Published: August 10, 2022
Rated: T
Writer: Ethan Sacks
Artist: Paolo Villanelli
Colourist: Arif Prianto
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Production Design: Nick Russell
Cover Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli & Jesus Aburtov
The synopsis;
THE SHOCKING ENDING TO THE BOUNTY HUNTERS’ RAID ON THE VERMILLION!
• T’onga must face Crimson Dawn on her own to save the girl she seeks.
• Meanwhile, one of her crew may not survive Vukorah’s deadly revenge.
• And Dengar may finally be getting exactly what he deserves
The review;
There are 3 covers as usual to choose from for issue 26 of Bounty Hunters. Giuseppe Camuncoli and Jesus Aburtov continue with the direct covers for the series and bring us a really cool piece art of Qi’ra in full attack mode against T’onga. The Choose Your Destiny variant by Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, and Rachelle Rosenberg features Reva from the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series. At this point I need to apologise to Rachelle Rosenberg as I have miscredited her contribution to Neeraj Menon on this series in previous reviews. And then we have our cover of the week by Marc Laming. I’ve been a long-time fan of Laming’s work and it’s been a while since he last created a Star Wars variant. His cover featuring Dengar, well it’s just beautiful!
In issue 25 T’onga had sent her team back to the Edgehawk while she prepared to extract Cadeliah and face Qi’ra alone. But their captive, Vukorah had escaped her bonds and was now hunting Losha on the ship. Ethan Sacks had already hinted that there would be a fatality in issue 26 at the Marvel Comics Panel at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim back in May, so here we are… who is it going to be that meets their fate?
T’onga is on a mission, and she is taking no prisoners in her efforts to reach Cadeliah.
Onboard the Edgehawk, Vukorah thinks she has the upper hand over Losha, but her Nexu, Furball is about to join the affray. Pouncing on Vukorah she attacks with pace and power. Surprisingly, she has a soft spot for animals and doesn’t want to harm Furball. The attack is relentless, and she is left with no choice. With a perfectly placed blade, she cuts into the Nexu’s neck finding it’s artery and the fight is over. Vukorah is distraught that she has had to kill Furball, but that pain doesn’t match that of Losha. She screams at her to leave her ship.
On Carida, Lieutenant Haydenn is watching the report on a recent attack on a rebel base where Yura is meant to have been hiding. She has called Valance to her office to speak with him. She has needed a drink to build up the courage to engage to kiss Valance, but he cannot accept her advances. He still holds a flame for Yura, although she has married someone else and cannot accept her advances and leaves.
T’onga is picking off guards one by one, but Qi’ra’s assistant, Margo appears, wasting more guards isn’t in Crimson Dawn’s best interest and offers to guide her to Cadeliah herself.
Dengar watches the movements on the spaceport from a distance. He is nervous as he has played off too may against each other and it could come home to roost. He notices T’onga’s team heading back to the Edgehawk with less numbers than they left with. But someone stood over him talking in Jablogian isn’t there to make idle conversation. Tasu Leech launches into a ferocious attack on the double crosser. He moves to in as if he is to finish Dengar who pleads for him not to do it. Leech lets him go but warns him to continually watch over his shoulder as one day he will finish the job.
As promised, Margo delivers T’onga to Cadeliah. The girl recognises T’onga from when she tried to kill her guardian Nakano Lash and that Boba Fett had left her for dead. Cadeliah knows who she is and where she fits and refuses to go with her. The lights come on and they are surrounded by onlookers including Qi’ra. They all realise that Dengar has betrayed them all, but T’onga demands Cadeliah go with her. An impasse is in place, but Cadeliah can’t trust anyone, but here with Crimson Dawn, she doesn’t have to hide or run anymore. Qi’ra explains that with her help, she can unite the underworld. Vukorah listens on from a doorway, she had been promised the Unbroken Clan, but she is now alone, and can show how dangerous she can be.
Qira helps T’onga up and offer the olive branch to her in the form of a data cylinder. There is a short window to think about the offer and earn some credits. She returns to the Edgehawk to find her team mourning over the body of Furball. Was this all for nothing? What are they going to do now?
Yet another issue that flies by and you can get lost in. From the outset this is a fantastic issue. The variation in pace is well thought out, but when it hits the gas pedal it roars away with the reader hanging on.
Now we had been warned that we would be losing a well-loved character this issue, there were obvious characters that it couldn’t be, like Tasu Leech. I was prepared that we may have to let go of Losha, T’onga or even Zuckuss, but Furball? What? No… Ethan Sacks, what have you done?!?!?!?!? And to have a self-confessed animal loving Vukorah deal the final blow, well now that was not nice.
Not only is Sacks playing with our emotions with Furball, but he’s also torturing Valance even more. Valance still holds Yura dear to his heart, but the rebel base she is believed to reside on has been destroyed. But this is being kept from him by Lieutenant Haydenn, who is now throwing herself at him. Is this as a distraction to hide what has gone on? Is it a way to placate Valance when he does find, and she hopes he will not link her to the potential demise of Yura? Or is it a genuine infatuation? Time will tell in the coming issues no doubt, but one thing for sure is that Sacks will continue to put Valance through the mill regardless!
In a bigger twist Cadeliah now wants to stay with Qi’ra. She has no trust of T’onga and after all that effort and sacrifice, she has stonewalled her would be rescuer. It’s amazing how Qi’ra has managed to bring Cadeliah round to thinking she is her only safe option, while masterminding the demise of so many others within the underworld. But now Qi’ra is willing to use T’onga for her own advantage by asking her to perform a task for her. This could now see T’onga go from hunter to employee of Crimson Dawn, now that is a twist.
I can’t not mention Dengar. He has double crossed so many, the can of whoop ass that Tasu Leech unfurls on him is just desserts. In typical Star Wars style, he leaves him not quite dead, but he is now a man who will need to watch over his shoulder in the months and years to come. I would love to see that pans out in future issues.
And, what of Vukorah. The animal loving pet killer is now on her own and has been crossed by Qi’ra. Which way will she turn now and what will her next move be? Another conundrum that Sacks can unfurl in front of us in future arcs.
There was some conjecture about issue 4 at the time it was released, that was somewhat cleared up over the next couple of arcs, but this issue well and truly closes the lid on what happened to T’onga and how it was perceived at the time. This is a testament to great storytelling in an episodic format.
All the way through this issue the artwork and lettering combine to deliver the energy and emotion of the roller-coaster storyline. Paolo Villanelli again excels and pushes the boundaries of exuding energy from a piece of paper. His art is powerful but can be subtle in the same frame. His use of light and dark in each frame is beautifully enhanced by the colours of Arif Prianto. Prianto uses light as his friend and picks out so many highlights, especially in this issue. For example, just look at that last page and the frame that sees T’onga and her crew mourning Furball. Bringing all this together is Travis Lanham. Lanham’s work is studious and tidy for every issue. Again, this also shows how well Villanelli understands what Lanham must add in the way he uses each frame to allow him the space he needs to bring that bit extra.
It’s as if the 4 creative minds for this series have some symbiotic link. Bounty Hunters never fails to deliver and when you are saying that 26 issues into a run, that is full testament to keeping a consistent creative team together and let them develop their partnerships.
So, will T’onga accept Qi’ra’s mission? I’m sure issue 27 will answer that question and so many more.
Availability;
Bounty Hunters is an ongoing series available from Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $3.99 and is available via the Marvel App, ComiXology and all good comic book stores.
