably still get that.

[@tjjordan4207]

I agree!

[@Bezaliel13]

While I cannot deny that they just wanted him to be "not too jerkish," I do think it could be argued that this version of Han was probably meant to be naïve.

[@jackhummer8344]

15:30 The Rebellion started out as many smaller factions like Enfys Nest's that eventually started working together. Bail Organa and Mon Mothma actually play a bigger part in founding the larger Rebel Alliance, but groups like the Cloud Riders are still a sign of what's to come.

[@SCWRMComms]

The major problem with Darth Maul for me is the fact that the movie was released right before the Rebels episodes that confirms his final death on Tatooine; his inclusion really felt pointless and just a shocking fanservice moment for movie-only people that makes no sense when one starts thinking about it. And yeah, even if the movie got more sequels elaborating this revelation, it would have been very at odd with Han's disbelief in Episode IV, and it's a bit of a shame because now most likely outisde of side materials the audience won't know what happens to Qi'ra. Maybe in the Lando Disney+ series, who knows. -Teo

[@skibot9974]

Took the words out of my mouth

[@LaurianeG.]

... I mean Darth Maul is pretty much just walking fanservice. Kinda like Bobba Fett and his father (whose inclusion in the prequels was just pointless, really). Heck, they both even share the fact that they have no characters in the movie, barely talks and really people just like them because they look cool. At least Bobba was just a side character for a specific function, Maul is supposed to be our antagonist and there's like.... zero connexion with the protagonists so their confrontation is just weak ^^"

[@jordanreed3675]

Maul’s confirmed final actual death in Star Wars rebels was released a whole year before this movie was released because that was in season 3 the final season of rebels ended roughly when Solo came out

[@det.bullock4461]

Maul being a mob boss is supposed to be petty, see how he dies in Rebels. When he finally confronted Palpatine in Clone Wars after taking over Mandalore he got throughly trounched and only survived because Palpy wanted to use him as hostage againt the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Maul is a deconstruction of the aura of cool Sith have around them, his stubborn following of the Sith way after being given a second chance only brings him further suffering and ruin but being trained as Sith since childhood he can't see anything but the dark side in his life so he quests for power that inevitably loses and revenge he shall never get.

[@legogodzilla]

I can't help but say, "Ever hear the tragedy of Darth Maul the pointy?"

[@viraltang]

Nowhere is that more apparent than in Rebels. Erza was a very promising pupil who was open minded enough to listen to some of the Dark Sides teachings and Maul really did seem to like the kid. If he played his cards right and realized the way he was schooled in the Dark Side was wrong and changed his methods and did not try to kill the rest of the crew of the Ghost he would have stood a better chance at turning him. Who knows maybe if he worked with the rebellion more he could have found others and teach them as well. Could even use some Red Dawn ties to start his own underground Sith temple.

[@ianr.navahuber2195]

@@viraltang imagine that what If where Maul survives all the way up to the days of Return of the Jedi, and both decide to end the Jedi - Sith conflict by killing the Emperor and during the funeral to Darth Vader they come to an agreement, Luke deciding to change the ways of the Jedi, and Maul rebuilding the Sith to be essentially "Anti-Hero Jedi" who let their anger out in a more controlled way but both agreeing to be peacekeepers even if they have different ways to do it

[@JaelinBezel]

Why doesn't he just take a chill pill and become a Jedi?

[@det.bullock4461]

@@JaelinBezel Horrifically abusive childhood, he was given to Palpatine by the Nightsisters and trained as a Sith ever since and Sith training is not pretty, he's emotionally broken to the point that being chill is completely alien to him. In Rebels he finds a Jedi Holocron (a cube of crystals Jedi and Sith use to store data using the force) and gets pissed at it because he can't open it, he doesn't get that he needs to calm down to do so and thinks he can brute-force it with the dark side like with a Sith Holocron.

[@AbjectPermanence]

L3 is cool in a lot of ways, but I do think that the intent of the filmmakers was to also be making fun of her activism. The film doesn't take the droid rights angle seriously at all, L3 is often the butt of a joke for it, and the true depth of her tragic fate in the end is downplayed. She was passionate about being free, more than any other droid, but she becomes nothing more than part of an object for Han Solo to covet and possess. If you think about it even a little, it paints a disgusting perspective on Han's ownership of Millenium Falcon from that point on, but the filmmakers didn't expect that we'd think of that.

[@cameronheaton9900]

My problem with L3 is that she was all about not having Droids be used as slaves, and her being gamble away.

[@AbjectPermanence]

Lando screwed that one up bad. I guess he was cheating, and figured it wasn't really a risk, but then Han cheated too.

