Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars: Bounty Hunters
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artist: Paolo Villanelli
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2020
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #1 Variant
Reprints Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #1-5 (May 2020-November 2020). After a botched mission on Corellia, Nakano Lash was in the wind with a massive bounty on her head from the Mourner’s Wail and the Unbroken Clan. Now, Nakano Lash has resurfaced and there are many people after her. Beilert Valance has his own reasons for wanting to find Lash, and Valance finds himself up against the most dangerous hunters in the galaxy. The race is on and Valance might not get to Lash in time.
Written by Ethan Sacks, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters Volume 1: Galaxy’s Deadliest is a Star Wars science-fiction comic book spin-off title. The series features art by Paolo Villanelli.
The bounty hunters were some of my favorite toys to play with as a kid. Why play with Luke and Leia when you can play with Boba Fett, IG-88, Dengar, Bossk, and even Zuckuss in his weird pleather costume. The most characters were enigmas with no backstory and just a cameo in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back which was essentially to introduce Boba Fett…Star Wars: Bounty Hunters gives the characters a chance to shine.
The story features a major throwback in Beilert Valance. Valance initially was part of the Marvel Star Wars universe before it went to Dark Horse Comics. Also known as “the Hunter”, Valance was a combination of the Terminator and Cable. The humanoid assassin has an unstoppable side. Valance resurfaced in the new Marvel Star Wars universe in Solo: A Star Wars Story adaptation and begun to pop up in other locations. Here, Valance is essentially the lead bounty hunter character which might disappoint some who hoped to have a solo Boba Fett series or for the series to focus on some of the other original Bounty Hunters. Unfortunately for that idea, Boba Fett has too many stories wrapped around him and many of the original bounty hunters were too one dimensional. Valance makes a much more logical choice.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #3
A year ago, the story for Star Wars: Bounty Hunters 1: Galaxy’s Deadliest would have felt more original, but the arrival of The Mandalorian—Season 1 in 2019 opened up the bounty hunter’s world and began expanding upon their mythos. With the Mandalorian featuring a bounty hunter protecting a child, the end of this volume feels a bit redundant…but the trained Cadeliah might end up being more of a “Short-Round” type character from Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom or even Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels. While The Mandalorian comes off as a Lone Wolf and Cub adaptation, Bounty Hunters might be something else…it remains to be seen, and that is the fun of the series.
Most of the primary bounty hunters from Empire Strikes Back have appeared in other comics and TV series since their first appearance and some of them have had background added…but Star Wars: Bounty Hunters is a nice slick package to re-explore some of these characters and really give them personas. I look forward to seeing where Star Wars: Bounty Hunters goes…and let the “scum” finally get their day! Star Wars: Bounty Hunters: Galaxy’s Deadliest is followed by Star Wars: Bounty Hunters 2: Target Valance.
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