Lit Comics Marvel's Bounty Hunters (March 2020)

Thoughts on the new issue

Spoiler

After treading water for several issue the storyline with T'Onga finally got moving again, which I greatly appreciate. Not having to split the pages with the Valance storyline also probably helps. Since Valance is now among Vaders personal retinue continuing his story in that comic for a while, might make sense. Though it also only increases my suspicion that should they want to axe an ongoing when High Republic comes back in October, it'll probably be this one. It seems to be the least well liked of the bunch, which I personally don't get because I really like the Bounty Hunter shenanigans. Now getting back to the issue, I loved seeing the Zuckuss and 4-LOM reunion here and Zuckuss being very clever about getting his old friend back. And I do hope they manage to save Cadeliah as I really like her as well. Also wonder how Dengar will fare against this group of Bounty Hunters, he doesn't seem to have much of a chance on his own. Seeing Vukorah again is also always nice, I really like her as a recurring villain. This issue was not phenomenal but certainly good and also the story finally gets moving again

 

Have to say this series has completely lost me. I don't even remember what happened in previous issues by the time the new issue comes around. Only reason I am still getting it is because I want to be a completionist when it comes to Marvel's current Star Wars output. Maybe someday after the series is finished I will go back to it and read all the issues straight through and then I will enjoy it more. But right now it's by far the most boring series they have going in my opinion.

 

Got a question about this and the War of the Bounty Hunters series. Currently I have the trades of volumes 1 & 2 of Bounty Hunters and Volume 1 of War of the Bounty Hunters as well as WOTBH Companion. Amazon UK has volume 3 of both series as being out this month. How do these two series hang together or do they?

 

War of the Bounty Hunters is a big event where all the current Marvel series, including this one and excepting High Republic participated in. So one arc of each of the titles plus one event miniseries and several one shots make up the War of the Bounty Hunters. The miniseries Crimson Reign currently running picks up the plot threads set up by War of the Bounty Hunters.

 

Ha, would have been cool if they could have figured out a way to do a Vector-style crossover and include the High Republic run, though.

 

Well one of the one shots does introduce a High Republic character, that has now also made an appearance in the era itself. But otherwise I don't think it would have made much sense.

 

I'm a few issues behind but I do like how Valance is stuck being Vader's lapdog, something different, also more Vader and brings the character back, I believe, to his Legends origins. Vader hacking him in half and telling the droid to rebuild him was a pretty boss-level move.

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-april-2022-star-wars-comics-exclusive

Spoiler: Issue #22 solicit

STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS #22

ETHAN SACKS (W) • PAOLO VILLANELLI (A)
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
VARIANT COVER BY PAOLO VILLANELLI
TRAITOR OF DAWN VARIANT COVER BY PAUL RENAUD

ALL OUT WAR ON THE STREETS OF CORELLIA!

• Besieged by an entire syndicate of killers, T’ONGA, BOSSK, TASU LEECH, ZUCKUSS, 4-LOM and LOSHA have no choice but to fight their way out through the streets.
• But will all of the crew make it out of CORONET CITY alive?
• Meanwhile, DENGAR strikes…and the Underworld may never be the same!

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-star-wars-may-2022-exclusive-preview

Spoiler: Issue #23 solicit

STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS #23

ETHAN SACKS (W) • NATACHA BUSTOS (A)
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS SPROUSE
JAPANESE CREATOR VARIANT COVER BY TAKESHI MIYAZAWA

“A CLEAR AND PRESENT DENGAR”

• The most underestimated bounty hunter in the galaxy in his greatest adventure yet!
• DENGAR makes his move — and the Underworld will be forever changed.
• Meanwhile, time is running out for T’ONGA and her crew to break VUKORAH… Will a young girl pay for their failure with her life?

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-june-2022-star-wars-comics-exclusive

Spoiler: Issue #24 solicit

STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS #24

ETHAN SACKS (W) • PAOLO VILLANELLI (A)
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Choose Your Destiny Variant Cover by CHRIS SPROUSE
Pride Variant Cover by JAN BAZALDUA

• Dengar is leading T’onga’s bounty hunter crew on a desperate attempt to break into the Crimson Dawn’s stronghold – and he’s also leading them into a trap!
• Meanwhile, Valance has found new purpose as Darth Vader’s secret weapon. But how far will he be willing to go to protect an Imperial officer from assassins?

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-star-wars-bounty-hunters-21-exclusive-preview

Spoiler

 

Imagine bunking with a snoring Trando

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-star-wars-bounty-hunters-22-exclusive-preview

Spoiler

 

IMO, after Valance's "departure" and concentration on T’onga’s crew this series greatly improved, thanks mostly to interactions between the group members, especially between Bossk and Tasu Leech. Seems like that one of the reasons to participate in the Corellia underworld conflicts for the Dawn's leader is to

Spoiler: Issue #21

take revenge on Proxima, using another local syndicate. And children, that were freed from servitude to a Grindalid, will just work for another merciless criminal boss.