[@cameronheaton9900]

@@AbjectPermanence still, felt unnecessary

[@altejoh]

As someone who has mostly only seen the movies and the Tartakovsky Clone Wars, the Darth Maul reveal was more... confusing than anything else. Like, he felt like he was such a bit, underdevelopped character in the prequel movie (aside from the rumors I heard as a kid about the novelization that I never read), but I had heard rumors he was still alive - mostly from people joking about how apparently being cut in half isn't the villain killer it used to be - but because they were joking, I had no idea if it was true or not. Honestly, things like this in the movie feel like it is trying to be some kind of Expanded Universe fanservice tease, without actually committing to any of the amazing, already existing stories out there, if I had to guess because those authors refused to sell back to Disney. But, hey, if people enjoy it, all the power to them.

[@TheBurkissWay]

So this is the movie the Lego Movie guys were fired from? Honestly, bits and pieces might have worked just as well in an animated parody. The Starlordification of Han, that cut image of everyone's hair standing up, L337 -- even that bit where Han interrupts Beckett's monologue feels like it would work in a Robot Chicken cutaway.

[@PMbarbieri]

I personally found L3 too on the nose about what she represents to be likable, but I get your point about the cruel irony of her fate. However, you know what's worse? That her becoming the Millennium Falcon's AI provides an explanation to that one scene from Empire Strikes Back, where C-3PO is linked to the Falcon and says he finds her unpolite. The entire point of this character is explaining a minor detail from the classic trilogy that I'm quite sure nobody ever asked about!

[@AlexFyrehartDGAFCave]

I'm definitely in the boat of "eh it was ok", although my god some of the "explaining what no one wanted explained" stuff felt like the movie was just grasping at straws for a reason to exist......also when Darth Maul showed up, as someone who believes he should've just stayed dead, I openly said "Oh fuck off" outloud in the cinema when his cameo happened.

[@bizarroguy6570]

9:52 Well both the special edition of New Hope and Return of Jedi imply that Jabba and several of his smugglers and bounty hunters had a history with Han. Merry Christmas.

[@BullseyeRey]

The Clone Wars did explain why he started the syndicate. When Maul first makes his return all he had was his brother and after his attempt getting revenge on Kenobi failed, he realized he needed more. And to be fair, Kenobi does say "How the mighty Sith have fallen" when he found out in their next meeting. And to Maul's credit, running the Syndicate lead to him being the shadow king of Madalore and the only reason that all ended was because Palpatine got involved.

[@charleshockenbury353]

It does sound petty, but it’s a lot better when you see it played out in the show. Also Maul can’t ever do anything too big because he can’t have an impact on the future movies. He kinda HAS to be a shadowy master mind. I’m happy to have gotten what we did, because I’ll admit Maul in the prequels was just a silent goon with no personality. The TV shows made him quite terrifying and efficient

[@bluehero-96]

It's almost like they never should have brought Maul back. And the words you're looking for are "whiny" and "intrusive" not "terrifying" and "efficient".

[@charleshockenbury353]

@@bluehero-96 okay

[@Faris_V5]

"But the Expanded universe cannot pretend that anything is just a mistake like any other movie would have." Says the comic book reviewer :P I kid of course. Honestly I love people's retcons for mistakes like that. Sure, sometimes it's done poorly and repeatedly to the point that there are twelve explanations for the same issue. But sometimes it makes someone go "Hang on, what WOULD have to happen for that to be the case." And thus creativity blooms.

[@Makverus]

Agreed. One of the most fun things about Star Wars is the fact that every little detail sooner or later grows into a story or at least lore. Like the aliens in the cantina in Ep IV. In most other media the weird cyclops dude briefly shown on screen will forever remain the weird cyclops dude briefly shown on screen. But not in Star Wars! His name is Myo, he belongs to a race called Abyssin from the planet Byss. And that's just what's considered canon at the moment. He has a whole history in Legends! That just amazes me.

[@MusicFan752]

That and while it doesn't necessarily improve the movies by themselves, the expanded universe is still fascinating to explore and learn. And while certain parts of legends doesn't fit well, anyone familiar with valenthynes "star ship" knows what I'm talking about, a lot of the good stuff actually does click well together and the fact that a good amount of the writers for the EU do at least try to make it consistent and work is rather neat.

[@MusicFan752]

@AT Productions wait that's a thing???? When did that happen???

[@MusicFan752]

@AT Productions oh that. Thought you mean like after kingdom hearts 2 when we were starting to see the outfit more and getting use to it.

[@PolarPhantom]

Well, at least with it being put to film we know no one will be stupid enough to try and mess with the Kessel Run anymore, right? ...I say having the exact thought about Rey Nobody... god I hate TROS.

[@rafibausk7071]

Here's a fun fact for those that don't know in legends continuity Han actually had an evil bearded twin cousin named Thrackin Sou Solo

[@PolarPhantom]

that I genuinely don't know if you're kidding or not says a lot about how I consider the EU, both Canon and Legends.

