Episode #379 -- Bounty Hunters Post-Mortem With Ethan Sacks

Bounty Hunters ended on Jan. 17 with issue #42. It Marked more than four years of stories in the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars galaxy and all of them were written by Ethan Sacks, from the first preview in Empire Ascendent back in December 2019 to the final issue of the series.

We broke down how the series came about, its high (and low) points and how Sacks and Paolo Villanelli (artist on 31 issues) worked in lockstep to elevate Beilert Valance and the bounty-hunting crew to an elevated status in Star Wars as a whole, not to mention the fan base -- Valance Nation -- that was with them every step of the way.

We also learned some interesting tidbits about the series and roads not taken, including a scuppered series that would have seen Valance leading an Imperial TIE squadron (thanks, pandemic.)

Comics Discussed This Week:

• Bounty Hunters. All of them.

Star Wars Comics New to Marvel Unlimited This Week:

• Dark Droids #3 (of 5)
• The Mandalorian Season 2 #2 (of 8)

News:

• Bounty Hunters has ended. Jango Fett is set to launch in March.

Upcoming Star Wars comics, graphic novels and omnibuses:

Jan. 24 _ Thrawn Alliances #1, The High Republic Adventures Phase III #2

Jan. 30 _ Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Menace Revealed, Vol. 4 (Collects The Bounty Hunters - Aurra Sing 1; Star Wars: Starfighter - Crossbones 1-3; Free Comic Book Day 2002: Star Wars 1; Star Wars: Republic 46-48; Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones 1-4; Star Wars: Hasbro/Toys ‘R’ Us Exclusive 1-4 and material from Dark Horse Extra 44-47; Star Wars Tales 2, 7, 14, 18, 20, 24)

Jan. 31 _ Doctor Aphra #40

Feb. 7 _ Mace Windu #1, Obi-Wan Kenobi #5

Feb. 14 _ Darth Vader #43, The High Republic Adventures Phase III #3

Feb. 21 _ Star Wars #43


Feb. 27 _ Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: Rise of the Sith, Vol. 1 NEW PRINTING (Jedi - The Dark Side 1-5, Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan: The Aurorient Express 1-2, Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan - Last Stand on Ord Mantell 1-3, Jedi Council - Acts of War 1-4 and material from Star Wars (1998) 4-6, Star Wars Tales 1-3, 5, 7, 9-10, 13-14 and 24)

Feb. 28 _ Thrawn Alliances #2, Star Wars: Visions Takashi Okazaki #1, The High Republic Phase III #4

March 5 _ Star Wars (Vol. 3), Vol. 7 (Collects 37-41), Dark Droids: D-Squad TPB (Collects 1-4)

March 6 _ Star Wars #44, The High Republic Phase III #5

March 13 _ The High Republic Adventures Phase III #4, Darth Vader #44, Mace Windu #2 (of 4)

March 19 _ Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire, Vol. 1 NEW PRINTING (Collects Republic 78-80, Purge, Purge - Seconds to Die, Purge - The Hidden Blade one-shots, Purge - The Tyrant’s Fist 1-2, Darth Vader and the Lost Command 1-5 and Dark Times 1-5)
March 20 _ Jango Fett #1, The High Republic Adventures -- Crash Landing One-Shot, Thrawn: Alliances #3 (of 4)

March 26 _ Dark Droids TPB (Collects 1-5)

March 27 _ Obi-Wan Kenobi Adaptation #6 (of 6)

April 3 _ Star Wars #45, The High Republic Phase III #6

April 9 _ Darth Vader (Vol. 3) Vol. 8 TPB (Collects 37-41), The Mandalorian Season 2, Part II TPB (Collects 5-8)

April 10 _ The High Republic -- Saber for Hire #1 (of 4)

April 16 _ Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The New Republic, Vol. 1 NEW PRINTING (Collects Mara Jade - By the Emperor’s Hand 0-6, Shadows of the Empire - Evolution 1-5, The Jabba Tape, Boba Fett - Twin Engines of Destruction and material from Star Wars Tales 1, 3-5, 10, 14-15, 20 and 22); Bounty Hunters Vol. 7 TPB “Dark Droids” (Collects 35-42)

April 17 _ The High Republic Adventures Phase III #5

April 23 _ Star Wars by Gillen & Pak Omnibus (Collects Star Wars (2015) 38-75, Star Wars Annual 4, Star Wars: Empire...