Written by Ethan Sacks
Art by Paolo Villanelli
Published by Marvel Comics
Bounty Hunters has been a mixed bag as Ethan Sacks balances the familiar with the unknown.
This issue, however, falls off the tightrope, hard. There is very little Star Wars for a book that carries the Star Wars name. Zuckus and 4-LOM are hired by the Unbroken Clan to eliminate Valance and Cadeliah. Besides a quip about covering their losses from the Han Solo Bounty, readers will forget their presence by the turn of the final page.
The dialog makes it’s hard to tell if Zuckus and 4-LOM are friends or embarking on their first Marvel Team-Up.
They eventually find Valance, fight for a bit, and Valance escapes.
Paolo Villanelli usually churns out bombastic action scenes.
This time, however, it was a muted affair. Nothing visually stood out to augment the stakes involved. The mysterious old friend Valance mentioned at the end of the last issue is revealed. Unfortunately, it’s a let down on multiple fronts. Sacks peppered in some hints throughout the book.
Whether the breadcrumbs are picked up or not, the result is an unearned vehicle of connection. It’s not nearly enough for that “Business is about to pick up” feeling to resonate. Short bolded mentions of Beskar, Rathtars and Battle Droids are the only other morsels resembling anything Star Wars. It’s a common practice in comics, but here, it’s lame.
Zuckus and 4-LOM are marketed as the reason to plop down four dollars for this book. They’re cool-looking characters who appear in one of the most memorable scenes, for a few seconds, of the best Star Wars film.
However, when you tear all of that away, what else is there? It felt as if Sacks hoped their limited cool factor was enough to drive the story. This was a missed opportunity to give readers something to invest in.
Maybe, Sacks wasn’t allowed to take a deep dive with the characters. However, something would have been better than narratively yelling, “Look, everyone, it’s Zuckus and 4-LOM!” over and over again with no payoff.
Overall, a big disappointment that otherwise had a lot of promise.
Rating: D