[@rafibausk7071]

@@PolarPhantom well I'm not here's the wookipeda page starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Thrackan_Sal-Solo

[@ShanaReviews]

I can understand why you feel the way you do about Maul's current status with his appearance here and what his current erm...profession is. For me, I watched clone wars and am a big fan of where they took Maul's character, showing us his home, his family, and what Palpatine took from him, then seeing how far he went to not only get revenge on Kenobi (and succeeded in some way) but also getting his ass knocked back down after trying to build up his "Secret Empire", had most of his power taken from him, then ending Maul's journey in Star Wars Rebels where he meets Kenobi one final time. but here? if you only ever see the movies it's a big reveal, but it would make no sense and given how they haven't followed up on it, and probably won't, it feels like a waste and yeah it can give the impression of Maul going from a Sith apprentice to now being a crime boss, which, without context or knowledge of his storylines in Clone Wars would come off as petty

[@michaelrhett4958]

Prediction: linkara actually activated a homing beacon and summoned aliens in an upcoming story arc if/when the contest ends

[@PolarPhantom]

I will say this about Han not having a last name until some guy gave it to him: It strengthens the parallels to Rey. She also has no last name (heck y'all whom call her "Palpatine" or "Skywalker") and worked for an abusive figure that enslaves orphans. First time I saw this film I just thought it was clever for doing that with Han and Rey. It helps give context to his paternal feelings for her and is just good rhyming.

[@r4bbitdragon]

L3. My favorite part of the movie, would really love to see droid rights actually approached! That said, I don’t feel like the framing of the movie was really on her side a lot of the time. Kinda mixed.

[@wstine79]

I was hoping for Han and Beckett to find a box of Twinkies on the space train.

[@wolfclaw719]

I like the idea of Maul being a mob boss, when i learned he'd come back in Clone wars I was kinda expecting him to either die again or be forgotten about but honestly his arc with his 'brother' trying so hard to finally have his revenge on both the Jedi and the Sith only for everything to go wrong for him again and again seeing him realize he can never accomplish his goals as he is but taking the time to build a foundation about which he can achieve his dark desires would allow him to and what better way to get ahead in a Empire-controlled Galaxy then a crime syndicate? Honestly a part of me hopes we'll get a Yakuza style movie about Maul forming the crimson dawn from the ground up, I doubt will ever get it since Solo wasn't the financial hit Disney wanted but with 'The Mandalorian' making everyone forget the shit we've gotten in the past few years who knows what the future holds for a galaxy far far away...

[@Mecha82]

It does make sense to him.

[@fermintenava5911]

My personal least favourite aspect of this movie was propably Quira. Sure, she was an interesting character, but the romance between her and Han didn't work for me at all. They always seemed more like a couple of convenience, not two friends who grew up and understood each other.

[@charleshockenbury353]

I’ll admit, you’ve actually convinced me that a character like L3 should be in Star Wars. I would say my problem then is that her rights activism is just a gimmick. Something that makes her identifiable. So now instead of bringing the viewer in and making them invested in her, now you’re just interrupting their escapist fiction with something as real and on-the-nose as a subjugated class and activism. It just doesn’t jell with everything going on. But again, you are right. Droids do get treated like shit in these movies, more than I realized

[@RabblesTheBinx]

Not just the movies. Star Wars: The Old Republic has an entire story mission centered around quashing a droid rebellion that was started because of how poorly droids are treated.

[@robertpatience5141]

It's interesting to compare this to the Han Solo Trilogy. Both involve Han running away from a cult with a girl who betrays him. But in the books she joins the Rebels and Han sticks his neck out for her and gets burned. Makes more sense as to why he wouldn't like the Rebels in the movies.

[@catxborsuq1]

Disney copies/bases on EU material except presents it poorly? Knock me down with a feather! xD

[@robertpatience5141]

@@catxborsuq1 I don't think they did even copy the EU here. If they had it would have been much better. Since the books explored how Han developed his views, not how he got his gun.

[@delaneymiller5822]

I won't make this an echo chamber about Maul's motives regarding Crimson Dawn but I will say it's very weird these badass glass cannon characters of Star Wars...just go to being Mob bosses. Maul, Boba, Swear if the Sequels were better recieved Phasma would've revealed fo have survived & taken over some other crime syndicate. Also as a weird aside Beckett is responsible for (supposedly) killing Aurra Sing (long story short she was a bounty hunter who was tough enough to take on Jedis....Ok like most of the admittedly but still she was more crazy at it)

[@TF2Fan101]

Boba doesn’t really fit with that statement after S2 of The Mandalorian.

[@delaneymiller5822]

@@TF2Fan101 yeah but I'm seeing this from Linkara's perspective of "people only watching the movies" & For all intense & purpose Boba was pretty much a dude that looked cool & jobbed hard before "dying" in the movies.

