War of the Bounty Hunters Part 5

 

Issue #23 -  Doctor Aphra #14 - “Repeat Offenders”

Between Aphra, Sana, Qi’ra, and Deathstick we’ve really got a strong line-up of female characters in this issue. It highlights something that a lot of older male fans are taking issue with- Lucasfilm is really pushing female Star Wars. This isn’t just an altruistic move from Skywalker Ranch, it is a marketing calculation.

Females have always loved Star Wars. Carrie Fisher’s strong portrayal of Princess Leia made that possible. And now characters like Rey, Jyn, Qi’ra, and Aphra are making that possible.

And if the byproduct is stories like this one, all the better.

Issue #24 -War of the Bounty Hunters 4 - “Attack at Dawn”

The Empire has taken possession of Han Solo. Yet Han is still being pursued by the Bounty Hunters, the Rebels, the Hutts and… just what is Crimson Dawn up to?

This issue also features a loose partnership between Boba Fett and Valance. I’m not sure if we have seen these two hunters work together before, but both made their premiers in the late seventies and if this is the first time then it is a long time coming.

Issue #25 - Darth Vader #16 - “Target Skywalker”

Ralph Maquarrie probably didn’t get millions of dollars when he designed Vader’s mask, but he should have. The iconic mask has sold untold numbers of toys, t-shirts, and comics. Just in the past few years Marvel has released three mainline vader series totalling 66 issues, as well as two miniseries (“Target Vader” & “Dark Visions”)

So just how much more runway does Vader have? How many more personal journeys can the Dark Lord go on? How many more duels with Luke Skywalker exist between the mainline films?

A skeptical person might surmise that Vader will eventually fail to capture the fascinations of readers, however there is no evidence of this so far.

Issue #26 - Boushh #1 - “Found”

Even in the old Expanded Universe there were very few appearances from the real Boushh (the bounty hunter that Leia defeated to gain his armor). And so Boushh’s origin story is revealed here. Boushh and his crew were exiled from their home planet of Uba IV and would never be allowed to return. But this comic isn’t really about Boushh is it? This comic is actually the origin story of Domina Tagge and her Game-of-Thrones style rise up through the politics of her powerful family.

Domina Tagge first appeared in the 1980 comic Star Wars #35. She is one of many classic Marvel characters that have been reintroduced into the canon over the past several years. Now that Star Wars is back in the hands of Marvel they have plucked characters such as Domina Tagge, Valance the Hunter, and even Jaxxon the Green Space Rabbit from the vault of vintage Star Wars pulp. It is obvious that Domina has a big role to play in this new era of Marvel Star Wars comics. In other words… We will watch her career with great interest.

Issue #27 - Bounty Hunters #16 - “Shadow Soldiers”

I’m losing track of everyone’s motives, but let me try and sum it up to the best of my ability.

Boba Fett and Valance are after Solo. Fett wants to deliver Solo back to the Hutts and Valance wants to save Solo because of their history.

T’onga & Losha are lovers and they are trying to find Cadeliah because she is the heir to both the “Unbroken Clan Syndicate” and the “Mourners Wail Syndicate”. They are using Zuckuss to track Valance because he knows the location of where the Rebels are hiding Cadeliah?

Finally we have Dengar who is out for cash and has recently teamed up with Deathstick to help hunt down Cadeliah... 

I think I got everything right. Anyway… Bounty Hunters gotta hunt.

Issue #28 - Star Wars #17 - “The Chase”

Luke Skywalker in his X-Wing is being pursued by Darth Vader in his Tie Advanced x1. Jetting over the frozen sea of Jekara, Luke manages to down Vader’s ship using… science. Luke swings his fighter back around with a chance to gun down Vader. Vader stands ready with his laser sword. 

The exact circumstances are technically new, but the characters are old and they have fought this battle time after time. Maybe they will always be fighting this battle, despite the fact that the resolution to their storyline was unveiled in 1983. Maybe fandom just doesn't let characters rest. Maybe they will always be called back for more.