Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1 officially kicks off the first-ever Marvel Star Wars crossover event this week with the prelude now over. What can fans expect in a series set post-Empire Strikes Back, when Han Solo is kidnapped and still in carbonate? Plenty of bounty hunter action and familiar faces, that’s what!
Written by Charles Soule with art by Luke Ross and colors by Newark Menon, this issue does the work to catch readers up to speed. Boba Fett has lost Han Solo and a bounty is on his own head as Jabba the Hutt has assumed the Han Solo bounty was sold from under him. This issue is effective as it shows how much danger Boba Fett is at the start and how that danger has motivated him to take this mission personally. He’s even more unhappy by the end of the issue and he’s looking for payback on top of his bounty being sold.
Soule adds plenty of sights for Star Wars fans to latch onto, from familiar faces to interesting insights into larger universe building. Fans of Hutts should pay close attention, for instance, as Jabba isn’t the only one in this story. Characters connected to Han Solo and who appeared in Empire Strikes Back are plentiful, and there might even be some major players from other Star Wars movies. The story isn’t afraid to play with characters from all sorts of stories which makes the issue fun as it shows how wide a net one can cast to draw in readers.
Ultimately, the larger story at work here involves huge machinations of mobster and criminal organizations and how power might shift due to a relatively unknown rebel named Han Solo. It’s adding to the lore of the Star Wars universe and even though Solo is frozen his legacy is expanding already.
[Insert Leonardo DiCaprio meme of him pointing]
Credit: Marvel Comics
If you’re looking for a lot of stories you might be disappointed. This issue sets up the main players, fives Boba Fett an action scene, and that’s about it. Considering some pages only have two panels, one can surmise this is a slower-paced story. It’s taking its time, which is fine, but at $4.99 it does feel like it could give us a touch more before reaching its cliffhanger.
The art is strong in representing characters we know accurately and rendering ships new and old in vivid fashion. You can read our preview to see for yourself. That’s harder than you might think, but Ross never skips a beat even with ancillary characters. Given how awkward some artists have drawn Boba Fett in the past, Ross does a great job of capturing the character accurately no matter the angle.
The coloring of the book has a watercolor feel that’s light and painterly, which gives the book an airy feel. The color somewhat reduces the intensity of the book though it does look unique.
Now that War of the Bounty Hunters is officially underway, and will run through October, it’s quite clear this event has all the trappings of a fandom-friendly story. From familiar faces to a mad as hell Boba Fett, there’s plenty to enjoy here for casual fans and avid comics readers alike.
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