[@BigSwede7403]

Linkara: *Complains about the Falcon toy being overly large while grinning like a fan possessed*

[@Gaia_BentosZX5]

This is my major complaint about the Sequel Trilogy and side stories: You can't please everyone. That's what these movies tried to DO. Mando on the other hand, knew it's audience well, as it's basically a wish made by George Lucas that was fuffilled: A space opera about a war-torn galaxy, and a group of heroes band together to prove that a hopeless galaxy isn't a lost cause. This is the kind of story people wanted to see, not CSI: Naboo, Rey Horseman, or circlejerk.

[@Vahktang]

An entire Solo and Chewbacca origin movie and Chewie does not once pull anyone’s arms out of their sockets when the Wookiee lost. Bah.

[@AT4W]

Eh, he did pull the arms off of a guard, at least.

[@jojoreztorc0396]

I know L3 has an actual voice, but whenever I read the comic I always imagine Seras' voice coming out of her for some reason. It just fits so well.

[@darkalicornkingdoom3572]

The reason Maul made the crime syndicate it's because he fears Sidius more than he hates him, so without "the balls" to go against him he chose to thrive in the chaos of the fall of the republic without messing directly with Sidius

[@BullseyeRey]

Plus in the beginning all he had his brother Savage and after failing to get his revenge on Kenobi he realised it wasn't enough to get back at Kenobi and Palpatine.

[@26th_Primarch]

Ever since Solo released I've always said that the basic premise of "steal X and then give to Y" would have been way better if Han, Chewie, Lando, and the *Falcon* weren't in it. A Star Wars heist film would have been something that hadn't been seen before and definitely should have brought in more ticket sales

[@evanbao93]

Darth Maul's position as a mafia boss may seem to be very low-key for an ambitious Sith Lord with a lot of hatred and revenge here, but that's because his grander ambition was already done in the Clone Wars series. He used the criminal empire to build up his own army to fight against Darth Sidious, which culminated with Maul taking over Mandalore and thus having an entire planet of Mandalorians at his disposal. That was the height of his power. What happened was that Sidious was aware of this, and he promptly broke Maul by killing his brother and mother while putting a wedge in the criminal syndicates allied with Maul. By the end of the Clone Wars, Maul only has Mandalore and the Crimson Dawn at his disposal. And then Maul got captured by the Republic, thus losing Mandalore. He escaped, of course but by that point, the Emperor has already won and Darth Vader is roaming about. This means that Maul has nowhere to go but down, leading to his true final death at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

[@myriadmediamusings]

IMO, much as I enjoyed the Maul cameo, critically I feel it was a mistake. It again assumed people did watch Clone Wars & Rebels, when for most Phantom Menace was all they did see in regards to Maul. It made a whole lot people confused as to how Maul was no longer half the man he used to be.

[@leannerose6181]

Yup,one of those confused people here. I said out loud in the theater "WHAT? Isn't he dead?" (Granted,there weren't alot of people in the theater to bother w this😂)

[@pillarsofsnow7940]

I saw the Han In this story to show the good guy nature that is later broken down by the galaxy, and him having this “good guy” core is what let’s him pull out of the place he ended up in by episode 4, he wasn’t the Han Solo we knew but I believed he would grow to be more cynical and scoundrel like over 10 years

[@AnEnemySpy456]

George Lucas actually knew what a parsec was. The point of that line was that Han was supposed to be spinning a line of bull to someone he percieved as a yokel who wouldn't know the difference.

[@Jebbtube]

One thing I do like about this story is L3. I do feel like droids are essentially slaves, and no other story really addresses this. Yes, they're machines, but many a clearly sentient, and people use RESTRAINING bolts to subjugate them.

[@ArkCiD_Z3r0]

Honestly, the rebellion has had like, four of five origins so far (if you include old canon and videogames), so at this point I'm just going to assume that it formed from the union of several small rebellions that fused together to form the organization we saw in the original Star Wars. It actually kinda makes more sense than a single group that slowly grew to oppose the Empire.

[@bacsilva]

The art in this comic is a lot better than you usually see in movie adaptations. Usually the faces feel wrong or forced, but they work well here.

[@theshadowdirector]

I would defend Ehrenreich's performance. Would hope he gets to reprise the role again and maybe win more people o over. If that Episode IX comic never materialises, I really hope someone pays for that review.

[@tomhur1]

I would but the patreon thing isn't open yet.

[@grantmoore8228]

2:16 That is the face of a man who's nearly died multiple times by the hands of eldritch abominations and getting his mind screwed every October legitimately confused and scared by a toy making noise...

[@Chaogardenx]

The activist droid mind is forever trapped on the millenium falcon. Such a tremendous torture! Talk about I have no mouth and I must scream

[@tjjordan4207]

Imagine this. Instead of this being a Han Solo origin story, it's a story about bounty hunters going on a heist mission and Han Solo just so happens to be in the movie, with his origin story being a subplot instead of the main focus. And it's saved as a special surprise until people see it for the first time in theaters.

