Bounty Hunters (2020) #42
THE SECRET WEAPON
Valance’s memory has been restored, and now the cyborg hero has turned his sights on to one last mission–an all-out assault on Jabba’s Palace.
Meanwhile, T’onga and the rest of the bounty hunter crew have disbanded.
They are now each at their own crossroads, from which they face uncertain futures….
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artists: Jethro Morales, Paolo Villanelli
Letterer: Vc Travis Lanham
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Cover artist: Josemaria Casanovas
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: January 17, 2024
So here we are, the 42nd and final issue of Bounty Hunters, and as befits such an important issue we open in a key location; the court of Jabba the Hutt, as we watch him dole out his own brand of wisdom and order by settling a local dispute in a brutal but oddly logical way before simmering with outrage as Valance barges into his court, taking down Gamorrean Guards which in turn prompts Jabba to offer 5000 for the first to capture Valance (Dengar tries and epically fails) until a jet-pack powered Boba Fett swoops in to take the cyborg down. He’s there to take the the secret droid he knows the Hutt has, but now incapacitated, he wakes in the Mos Espa arena (site of the infamous pod race from The Phantom Menace) where he faces a huge Megadroid, last seen in the excellent Yoda series. With his predicament being screened across the galaxy to criminal organisations everywhere, he fights the droid, recieving an assist as T’onga, Losha, 4-LOM and Zuckuss swoops in. They are soon taken off their speeders, but in the melee and after one of his mechanical arms has been torn off (how very Star Wars) he’s able to use a discarded spike to run through its neural core and defeat the last remaining Megadroid.
Here, we not only see an outraged Jabba but also Valance speaking on the comm to Leia, Chewie and Luke, telling them that he held up his end of the bargain, and now they need to do their bit – rescue his old military buddy Han Solo from Jabba’s Palace, now without the unwanted attention of the Megadroid. And just like that, we’re done, the crew disbanding before Jabba’s goons arrive for revenge. Losha and T’onga leave, holding hands as 4-LOM and Zuckuss depart, leaving a satisfied Valance behind.
Of course, that’s not the whole story. A week later we’re on Logal Ri as T’onga and Losha scope out the barren landscape. T’onga can envisage building a bounty hunter hub, tucked away from the civil war that is still engulfing the galaxy. We see Dengar scraping a living, IG-88 fighting, Vukorah and her Loth Cats, Tasu Leech and his compatriots in a fierce firefight, Zuckuss and 4-LOM agreeing to continue working together and Yura looking over Kondra as he recouperates. We even get Bossk admit he may have made a mistake as he looks on at Khel, Durge and Deathstick drinking in a club, and return to T’onga and Losha as they remember the camaraderie they shared as part of the Nakano Lash gang, and found again over the past 42 issues. To bankroll their contruction plans they have Cadeliah, who has her own requirements, and we leave the trio as we jump to our final location of the series and Pelkonen Space Port on the Outer Rim. Lieutennant Haydenn is about to be arrested for crimes against the Empire, and as she puts up a fight she’s suddenly assisted by a returning Valance who tells Haydenn that he intends to stop dwelling on the past and live in the moment before offering his hand and telling her that there’s a galaxy of possibilities out there, and that they should see it together.
And that really is the end (for now, at least), bringing to a close one of the most consistently enjoyable Star Wars titles for years. Indeed, while there have been some hugely satisfying mini series from Marvel, Dark Horse and IDW, you’d be hard pushed to find an ongoing that has so consistently (that’s absolutely the key word here, consistency) stayed at the high level Bounty Hunters has. It’s flung us across the galaxy, hurled us into every kind of fight imaginable, given us moments of levity, shock and awe, while slotting effortlessly into the broader story of the years between Empire and Jedi and delivered something very special indeed. To underline just how well it’s managed all of this, the fact that this issue is essentially a ‘happy ending’ for almost all involved doesn’t disappoint at all. These characters have earned their fresh starts and moments of hope, and as well as hinting at further adventures somewhere down the line, it’s also left everyone in a place where we can step away for a while as our focus shifts elsewhere.
For Ethan Sacks, ‘elsewhere’ is the upcoming Jango Fett series announced at New York Comic Con and an interview in issue 224 of Star Wars Insider with yours truly, but as for Bounty Hunters? It’s a title that can consider itself carved onto the Mount Rushmore of Star Wars comics. Wednesdays will never be quite the same.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Sacks, Ethan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 132 Pages - 09/20/2023 (Publication Date) - Marvel (Publisher)
