Star Wars has just teased the various characters who will be hunting Boba Fett and Han Solo in the upcoming War of the Bounty Hunters event. The site announced that, in celebration of the upcoming series, new covers will be released every day on the Star Wars website. War of the Bounty Hunters begins May 2021 and will encompass all current Star Wars comic titles.
Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, War of the Bounty Hunters chronicles Boba Fett’s struggle to deliver the frozen-in-carbonite Han Solo to his employer, Jabba the Hutt. Writer Charles Soule expressed his reasons for creating the story. “Boba Fett clearly doesn’t take Han Solo directly to Jabba’s palace…something had to happen between [Empire and Jedi].” That event will be revealed in May, but cover art for various issues has been released now—and they tell readers exactly who will be hunting down Solo.
Covers revealed on Starwars.com hint at three major characters will be among potentially many hunting for the smuggler along with Boba Fett. The lineup includes: Doctor Aphra, a fan-favorite character of Star Wars: Darth Vader fame, Princess Leia, and bounty hunter Beilert Valance. Valance is notable for being one of the first Star Wars Expanded Universe characters, appearing in a Marvel Star Wars comic in 1978—even before Empire was released in theaters in 1980.
The official Star Wars website is dedicating an entire week to the event as well. In addition to new variant covers by artist Giuseppe Camuncoli posted each day, there are also sneak peaks and special materials. The site has also provided a preview of the first pages of Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #14 by writer Ethan Sacks and artist Paolo Villanelli. Artist Steve McNiven is also offering a behind-the-scenes look at sketches and artwork for Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha, which kicks off the crossover event.
The inclusion of Doctor Aphra along with Beilert Valance suggests that War of the Bounty Hunters will combine both old characters and new to create a memorable story that bridges the gap between the two Star Wars eras, much like the event bridges the gap between two of the Original Trilogy films. Charles Soule clearly has a roadmap in mind for where the event will take Boba Fett (and Han Solo). Readers will see for themselves when the War of the Bounty Hunters event begins May 2021.
