REVIEW: ‘Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters – Jabba The Hutt,’ Issue #1

With the shenanigans surrounding Han Solo’s carbonite body in War Of The Bounty Hunters #1, you might be wondering what Jabba the Hutt has to say about all this. That’s where Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters – Jabba The Hutt #1 ties in. Jabba The Hutt #1 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Justina Ireland, with art by Ibraim Roberson and Luca Pizzari, colors by Edgar Delgado and Giada Marchisio, and letters by VC’s Ariana Maher.

Jabba the Hutt is getting impatient. His most trusted bounty hunter has failed to bring him Han Solo, and he suspects betrayal. As one of the most powerful and ruthless gangsters in the galaxy, you don’t want to be on Jabba’s bad side. So, with some serious trust issues at hand, Jabba calls on his old favorite hunter, Deva Lompop, to track down Boba and his prize.

Jabba The Hutt #1 takes place before and during War Of The Bounty Hunters #1. And while Jabba’s name is in the issue’s title, we don’t see much of him. Instead, Deva and Boba take front and center. Jabba certainly has a hand to play in this issue and possibly will resurface for other tie-ins to War Of The Bounty Hunters. Still, it’s interesting that the focus is on fan-favorite Boba and a hunter with ties to the High Republic, Deva. What’s perhaps more interesting is seeing some other connections being made that will hopefully solidify links between older Star Wars media and newer movies, like Solo. It’s a good move all around, in my opinion.

Our creative team has done a fantastic job returning us to Jabba’s palace. So many of the backgrounds and aliens surrounding Jabba should be familiar, especially when comparing to Return of the Jedi. And we even have Bib Fortuna, ever the flatterer. But this Jabba feels different from the movie iteration. Since Jabba required Fortuna to translate for him in the movies, Jabba’s incoherent language and Fortuna’s meek nature made the big bad gangster a much less serious character. But Jabba The Hutt #1 doesn’t have that hang-up. Jabba’s words don’t require translation, and he’s more well-spoken than what might be expected. It’s a different side to the character that not everyone probably is aware of, so it’s a good detail to include.

Deva and Boba are certainly a pair to be reckoned with, if only they could work together. While Boba is his typical monosyllabic self, Deva is a good counterweight. She’s snarky and sassy, even when addressing Jabba. She even goes so far as to refer to Boba as a “pup” throughout the issue. Joking even in danger, Deva adds plenty of humor to Jabba The Hutt #1 and is a character I want to see more of.

Two artists tackle Jabba The Hutt #1. And while their art styles are very different, the transition is helped by being separated by time. The issue jumps from past to present and back again, and we see a similar jump between artists. The characters are emotive, and the backgrounds are just as interesting to look at as the characters themselves. My only gripe is that there are some odd, unnatural poses here and there that are a bit distracting. Nevertheless, both artists have done a splendid job bringing these characters to life.

The colors effortlessly sets the place and time of every panel. The earthy colors of Jabba’s Palace and the sands of Tatooine are contrasted against the cool colors and bright neon signs of the city. With Maher’s letter work, the speech bubbles are easy to follow and never overshadow the action or characters.

Jabba The Hutt #1 brings some interesting elements to the table—perhaps helping tie together old media with new but nevertheless acting as a good tie-in with War Of The Bounty Hunters. I’m sure we’ll see more of Jabba down the line, but I definitely hope we see more of Deva in future tie-ins, at the very least.

Star Wars: War Of The Bounty Hunters – Jabba The Hutt #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.