Overall, like that this series shows Qi'ra's more sinister side.

 

Just want to say, I loved issue 22 to death.

Spoiler

Now, heroes mowing through scores of enemies is hardly new to star wars, especially in the recent shows, honestly I was getting sick of it, but man I really loved how it was executed here, one of my favorite takes on the trope in a while.

Like, I can't put my finger on why, but it just felt so frantic and desperate, like each move they took was like...well, like Rogue One said, one last desperate gamble after another. Really sold the threat of the opposing horde, despite not actually losing any heroes or even taking any wounds really, and thus heightened the sense of accomplishment when they won.

 

I have to agree with this, the issue managed to sell it really well and the ending really ramped up the tension a bit more. After being a bit slow going for a while I really liked the last couple of issue and I'm a bit sad that this series will probably go, once High Republic returns. I think it actually has gotten better since

Spoiler

Valance is gone. I like Valance but T'onga and her crew are somehow a lot more fun. This series also really sells Dengar being a massive *******. Sure he's being coerced but he enjoyes doing evil things entirely too much

 

Spoiler

Agree. IMO, variety of enemies also played a positive role. Also I really like the Unbroken Clan 'Elite Mooks' design, although it looks like pretty similar to Coruscant underworld police uniform.

Spoiler

He is also not a very effective fighter here and depends rather on his evasiveness and ability to switch sides
at the right time. And this new (and drastically different) portrait of this character seems twice strange in comparison to 4-LOM and Zuckuss that are quite similar to their portrait in the 90s books.

Also

Spoiler

a scene with one of the Knights of Ren defeating a child

is both funny and a little sad.

 

https://www.starwars.com/news/marvel-july-2022-star-wars-comics-exclusive-preview

Spoiler: Issue #25 solicit

STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS #25

Written by ETHAN SACKS
Art by PAOLO VILLANELLI
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
Variant cover by KEN LASHLEY
Choose Your Destiny cover by CHRIS SPROUSE

BOUNTY HUNTERS VS. THE KNIGHTS OF REN!

• Dengar is leading T’onga’s bounty hunter crew on a desperate attempt to break into the Crimson Dawn’s stronghold – and he’s also leading them into a trap!
• Meanwhile, Valance has found new purpose as Darth Vader’s secret weapon. But how far will he be willing to go to protect an Imperial officer from assassins?

 

Agreed completely.

Spoiler

Yeah, Dengar is an interesting factor here. Wonder if his trying to save his wife is going to come up in front of the married couple in team T'ong, for comparison or contrast.

Very true. I didn't notice it myself at first, but you are right those do look similar.

 

Solicit for issue #26:

Spoiler

FOC July 11, 2022; ON-SALE August 10, 2022
ETHAN SACKS (W)
PAOLO VILLANELLI (A)
Cover by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
VARIANT COVER BY MARC LAMING
CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY VARIANT COVER BY CHRIS SPROUSE
32 Pages – Rated T – $3.99

THE SHOCKING ENDING TO THE BOUNTY HUNTERS’ RAID ON THE VERMILLION!

• T’onga must face Crimson Dawn on her own to save the girl she seeks.
• Meanwhile, one of her crew may not survive Vukorah’s deadly revenge.
• And Dengar may finally be getting exactly what he deserves.

 

Glad that Dengar finally

Spoiler: Issue #23

demonstrated in this series why he was invited to Executor along others in episode 5, he was too much ineffectual in previous issues. Also glad that Manaroo is no longer a damsel in distress and that Dengar's
backstory about being a racer (and Solo's competitor) is canon now (with nice usage of his TCW outfit).

 

Spoiler: Issue # 24

So, the Dawn started to assassinate important Imperial officers. Wonder if its activity will be retrospectively used as one of the reasons for chaos in the Empire immediately after Endor, even before the Contingency.

Since Ren's "power level" is similar to average Jedi Knight and his henchmen are much weaker, T'onga's crew is in fact stronger and more dangerous than the Knights.

Seems Dengar finally caught his lucky break.

Regarding preview to issue # 27 -

Spoiler

looking forward to Kanjiklub's origin story and more information about the Pykes in the Imperial era (maybe their current leader will be finally revealed)

 

Preview for issue #25:

Spoiler

 

Well, this series continues to greatly improve, and issue #25 features a big event - finally

Spoiler

opponents run away from the Knights of Ren and not vice versa. Did not expect Bossk to be the one who heard legends about the Knights of the past, glad that it did not prevent him from being the most effective part of the team in fight against the current ones.

Valance's storyline starts to become interesting, like that the Empire uses the gratitude of people which he saved to make him believe that him working for Vader is something good.