REVIEW: ‘War of the Bounty Hunters,’ Issue #1

Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Charles Soule, art by Luke Ross, colors by Neeraj Menon, and letters by Travis Lanham. With Han Solo’s body stolen from him by an unknown person, Boba Fett must hastily retrieve what has been taken from him. This prize, after all, was meant for Jabba. And one does not disappoint a Hutt lightly.

Among the myriad challenges that come from adapting stories and characters from one medium to another, one of the trickest and often under-appreciated is the challenge of centering a new story around a character that is shown in only a limited capacity in the source material. An excellent example of this struggle is present in War of the Bounty Hunters #1.

For all the popularity the character of Boba Fett has accrued over the years, his time in the original films is short. What little time he spends on screen is generally not spent talking. He is portrayed as a consummate professional who allows his actions to speak for him—a stoic individual, to say the least. The kind of character that makes for an intriguing supporting element but is extremely difficult to build a narrative around. At least if one intends to keep him as he has been previously presented. Here, however, Fett comes across as decidedly too verbose. The cool confidence in his actions melts away as he repeatedly reminds people he is Boba Fett and what that means.

Beyond my struggles with the star of the show, War of the Bounty Hunters #1 does a good job setting up the narrative for the ongoing story. It introduces the many characters who will be participating in the story in a well-paced and balanced way. Interspersing character and action keeps the story running smoothly. Capping the issue is a significant reveal that is sure to excite present-day Star Wars fans.

While the story throughout delivers some strong moments, my favorite scene has to be when Jabba The Hutt holds a council with several of his fellow Hutts. Both the writing and visual design of these characters are fantastic. You can tell the creative team took special joy in bringing these characters to life.

As a whole, the art in War of the Bounty Hunters #1 does a great job delivering the many locales of its story well. Locations both new and familiar are treated well and given plenty of personality. This design work within the panels is further helped by some creative setup of the panels themselves.

I always love to see artists willing to bend the traditional formatting of comics to spice up the presentation a bit. And while there is always a danger of form superseding function in such creative moments, happily artist Ross never lets the book’s layout get away from him.

The artwork here is further helped by Menon’s vibrant colors. With Star Wars settings filled with lasers, holographic projections, and the light of fiery explosions, a strong color palette is needed to bring all this energy to life. Menon’s colors prove more than adequate in providing that extra energy.

Rounding out the book’s presentation is Lanham’s lettering. Lanham does a solid job of delivering this story in a clear and easy-to-follow manner.

When all is said and done, War of the Bounty Hunters #1 gets its storyline off to a strong start.

Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.