– Spoiler Review –
Since issue #1, the Bounty Hunters series has been leading to this exact moment, a bid to unite the warring clans of Corellia’s underground through the surprising child of both sides, but as time has gone on and the galaxy changes around them, issue #26 reveals things are so much bigger than their goals anyways, shaking many characters to their core after all their blood, sweat, and tears went into this job.
It came as no surprise Cadeliah, who hasn’t had enough time in the series’ spotlight recently, had different goals and ideas for her future than what T’onga and others in the past hoped she would. The writing’s been on the wall for some time now, and if you’ve been reading Crimson Reign, you’ll get more of her and Qi’ra spending time together, the latter providing the youth with something she hasn’t quite had for the last few years: someone listening to her instead of telling her what she’s needed for, all while providing a different option to forge her own path. Who can blame a girl Cadeliah’s age, who has ping-ponged from protector and protector for a fight she’s never personally be involved with, from finding Qi’ra’s persuasive nature irresistible? Who at that age wouldn’t love to hear they can take hold of their own destiny and not have to do what all those troublesome adults want them to do? I’ve never expected the clans of Corellia to be united in this series, and it never felt like it was developed enough why or how it would help things on the planet if they were, so Cadeliah’s choice to forge ahead with Qi’ra and let the past die is only devastating to those who spent so much in the name of the cause.
Case in point, T’onga, who went through hell and back again to get to Cadeliah only to find out it was all for nothing. Thankfully her wife Losha, and her crew, survived to get this far, so at least no one was lost in the quest (besides her brother, before this quest all started), but it’s still devastating to hear everything you’ve worked for was for naught. It makes Qi’ra’s offer all the more salient, a chance to make a difference where she’s come up short so far, uniting the underworld at a much larger scale than one planet. She comes back to the Edgehawk, still broken by the revelations, and clutches tight Qi’ra’s parting gift, a comm unit to tell the Crimson Dawn leader if she accepts her offer to join them. At the very least, while it was sort of disappointing we spent so many issues on something that ended up moot in a sense, I’m at least excited to see where the story goes for T’onga and her crew, as I’m far more invested in her story than Valance’s and her being wrapped up in Qi’ra’s plans that are about to go up against some plot armored baddies in The Hidden Empire (Qi’ra’s comic trilogy finale) means plenty of strife and chaos is ahead.
The battle between Losha and Vukorah takes an unexpected, yet intriguing turn. Last issue we left off like Vukorah finding out she had been lured into a room not just with Losha, but with her pet Nexu. While I suspected Vukorah would survive, I was curious to see how, and it turns out she’s ruthless when it comes to people, but wanted to do everything to save the creature. We get some brief background on her upbringing, but I sort of with Losha and don’t quite care about her past, only what’s to come, but before both Losha and I knew we were worrying about something else entirely: the death of the nexu!! I’m glad all the characters so far survived this issue, these moments, as often it leads to better and more intriguing storylines than killing someone off (case in point, T’onga’s potential death in issue #4 and look at her now!), but the death of Furball is permissible, even if it is quite sad. Losha would gather spend her time being there for Furball than continue to hunt Vukorah, though she vows vengeance despite the latter’s pleading she didn’t want to do it. Vukorah returns to the Vermillion only to hear Qi’ra talking about her grand plans with T’onga, about uniting all of the underground with her, and she feels betrayed by the Dawn’s leader as it looks like the Unbroken Clan would be absorbed under her plans, so Vukorah vows she’ll show them how dangerous she can be. Of the suspected paths for her going forward, considering her might and tenacity, I can’t wait to see how she throws wrenches in Qi’ra’s plans!
As for Valance’s part of the issue, I felt like it contained the only true surprise though it was one out of left field. Lt. Haydenn, sort of Valance’s handler beyond Vader’s outstanding (but no longer valid) blackmail, is watching the report about the blackmail’s going up in literal smoke, drinking away. Valance arrives and she puts away the holovid, trying to persuade Valance how great things are now for him in the Empire, and how he can make a difference…and then proceeds to kiss his cheek. I had no idea this was heading that way, I thought she was drinking so she could fess up and finally tell him the truth, but more importantly I can’t say there’s been enough hints for her having such an attraction or desire to really track/land. Is it because she’s been in his memories, so it was an intimate moment and it’s only built from there for her? Is she only doing this to try and convince him to stay once the truth gets out there? Or is fresh synth-skin Valance and his brave actions supposed to be enough for us to understand why she’d want him? Regardless, Valance’s heart is still set on Yura despite her being married now, so he declines Haydenn’s advances and leaves, not before she tells him without telling him the assumption Yura is dead, something he doesn’t pick up on. The ticking time bomb of this information remains, I just hope he doesn’t find out 25 issues from now.
There have been some issues where I feel like letterer Travis Lanham has been content to sit back and let Paolo Villanelli’s art, with Arif Prianto’s colors, do most of the talking due to their kinetic look and style, which makes any pronounced SFX by Lanham all the more impactful. Nothing highlights this better than the pounding Tasu Leech gives Dengar in the middle of the issue, as Lanham’s SFXs are very bold and very loud, adding so much more damage to Villanelli’s art for Tasu’s beat-down. I also really liked, a few pages later, the whole set-up of T’onga finally getting to Cadeliah, who’s seemingly sitting in a dark and empty room by herself, giving into T’onga’s perceptions she’s being held prisoner by Qi’ra, but her words don’t match the bounty hunter’s expectations. Flip to the next page and full splash across two pages greets us as the lights turn on and the truth is revealed, T’onga is surrounded by the Dawn, including Qi’ra, and the panels are all slanted sideways as T’onga is brought up to speed, simulating how off keel T’onga is feeling as the truth washes over her. The team made it starkly clear Vukorah does regret having to kill Furball, even with her mask on you can tell she’s disappointed in herself, while Losha’s subsequent turn from mourning to anger was well done too, from the shadow that falls across part of her face to her screaming at Vukorah; the final panel of the scene, mainly black and white with Vukorah holding her head, facing downward, and in the background Losha still leaning over the body of Furball, is a great way to show the loss Furball brings to both characters.
Here are a few other things:
- Dengar gets his just rewards for his duplicity when Tasu Leech finds him and royally messes him up for his betrayal. Ethan Sacks really made him a character you love to hate, so it was cathartic to see Tasu lay some smack-down on the dude.
- Sacks’ other series, the Halcyon Legacy, wrapped up last week and if you’ve read it, then you know some characters will survive this series past the Return of the Jedi.
Bounty Hunters #26 wraps up the story it’s been focusing on since the beginning, and while it is anti-climatic at points, it holds a brighter promise for what’s to come, free to forge a new path just like its many characters are doing now.
+ Cadeliah’s choice
+ Potential going forward
– Slightly anti-climatic
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
BOUNTY HUNTERS REVIEWS
War of the Bounty Hunters: #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 | #16 | #17 — Crimson Reign: #18 | #19 | #20 | #21 | #22 — The Raid on the Vermillion: #23 | #24 | #25