The Hunger and the Dusk #1: I was pretty easily sold on this series, given I enjoyed Wilson's run on "Ms. Marvel" and I enjoy fantasy. I wasn't disappointed.
We're introduced to the Hunger when two human boys, Will and Rolly, see three orcs on horseback in the hills of the Vanishing Lands and run to warn Will's father. Meanwhile, the orcs discuss how the fertile valley will please their Overlord. We learn the Northern Pastures are dying, forcing the orcs into the human's land. Suddenly, one of the orcs smells smoke coming from the beach where their party landed. The orcs prepare for battle, but they're all decapitated in seconds.
In the town, the occupants prepare for battle. Someone expresses surprise that the orcs are this far South, but Rolly's dad explains that their lands are dying just like the townspeople's. However, it isn't the orcs who appear: it's The Ones Who Left, who come from "the West." We fastforward to a wounded Will wandering the burning town looking for his dad or Rolly. It's...a lot.
Six months later, The Ones Who Left, or the Vangols as they seem more properly called, have continued attacking, enough to force a truce between the humans and the orcs. Callum Battle-Child and his company, the Last Men Standing, arrive at the Standing Stones, which are on the border between human and orc lands. His friend, Sev the bard, wonders why the clerics invited the "smallest, poorest fighting company in all the land" to come. We eventually that Callum once impressed Overlord Troth when, at 19, he fought off Troth's men until the Last Men reached safety. The cleric notes orcs value valor, but Callum wonders if it was valor or stupidity.
Meanwhile, the orcs approach and we learn that Troth is going to give his cousin, Gruakhtar (a.k.a. Tara) Icemane, to Callum as she's a great healer. Troth tells her that he'll come rescue her if she needs it, though she notes he'll be busy getting married. As they arrive at the Stones, he ponders if their children will "come to know this as the place where peace was born." Tara archly asks, "our children?", and Troth comments, "...you know what I mean," showing something between them.
After Troth arrives, Callum explains that he's just a farmer's bastard son and the Last Men are poor. As expected, Troth says that he protected his people at the possible cost of his own life, making him the type of man he can trust. They head to the stones, and Callum meets Tara, foreshadowing with the comment, "Feels almost like a wedding," which doesn't impress her.
Surprising everyone, the Vangols interrupt the meeting after the cleric delivers his speech, and Tara expresses shock they're so far inland. Troth sees Tara in trouble, and Callum saves her, only to get stabbed. Tara heals him instantly, helping him kill the Vangol. Callum is stunned he's healed, and Tara tells him that she studied the "old ways" on the Silent Shore. She invites him to call her Tara and makes him laugh, showing something between them. (A love triangle!)
Ominously, the narrator (who may be Troth) comments, "They come out of the dusk. They came with their terrible hunger to swallow the Vanishing Lands. And we could never have imagined what lay in store for us."
In other words, it's fucking great. The characterization is clear, the dialogue is sharp, the plot is grand: I'm totally happy here.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #36: As mentioned last issue, Boba Fett's addition to the series has amped it up a notch. Khel also adds a fun factor, while Catak, Deathstick, and Durge serve mostly as...well...whatever the opposite of cannon fodder is.
At any rate, Boba Fett has T'onga pretend to deliver him to Lord Xanak Grunseit, a Black Sun scion who's unable to challenge his cousin for the throne due to a hit the Hutts put on him. Figuring the Hutts hired Boba Fett to carry out the hit, Xanak believes he's free to challenge his cousin now that T'onga and her crew deliver on the bounty he put on Boba Fett. (I'm not sure Xanak appreciates the Hutts' full stable of assassins but sure.) Of course, Xanak double crosses T'onga and her crew, but Boba Fett reveals he's really working for Xanak's cousin and kills Xanak. With Boba Fett's bounty secured, Boba Fett and T'onga's crew take out the rest of the Black Sun soldiers. Good to his word, Boba Fett gives T'onga the name of a cyborg fixer his father recommended named Kligson.
Again, this series is finding its footing. After way too many issues with too many dueling subplots, the focus (mostly) on one story really makes the series feel fresh.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #36: I'm guessing this issue kicks off the "Dark Droid" event as a droid named Ought-Six of the Droid Crush of Bestoon gathers droids Darth Vader has killed.
Figuring their databanks contain enough data about Vader to defeat him, Ought-Six assembles droids like Gee-Ninety, Zed, and, of course, Triple-Zero and Beetee-One. Somehow, the droids know all about Vader heading to secure the Zaly shield (as seen last issue) and that he's still sufficiently weak to make a good target. When Zed mentions the shield is made of kyberite, Triple-Zero recalls that Vader killed him and Beetee-One at a "massive confessional built of pure kyberite." The droids build their own kyberite shields, buying Arex enough time to commune with the parts of his body Vader used to rebuild himself. (Man, we could use some editor's notes here.)
Of course, Vader instead uses his connection with Arex to control him, and Zed reveals that he's been working for Vader all this time to lead the droids to slaughter. I don't know when or how Vader decided he needed to take out all these droids but bygones. Aphra leaves, possibly with Triple-Zero and Beetee-One, and Vader has Zed rebuild all the droids, creating his own Droid Crush.
Again, this issue mostly feels like it's just setting up "Dark Droids," but it also brings some fun and humor to this series for the first time, which I fully support.
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