Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #3 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS No. 3, June 2020

Described by “Marvel Worldwide” in its pre-publication release as being “the ultimate heavyweight battle” between Bossk and Beilert Valance, Ethan Sacks’ scintillating script to Issue Three of “Star Wars: Bounty Hunters” not only arguably delivered to its readers a thoroughly enjoyable gratuitous confrontation between the two opposing mercenaries. But also provided his audience with a brief insight into just why the male Trandoshan and former Chorin slave despise each other so much by taking the fractious pair back “years ago” to a time when they both served aboard Nakano Lash’s ship the Starskimmer.

This initially tender flashback, featuring a facially reconstructed cyborg nervously awaiting the opportunity to use the vessel’s long-range communicator to contact his beloved Yuralla Vega, definitely shows a sensitive side to Valance which is rarely seen, and makes Bossk’s undisguised amusement at the failed transmission all the more malicious when he goads the former Carida Academy cadet over his deeply felt feelings for the woman; “Haha! That was pathetic. Weak. Knew you’d be too afraid to…” Indeed, such is the level of animosity Cradossk’s son generates in this sequence that it is hard to believe Beilert later spares the large lizard’s life after the Trandoshan tries to ambush him on the Graveyard Planet of Galmerah.

Disappointingly though, not everything within this twenty-page periodical is debatably quite so well penned, with Sacks’ inclusion of several other bounty hunters proving somewhat overwhelming within a single publication. Ooris Bynar’s appearance is okay considering that the Thisspiasian is recognisably distinct from his competitors and actually seems to get ‘the drop’ on Lash by reaching the fugitive’s secret location first. However, the likes of T’Onga and General Vukorah are seemingly just crowbarred into the book simply to help pad out its page count with some glimpses of “two of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the galaxy” once Bossk is defeated.

Quibbles aside, perhaps this comic’s biggest contributor is artist Paolo Villanelli, whose layouts for the confrontation between Valance and his ex-teammate help push along the extended action sequence at a frighteningly fast pace. The Trandoshan’s insane fury towards his foe leaps out of every panel in which he features, as does the sheer viciousness of the close combat once the two bounty hunters lock horns with one another trading punches, kicks and headbutts.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS" #3 by Lee Bermejo