Published: May 5, 2021
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Steve McNiven
Colourist: Laura Martin
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Steve McNiven, Laura Martin; Steve McNiven, Frank D’armata (Director’s Cut)
The synopsis;
War of the Bounty Hunters Prelude: Precious Cargo
THE STAR WARS COMIC EVENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
• The notorious bounty hunter BOBA FETT has finally landed his greatest prize – HAN SOLO, frozen in carbonite for easy transport.
• Fett will bring the smuggler to TATOOINE to collect the massive bounty placed on Solo’s head by the fearsome crime lord JABBA THE HUTT.
The review;
The phrases “variant covers” and “Boba Fett” when combined are the things most likely to send my bank manager into palpitations and nightmares! Keeping up with all the covers for this issue is going to be a mammoth task and I would be surprised if anyone out there has been able to procure one of each variant. If you have… kudos to you!
At the last count there are 5 standard variants and 43 exclusive variants of the cover that I know of. There are bound to be more surface over the next few weeks, no doubt. I normally start by reviewing the covers, but on this occasion, I will let the artwork speak for itself within this review and the gallery of exclusive variants at the end. There are a couple of things that I ponder over with so many variants for this title. Boba Fett is still as popular as ever in the Star Wars Galaxy, and there is also a plethora of amazing artists out there who have absolutely blown me away with the covers they have produced!
We recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of Shadows of the Empire and as a huge fan of SOTE, it was always going to be a tall order to best the events we know. But, since the 2020 comic releases from Marvel are now addressing this era in a more thorough way, I am very much sold on where this is going.
A crossover for all the current Marvel Comics Star Wars titles has been on the cards for some time. Since War of the Bounty Hunters was announced I’ve been counting down the weeks for its release, and it has not disappointed in way shape or form. So, it is my pleasure to start by just saying… WOW! WOW! WOW!
We have always been led to believe that Fett’s journey between was never without complication, but I think this tale of events is going to be even more of trial than the events of SOTE.
I feel Fett’s pain in the opening pages. I think we’ve all been there in some way, shape or form. Promising someone on a call that all is well, while you see what you are delivering isn’t quite going to plan and having to break off that call as things go wrong. The twist of carbonite frozen Han Solo defrosting like a popsicle left out of the freezer for too long was the perfect way to start this issue. Putting Fett into this quandary so early in the issue was a good move and it shows a vulnerability that we have never really seen before.
It is great to see Nar Shaddaa, the Smuggler’s Moon, make a welcome appearance. Fett needs help and seeks out Doc Ragon to fix the carbonite issue, but the job will come at a price. Plunging Fett into a Geonosis arena scenario brings him back to where he loses his father at the hands of Mace Windu. The fact that he uses the name ‘Jango’ as his fighters name is brilliant. What is even better, is that all his kills are headshots or decapitations. Oh, the irony!
It’s also kind of obvious that Fett will win the day in the arena over anyone he is pitted against, but not without a true fight. The price he pays isn’t just in the arena, but events elsewhere are going to make things a little harder than he hoped.
Who is the mystery being that takes out Ragon and steals Solo while Fett is in the arena? I will say, I do have a theory and I’ll put my neck out now and say I think it is Fennec Shand. The ‘red eye’ we see I believe is a ruse to make us think it is Valance. I could be a million light years off with that theory, but if I’m correct, remember where you read it first!
The last frame of Fett stalling Jabba and Bib Fortuna is a masterpiece. The emotion and expression that comes over from a masked character is awesome and one of the best of the whole issue.
We all know Soule knows his Star Wars. He has a proven track record over the years and this issue just brings that home to roost. And then there’s Steve McNiven. His illustrations are amazing! The detail is exceptional and like Paolo Villanelli, he creates an energy that jumps off the page. I cannot ignore the work of Laura Martin either. Her colours accentuate McNiven’s art and take it to the next level and makes it pop. The whole composition is brought together by VC’s Travis Lanham and his lettering. Many say that lettering is the black art, and they are skills that are under appreciated by many. In this issue Lanham’s work is on point and again raise the combined work of Soule, McNiven and Martin.
The extra pages in the Director’s Cut version of War of the Bounty Hunters ALPHA is a pure showcase of the skills of Steve McNiven and the variant covers. The details I have already mentioned are so clear to see in the textless and colourless version of the story. Is it worth the extra $2 to pick up? Yes, you bet it is!
Whenever bounty hunters are involved, we always know that double, triple and even quadruple crosses are always a possibility. Who knows where Soule, Sacks, Wong, and Pak are going to take us over the coming months? I was excited before, but after reading this issue, that excitement level has only been raised.
Availability;
War of the Bounty Hunters ALPHA #1 is a one-shot comic from Marvel Comics. It retails at $3.99 and is available via The Marvel App and from all good comic bookstores.
See the gallery below to view the exclusive variant covers available for this issue.
