The next Star Wars “Story” (that is, a movie outside of the episodic Skywalker saga) is set to hit cinema screens on May 25^th, and this time, our favorite scruffy-looking nerf herding is taking center stage. Yes, we are going to get a look back into the wayward past of Han Solo, and even though we are still two months out, it is already one of the most debated Star Wars films ever.

I love Rogue One. Sure, it is not without its flaws, but I think it does a great job of giving background and weight to the whole “stealing of the Death Star plans” with fun characters. With that success, I have been all about getting more insight, and thus, more movies, about the galaxy far, far away without the constraints of the numbered episodes. So, like the mission of the Rogue One crew, we can go on adventures with other characters to help fill in all those little details that make us love SW so much. That focus now turns to ol’ Han, and even if you thought that the Original Trilogy was the young Solo story, get ready to take it further back with this new Story installment. Han eludes to many things from his past, like smuggling and the Kessel Run, in the OT, and now it looks like we are going to see a lot of that come to life in the new Solo film. It has certainly had its share of challenges with changing directors, etc., but I am still all-in on giving this flick a fair shake.

Of course, Han is bringing several of his old friends like Chewie and Lando with him, but several new characters are coming into the fold as well. As you know, Hasbro has us covered for several of these in the Black Series, so we plan on taking a look at all of them. The first two series of Solo Black Series figures are set to hit shelves on April 13^th, and new takes on old standbys Han Solo and Lando Calrissian will be coming at ya, as well as the newly-introduced Qi’Ra. Let’s take a look at the young old smoothies first, and I promise, we will have a look at Emila Clarke’s new character later this week.

HAN SOLO

The man, the myth, the legend, the scoundrel, and to many, the best Star Wars character ever is taking center stage once again, but this time he is freed from the shackles of carting around a kid and an old fossil. We know Han was into a lot of things by the time that fateful meeting in Mos Eisley takes place, and at the very least, I think we are going to get insight on just how Han came into possession of the Millennium Falcon, and the main portion of the plot of Solo looks to take us through the infamous Kessel Run. That is cool, for sure, and how Han handles his relationships with Chewie, Lando, and the rest should be interesting, but I do hope the movie is allowed to stand on its own, and will not be just a lot of winks to the audience so they can “get the reference.” I am looking forward to some of that callback stuff as much as anyone, but I am really looking forward to seeing new adventures in the past.

Alden Ehrenreich is stepping into some very large shoes as he inherits the Han role from Harrison Ford so, even Han was not the main character here, all eyes would still be on him. I certainly don’t need a Ford impersonation for the role to be successful, but I do hope Alden gets the performance right, and makes it his own. From a likeness standpoint, I would not call him a spitting image of Harrison, but the approximation is close enough that it works for me. I think they are taking Han a little bit younger than I originally thought in this movie, so that is good, because it helps allow for some distance from A New Hope. Unlike Rogue One, this one should not end anywhere near that, so fingers crossed.

The good news is that the Black Series is the best it has ever been right now, and I am really digging these new figures, especially compared to the pretty blasé Last Jedi releases. Yes, the photo-real face printing technology has been a revelation for the likenesses, but just having some color and non-uniformed outfits make all the difference for variety. This young Han looks like, well, a young Han, and while that might not be groundbreaking, the figure certainly looks great. The hair is right, the pants and boots are right, the blaster and holster are right, and the jacket fits in well, too. I like young Han’s get up more than old Han’s togs, so that is a good thing. The hip holster kind of limited the right leg articulation, but other than that, this figure is solid.

LANDO CALRISSIAN

As cool as the Han figure is, Lando is the real winner of the two for me, because this figure has so much personality. Admittedly, I think I am looking even more forward to seeing Donald Glover (or, if you prefer, Childish Gambino) as this young card player, than the new Han, so that might be tempering my overall take on this figure, but maaaaaaan, this is Lando is so much fun. Apparently, the new movie will be taking place right as Lando is getting out of the smuggling game and into being a full-time card shark, so his dynamic with Han should be interesting.

At the very least, you know Glover will OWN this role, and just when you thought Lando could not get any cooler, I have a feeling he will be in this flick, no disrespect to the legendary Billy Dee Williams, of course. This Lando will not be so tied down with responsibilities, so maybe we will see some healthy competition between him and Han (PLEASE show us why he calls him HAN (like hand) and not HAWN like everyone else) and maybe even some conflict. Lando has such a reputation for being a smooth operator by the time ESB happens, so you just know we are going to need see some examples of this past him keeping the Falcon much cleaner than Captain Solo.

As far as his plastic representation goes, it can be summed up in one word: FUN. This figure has all of the sculpted detail and articulation you would expect from SWB, but it also has a ton of personality. I LOVE that Lando wears flamboyant colors to compliment his smooth personality – we need more of that kind of thing. Plus, the face print is great for the Glover likeness, but it is the expression that REALLY sells it. Granted, I am usually one who prefers a more neutral expression for action figures, but this raised eyebrow is so intrinsically Lando, and he looks confident, cocky, and cool. You know it cannot be the first time he says, “hello, what have we here?” when he encounters Leia, and it looks like this figure just said just that.

Lando’s costume is a good update from his Bespin togs, but unlike Han, it is not an (almost) exact translation, which I like. Lando has a thing for off the shoulder capes, and he has a more functional one here, and a flashy scarf to match. His pants and holster align with Han’s to show this was the basic form or style for such things, but his yellow shirt really sets him apart. From a fashion perspective, at the very least, this new movie will do its best to normalize Han’s open flap style shirt from ANH. Han wears a black version this time, but Lando’s yellow shirt is the same style, and just in case you were wondering, so does Qi’Ra, so it is a gender neutral sense, or required form. However, Lando wears it really well, and gives our new SWB figures some much-needed pop in the color department.

Heck, even Lando’s blaster is cool and solid silver with a removable barrel, so even if he is killing you, at least the last thing you will see will be suave and debonair. This figure is easily my favorite offering from the actual Solo movie, so I highly recommend it, and I think Glover will steal the show in his scenes, so Lando will get a chance to enjoy new popularity, so this figure will likely be in demand.

Listen, I am staying cautious about this movie, but right from the start, I really like a lot of the design I am seeing. The last two saga films have gotten very brown and beige in palette, and very human (i.e., lack cool aliens), and Solo is already looking like it is doing better on both of those ends. These first few figures are really nice, so I am excited to get Woody Harrelson’s Beckett, too, and hopefully more aliens. Those Kessel guys look neat, and I am always up for a new Chewbacca, so bring them all on. We have an 18 month window between SW movie releases coming up, so I hope Hasbro spends that time filling up some corner in the OT and “Story” movies, too. In the meantime, these figures will be hitting next Friday, April 13^th, with the rest of the Solo product, so don’t sleep on them.

Come back tomorrow, we will have look at an all NEW character in Black Series form. Yay!