Bounty Hunters One-Shots
(3 issues)

By Chad Clark
Published 11/9/99

(Note: Click on coversto view full-size image)

First off I have to admit that I was not looking forward to this series of one-shots. The bounty hunters of the Star Wars universe have never held much appeal to me, and that includes Boba Fett. For all of you looking for Boba Fett, he doesn't put in an appearance in any of these three issues. But what you will find is some terrific artwork and some surprisingly relevant storylines. What Dark Horse has done here is take three entirely unrelated stories, involving bounty hunters everyone is somewhat familiar with from across the Star Wars timeline: Episode 1, the Classic Trilogy and the Expanded Universe. Like stories with strong ties to the films or other tales? Don't know which mini-series to pick up? Aren't ready to start collecting the ongoing series? Well these 3 comic book one-shots are perfect for you, and I promise they won't disappoint, they've all got that little something for everyone. Highly recommended.

"Aurra Sing" one-shot
Written & Illustrated by: Tim Truman
Color Rendering by: Dave McCaig
Lettering by: Michael Taylor
Cover Artist: Timothy Truman
Editor: Peet Janes

It's hard to miss this one on the comic book shelf; the stunning cover by Timothy Truman leaps right off the racks at you. Fresh from her brief appearance in "The Phantom Menace" and now guest-starring in the "Outlander" storyline in the ongoing Star Wars comic series, is Aurra Sing. She meets up with a potential client on the forest moon of Endor. A priestess of the Ffib, a religious sect, hires Aurra to track down a Twi'lek pirate and former Jedi Knight named Reess Kairn. The difficulty for Aurra is that Kairn has hired Shi'ido twins, shape-shifters, to simulate his appearance and aid in his disappearance. So Aurra tracks the three trails of Kairn across the galaxy to planets Hoth, Tatooine and Bespin. I was somewhat disappointed by these choice of planets. Why not somewhere we hadn't seen already in the movies, maybe a planet from the novels. But the truth is each planet was used well with some fun cameos by characters we are familiar with already: Wampas on Hoth; Wuher, the Cantina bartender, as a small child on Tatooine; Thranta riders in the skies above Bespin. Timothy Truman has written and drawn a beautiful story with some interesting twists and turns that readers will enjoy. When a creator like Timothy Truman is allowed to stretch his creative "legs" in both roles as writer and artist, its an effect that any comic reader will take notice of. The two arts work together seamlessly, something rarely found in the glut of products in comic book stores today. Familiar places, interesting characters and a story worthy of Star War. These one-shots start off with a bang.

"Scoundrel's Wages" one-shot
Written by: Mark Schulz
Pencilled by: Mel Rubi
Inked by: Andrew Pepoy
Colored by: Dan Jackson
Lettered by: Clem Robbins
Cover Artist: Marc Gabanna
Editor: Phillip D. Amara

Really beautiful, and misleading cover by Marc Gabanna. I knew this second issue of the Bounty Hunter one-shots was supposed to take place during the Classic Trilogy so looking at it while standing in my local comic shop I was understandably confused. We have what appears to be a bound and masked man, white shirt, black vest, low-slung pistol and black pants bearing Corellian Bloodstripes. Han Solo right? But he's surrounded by 4-LOM, Dengar and Bossk. When could this have happened during the original films? My confusion was cleared up by page two. It's Lando Calrissian (although in the actual story those Corellian Bloodstripes never show up) and he's out to smooth over relations between the Rebel alliance and Quaffug the Hutt. Unfortunately Quaffug and bounty hunters all bear Lando quite a bit of hostility for past gambling losses. So Lando is let loose, so the hunters can chase him, providing them with a little sport. But Mark Schulz has written a cute entertaining story here where Lando's luck holds out again and he stumbles across the Jokhalli, a warrior race with a penchant for gambling. A couple hours with them and he has them in his debt and marching back to Quaffug the Hutt to reclaim the Millennium Falcon. But the story doesn't end there. The Jokhalli aren't satisfied with simply capturing Quaffug. They want him dead. So Lando finds the tables turned and ends up defending the slimy Hutt gangster in a one-on-one battle with a Jokhalli warrior. Well we all know he must have won, he turned up alive in "Return of the Jedi." But how did he get on Jabba's crew as a Hutt Guardsman? To find out you'll have to pick up this issue and read the end to "Scoundrel's Wages." You'll enjoy Rubi and Pepoy's art, more of a classic comic book style, but works perfectly with the amusing story Schulz has concocted here for you to read. A solid story and good art, another home run for Dark Horse and their line of Star Wars comics.

"Kenix Kil" one-shot
Written by: Randy Stradley
Pencilled by: Javier Saltares
Inked by: Christopher Ivy
Colored by: Digital Broome
Lettering by: Amador Cisneros
Cover Artist: Doug Wheatley & Dave McCaig
Editor: Peet Janes

I thought this series of comics was going to be a downhill slope. With "Aurra Sing" at the top and this issue really hitting bottom. But once again I was pleasantly surprised at how this simple story, with some quality art, delivered everything I like in a Star Wars comic in all of its 22 pages. Kenix Kil, for those of you who missed the not-nearly-as-good Crimson Empire II, is an alias for Kir Kanos, the former Imperial Guard. This tale from the Expanded Universe actually takes place between the first and second Crimson Empire series. Kanos stops off for repairs on a backwater planet and discovers the Imperial planet he has landed on has a crime boss who keeps the locals in terror with his cadre of hunters. Kanos, still a loyal son of the Empire, adopts the Kenix Kil persona and starts throwing his weight around as a high profile bounty hunter. When he is approached by the local bounty hunters he offers them a target none of them can resist: Kir Kanos. Leading them all across the harshest country the planet has to offer, he finally reveals himself to them. Well, it's an all out brawl as these clearly overmatched bounty hunters fight for their lives against this former guardsman. Randy Stradley has done a fine job filling in some holes between the two series and answering a few questions raised in Crimson Empire II. One of which was "What the heck was that X-wing with the telescoping nose and three extra engines on the back?" That answer and more all printed here in the third and final, outstanding issue of Star Wars: Bounty Hunters.

(Chad Clark is an aspiring actor and fanatic devotee of Rogue Squadron. When he isn't practicing his heart-melting smile, he writes reviews of the comics he reads while basking in the California sunshine. His agent answers his fan mail at chad@echostation.com)

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