Bounty is the story of sisters Nina and Georgie who, years ago, were the most wanted criminals in the galaxy. Now, they find themselves on the other side of the law, scraping by as bounty hunters. It’s no secret that Bounty writer Kurtis Wiebe is a giant nerd and an RPG aficionado. As his series, Rat Queens, is a love letter to Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy RPGs, Bounty feels the same for many a science fiction tabletop RPG, like Shadowrun and Wiebe’s own system, Gadfly, as well as ’90s Anime including Outlaw Star and Cowboy Bebop.
This first issue is light on actual plot, instead focusing its pages on character introductions. White-haired Nina serves as the muscle of the Mister Sister, their starship, and is as reckless and prone to causing collateral damage as she is strong. Gorgeous Georgie serves as the crew’s brains and face, setting up the jobs and coming up with a plan to catch a mark. Alan, Georgie’s husband, serves as Nina’s “sidekick” in the field, much to his chagrin. And Vivian is their hacker/decker/slicer, great with computers and navigating the cyberworld.
The setting of Bounty is both familiar and very different, borrowing ideas from across sci-fi. Interestingly enough, there is a certain celebrity status among bounty hunters, with our “in the field” hunters adopting code names and colorful armor reminiscent of superheroes, to the point that members of the crowd cheer when they see Nina in her “Redhawk” persona come into an area after a bounty. Vivian’s domain, the cyberworld, is mysterious with fully realized avatars duking it out and seemingly a whole other world layered over ours. Technology-wise, all of the classics are present. High-tech armor, energy weapons, even devices that are a lot like our modern-day smart phones. Bounty doesn’t take any time to explain how this universe works or the state of its politics or stellar cartography, or existence or absence of aliens and robots. Instead, it dives right into the action.
Which is sweet as can be. If there’s one thing Bounty has going for it, it’s a fast pace and an introductory issue filled with clever and fun action scenes that artfully supplement the story. Wiebe’s dialogue is spot on and sharp throughout, and the art of Mindy Lee and Leonardo Olea is a perfect fit, hitting that sweet spot of anime-inspired style and presenting a colorful world for Nina, Georgie, and the gang to inhabit.
Join Georgie and Nina on their adventures starting on Wednesday, July 6th, when Bounty #1 will be in stores.
4 Fully-Fueled Jetboots out of 5
