Boba Fett didn't take Han Solo's frozen-in-carbonite body directly from Cloud City on Bespin to Jabba the Hut's palace on Tatooine. And for the first time, Marvel Comics will tell the story of what he did do in the 'War of the Bounty Hunters,' a six-month crossover event in its Star Wars comic book line, which as a reminder, is considered official Star Wars canon.
"Something had to happen in between that intervening time between Empire and Jedi. And I was like, 'I would like to tell that story, and I would like it to be about Boba Fett and what happens to him,'" explains writer Charles Soule in an official announcement.
The series and its crossover issue will reveal "what Fett experienced on his journey to deliver Solo."
Debuting in May and running through October, the storyline kicks off with War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha #1 by Soule and artist Steve McNiven on May 5, and then spins out into Marvel’s post-Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back line, including Star Wars, Bounty Hunters, Darth Vader, and Doctor Aphra. The five-issue War of the Bounty Hunters limited series from Soule and artist Luke Ross - the anchor series of the event - begins in June.
Check out a preview below in our gallery and stay tuned for more details:
"The main story that we’re dealing with is a Boba Fett-focused crime epic, that involves Boba Fett going up against some of the heaviest hitters in the galaxy," reveals Soule. "It's Jabba the Hutt. It's Black Sun. It's Darth Vader. And a bunch of others — factions and so on — that I think will be really interesting for the fans. It's basically Boba Fett, by himself, against all of these people."
The why of it all is unrevealed until now, Fett loses possession of Solo along the way.
"And he is going to do everything he can to get him back, no matter what. No matter who is standing in his way," says Soule.
Soule is credited with pitching the storyline but cites the other creators being involved - including writers Greg Pak (Darth Vader), Alyssa Wong (Doctor Aphra), and Ethan Sacks (Bounty Hunters) - as part of a collaborative process. ,
"My co-writers on this story, and all of the great artists that we're working with, it's a fantastic team," he adds. "This might've come from my brain to a degree, but we're all adding things to it, and we're all adding really interesting things to it."
"Everybody's getting to tell their own story within this over-arching plot of Boba Fett trying to get what’s his."
Marvel and Starwars.com are calling this the biggest Star Wars story Marvel Comics has ever told and Soule promises it will have an impact.
"War of the Bounty Hunters is a story about Boba Fett doing his thing, but it builds into something much bigger, and that’s what the best comic crossovers and big stories do," Soule concludes. "They tell a great story in and of themselves, but they're also the start of something, and they open a lot of new doors. And this story will absolutely do that."
"I remember the chill that ran down my spine when I saw Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for the first time and the bounty hunters all came on screen. They only appeared for a split second but left a lasting impact. And it's a dream come true we can bring them all to life again, and pit them against each other, in Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters, our first big galaxy-spanning crossover of the post-ESB era," Marvel editor-in-chief CB Cebulski adds in Marvel's version of the announcement.
"Bossk, Dengar, 4-LOM, IG-88... all hot on the trail of Boba Fett, looking to score the biggest bounty out there... Han Solo!"
Marvel has also released covers from May's crossover issues, which are all preludes to the main story.
Check out all the upcoming new Star Wars comics... and remember, they're canon!
