– Spoiler Review –
With its 42nd issue, the Bounty Hunters series by writer Ethan Sacks makes it final bow, bringing home many threads and its long-running character work in an ending well-earned by all those involved. Come say goodbye with me in our review!
My original feelings towards Bounty Hunters have come a long way over the course of its 42 issues, taking me from a detractor to someone who looked forward to it month after month, as I found different characters or storylines to attach emotionally to. It’s been amazing to see the fan reaction grow as well, swelling into the unmoveable, emotionally packed #ValanceNation, which even gets a shout out in Sacks’ goodbye letter which closes out this issue and the series, as they truly deserve. Throughout it all, and even in this final issue, I’m still not a fan of Beilert Valance, but I don’t say this because of some shortcoming on Sacks’ side or to belittle the character’s fervent nation, I just never could quite connect or care, yet it’s clear this is a me problem given much of the reaction around this finale and the character’s hashtag still going strong. The characters I did connect with or grow fond of all make an appearance in the finale, one much shorter than others, but any appearance here felt earned, which all comes out of Sacks’ writing and the great artistic teams which have brought such vibrant life to their stories along the way. And I love the way the finale not only wrapped up a bunch of its own threads, with endless opportunities for more by the issue’s end, but also brought in elements from other series to pay them off too. And while this was the least important part of the finale for me, it was still very nice it made the series feel like it was building to something bigger along the way too, giving a little extra weight to this era that has often felt listless the longer it goes on. All in all, Bounty Hunters #42 feels like a fitting ending for all that’s come before and has yet to come, with open-ended possibilities by its final page offering a glimmer of hope for fans to wish about until they get to see their favorites again, someway or another. So what do you say, let’s jump in and unwrap it all, one last time?
When we learned Valance was going to Jabba the Hutt’s Palace to free Han Solo, I was a little surprised the series was going to end by having its main character do something that would end in failure, but I was curious to see how wrong I would be once the issue came. Instead of Valance actually freeing Han from his spot on the crime lord’s wall, Valance is instead there as an opening salvo in the much larger plan by Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca to rescue him! Since they didn’t have the budget in 1983 for it, I kid but I’m also not wrong, Valance is sent in to clear out Jabba’s new deadly toy, a Megadroid! These towering monstrosities never got to make an impact in the Clone Wars thanks to the efforts of Master Yoda and Anakin Skywalker, as seen in the Yoda series’ third arc, but they would absolutely wreck the day for Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewie if they tried to rescue Han. Especially since it has the neural core, bastardized of course like all things droids, of Gertee, an fellow free droid in Ajax Sigman’s free droid society that helped lead the charge to end the Scourge/Dark Droids crossover event, another neat little way to bring another series into the story and acknowledge its events. Thankfully, Valance believes in the Rebels and their larger plan and decides, alongside the rest of his team, to help take down the big droid. It was fun to see T’onga, Losha, Zuckuss, and 4-LOM all together again, fighting alongside Valance to take it down, something the issue builds up to and brings out at the best possible moment, as it’s not initially clear he’s working with them nor the Rebels. Anakin and Yoda’s battle with the droid was a little easier, to some degree, but just like theirs, it took everyone to take it down and everyone get away safely. Once the deed is done, everyone parts ways, the team which made up the majority of this series finally finishing their final mission together.
As much fun as the opening bit was, it’s the coda which was my favorite of the finale, bringing its own threads all together and paying them off. T’onga and Losha arrive back to where we first met them, and while Losha only sees a boring replacement for what she left behind, T’onga sees a future for bounty hunters, a new home to make it a little easier on those like them, no matter who wins the big galactic civil war raging across the galaxy. As she’s talking about this future for hunters, about how they’ll need to find a community to help them thrive, to have their backs, and to not be alone in the big, cold galaxy, we get to see familiar faces from throughout the series, be it Manaroo and Dengar (who got a beating from Valance at Jabba’s Palace in the opening), IG-88, Tasu Leech (at home with his people, making bad jokes and them appreciating them), Zuckuss and 4-LOM at each other’s backs, that Yura and Kondra live (I was little surprised by this, but sure!), Khel Tanna, Deathstick, Durge, and Bossk drinking together, and of course Vukorah and her little herd of loth-cats. I really wished we got a bit more than this from Vukorah in the finale, as she became one of my favorites alongside the dynamic couple of Losha and T’onga, but redeemed herself for the most part last issue, so she got what she needed before the series closed anyways (though an official confirmation on her being transgender or not would’ve been the real icing on the cake). While T’onga’s words amount to great goals and ideals, Losha, ever the realist, brings it all back down, asking where the hell they’d get the credits for it? As always, T’onga’s thought of it all, and reached out to…Cadeliah! A core drive for the series for quite some time, the young Cadeliah was taken under Qi’ra’s wing during her Crimson Dawn-led charge against the Sith, with the scrumrat turned crime lord leaving Cadeliah with her vast wealth after the plans went south. Of the ways to wrap this up, I was the most surprised and delighted by Cadeliah’s return, and it felt fitting the three of them would be able to bring this dream for the future of bounty hunters together.
But what about Valance, you ask? The issue closes on Valance coming to ex-Imperial Jayla Haydenn’s aid, offering her hope for what she thought lost: their relationship. Once again, this is a “me” problem, not the series’, as I never quite gelled with this storyline, but I do like the idea they’ll get to try again, to start anew, and see where it takes them, and despite my hesitancy about them, I’d not be against seeing how it all goes in the future. Despite my feelings about Valance just by himself, I wasn’t disappointed this didn’t end in a sacrifice like his Legends story did, while this happy-ish ending felt earned, and I was quite happy he got to play a pivotal part to the Han Solo rescue plan.
