Star Wars (2020) #13 - Comic Review

Check out the review of the previous issue before moving onto my review for Star Wars (2020) #13!

It’s the prelude to War of the Bounty Hunters! Here in Star Wars (2020) #13 we find Luke practicing his Jedi skills as he awaits any information about his friend Han Solo, who has recently been frozen in carbonite and being held captive by the dangerous bounty hunter Boba Fett! His training is interrupted by Threepio who claims Artoo has information about the planet where he got his newly acquired lightsaber. Before he can discuss this with Artoo, however, Chewbacca interrupts with pertinent news: Boba Fett may have been sighted on Nar Shaddaa! The four of them hop in the Millennium Falcon and make a trip out to the planet controlled by the Hutts and meet Chewie’s contact. Fans of the film Solo: A Star Wars Story might recognize this contact, a fellow Wookie named Sagwa, one whom Chewie helped free from enslavement in the spice mines of Kessel. Sagwa tells them of a fighter that resembles Fett recently entered into a fighting tournament and won the whole event. They go to find out more information about this fighting champion, but unfortunately for them they aren’t the only ones looking for Fett, as shortly after arriving at the front gates of the arena the members of the Kanji Criminal Enterprise appear. They’re also looking for Fett and they aren’t going to walk away without some answers!

Writer Charles Soule wonderfully pens Star Wars (2020) #13 to follow up almost directly with his War of the Bounty Hunters: Alpha one shot. He brings in enough fun and flavor from that issue to make the tie in aspects a lot of fun, but also writes it in a way that’s completely accessible if only reading the Star Wars (2020) series. His humor is on point here, especially through the lense of C-3PO, who had me laughing almost every other page. Soule also wrote enough mystery and intrigue to keep the story on it’s toes until the finale, which gives a big hook to lead into the future War of the Bounty Hunters event! It was also a lot of fun seeing Sagwa and how he has fared since the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story and a nice throwback to a great film!

The artwork here is a lot of fun from artist Ramon Rosanas and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg. The opening training sequence is exciting and intense, full of wonderfully realized flips and slices of lightsaber. The streets, alleyways, and vehicles throughout Nar Shaddaa are gorgeous and incredibly detailed as Rosanas and Rosenberg really set the planet as its own visually unique location. Letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles gets the chance to show off some incredible work here as most of the pages are full of various action sequences that allow Cowles to really pull out all the stops when lettering sound effects.

Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, and Rain Beredo here have also created one fantastic and inviting cover piece that feels like classic Star Wars excitement! There’s enough shadow and mystery on the cover to keep you curious, while the cast of characters and readying stances from our heroes let you know this is going to be an action packed blast! There’s also a whole slew of variant covers to hype up the coming War of the Bounty Hunters event done by artists such as Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, and Rain Beredo; Terry Dodson and Rachel Dodson; John Tyler Christopher; and Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, and Neeraj Menon!

You don’t want to miss Star Wars (2020) #13 as Luke, Chewie, and friends stumble head first into an angry criminal group occupying Nar Shaddaa as they continue their journey to find Boba Fett and Han Solo! Jump into your YT-series light freighter and fly on down to your local comic or book store to pick up this War of the Bounty Hunters Prelude today!