[@skibot9974]

I’m surprised Linkara didn’t bring up the fact L3 the droid campaigning for freedom has her “brain” uploaded to a ship and effectively becomes a slave

[@ianr.navahuber2195]

sure a slave helping rebellion but still slave

[@AT4W]

Did you read the end credits text?

[@skibot9974]

@@AT4W oops

[@genesis098123]

I do think that the whole crimson dawn makes some sense. Specially after the empire was created. It specially serves as a way to Maul to survive, as he wouldn't really stand a chance if he tried to just go after the emperor, or went for a more direct way of gaining power be it conquering a planet or trying to create an order of his own. The syndicate allows him to remain in the shadows while having influence throughout the galaxy, and in ways that even enable him to attack the empire through others, like beckett's crew stealing from the troopers. Is just a way for him to accumulate power and information to use in any way he sees fit.

[@Rixec2]

Great review and now I definitely hope the Lando series is called the Calrissian Chronicles, smooth off the tongue and alliterate, best exemplifying Lando perfectly.

[@BobLogical]

This movie would have been so much better if it was Han in Force Ghost Heaven telling the story to all the other dead characters.

[@DinoDave150]

Yoda: "Quite a story you have told, Han Solo. Page turner, it is not."

[@SpedeVesku]

Obi-Wan: "So, how do you know about the stuff you weren't there for?"

[@DinoDave150]

@@SpedeVesku Han gives a shrug: I used the Force.

[@SpedeVesku]

@@DinoDave150 Mace Windu: "That's not how the Force works!"

[@BobLogical]

@@jlev1028 Han absolutely has the Force. It's also not relevant to a goofy Lord and Miller movie plot.

[@coolguystatus]

Great review as always. Looking forward to next week’s episode. I always love when you do the end of the years lists I had a very weird experience watching Solo in theaters. There were several moments when nothing was seemingly happening but the crowd went wild and crazy cheering. It was so confusing. It was only afterwards talking to huge Star Wars fans did someone explain you don’t understand those dice are important or that’s the run the mention in a new hope. As a very casual Star Wars fan these went quite over my head I didn’t even know about the blaster until you mentioned it. The best part by far was the Darth Mail reveal because that genuinely caught me off guard. I did not see that coming all though after the movie ended all I could think of was so? That doesn’t mean anything is it leading to something in a new movie probably not man even the boy good part is pointless. So I realized that I was never going to like this movie because I was never the movies intended target. This movie was clearly made for people who know a lot about Star Wars history like how chewy never got a medal in a new hope apparently. I am glad people enjoy this movie but for me it’s pretty dull and unmemorable. But to those who enjoy it I am glad. There is no right or wrong taste in movies and I hope you have a great 2021. We could all use a little joy in our life.

[@DefaultGray]

"We could have had an important character in the prequels start the rebellion" We actually did in the old EU. Bail Organa starts it in Force Unleashed.

[@Bobsheaux]

"But... this toy is so huge!" At which point you don't need to do anything. Just make it fly around, provide the appropriate mouth-made "NEEEEOOOOORRR!!!" sound effects, and its purpose is fulfilled. ☺

[@mattwo7]

1:03 Anakin was nice to droids too...

[@IcePhoenix295]

Watch the Clone Wars and Rebels. Not saying it will definitely change your tune on Maul , but it will at least add so much to that reveal.

[@Jim4815162342]

Maul becoming a gangster makes a bit of sense, but it's admittedly a strange leap. His whole thing was that he was Sidious' most loyal servant, never even considering turning on him until he was killed and brought back. From there, he finds out how he was used and replaced, and realizes his rage, his passion, did not serve him. So he becomes like his master, subverting him through quiet machinations. I don't think it's the best thing, but it is an interesting and somewhat sensible arc.

[@taikowolf]

I’ve not seen the movie itself, but this comic is making me think about it. Thanks dude!

[@thatoneguy3058]

I'd never seen the Clone Wars, so the reveal of Darth Maul did get me. I liked it

[@JediKnight5641]

The Rebel Alliance was formed from numerous other smaller rebellions. They're called an Alliance for a reason because they are an alliance of free systems and numerous anti-Imperial rebel cells unified to defeat the Galactic Empire. While Bail Organa and Mon Mothma founded the early stages of it after the Clone Wars they weren't the only ones. The were so many different rebel cells. Saw Gerrera's Partisans, Bail and Mothma's Rebel Network, Iron Squadron, The Phoenix Cell, The Free Ryloth Movement. They were scattered and numerous but many of the them would eventually come together to form the much greater Alliance to Restore The Republic. Enfys Nest's group is just one of those many cells out there resisting the Empire.

