I want to begin this review with a sincere apology to Ethan Sacks for my hit piece disguised as a review for Bounty Hunters #34. It was an issue that felt so final that it practically said to expect a pseudo-issue #1 with this week’s soft reboot.
There was a fear that any emotional weight and baggage from the last arc would be left behind as the bounty hunters headed into a new era of their story. I was convinced the series I had just fallen in love with was suddenly gone again. Dear Ethan Sacks, I was wrong. I failed to see the vision.
Bounty Hunters #35 successfully introduces this fresh set of characters and the series’ new direction while giving the old cast the same level of agency they’ve had for the last dozen or so issues. This issue is a solid re-entry point if you’ve ever fallen off or if you’re thinking about picking the series up for the first time.
There is still the worrying lack of overall direction to contend with, but that seems like a post-Dark Droids problem at this point. For now, the focus is on Beilert Valance and his failing memory core. It drives T’onga to take what’s left of her team on their most dangerous mission yet: capture Boba Fett.
The first indication this issue is meant to be taken as a reboot can be found in the Bounty Hunters Guild Social Club. Reminiscent of the Continental from John Wick land, T’onga meets with Khel Tanna, who makes her first appearance since Han Solo & Chewbacca and first in this series.
The second indication this issue is meant to be taken as a reboot can be found in the art. In his Star Wars debut, Lan Medina brings a nuance that Paolo Villanelli rarely did. As T’onga explains her crew’s situation, Medina’s softer touch says way more than words ever could. You can see T’onga’s pain and inner turmoil through her elegantly-drawn eyes. Even in his hard-edge approach, Villanelli had ways of drawing emotion out of a scene, but Medina’s subtle style greets all with a somber, yet accessible introduction.
T’onga explains to her old boss that she had to sell the Edgehawk to keep the team afloat. She needs Khel’s ship to get Beilert Valance help before he loses his memories and what’s left of his humanity. She sells it as a life-and-death mission, so Khel’s automatically in. But first, Khel needs a crew of her own. We meet Catak, a shape-shifting Clawdite who introduces himself by disguising himself as a Twi’lek and starting a bar fight. So much for those John Wick vibes.
Embroiled in the fight are Durge, fresh off being shot into space by Doctor Aphra, and Deathstick, fresh off Crimson Dawn employment, who hold their own. Khel immediately hires the pair before being told they are going after Boba Fett. This opening salvo was a good way to establish stakes while doubling as a palate cleanser after the last arc. Bounty Hunters is rarely just fun, so this was a nice change of pace before things get serious.
Aboard the Enigma Catalyst, it quickly got series as we turn our attention to Valance, who looks like he’s aged 10 years since we last saw him. We find him drawing Yura so he can’t forget her face. He is asked about her and describes what it was like being around her, only to forget how she smelled midsentence. Enraged at himself, he shoves all of his drawings to the ground.
It’s rough seeing Valance trade one prison (Vader) for another (the prison of his mind), but it shows Sacks isn’t throwing in the towel just yet with this character. I did appreciate Bossk sticking up for him when Catak made a snide comment about Yura. Their “I’m the only one who can make your life a living hell” type of bond is endearing.
Elsewhere, T’onga lies on a hammock, thinking about the coming battle. Sacks and Medina decide to remind us this is more personal for her than she lets on. The image of Boba Fett standing above T’onga’s seemingly lifeless body from back in issue #4 replays, reminding us of just how far we’ve come.
No matter your opinion on Bounty Hunters up to this point, T’onga’s growth as a lead character can’t be understated. Helping Valance isn’t about helping the “more useful than anyone else” male lead, it’s about helping someone she loves. T’onga has become a mother hen, and seeing her tap into that despite who Boba Fett is to her (he’s also the one who killed her brother, although inadvertently) rings true to what many of strongest women in our own lives go through. Family comes first at the cost of everything else (call your mom and tell them you love them today folks).
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