In our latest Hunters’ Guide, a handy recap to the expansive War of the Bounty Hunters crossover’s story, a galaxy’s worth of the biggest criminals, nefarious business owners, and some of our favorite villains and heroes make their way or participate in the auction of the era: Crimson Dawn’s Qi’ra selling off the frozen Han Solo! Head below for July’s recap!
After the jolt that was Qi’ra’s return, all of June’s comics had a verifiable bump of excitement, but with that big reveal out of the way, how would July’s issue fair? Each series continued to focus on its own goals and story, but due to the main miniseries ending with Darth Vader ruining the auction’s ambiance with his unwanted arrival, they all basically had to put themselves on hold, leading up to Vader’s entrance and stopping there. It wasn’t detrimental to most series, but for those reading all of it, knowing they wouldn’t go beyond that moment made some issues feel like the creative teams weren’t arriving there as organically as others. At least we know going forward the overall crossover will likely function similarly, with the eponymous miniseries being the monthly stick in the line the others can’t cross. With all the potential chaos to come from Vader’s entrance, and how every series has it’s own plots cooking well, maybe it won’t always be the case. Let’s dive into the issue by issue recap, shall we?
Bounty Hunters #14: Our first appearance of Qi’ra outside the main miniseries only adds new wrinkles and questions to her ultimate goals/plans with auctioning Han Solo. She’s using assassin Deathstick to ensure Valance and Dengar make it to Jekara, but for what ends? Valance clings to his debt to Han, so my guess is she wants him there to ensure Han’s protected, while Dengar’s girlfriend remains Jabba the Hutt’s captive, so maybe Qi’ra wants to find a way to help him get her free considering her own past. Either way, we find out Valance is damaged goods and might not have long to live…do I smell a sacrifice cooking? It’s a standout issue for T’onga and Losha, who help beat back Crimson Dawn invaders to save the Mourner’s Wail, but we still don’t know Qi’ra’s motives for taking them down, though T’onga reveals a series long secret to Khamdek.
Doctor Aphra #12: Releasing the same day as War of the Bounty Hunters #2, there’s a lot of overlap, though this remains squarely in Aphra’s POV, so to speak; suggested reading order is Aphra #12 first then WotBH #2. The auction finally starts though it’s background noise to her and Sana, though they have a run-in with a hooded stranger Aphra thinks sounds like a clone trooper that asks for a distraction, where their identity is only confirmed by WotBH #2 (though it’s VERY easy to guess). Aphra doesn’t quite provide a distraction as Boba Fett would’ve liked, as seeing Darth Vader burst into the party causes her to freak understandably out…it does seem to distract Vader, at least! Lucky and Ariole’s target, their ex-mentor, seems to have been with Crimson Dawn for a while now, but their battle means there isn’t much talking…yet.
War of the Bounty Hunters #2: Whereas Aphra #12 keeps the auction in the background, this issue puts it more in the forefront, as we see Hutt in-fighting with bids and other factions discussing their knowledge of Crimson Dawn and its past. Qi’ra takes center stage (literally) to put on a convincing show for the crowd, with some cold, cold descriptions of Han Solo that ensure if you hadn’t seen Solo: A Star Wars Story, you’d have no idea about their past. Boba spares Bossk on his way into the party, leaving him as a warning to others collecting Jabba’s bounty on him, and Aphra’s inability to provide a distraction almost doesn’t matter, as he runs into Leia, Lando, and Chewie sneaking around and Vader’s appearance throws a wrench in Qi’ra’s plans judging by her reaction. Chaos is likely next!
Darth Vader #14 : The latest person worried about Vader’s effects on the Empire and tries to kill him for it, Administrator Sly Moore finds out she shouldn’t have messed with him, though she devises a unique route to take down the Sith Lord once he comes knocking on her door. She thinks the only one who can kill Vader is Luke Skywalker and since she knows he’s hell-bent on finding Luke to kill him so he doesn’t take his place at the Emperor’s side, she shows Vader the invite to the auction for Han Solo, saying if he gets Solo, Luke will come. The issue ends with his dramatic appearance at the auction.
Jabba the Hutt #1: The introduction to Deva Lompop, a long-lived bounty hunter from even The High Republic era, is a real treat of an issue from a writing and art standpoint. We learn she has a lasting blood debt to Jabba and he continues to collect, while his latest mission for her fills in some blanks from the opening Alpha issue, like how Crimson Dawn knew where they could steal the Han-sicle. She’ll star in each of the remaining one-shots so maybe her story will offer more insights into little details left behind by the other series.
Star Wars #15: Focusing on its own story more, rightfully and entertainingly so, this issue catches up to the ending of WotBH #2, finding Leia, Lando, and Chewie running into Boba Fett, though it does reveal why Luke is so eager to get to Jekara: he knows Vader will be there to get Han after a vision warns him. The stage is set for August’s installments.
July’s best moments were Deva Lompop’s deliciously fun introduction and the high synergy between Aphra and the WotBH series, while it was refreshing that each month wasn’t going to be one big shock reveal after another, but rather that the crossover would deal with the revelation of Qi’ra first and foremost, keeping her in the spotlight of why this is all happening in the first place. Boba Fett might be the poster boy, but we all know who the real star is. There’s only three months left, August, September, and October but so far the longevity of this endeavor hasn’t grown old.
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.
WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS CROSSOVER
July: Bounty Hunters #14 | Doctor Aphra #12 | War of the Bounty Hunters #2 | Darth Vader #14 | Jabba the Hutt #1 | Star Wars #15
June: War of the Bounty Hunters #1 | Bounty Hunters #13 | Star Wars #14 | Darth Vader #13 | Doctor Aphra #11 / Hunters’ Guide for June
May: Alpha #1 | Star Wars #13 | Bounty Hunters #12 | Darth Vader #12 | Doctor Aphra #10 / Hunters’ Guide for May