[@TF2Fan101]

Don’t forget the Lothal rebel group.

[@DawnOfTheOzz]

Lando Calrissian can sell you anything, even Colt 45. One of the finest malt beverages this side of the galaxy.

[@ZekeStaright]

Maul becoming the leader of Crimson Dawn is kinda weird, but the comic that started the idea that Maul survived was pretty freakin' cool. Has Nolo, Good Friend of Jake Skywalker.

[@paulbutkovich6103]

I've always found droids to be pretty fascinating. They pretty obviously have some form of self-awareness and free will (which can be circumvented by a restraining bolt) but with none of the "turn against the masters" thing that sci fi seems to love so much. It seems like they are made to be content in their servitude to organics, which I find intriguing. Almost every form of science fiction basically takes our attitudes and culture and just sets them IN SPACE. But they often lack the alien thought process that science fiction makes possible. We value freedom to an insane degree in our society, which raises the question of what if there are people who do not value their freedom? The droids, as they are shown in most Star Wars media, are interesting to me because they are so subversive of this core value, the idea that freedom is an absolute good. They have no freedom, no agency, but they don't seem to care. It is not a big deal to them, not something to worry about. This is alien to us. And like much of what is alien we feel the need to challenge and change it. We label it as bad, problematic, a flaw in the universe. And it might be. Or it might be that we are judging a society that is different from ours using our standards. We'll never know because it is fictional.

[@thetruewisegamer]

Actually they have done turn on their masters many time in universe for example they once did do that with hk 50 bots which are assassin's droids so that was cool. There also the ig 88 collective that was a thing and also a planet of killer robots that Vader fought once.

[@paulbutkovich6103]

@@thetruewisegamer I would consider that more other creators reading the "turn against their masters" narrative into Star Wars. Also, I never played KOTOR, but doesn't hk still work for you in that game?

[@thetruewisegamer]

@@paulbutkovich6103 yea because he hk 47 and he chooses to work with you. There also the c3p0 and r2 clone that are psychopath and also torture people that went to become crime lords for a bit

[@chr0nicler843]

It's nice to see that while the Solo movie was not the most memorable of the Star Wars movies, the comic adaptation was able to improve the story. Even if it was only in a limited capacity. Though it is a pity there are no more comic adaptations of the Star Wars movies to use for the Christmas tradition. Unless we consider the comic adaptations of Star Wars novels. In which case, I would definitely recommend Thrawn for next year. It's always a joy to see one of the most unique characters in the whole franchise demonstrate his strategic prowess and innovative approach to Imperial command. But that is for the future. For now, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. And pray you and they stay safe in these most unusual of times.

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

Maybe by this season next year, some weird exec will create a superfluous Mandolorian adaptation series? Saw the first season literally last night over VR chat and it filled a void in my heart I've had missing since I heard 1313 was canned.

[@blackroseknight77]

Happy holidays Mr. Linkara. 🎅 I like ya reviews very entertaining 😊

[@oliviawilliams6204]

I think she just started one of the cell of rebels that eventually joined the Rebel Alliance. After all Mon Montana and Leia adoptive father are already on it during RotS. She’s more like Saw Guerrera Partisans

[@tenzhitihsien888]

Ah, part 2 brings the missing Sleezebaggano reference. Curse you multi-part episodes! ::shakes fist::

[@prehistorichero2755]

Fun fact: In the scene where the Falcon's being attacked by the Summa-verminoth, a massive cephalopod-like spaceborne creature, in Star Wars Legends, the Maw Cluster where this scene was set were the two Black Holes surrounded a prison planet that contained a powerful and yet malevolent member of The Ones named Abeloth. In case you don't know who she is, Abeloth wasn't a Sith nor a Jedi, she was an all-powerful being of chaos who was originally mortal until she fell in love with Mortis, have children, and turned insane and corruptive after drinking from the Font of Power and Pool of Knowledge at the same time, resulting in her imprisonment. I hope she will be featured in the film universe, she would've been the greatest villain in the Star Wars movies, one that could replace Palpatine in Rise of Skywalker and responsible for any twisted events depending on the POV from in-universe and out.

[@misterpeterman]

Happy holidays to you and yours, good sir.

