– Spoiler Review –
Joining the main miniseries and all the tie-in issues from the other on-goings, the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover also has 4 one-shots to expand the story and fill in some potential blanks, starting with War of the Bounty Hunters – Jabba the Hutt #1. It turns out these one-shots will be loosely connected by the new and intriguing hunter Deva Lompop and she’s the main star of the issue, for good reason.
Introduced last month, Deva Lompop is a deadly bounty hunter who’s been around since even The High Republic era, a long-life due to being Shani, thought to be the original bounty hunters, per the introduction article. She has a loud, punk-style bounty hunting outfit and even louder and entertaining attitude, confident but fiery underneath and it’s clear how she’s lived this long. We’ve only had one issue of her but I can’t get enough Lompop already! She’ll supposedly appear in the remaining three one-shots, loosely connecting them, and I wish these would’ve been called War of the Bounty Hunters – Deva Lompop Will Eat You and It’s Okay #1, 2, 3, and 4 instead! Considering she was created by Jabba the Hutt #1 writer Justina Ireland and Deva’s around during the High Republic, Ireland has promised we’ll see her in future stories there, which is the best of news considering how complex and layered she is already. From the opening introduction, where she’s extremely bothered by Bib Fortuna’s call during her sauna session (in what looks like her base), to her biting back and forth with Boba Fett, there’s a lot of humor and relatable moments with Deva, as she’s clearly not happy being around a youngin’ like Fett while her long life has afforded her a cavalier though focused outlook on things. Her history and debt to Jabba the Hutt, which is why she’s pulled into a mission for him alongside Fett sometime before the events of War of the Bounty Hunters and into a mission for him during the crossover, only get teased but I’m eager to learn more, as Jabba says it’s a blood debt and not a monetary debt. She keeps hoping to be out of the debt, Jabba’s promises they’ll be square never coming to fruition, and this desire to be free drives much her actions to the point that while I shouldn’t have been surprised, I still was by her ultimate goals and choices. I love when a character can do that, as it means I’m more wrapped up in who they are, their entertainment factor, that I miss the obvious until it’s right there in my face. Big thank you and congrats to Justina Ireland, and artist Iban Coello, with Deva Lompop, hopefully the rest of the one-shot writers can do her justice. I also shouldn’t have been surprised I’d like Deva as much as I did, since Ireland has created some of my favorite THR-era characters to date, with Avon Starros and Vernestra Rwoh in A Test of Courage, and Sylvestri Yarrow (and furthering my love of Rwoh) in the upcoming Out of the Shadows (our review will be out July 27).
In the “present” of the crossover’s story, Jabba calls in Deva’s debt to him, asking her to locate Boba Fett since he’s taking so long bringing the frozen Han Solo to the Hutt’s Palace. Essentially this takes place during the Alpha issue, as Deva tours Nar Shaddaa looking for Fett, eventually finding herself with Doc Ragon, the Besalisk Boba leaves Han with that fixes the carbonite problems, getting him to reveal his lab’s whereabouts and details about the carbonite matrix. In the “past” Jabba calls in Deva’s debt to him, asking her to investigate what Bokku the Hutt’s man has done to one of Jabba’s operations in Mos Entha, taking Boba Fett alongside her. The two kick up an ambush and, through an exciting bit of action on Deva and Boba’s part, they get to the target. The issue takes a bit of a turn here, revealing Deva’s real goals and alliances, as she helps facilitate Crimson Dawn stealing the Han-sicle from Ragon, as seen in the Alpha issue, as well as how she learns about the Dawn in the first place and what their goals are, somewhat aligned with hers. Ireland balances the past and present sections well, bouncing back and forth to hold back the reveals as long as possible, while delivering an excellent and memorable introduction for Deva Lompop and her little corner of the WotBH story.