One thing I want to revisit before we dive into the art is T’onga’s words on community and finding those who will have your back. This is so broadly presented, so it can apply to anyone and any community, yet spoken by the series’ LGBTQIA+ icon, given the way Republican controlled legislative bodies are coming at this vulnerable community, it’s a heartening message to make, that those who are under attack in such a way shouldn’t be ashamed to be with more like themselves and allies who will back them up, no matter what, no matter who wins the next election (aka the galactic war T’onga mentions). Fighting together is always more powerful than doing it alone, especially against hatred or a lack of understanding, and the idea T’onga gets to start a welcoming community for those like her, especially given the shock fake-out death she went through early in the series, is a great way to honor her character and what she’s come to mean to fans, to the franchise, and to the series itself. Of all the things I’ll remember about the series, and especially the finale, it’s going to be this, and I hope other series will take the time to make statements beyond finishing their plots when they end too.
To bring the series to its end, we get not only Jethro Morales on art for the opening section, but the glorious return of Paolo Villanelli for the coda, both of them alongside series stalwarts Arif Prianto on colors and Travis Lanham lettering, making for a gorgeous finale. One early sequence for Morales and team was a highlight for me and that’s when Valance grabs an axe, after handily taking down Dengar, and in a three quick page-wide panels we see him make short work of the others who lined up to take him down to win Jabba’s favor. It’s comedic, like an assembly line of destruction, Valance non-lethally taking them out, Lanham offering big, ouch-inducing sound FX for each hit or swipe of the axe, with the funniest little bit being the guy whose prosthetic leg got chopped off (again), looking at the stump in astonishment, all while Prianto keeps the scene lighthearted with the lighter colors and lack of shadows, something we return to a page later as Valance regards the Hansicle on the wall. The entire battle with the Megadroid is really well done by this team, the sense of scale making the encounter feel all the more difficult, especially when the droid is first revealed or even as it stands as a shadow in the background of a panel, like how a good Godzilla movie uses its Kaiju sparingly, its missiles causing problems for the little Zuckuss and 4-LOM in the forefront. Lanham really brings out all the stops SFX-wise for this part, like how Valance’s opening blasts blow through the panel, showing he’s putting all his power and might behind the effort, and the next panel they bounce off the megadroid with the smallest, cutest little pings, making it painfully clear his best just won’t do against the droid’s suite of tricks. In reverse, as it sends a salvo of missiles and canon blasts back at him, the SFX for the droid’s volley isn’t as big as Valance’s opening shots, but the resulting destruction and explosion is far larger and impressive, Morales throwing Valance around like a little play toy. Prianto brings the signature oranges and reds for the violence of the battle, while casting darker shadows over the megadroid’s face to add some extra menace to his already imposing size and armaments. When Villanelli steps in for the coda, something just feels RIGHT about seeing these characters back in his style again, as while many of the artists have been just as good and had their own memorable moments, there’s something about his work that just fits for this series. Besides seeing the characters in his style again, I quite enjoyed the way T’onga’s dream for the bounty hunting community was displayed, as if a hologram was projected onto the scene to show us what she was envisioning, which Prianto colors in this dreamy gold, like an idyllic city of gold, a prosperous future for our heroes. This gold color overtakes a panel of all those who have died as T’onga realizes she can be what Nakano Lash was to her, and it overtakes the final panel of T’onga, Losha, and Cadeliah for a dazzling effect. You really can’t ask for a better artistic way to close out this series.
Here are a few other things:
- Bounty Hunters might be over now, but Ethan Sacks will keep writing about more hunters thanks to his upcoming Jango Fett miniseries in March, which we got a preview of in Revelations (2023) #1! Between the shorter length of the Jango series and this finale’s insistence this is only the end for now, could we be hearing about a return to these characters in a new era of Star Wars comics sometime later this year? Myself, and especially the Valance Nation, can only hope!
- Over on Twitter, Sacks revealed the longer version of his goodbye letter from the issue’s final page. Villanelli offered a thank you message, with some playful teases of what was going to come in the issue. Fellow comic writers Charles Soule and Alyssa Wong offered some words on the finale, as did Lucasfilm Publishing’s Creative Director Michael Siglain. Queer’s Watch came out of hibernation to comment on its contributions. There was plenty of #ValanceNation reactions to enjoy, but this heartfelt goodbye thread really sums it up the best. Also, the wonderful artist Jake Bartok did a Valance sketch to honor the finale.
Bounty Hunters #42 is a finale fans deserved and the series earned over the last four years, providing closure, for now, on favorites big and small, all while containing a wonderful message. Thanks for all the bounty hunting goodness these past four years, you’ll be missed!
+ Ending feels earned, bringing threads from all over to conclusion
+ The deeper implications of T’onga’s message
+ Villanelli’s impressive return, Morales’ commanding battles, Prianto’s brilliant color work, and Lanham making it all sing
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.
BOUNTY HUNTERS REVIEWS
Galaxy’s Deadliest: #1-4 — War of the Bounty Hunters: #12-17 — Crimson Reign: #18-22 — The Raid on the Vermillion: #23-28 — Bedlam on Bestine: #29 | #30 | #31 | #32 | #33 | #34 — #35 | #36 — Dark Droids: #37 | #38 | #39 | #40 | #41