The upcoming comic event "War of the Bounty Hunters" is about to take over Marvel's Star Wars, and it's just been revealed that not only will this be instigated by ruthless crime lord Jabba the Hutt, but he'll be taking a direct hand in his own one-shot tie-in comic. While the event is currently being set in motion, it seems that Jabba will be getting the spotlight he deserves.
Set after The Empire Strikes Back and before Return of the Jedi, bounty hunters Dengar and Beilert Valance are searching for the captured Han Solo. Multiple bounty hunters are going after the legendary Boba Fett, as he is in the process of delivering Han’s frozen carbonite body for a huge reward. Each bounty hunter has their own unique motivation, but the approaching event ties back to Jabba the Hutt, who ordered the bounty in the first place and has a vested interest in the skirmish he's inspired.
It has been revealed that the frozen body of Han Solo is going to be stolen prior to the events of Return of the Jedi, when Leia eventually rescues him at Jabba’s Palace. Of course, this implies that Jabba’s most trusted and reputable right-hand bounty hunter Boba Fett has failed him, despite the initial intention of the original trilogy, which implies him as being successful in his mission. Jabba's comic will explore the gangster's reaction to this failure, with unseen moments which have the potential to shape larger Star Wars lore. StarWars.com revealed that Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters - Jabba the Hutt #1 will be written by Justina Ireland with art by Luca Pizzari, along with a cover by Mahmud Asrar and a variant cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli, which can both be seen below along with the issue's summary:
JABBA NEVER FORGIVES! JABBA NEVER FORGETS! JABBA THE HUTT is one of the most powerful and ruthless gangsters in the galaxy—and BOBA FETT, his most trusted bounty hunter, has failed him. How will Jabba deal with betrayal? VIOLENTLY. And what does this have to do with a bounty hunter with ties to the HIGH REPUBLIC?
"War of the Bounty Hunters" will see some of Star Wars most legendary killers square off, and it's clear that it will reshape relationships that fans weren't aware changed between movies. Boba Fett will need to earn back the crime boss' allegiance, while bounty hunters with less presence in the movie canon risk being taken down for good. Obviously, fans know that Han's body will inevitably return to Jabba's Palace, as that's where this premise is leading, but this leaves the event free to explore the twists and turns of how it gets there, as well as the bodies left in its wake. Despite his grotesque appearance, Jabba the Hutt is a deadly gangster, so his involvement is likely to give fans direct experience of the tactical judgment and instinctual evil that saw him reach a position of such power in the Star Wars universe.
With bounty hunters like Beilert Valance and Dengar out to retrieve Han Solo, it’s possible this event is heading for some significant events in the unseen continuity between movies. If Boba is going to win back Jabba’s favor, he might have to be the one who takes the rival bounty hunters down. The crossover event officially kicks off in May, while Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters — Jabba the Hutt #1 is set to release in July.
Source: StarWars.com