Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories: The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1
The Clones of the Bad Batch have been through some intense missions throughout the Clone Wars and it’s said they have a 100% success rate. But this time, they may have met their match.
In Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories: The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents, they are on a mission to hunt down the mysterious Separatist ghost agent who executed a daring heist on Coruscant! The thief’s trail leads Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair, and Tech to the seediest corners of the galaxy, a place where kingpins and thugs threaten the clones’ mission—and their lives!
Writer: Michael Moreci
Penciller: Reese Hannigan
Inker: Elisabetta D’Amico
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
Letterer: Comicraft
Cover artist: Valeria “Lux” Favoccia
Editor: Spencer Cushing
Publication date: February 12 2025
In the spirit of classic action adventures, we open mid-mission in the first pages of Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories: The Bad Batch: Ghost Agents #1, and as the debut issue titled Four Clones Walk into a Cantina kicks off we quickly realise that we’re on the icy world of Vikir during the Clone Wars, and our four clone commandoes – Hunter, Tech, Crosshair and Wrecker – have quite possibly bitten off more then they can chew. The Separatist weapon they’ve been sent to deal with is in fact a huge, multi-limbed creature, and it’s only the ingenuity of the team and a well-placed hyperfuel depot that manages to eliminate this massive threat (with Wrecker the bait, as usual). As he climbs back to join his brothers we see Hunter is mid-Holo transmission with Mace Windu, and soon they are back on Coruscant, where they’re told about their next mission; protecting Ghost Agents, vital Republic operatives who feed them valuable information about the Separatists and who’s identities have been compromised. Still believed to be on Coruscant due to the significant damage to their vessel, the Batch don civillain clothing and head into the lower levels of the Ecumenopolis to covertly find them.
With clones less than beloved during the war, and the need to not alert their quarry of their approach, they hit one of the countless dive bars in the city and start asking questions. Hunter is quickly outed as a clone, and the atmosphere quickly turns sour until Crosshair pulls out his blaster and trick shoots the locals into compliance, Wrecker stepping in to physically impose himself should they think about starting trouble again. The barkeep, a nervous Quarren, tells them about a hooded visitor speaking in an alien language and a ship preparing to leave the planet. Back in armour they find the landing pad, and through his scopes Crosshair sees the hooded figure who stealthily slips out of sight, and back in again but without allowing a clean shot. They move closer, when they encounter a problem – a Kyuzo who has the drop on them, stalling them as the ship and their target takes off.
They make their move, coming under fire and watching in frustration as the Kyuzo leaves, telling them to go back to their war as they have no idea what they’ve just got themselves involved with. The Batch are frustrated, but Hunter is calm, telling them they have a vital lead, and uncovers one of the fallen guards, revealing it to be a Pyke. They’re going to Kessel, and we end this dynamic first issue from writer Michael Moreci, penciller Reese Hannigan, inker Elisabetta D’Amico and colorist Michael Atiyeh which leaves us wanting more. The Dark Horse titles are pitched as a younger skewing line, but there’s nothing here that aims its lasers at younger readers; in the grand tradition of the classic Marvel line of the 70’s and 80’s, this is just straight-down-the-line good storytelling, and a fantastic marker for this five-issue series and the hope of future adventures for the Bad Batch, who have such an instant chemistry onscreen and on the page that the next issue can get here just as soon as it likes.