[@jessicamumford7876]

15:18 Okay so something interesting to note here; so in the new canon, in both the new EU and the TV shows, the Rebel Alliance was actually formed of various smaller pockets of rebellion that eventually united as part of a larger whole (hence "Alliance" in there name). This is something Solo itself maybe wasn't clear enough on, I'll admit if someone only watched the movies they could have easily got the impression the Cloud Riders were the start of ALL the rebellion and not just a small part of it

[@bananafairy59]

Han Fauxlo was right there

[@323starlight]

Maul did have greater asperations at first. In the Clone Wars he wished to build himself back up so he could return to palpatine triumphant, however even after conquring Mandalore, Palpatine beat Maul down, "You have been replaced." he said. Maul then wanted revenge on Palpatine as depicted in the Son of Dathomir mini series but that doesn't work out. After realizing Palpatine was too powerful, Maul focused on surviving the coming purge and staying in the shadows during the time of the Empire. He was more focused on Survival...and a little bit of vengance against Obi wan

[@shadowreaperjb]

My view on why Maul starts the criminal empire stuff is that Palatine wants to bring law and order to the galaxy (his law and order but law and order). What better way to undermine that than to build up a massive empire of unlawful chaotic criminals. He doesn't have the resources to stand against the empire at the moment but he can build. He is full of hate, but his time crawling up from the pits of Naboo forced that hate to be patient. It's not petty, it's calculating, he has time, the emperor will pay sooner or later.

[@OmegaX9]

I think Darth Maul lost his second chance back in the Clone Wars show, and he’s been beaten like five or six times between Clone Wars and Rebels. Pretty sure at this point he’s just trying to make do with what he’s got. How many different people are supposed to be responsible for starting the Rebellion at this point? Just going off the movies, games and shows we now have at least 3 different people or groups who are supposed to be responsible for founding the Rebel Alliance. Maybe they each founded their own section first, but even so that’s a bit convoluted...

[@r4bbitdragon]

I mean, that’s actually the case. That’s actually why it’s called the Rebel /Alliance/, it’s because it was a lot of smaller groups gathering as one rebellion.

[@OmegaX9]

@@r4bbitdragon True, but a few of these groups seem to be responsible for also uniting those smaller groups into the Alliance. If my memory is correct both the crew of the Ghost from Rebels and Starkiller from Force Unleashed have that distinction, and having that Rebellion line here would indicate that these people at the very least started the first Rebellion (if they were just another resistance group there wouldn’t be as much weight to just talking about a rebellion).

[@jackhummer8344]

@@OmegaX9 The Ghost crew actually don't have that distinction, though their victories do help inspire the larger Alliance. Starkiller is more directly responsible for founding the Alliance in the Legends universe, which is actually something that I don't like and is a reason why I'm glad that The Force Unleashed isn't canon. I don't think it's convoluted though. Instead, it's quite natural when you think about it. The galaxy is huge and there are a lot of people unhappy with the Empire that would start fighting them. And as we saw with Rogue One, not all rebels agree on how to fight the Empire because of their different methods.

[@thatstupiddawg5989]

I enjoyed this review. Good times!

[@ItsmeInternetStranger]

I felt like Han being able to speak wookiee was weird. I can buy that the two can communicate, like Chewie understands common and Han understands his friend well enough, but something about having Han actually do the grunts and roars feels cartoony. A small time gangster just happened to pick up enough of the language of slave space gorillas to be able to speak with them, it seems silly.

[@tyrant-den884]

He's Disney's Han Solo; Like Disney's "Artemis Fowl".

[@fermintenava5911]

At least not like Disney's "Mulan" :P

[@TF2Fan101]

Alden Ehrenreich at least feels like Han Solo. The kid they got to me play Artemis couldn’t be bothered to be like the character from the books (At least according to what I’ve heard). No disrespect to the actor who played Artemis. It was his first acting role, and he most likely was doing his best with the script and the direction he was given.

[@LaurianeG.]

@@TF2Fan101 There is, to me, a major difference. Regardless of the quality of Artemis Fowl, it's, at the end of the day, an adaptation, aka a different take, not linked to the book's canon. Whereas Solo... is supposed to be in the film's continuity. Now, again, it's entirely possible Artemis Fowl is crap, haven't seen it, but the character bing different is not a problem. in fact would rather see creators adapt story that inspire them or have potential and give it their own spin. (heck, take films like howl's moving castle: it changes like so much from the book, yet the author thanked Miyazaki for his film and there's in fact a lot of people who actually prefers his take on the story (me included))

[@fermintenava5911]

@@LaurianeG. Haven't seen it either, but I give you that much: Han Solo is still an anti-hero. Artemis Fowl was turned from an anti-social criminal mastermind with slightly sympathetic motives into an absolute wannabee, who has no moments of genius, but is meant to be totally sympathetic.

[@LaurianeG.]

@@fermintenava5911 well again, I feel you should see it this way: the problem is not so much it changed, but that they do *nothing* with it. Take an example: Green Hornet by Michel Gondry. I know it's disliked, but without getting into it (and why I actually love it so much XD), the film certainly changes, without any doubt, the characters to make them more pathetic, but it actually has a meaning *because* now their vigilante activity is kinda a way to make them feel good and baddass despite being pretty much idiots. It works as a deconstruction of it's genre and it's own propriety. Now, again, can't judge Artemis Fowl, but if the changes means nothing, bring nothing, then it's just pointless and more that they, I assume, didn't know how to make an anti-hero work.

