In Review: Star Wars: Bounty Hunters (2020-) #4

Synopsis: THE SINS THAT CAN’T BE ABSOLVED! With a blaster aimed at this back, cyborg bounty hunter VALANCE closes in on NAKANO LASH, the mentor who abandoned him many years ago. But what is the secret that Lash has been hiding ever since that fateful, doomed mission — one that led her to betray her entire crew? Those answers may die with her if a vengeful BOBA FETT gets to her first.

The Story

The race to find and kill Nakano Lash continues and this issue sees Valance team up with T’onga who has a score of her own to settle with Lash. Not entirely trusting Valance T’onga insists that he wears a restraining bolt as the two Bounty Hunters follow Lash to a planet called Ruusan.

Meanwhile on Ruusan. Nakano Lash is making up for past transgressions by trying to protect a young girl that has blood from the two most notorious Spice dealing crime factions.

The Artwork

Paolo Villanelli puts some great pages together for this issue as we finally see Valance and T’onga reunited with their former leader Nakano Lash. The panels that appear just before that meeting in which Valance and T’onga have to fight their way past a rather nasty looking monster is absolutely brilliant to the point where you can feel every blow that is dealt out in the fight. We also get a really dramatic shot of Boba Fett on the final page.

Overall

Ethan Sacks continues to deliver the goods with the rough and ready group of characters from the edgier parts of the Star Wars universe. Valance continues to an interesting character who is very much another Star Wars version of the mysterious stranger archetype. Much like Mando from The Mandalorian. Valance will make alliances when they serve his interest and the team up with T’onga makes for an interesting if somewhat short-lived dynamic.

The eventual reunion between Valance, T’onga, and Lash comes with a rather enjoyable twist. The only question is. Will Boba Fett allow Lash the time to explain her plans.