Star Wars – Han Solo & Chewbacca #4: Wookiee Death-Duel

One of the biggest problems with this series so far has been the misusage of Chewbacca. For a series with his name in the title, he got very little action and seemed to just be in the background. This issue corrects that in a major way. Not only does it have Chewbacca in a more central position as far as the story goes, but this chapter offers up some of the best fighting he has done in comics for years. The fact that he is fighting up against fellow Wookiee Black Krrsanatan makes it even more exciting. Both charterers are massively popular, but they have never really had a change to go up against each other. In this issue they fight for blood in what is an amazing series of pages that interestingly enough lack any dialogue at all. This makes sense as Wookiees don’t speak words like humans do. This sequence goes to show how well comics can tell stories without relying on spoken lines at all. However the issue does not lack any dialogue. Even though the two furry titans battled a large chunk of the issue, this series is till relatively story and the story of Han and his supposed father still need to continue to wrap up the series. It would be a little too difficult to do that without them speaking.

As much as it is nice to see Chewie step into center stage, this issue isn’t just about him, but all Wookiees in general. First off, the fact that he is fighting another Wookiee can’t be ignored. Krrsantan is arguably the second most popular Wookiee. Fans see Chewie fighting humans and humanoids relative to their size, but rarely do audiences see him up against and equal match like with Krrsantan. It’s a window into how Wookiees fight when they aren’t over-powered in comparison to their opponents, and it does make for spectacular fighting. Another neat look into Wookiee culture is shown when Han’s father must try and communicate with Chewbacca while Han is captured. Never is Chewbacca translated with subtitles in any “Star Wars” film. When audiences need to know what he is saying, other characters translate for him, or his messages is inferred by context. This issue is interesting because it does have Wookiee language in it through sounded out growls and calls. Because of the unique nature of comic books, readers can sort of translate what Chewie is saying. At one point Han’s father figures out the Shyriiwook sound for ‘yes’ and it is called back later in the issue.

The impact on the overall saga is felt with each blow Chewbacca and Krrsantan strike on each other as these giants clash. The issue does a great job at moving the series along, but the focus on Wookiee specifics is a unique aspect of it. The art is well done, which is impressive considering it had to portray a big Wookiee brawl without dialogue. The colors favor lots of brown and grey which represents the colors of the two furry fighters well.