My take on the O-NH Greedo was that Han got the chance to demonstrate he was a pretty serious motherfucker, and that smuggling was a pretty rough biz- Greedo and Han knew each other "from around", yet Han still blows Greedo's guts out, then calmly walks out of the cantina, tosses down some cash for the damages, and walks out.
Works for me- Han is a pretty nasty dude, very much in the mold of The Man With No Name.
Now, the Greedo Shoots First Heresy.
I can almost buy it... I don't like it as much- it really pulls Han's teeth as a character who undergoes a change- but sure. In this version Greedo is a schlub, a second-stringer, a wannabe that Jaba sends in to get Han's attention. "Why did you fry poor Greedo?" makes greeny-snout seem like a real candyass. He just doesn't play in Han's league now, and gets wasted for his trouble. Jaba is waiting outside to have a word with Han... and you have got to like his style. So long as he sees his money, he doesn't really give a crap is the scum he surrounds himself with ice each other. He's a jolly old murderous slug, with a sense of irony and odd humor. "Let that pesky little Greedo go and talk to Han. Perhaps he'll make his bones and become a real player... or perhaps Han will fry him and he'll quit bitching about never getting any good jobs. Either way, I get my point across."
Now... the tail-stomp... Jaba should have had Fet shoot Han's testicles off for this indignity.
-B