I've been a Star Wars fan since birth. Born in 1977, Star Wars and I have been through thick (Empire Strikes Back) and thin (the introduction of Jar Jar Binks.) The film series is like an old friend that I just cannot imagine any part of life without it. So of course, I had to snag up as many of these teaser novels as possible before the deadline of December 18th (In my case, it's December 17th, as I have tickets to see the film the day before it officially releases.)
This book is written by Greg Rucka (Gotham Central) and features occasional artwork by Phil Noto (Birds of Prey.) Together, they craft an enjoyable tale set between Episodes IV and V. The majority of Smuggler's Run takes place immediately after the Battle of Yavin. The Rebels, despite being glad to have just defeated the Empire in this important battle, know that they've got to hightail it somewhere fast before the Empire retaliates.
A Rebel by the name of Ematt has gone into hiding on the planet Crykon. The leader of a covert team know as the 'Shrikes,' Ematt has been scouting out potential sites for a new rebel base. Should the Empire find the Rebel, the entire fate of the Alliance could go up in smoke with no potential place left to hide in the galaxy.
Han and Chewie are hired by Princess Leia to rescue Ematt. But the task will not be easy as the Emperor has made the capture and interrogation of Rebels a top priority after the destruction of the Death Star. Now, an Imperial Security Chief named Beck is hot on Ematt's trail. Oh, and don't forget the team of bounty hunters that followed the Millenium Falcon to Crykon on a mission to capture Solo and his Wookiee for payments owed to the crime lord Jabba the Hutt. The smuggler's are going to need much more than luck if they hope to survive this suicide mission.
That's the plot of Smuggler's Run in a fairly large nutshell. So, where do clues to Episode VII fall in with all of this? Well for one, the story of Ematt's rescue is sandwiched between scenes of an older Han Solo biding his time in a cantina. Also, with characters such as Ematt and Beck playing such prominent roles, I wouldn't be very surprised if they pop up at some point in the Force Awakens, even as minor characters.
This is just speculation here but the stormtrooper character of Capt. Phasma is played by a woman- so maybe Beck becomes Phasma after the fall of the Empire? Both Beck and the actress playing Phasma, Gwendoline Christie, are blond so it's possible. Heck, there's such a tight lid over who many of the actors appearing in the film are playing, anyone new in this book might show up in the upcoming film and I not know it yet.
Smuggler's Run was an enjoyable read. But it just didn't have as many Easter eggs as I expected. Now, I might very well revise this after I watch Episode VII- we'll just have to wait and see. But for less than $15, this isn't a bad read and despite being a young adult book, it's not something any fan of Star Wars should pass up.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
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