Bounty Hunters (2020) #34
“IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF INFERNO SQUAD, PART II”
The dreaded ”Inferno Squad” has tracked down ”T’onga’s” bounty hunter crew in their hunt for ”Valance”. The cyborg may have witnessed, and thus inadvertently recorded in his cerebral processor implant, secret ”Imperial” intelligence on the construction of a new ”Death Star”. One way or another, squad leader ”Iden Versio” is determined to make sure that information is deleted from existence. Her team has already taken down two of the most formidable bounty hunters—T’onga and ”4-LOM!”
On ”Corellia”, the ”Unbroken Clan’s” leader, ”Vukorah”, is besieged by enemies from within her crime syndicate attempting to seize the throne. But the danger intensifies with the arrival of assassin droid ”IG-88”, who is out to collect an Imperial bounty… on Vukorah’s head!
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artist: Paolo Villanelli
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Colorist: Arif Prianto
Cover artist: Ken Lashley
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: May 17, 2023
It’s always good to get some perspective on the gruff, relentless characters we follow monthly in Bounty Hunters, so seeing a young, innocent Beilert Valance play with his model Nimbus just as a teenage Luke swooped his Skyhopper around his homestead garage certainly stands in sharp contrast to the now, as Valance works repairs on the Edgehawk, sparks flying as the work faulters. Bossk finds it hilarious as T’onga and 4-LOM return with the hyperdrive just as Zuckuss worries that something is ‘off’. He’s not wrong as Iden version and Inferno Squad attack, blasting in and aiming for Zuckuss, now aware that Valance is inside the Edgehawk.
We hop across the galaxy to Corellia where the Unbroken Clan sanctuary is invaded by IG-11, there to bring Vukorah in for the Imperial bounty on her head. Playing for time, she persuades IG-88 to allow her to ask two questions. Knowing the droid has sensors that can tell when a target is lying she makes a truthful statement, pointing out that she is no longer leader of the Unbroken Clan, but the man to her left is. IG-88 agrees, taking him down and as he is almost overwhelmed by numbers he begins to thin the herd, taking them down quickly. The assassin droid quickly realises that it was Vikorah herself who sent him the co-ordinates, and with the Unbroken Clan decimated she now has the fresh start she seeks.
We swing back to the Edgehawk and Bossk and Valance bickering as Inferno Squad attack, a melee breaking out as the fighting intensifies. Iden explains she was sent by Lieutenant Haydenn, Valance’s former flame, and that he’s needed alive but his compatriots aren’t. He stalls, but ultimately relents, allowing Inferno Squad to put a device on his head that will scramble his cerebal processors. Versio leaves with the squad, comming Haydenn and telling her his memories should be eradicated within a couple of days, and we see Valance sitting quietly as T’onga returns and his childghood memories begin to fade away.
With the hyperdrive fixed the team are able to leave, but Tasu choses that moment to tell the team he’s leaving, annoyed with how he is treated. T’onga is annoyed, but makes the surprising move of gassing her own wife Losha and asking Tasu to take her to Syphacc’s Place where she will be safe, and we end the issue as a woozy Losha and Tasu walk towards the starport at the close of another cracking issue. The animosity between Bossk and Valance continues to slowly grow, continuiously entertaining as they fight so well together.
This issue has seen the end of the Unbroken Clan, a change in the squad as Tasu heads off to join the Nar Kanji assassins who feel more of a family to him than his current colleagues and the wiping of those secrets inside Valance’s skull (along with other more personal memories). As with Doctor Aphra, Darth Vader and the main Star Wars title, this feels like the end of one long-running storyline and the beginning of another as we arrive on the doorstep of Return of the Jedi. Next issue promises Boba Fett, and with the main man canonically present at Jabba’s Palace and about to take a sand nap inside the sarlacc it will be fascinating to see of this title is the one that gives us the run up to his arrival at Jabba’s Palace. Of all the titles currently running, it really should be this one.
