Have you ever wondered what “Star Wars” supporting character Greedo was up to before he shot one of the most beloved characters in the franchise? Thankfully, “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6 is looking to answer just that question by diving into the backstory of one the original Star War’s trilogy’s most interesting and memorable moments. It turns out Greedo isn’t some criminal mastermind as he’s stuck working for Star Wars franchise antagonist Jabba the Hut. Greedo is looking to climb the ladder among the misanthropes making up Hut’s criminal enterprise. Let’s learn more about the infamous Star Wars supporting character in the pages of “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6.
Cover by Tom FowlerWritten by Cecil Castellucci
Illustrated by Eduardo Mello
Colored by Nicola Righi
Lettered by Comicraft’s Tyler Smith and Jimmy BentancourtLong before his infamous run-in with Han Solo, Greedo was a rookie crook trying to rise through the ranks of Jabba the Hutt’s gangster organization. But his young ambitions are quickly derailed when a big deal goes south, and Greedo is set up to take the fall by Jabba’s latest romantic companion. Can Greedo make it out alive, or will he find himself the latest offering to Jabba’s pet Rancor!
Even long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, crime doesn’t pay, in Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #6!
Eduardo Mello contributes a surreal line in the issue that captures the majesty of the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Colorist Nicola Righi lends a beautiful palette to the issue that makes “Star Wars” look even brighter than you remember. Mello’s expressions from Greedo at Jabba’s Palace in Tatooine captures the terror Greedo feels within the story with strong emotion. Righi’s colors get brighter when singer Bennun Glau is introduced in the story lending purple hues to a dark story about a mercenary. At times, the pages compositions from Mello can seem pedestrian, detracting from the animated script from author Cecil Castellucci.
Castellucci crafts a dark narrative that seemingly has big stakes for Greedo. Castellucci captures an interesting point in Greedo’s life where he is trying to rise up in Jabba’s empire. Greedo is mocked countless times throughout the tale, which directly impacts his confidence. Castellucci seemingly enjoys building Greedo up with the mysterious Bennun Glau. Glau shakes up the storyline by giving Greedo a more focused mission in the series. Greedo is tricked countless times throughout this story. Greedo likely learns some of the tricks and deceptions that comes along with being a Bounty Hunter in this tale. Unfortunately, due to the fact that this is a smaller, condensed issue, Castellucci seemingly struggles to craft a strong ending for the tale. Oftentimes, stories centered around prequels have a lot of constraints and “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6 must keep Greedo alive so he can serve in his role in the upcoming film. Thankfully, Castellucci captures the dark nature of Jabba the Hut with lots of tense reactions to the gifts he is offered throughout the story.
Mello is able to evoke an impressive level of detail in the comic book page. Mello’s battles across the series give a sinister edge to the animated set of pencils. Mello’s interpretation of the exterior in Jabba’s palace is rendered with lots of detail showcasing the elements of the films that made Jabba such a captivating criminal in the first place. “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6 is filled with other criminals at Jabba’s Palace rendered with lots of details. Mello’s interpretation of the deserted Tattooine captures all the detail needed to illustrate how desperate the people are. In addition to strong page details, Mello also evokes intriguing panel positioning featuring characters bleeding from panels.
Castellucci seemingly has a great understanding with the character of Greedo. In fact, “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6 appears to carry even more untapped potential Greedo and his further adventures. One aspect of “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6 that also managed to capture my interest was how Castellucci was able to interpret the emotions of Jabba the Hut. Castellucci explores Jabba’s feelings in the comic as if he is a real person as opposed to a set piece later on in the comic book. Castellucci brings out elements of “Star Wars” like Wookies but still manages to inject personality into the script. Bennun Glau’s personality is intriguing, extending deceit towards not one, but two characters. It is thrilling to experience both Greedo and Jabba slowly start to catch onto all the schemes in the script. While the ending of the issue is abrupt, it does feel like Castellucci was able to track character growth with Greedo throughout this story. At the end of the “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6, it appears that Greedo is more inspired in his mission than when he started.
“Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6 is a great expansion of Greedo’s role. Getting to see Jabba the Hut from a vantage point of a character employing him is a great story direction for the franchise. Mello contributes an animated, expressive line towards “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6 that captures a different tone than the other “Star Wars” films. Castellucci and Mello evoke some of the iconography and imagery in the “Star Wars” franchise without copying what came before in other media. Greedo’s complicated morality is begging to be expanded on in the “Star Wars” world and manages to bring out a darker tone that other “Star Wars” media. Castellucci is able to adapt to the world of “Star Wars” by opening up the genre towards a dark, mystical direction that captures strong characterization for Jabba and Greedo.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – “Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories” #6 asks questions about the alien who shot Han Solo.
