Marvel is Doing it For the Wookie
Loyal. Fierce. Dependable. Creative. Those are a but a few of the characteristics we’ve come to love about one half of the greatest smuggling duo this side of Kessel. Although his Corellian counterpart has received much of the acclaim and storylines throughout every literary iteration of the Star Wars universe, Marvel will now give our beloved Wookie the focus he deserves with his own self-titled five-issue limited series!
Written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by Phil Noto, Chewbacca will provide further insight on the Wookiee’s motivations for joining the rebellion, his past, his fears and most importantly according to Duggan, his soul. Chewbacca finds himself between a rock and a hard place in assisting people occupied by the Empire while attempting to complete his own objectives for the Alliance.
One of, if not the most challenging tasks in writing Chewbacca is the loveable co-pilot doesn’t necessarily communicate like most of the known universe. For Duggan it wasn’t much of a difficulty relaying the emotion he wishes the Wookiee to convey so much as creating a process to produce the desired result.
“Well, he (Chewbacca) understands Basic, but he doesn’t speak it. Each Chewie balloon is written very explicitly twice. Once for our editors and for Phil in English, and then a Wookiee roar to be copied directly for the page by the letterer. Nobody should worry about the clarity of storytelling; we unfroze Phil Noto from carbonite for this dream project. The story will work without any dialogue. I have a writing tip for anyone trying to break into comics: work with Phil Noto.”
Chewbacca will team up with a scrappy street-smart teen named Zarro. Described by Noto as a “skate-punk tomboy”, Zarro first sees Chewie as a means to an end but discovers there’s a lot more to the legendary Wookiee. While on a mission for the Rebel Alliance, Chewie comes to the aid of this girl despite his orders. The Empire has many systems in its clutches, so one fight against them is as good as any for the towering warrior.
“Zarro’s home is under threat, and when others shrink, she stands tall. At first glance, she sees Chewie as the extra muscles she needs. The brains attached to those muscles will be a surprise for her.”
The unlikely duo will take on the strength of the Galactic Empire and Duggan and Noto promise a “fun surprise” in the manner that the pair confront the threat.
Chewbacca #1 will be available this October, with a variant cover by Ariel Olivetti!
Courtesy: Marvel
