Carl Roberts 
Get up close and personal with the Bounty Hunters in Marc Sumerak’s outstanding book, Star Wars: The Secrets Of The Bounty Hunters
Are you ready to learn the Secrets of the Bounty Hunters? In the Star Wars universe, we have heroes, villains, droids, and many weird and wonderful creatures. But we all seem to have a keen eye for the bounty hunters we discover on our journies. From the legendary Jango and Boba Fett, Din Djarin, Cad Bane, Fennec Shand, and the rest, the galaxy is full to the brim with them. Some are fan favorites, others are glimpses and you’ll miss them. And some are just despicable scum that we come to hate.
These staples of movies, books, TV Series, and the like have all come together to appear in Marc Sumerak’s brilliant book, Star Wars: The Secrets Of The Bounty Hunters. With brilliant illustrations from Sergio Gomez Silvan to go alongside the text, we have a book that appeals to every fan. Whether they be young, old, or just casual fans of the characters we will encounter them throughout the pages. With foldouts and surprises along the way, the book is a wonderful addition to the Star Wars library.
HONDO OHNAKA
We start the book with an introduction from Hondo Ohnaka. Here, the sleazy, untrustworthy Hondo introduces us to what we will find inside the pages of the book. He, of course, does it in his usual self-centered way, telling the reader that he is innocent of everything he has ever been accused of. And his disbelief that he has a price on his head. We also are rewarded with a foldout copy of his Bounty Hunters Guild Membership card which has been revoked.
Hondo then explains the differences between Pirates, Mercenaries, Assassins, and Bounty Hunters in great detail. We are given the bounty hunter guild and code along with an explanation of what the Bounty Hunters Guild actually does. Alongside this explanation, we are rewarded with some incredible illustrations of some of our favorite characters that inhibit the bounty hunters’ world.
BOBA FETT, JANGO FETT, AND DIN DJARIN
We start, as we should, with the greatest bounty hunter of them all. The one character that fans across the world has come to love despite his villainous ways and methods. Boba Fett. Here, we will discover Hondo’s thoughts on Boba alongside a history of his life and career right up to the events of The Book Of Boba Fett. We are afforded the story of Boba’s syndicate, Krayt’s Claw, and its members. And we take a brief look at his ship, Slave-I (it’s named the Firespray here, but I refuse to call the ship by that name), and a look at his father, Jango Fett.
We come to Din Djarin. We are given the story of The Mandalorian and his exploits as well as a fold-out that features illustrations of his clan. And e also get to discover an in-depth look at Mandalorian Beskar armor which includes a look at the heavy infantry Mandalorian armor. For those of us that want to know what piece actually does what, it is an interesting and worthy look at what we see on screen.
THE IG-SERIES DROIDS
You didn’t think they would ignore the IG-Series Droids, did you? Of course, they haven’t. We are given a full rundown of the bounty-hunting droids that include IG-88 and IG-11. Both are given their chance to shine with personal biographies that include the truth about their eventual fates.
We also get to learn about their weapons of choice. Most fans will only know of the Blaster Rifle both carry on screen. But we are amazed to learn about the Snare Rifle, the Pulse Cannon, the Carbine Rifle, and other weapons that the IG series carried during their days. The information we are handed is superb.
CAD BANE
No look at the bounty hunters would be complete without a look at the evil Cad Bane. As we know, Bane stepped into the void left by Jango Fett’s demise and betrayed young Boba Fett when he had the chance. Boba would ultimately gain his revenge later down the line. But not before Bane became one of the most fearsome bounty hunters in the galaxy. We are given the full biography of the character here. And despite his appearance and his nefarious ways, it is like meeting an old friend once more.
Bane’s personal techno-service droid, TODO 360 is also on hand here. Again, we are given the droid’s biography as well as the tale of his destruction before being rebuilt. But by far, the most interesting thing outside of Bane’s story is a look at his crew. We get a brief description of those who foolishly decided to join Bane in his quests. Characters such as Robonino, Twazzi, and Vorhdelio are here for us to discover once again.
There are, of course, other bounty hunters who make appearances in the book. But to reveal more would ruin the surprise and the enjoyment for the reader. Rest assured though, there are many old favorites to be reunited with along the way. And the surprises keep on coming throughout.
CONCLUSION
The Secrets of the Bounty Hunters is seemingly aimed at young children but I had a blast with it from the first page to the last. Some of the characters we know of or have heard of. But some, we find ourselves meeting for the very first time. These characters are ones from the expanded universe, video games, and comic books. But they are welcome additions to the characters we know and love. Their inclusion elevates the book into something that will bring joy to everyone who reads it.
The illustrations from Sergio Gomez Silvan are inspired pieces. The foldout of the Mandalorians would look great on a canvas and hung in a living room, study, or dedicated room. Yes, they are that good. The text from Marc Sumerak is rich and informative as well as humorously entertaining. We can actually imagine Hondo speaking the words that litter the pages. And makes the book completely fun. Do yourself a favor. Grab your equipment and hunt out a copy for your collection. And remember, This Is The Way!
Star Wars: The Secrets Of The Bounty Hunters is published by Titan Books and is available to buy now!
Carl Roberts is the News Editor for The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