[@michaelhudak9695]

L3 is honestly a rather tragic character in the end. She fishy gets a chance to help her fellow Droids and liberate them from slavery, but then is immediately killed. And how do Lando, Han and the others honor such heroism? By taking her consciousness and uploading it into the Falcon. This activist who fought and died so that Droids are seen as more than tools ends up being forever imprisoned and used as a navigation tool. Damn!

[@SchazmenRassir]

Merry Christmas, Lewis, to you and Viga!

[@ConnorNotyerbidness]

IN DEFENSE OF GEORGE LUCAS: when han says the falcon made the jump in 12 parsecs, well someone got a hold of the original script to see what it said about han shooting first as to help put it all to rest (yes of course he shit first) but also found a small note next to the mention of the kessel run It specifies that luke sits back in awe....at hans stupidity for not knowing a parsec measures distance The joke was that Han was so stupid or cocky that he bragged his ship was fast with a measurement of speed to try and win people over George didnt misuse it, han in universe did

[@JohnnyElRed]

I don't really think acting that way was beneath Maul. I mean, during the Clone Wars, before everything came crushing down, he effectively had created a third faction to face both the Republic and the Separatists, and then managed to keep control of an entire planet. To the point of a full planetary invasion was needed to dislodge him. To me, it's obvious he simply took Palpatine's lessons to heart.

[@JaelinBezel]

Okay but they could've used Black Sun as the crime syndicate instead of making up a new one.

[@tylerleach8796]

@@JaelinBezel Dude, nobody cares about the Black Sun. Like, nobody.

[@JaelinBezel]

@@tylerleach8796 And significantly less people cared about Crimson Dawn going into Solo because they had never heard of it before.

[@eamonndeane587]

L337 was my favourite character in the Film and while I do think Solo is an Underrated film, I think she was killed off too soon.

[@eamonndeane587]

@@teo-pc8yx I found her Crabapple personality endearing. It reminded me of my Sister.

[@eamonndeane587]

@@teo-pc8yx Anyway, I also think Phobe Waller Bridge's performance in the role was hilarious (certainly funnier for me than a lot of the forced Comedy in The Last Jedi).

[@katherinealvarez9216]

1:00 yeah, I know it’s Star Wars, but have they done a robot rebellion story before L337 ?

[@SchazmenRassir]

It's nice to see an adaptation that's better than the movie in places.

[@Darklordjadow1]

I like L3 because she seriously reminds me of Pam from Archer

[@171QA]

Great video.

[@KyleRayner12]

As a Star Trek fan with basically no Star Wars knowledge, I kept mishearing "talaxium" as "Talaxian" and wondering if we'd be cursed with a Neelix cameo.

[@MartenFerret]

Merry Christmas, Linkara. :3

[@koneheadcokehead4981]

Man L3 is so cool!

[@killerbee2562]

This whole movie felt like a remix of the old EU stories about Han.

[@BowserTheSecond]

BIG SHOT GANGSTER PUTTING TOGETHER A CREW!

[@benwasserman8223]

Welll the thing about Maul in Clone Wars was he had something of a grudge against... well everyone. Not just Kenobi but basically the whole galaxy for moving on without him, and half the tragedy of his story across that show and Rebels is Maul coming to terms with how expendable he was. Even if his criminal aspirations got enough attention for Sidious to personally intervene in things for once, he's ultimately this forgotten figure who very few people outside the Jedi or Ghost crew know nor fear. And if you’ve watched the Sidious vs Maul and Opress fight, it’s rather easy to empathize with Maul. He is one of Clone Wars’ most complex characters for a reason.

[@katherinealvarez9216]

14:30 don’t worry, I have a low opinion of the Sith, so Darth Maul being a petty guy who’s the head of a space mafia? At least he had a job. I have no idea why any of these guys are Dark side, it’s zero fun and there’s no upsides. The only one who had fun with it was Palpatine.

[@juanyusee8197]

The Dark Side: Not even once

[@mattwo7]

0:05 Oh right, how did I forget the only good part of RO, Solo and Episodes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8 and 9 and the best part of everything else in the audiovusual Star Wars experience: The droids?

[@kmexperience]

The Han in that movie felt like the same character to me - just more like Han from ROTJ than New Hope. And Maul’s appearance was a pleasant surprise to me, even though I knew the Clone Wars brought him back. I thought the crime syndicate thing was strange for Maul as well, but not because it wasn’t ambitious enough - Maul seemed more like a grunt to me, and I figured that’s why he was so quiet in Episode One.

[@superthorc6894]

14:20 to be fair you can do a lot with crime syndicates in Star Wars

[@alexiaNBC]

Tyber Zann: Everyone has a price

[@eddihurta7173]

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERY ONE!