Bringing each era to life are two distinct art teams, with the present-set story by artist Ibraim Roberson and colorist Edgar Delgado, and the past by artist Luca Pizzari and colorist Giada Marchisio, with letterer Ariana Maher bridging the two. With the ‘present’ teams’ work, I adored the level of detail and density, while the ‘past’ teams’ vibrant action panels were engaging and exciting. Ibraim Roberson displays tons of detail in his panels, giving busy cityscapes like Nar Shaddaa a level of density you’d expect from animation/live-action content or imbuing Jabba’s Palace with the crowded, dingy vibe from the movies—reminding me a lot of Mark Brooks’ work on the Han Solo miniseries—while capturing nuances and the littlest of marks on alien character faces, once again matching what you’d expect from the creature shop on live-action content. One non-Deva related thing I loved, because yes I’ve been chatting exclusively about her but once you’ve read the issue you’ll understand, was the look of surprise on Jabba’s face when the Crimson Dawn delegate arrives quietly into Jabba’s presence, with the Hutts’ little hands up in shock, and when the delegate says he hopes he didn’t frighten the all-powerful Hutt, Jabba acts all cool, puffing his pipe, a new, nonchalant look plastered on his face, though something in Roberson’s work, alongside the dialogue, allows you to see the artifice in the look. I wish we had more time in Deva’s lair, the metal room engulfed in strange plant-life (hopefully no Drengir seeds hiding in there!), while I loved the opening look, a bathrobe and her hair wrapped in a towel, which makes her other outfit reveals later hit so much harder. There’s a softness Roberson conveys to her face in much of the present-set events, even when she’s attacking the hecklers on Nar Shaddaa, showing how she’s almost chameleon-like in her performances to get what she wants. Edgar Delgado’s colors really make Deva’s bright, multi-colored hair pop despite the busy scenery, and the loud hue of her outfits conveys her confidence, baiting people to attack her. I loved the lush look of the plants in Deva’s lair, the sickly green for Jabba’s drool, and the little subtle dirt on the seats at the bar despite their bright, orange-like look. In the past, Luca Pizzari’s art has a harsh, more classic feel to it, which brings a roughness to timeframe that only adds into the chaotic, action-filled mission Deva and Boba find themselves on. The sequence of panels with Boba chasing down a landspeeder with his jetpack, the background swooshing by and the landspeeder’s occupants frantic shooting was one of my favorite sequences in the issue. Well, until Deva stabs Boba in the leg with a poison so she can secure alone time with their target Jarm (who looked suspiciously like Ganadorf from Ocarina of Time in one panel!) and her true colors come out. Boba responds with a blast of fire, leaving one part of Deva charred, a really scary look that only adds to the frightening moment where she opens her crazy wide jaws to eat the target; I wasn’t kidding when I said these should be titled Deva Lompop Will Eat You and It’s Okay! It comes in stark contrast to the ‘present’ teams’ work, her pleasantly focused appearances, and makes the moment of horror hit even harder that way. Giada Marchisio’s colors aren’t as vibrant as Delgado’s for the most part, but they are when needed, like conveying Deva’s confidence in her loud, punk outfit or the fiery oranges/reds of Boba’s flames. I particularly loved the darkness around Jabba’s face, often when saying something menacing or less than savory, if only to highlight his underworld/crime lifestyle. My favorite page of their work is the one when Deva lobs a gas grenade into the ambush surrounding them, one thugs body turning desiccated by the gas, Deva the only one looking back who isn’t scared. On lettering is Ariana Maher (who I had the pleasure of interviewing recently for her The High Republic work), who always provides some interesting and dynamic SFX work. In the previously mentioned gas grenade page, there’s a “szz” SFX that looks similar to the cloudy, deadly gas, its nasty hiss as it expands across the room, while the unfortunate soul’s scream cuts over the noise, only adding to the horror of the moment. Also, when Jarm smash through the cantina wall Boba and Deva are in, the resulting “kathom” SFX rattles alongside his efforts, his imposing physique via the art and effect established rather quickly. And as always, she allows the art to really do the talking, placing the speech bubbles so they point your eye where to go next and keeps the pace of the back and forth between eras exciting.
One last moment of Deva Lompop love, I promise. Having her full outfit and hair revealed, one page after another by two artist teams, was a fun trick, allowing both to revel in her bombastic punk look. Speaking of the outfit, I appreciate the variety of outfits for her, the opening bathrobes/relaxed looks in both eras hide her true colors to vivid affect, as I just mentioned, while the ‘present’ reveals her deceptive attire, her hair down to appear less standoffish; too often characters are stuck wearing the same thing over and over again and I liked how Deva’s given the opportunity to change up her look as it suits her.
Here are a few other things:
- With July winding down, we’re almost done with the latest month of the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover, so expect our Hunters’ Guides to round up all the events, from every issue involved, before the next months-worth of story arrives. We have some hints on where it’s going and the ending is promise to change Star Wars comics forever, per the recent October solicitations. Quite the promise to make!
- We have a page devoted to all things The High Republic, from the latest reviews, news, upcoming schedule, and more! Be sure to return to the Manor on Friday as we’ll have coverage from the THR panel at SDCC, where we might find out when we’ll see Deva Lompop in the era, among many other big reveals!
- Ireland celebrated her first ever work for Marvel on Twitter! Congrats!!
War of the Bounty Hunters – Jabba the Hutt #1, written by Justina Ireland, is an excellent issue thanks to the wonder and terror that is Deva Lompop, while the two art teams offer lush visuals for their eras. Still think these need to be rebranded to War of the Bounty Hunters – Deva Lompop Will Eat You and It’s Okay, because it is okay.
+ DEVA LOMPOP
+ Tying it all together
+ From heavy on the details to vibrant action, art teams delight
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
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