Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha #1 Review

Writer: Charles Soule

Art: Steve McGiven, Laura Martin, and VC’s Travis Lanham

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price:$3.99

Release Date: May 5th, 2021

Boba Fett, the galaxy’s most ruthless Bounty Hunter has finally garnered his price: the Notorious Rebel Han Solo. Jabba the Hutt is impatiently awaiting Bobba Fett’s delivery of the frozen Solo where the Crime Lord is prepared to take out his deadly revenge. Finally, Han’s past has caught up with him. However Bobba Fett may also be a bit too desperate for a payday himself that he quite possibly overlooked a few things in the process. Let’s dive into STAR WARS: WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS ALPHA #1 by Charles Soule to say how this prelude across multiple STAR WARS comics will shake out.

If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.

THE MANDOLORIAN

Now, I know they’re two totally different characters. However, throughout this entire issue, all this reviewer could hear was THE MANDALORIAN 70s’ music playing in the background as Bobba Fett went gonzo! Additionally, whether it’s Soule or just my recent bias from the TV series, somehow as Bobba Fett communicated to everyone throughout the issue, I continued to hear MANDO’S voice in my head. Maybe this was Soule’s intent? Or, maybe I’m personally drawing my own comparisons due to the characters involved in the story, as well as the TV series? Nevertheless, I just couldn’t shake THE MANDOLORIAN vibes, which ultimately drew me deeper into the issue.

PRECIOUS CARGO

Vibes aren’t the only thing Soule brings to the table this prelude to the WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS. Soule provides a unique story involving the trip between Solo’s capture and his presentation to Jabba. Sure, we know Solo makes it to Jabba. Anyone who’s seen RETURN OF THE JEDI knows that. However, we’ve all just assumed it was a simple trip to collect his bounty. Well, it looks like we were all wrong!

Soule writes the dialogue with Bobba just like you would assume: short, quick, sweet, and to the point. Ultimately, Bobba runs into a bit of some trouble on the way yet it’s not the type of trouble you would expect. Soule could have went for the obvious “stolen cargo” route but instead takes fans on a bit more of a creative detour. And STAR WARS fans, the detour fits, makes sense, and adds an imaginative layer that makes this new story a bit more intriguing within the STAR WARS lore.

ART

Steve McGiven and Laura Martin provide a stellar balance for Soule’s narrative. Maybe it’s McGiven and Martin that helped make that MANDOLORIAN connection a bit deeper. The colors and tone of the issue, even down to the action sequences, really felt like a 70s’ TV series. It almost resembled the still images that play as the credits roll and the song plays in the Disney Plus show. Furthermore, the back half of this issue is almost entire action, which is where McGiven and Martin shine. It’s graphic, explosive, and even shocking at a few parts. Furthermore, McGiven and Martin do a spectacular job of making the characters resemble the classic characters we all grew up on.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m all in! And what should be the most surprising is that I’m not a huge STAR WARS comic fan. I’ve read my fair share, yet I find myself leaning more towards the Superhero side of MARVEL than STAR WARS. Nevertheless, the WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS cross over event piqued my interest… and I’m glad it. Fans need only to remember EMPIRE STRIKES BACK in order to dive right into this issue. If you’re a STAR WARS fan or even a MANDOLORIAN fan, I think you’ll be pleased with this issue of STAR WARS: WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS ALPHA #1. Give it a shot, let me know what you think, and God bless!