- "We've managed to keep Valance alive this long, so hopefully he'll make it through his last adventure."
- ―Ethan Sacks
Bounty Hunters 42 is the forty-second and final issue of the 2020 canon comic book series Star Wars: Bounty Hunters. The issue was written by Ethan Sacks, illustrated by Jethro Morales, Paolo Villanelli, and Arif Prianto, and published by Marvel Comics on January 17, 2024.
Publisher's summary[]
THE EXPLOSIVE END OF THE SAGA! VALANCE THE BOUNTY HUNTER has one final mission to complete…and it may indeed be his LAST! Can he and the crew fight their way past BOBA FETT…and JABBA's SECRET WEAPON? The GRAND FINALE of the series that's four years in the making!
Plot summary[]
| THE SECRET WEAPON |
|---|
Development[]
Teases and later clarifications[]
While developing the comic, writer Ethan Sacks asked Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm for specific things.[5] The first was for the issue to be longer, meaning it would need two artists—the first being Jethro Morales[6]—and the second being the returning Paolo Villanelli, whose return was also his second request.[7] Villanelli was happy to return to the series to aid in bringing a story he helped start to the finish line.[8] Part of what Villanelli drew was the comic's ending. Sacks also had a third request:[9] he wanted a chance to write a comic about the bounty hunter Jango Fett[10] and said as such when asked what he wanted his next project to be. The request was quickly green-lit, leading to the 2024[11] comic miniseries Star Wars: Jango Fett[12] by Sacks with art by Luke Ross.[11]
At New York Comic Con 2023, it was revealed that issue 42 would be the final of the series,[5] with Sacks claiming it would feature Beilert Valance's "last adventure."[4] Stating it was a "true story," Sacks claimed in a Tweet on October 20, 2023, that he had happy endings prepared for the issue but abandoned them when Villanelli returned, instead adopting what he called "Plan B."[13] However, after the comic's release and the endings for most characters indeed being positive, Sacks revealed the Villanelli part of the Tweet had been a joke: the happy endings half of the Tweet had been the "true story" all along.[14] Indeed, Valance's ending had been planned by Sacks from the start, with the only question being who he would reach out to.[15] At first, all Sacks was certain of was that it would not be his former love Yuralla Vega because she had moved on from their relationship. According to Sacks, the ending sees Valance having finally found worth in his own being[16] and having become the person Nakano Lash saw in him.[17]
Via his Twitter account on June 28, 2023, in what would be the first public reference to issue 42, Sacks teased the comic could address the fates of the characters Dengar and Manaroo, thereby explaining why Dengar was still working as a bounty hunter into the New Republic Era despite his plans to quit and also explaining Manaroo's absence in The Aftermath Trilogy.[3] In the final issue, Manaroo is shown to have grown annoyed with Dengar's attitude and actions.[18] When asked by a fan if the issue was teasing Manaroo soon breaking off her relationship with Dengar, Sacks responded "a lot of seeds [had been] planted for some bitter fruit for the lug!"[19] Issue 42 also sees a mention of Droopy McCool as a gift for Tommy Stella,[20] Sacks's, in Stella's words, "Droopy muse."[21]
Post-release discussion[]
- "But most of all, thank you. Whether this is your first BOUNTY HUNTERS comic or you are a card-carrying member of #ValanceNation who endured years of perpetual heartbreak and occasional smiles, this series couldn't have made it without the support of the fans…"
- ―Ethan Sacks
The day of release, Villanelli shared line art from the issue[8] and expressed hope to one day return to drawing the Bounty Hunters cast.[23] In a Quote Tweet[24] and Twitter thread,[25] Sacks thanked Villanelli for his help in telling the story.[24] He further thanked many others who had helped him in writing the series, including every artist who had worked on the series interiors[26] and covers,[27] colorist Arif Prianto,[28] letterer Travis Lanham,[27] and his editors.[29] Most of all, Sacks wanted to thank fans of Bounty Hunters.[22]
Media[]
Cover gallery[]
Appearances[]
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Organisms
Droid models
Events
|
Locations
|
Organizations and titles
|
Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
Weapons and technology
|
Miscellanea
|
Collections[]
Sources[]
Catch Up on All of Marvel's 'Star Wars' News from New York Comic Con 2023 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)- Dark Droids: D-Squad 4
"Sacks Appeal" — Star Wars Insider 224
Notes and references[]
|
External links[]
- Star Wars: Bounty Hunters (2020) #42 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
Bounty Hunters 42 on the Aurebesh Wiki
