Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters – 4-Lom & Zuckuss
ZUCKUSS MUST DIE!
Gand Findsman Zuckuss and droid 4-LOM are one of the best and most dangerous bounty-hunting duos in the galaxy.
Recently, Jabba the Hutt placed a bounty on Boba Fett, and Zuckuss and 4-LOM intercepted Fett on Nar Shaddaa to bring him in.
It didn’t go well.
Fett left Zuckuss for dead on Nar Shaddaa and took off with a disabled 4-LOM….
Writer: Daniel José Older
Artist: Kei Zama
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Colorist: Felipe Sobreiro
Cover artist: Mahmud Asrar
Editors: Thomas Groneman, Mark Paniccia
Publication date: August 4, 2021
Pages: 34
After being taken down by Boba Fett, with Zuckuss left for dead and 4-LOM in pieces, the two bounty hunters have some ground to make up and this one-shot issue does just that, kicking off on a baking hot Tatooine as a Jawa drags a tarpaulin across the sand and we quickly switch to Nar Shaddaa where an injured Zuckuss drags himself into Jega’s Music Hall and Petting Zoo where he learns 4-LOM is no more, taken offline by Boba Fett. Being a one-shot we quickly get to the exposition, and back in time we go to a gaggle of bounty hunters brought together by Deva Lompop to take down a warlord and droid mechanic called Doctor Cribiriz Idollax. To the victor go the spoils, and into the city they are sent. Being a droid mechanic, Idollax has mechanical assistance to protect him as we come back to the now and Tatooine, where a muscled stranger on a helmeted dewback accepts a package from the Jawa.
Good grief this issue moves quickly. Back on Nar Shaddaa a barfight breaks out as the bar owner Trot – defintely the Rocket Racoon of the issue – tries to take off an Ithorian’s arm, while Zuckuss bemoans his lost partner, and again back we go to Zuckuss and the Idollax droids as 4-LOM appears, blasting the droids and giving Zuckuss cover to avoid the firestorm. Together they enter the stronghold, cutting Doctor Idollax in half, literally.
Cut to the present on Tatooine as the muscled dewback rider delivers the head of 4-LOM to a restored Doctor Idollax…and across to Nar Shaddaa as the bar fight is ended and Zuckuss senses his old droid compatriot, running out into the streets despite his depleted condition and finding an enormous droid monstrosity with the head of 4-LOM on top, hungry for blood.
Zuckuss avoids the attacks, pleading for his friend to come to his senses as Trot calls for backup, and they arrive to tear into the multi-limbed 4-LOM monster, protecting Zuckuss and giving him time to make a lethal strike at 4-LOM, ending their partnership before realising the workmanship – unbelievably – was by Doctor Cribiriz Idollax. He follows his intuition, finding Idollax in a sidestreet and learns that the creature they had cut in half years ago was in fact Idollax’s brother, Sribiriz. We flashback to the past, learning that the brothers were at odds, Sribiriz with plans to turn his brother in to the authorities and his brother agreeing, only to see him cut in half by 4-LOM and Zuckuss. Cribiriz laid low and gestated his plans, plotting his revenge. Sadly for Cribiriz, that finishes with Zuckuss blasting him to pieces, and as he runs outside 4-LOM makes a dash for freedom, leaving Zuckuss alone once again as the Jega’s crowd celebrate.
Despite jumping around far too often between worlds and timeframes, this is a pacey and hugely enjoyable issue. The characters of 4-LOM and Zuckuss are really being fleshed out lately, and writer Daniel Jose Older smashes it, giving us a fully rounded relationship of brotherhood and sadness as their hugely lucrative partnership is ended. The art by Kei Zama is gorgeous, evocative of Killian Plunkett and lushly coloured by Felipe Sobreiro. While having little to do with the actual War of the Bounty Hunters, it does a grand (or should that be Gand?) job of developing the 4-LOM/Zuckuss partnership, and more one-shots like this from Older, Zama and co would be very welcome indeed.
Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters Companion @ ForbiddenPlanet.com
