By: Kyle Scully
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #5
Written by: Ethan Sacks
Art by: Pablo Villanelli
Colors by: Arif Prianto
Letters by: Travis Lanham
Published by: Marvel Comics
THE STORY:
Bounty hunters Valance and Boba Fett square off in a fight over the lives of Vash, a fellow hunter who betrayed them years ago and her young ward.
REVIEW:
Bounty Hunters are some of the most intriguing and colorful characters populating the Star Wars universe. Ever since Greedo met his fate, bounty hunters have held a certain sway over fans of a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters is meant to sedate this interest and give the audience a swath of bounty hunter exploits while they wait for shows like The Mandalorian. The last issue ended with T’onga’s death at the hands of Boba Fett. It was a moment that left a bad taste in my mouth. She was the book’s best character and to be killed so unceremoniously felt like a tragic waste.
This issue opens with a flashback highlighting Nakano Lash’s back-story. She lives but her mother is seemingly killed off-frame. This continues the comic’s trend of killing women without a second thought. It’s a troubling repetition that hangs like a cloud over the rest of the book and without spoiling the ending it’s safe to say it doesn’t end there.
In the present, Boba Fett wants his revenge against Lash for betraying him and the rest of the team years earlier. Valance fights Fett to protect Vash and the child she’s been harboring from the syndicate. The fight is the issue’s biggest strength. It features some great banter, terrific artwork and bright colors. The artwork is easy to follow and the action continues the book’s ability to utilize the hunters’ personalities in their fighting styles. There are also some beautiful splash pages littered throughout the book that deserve special merit.
Otherwise, the book is fairly simplistic. Characters don’t develop and we never find out why Valance is so determined to protect Vash or see her mission through. Fett feels more like a company note than a needed inclusion in the story. I’m still waiting to find some depth to Valance’s character but I’m not holding my breath.
The savior child trope found in this book isn’t particularly unique especially in the Star Wars landscape and they have yet to really explain why or how this child despite her lineage will unite the different clans.
The next issue teases more familiar bounty hunters, and I’m a sucker for anything Star Wars so I’m certain to buy it, but thus far the book is fairly run of the mill in its story and characters. It also feels terribly cruel to its female characters so I find it difficult to recommend unless you absolutely must collect every Star Wars comic book on the shelf.