Monday, December 04, 2017

Star Wars: Boba Fett -- Enemy of the Empire by John Wagner and others

(1997, 1999: graphic novel, collects issues 1-4 of Enemy and issue 1/2 of the Wizard Magazine comic book Star Wars: Boba Fett – Salvage. Published by Dark Horse comics.)

From the back cover

"Before the events of A New Hope, Darth Vader employs Boba Fett, on a mission to discover and bring to Vader a single small box, the contents of which could change the fate of the galaxy. But there's a catch: Vader trusts no one, and the truth of the box's mystery is too important to allow the bounty hunter to live! When Fett retrieves the prize, he finds himself the target of more of Vader's thralls. Also includes the hard-to-find 1997 Wizard magazine exclusive, Boba Fett #1/2."



Review


Enemy is a fun, darker-than-usual Star Wars tale, filled with treachery, death and ambitious killers, as well the Brothers of the Ancient Order of Pessimists, whose fearful existence provides tone-appropriate laughter.


Enemy “takes place three years before the Battle of Yavin, as seen in Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope, 1977).” If one does not take it too seriously, it is a good, light ride with decent artwork that adds a little backstory to the Vader-Fett aspects of Star Wars.


Enemy’s companion piece, Salvage, tells the story of Fett investigating a possibly-abandoned ship, Mingula, for parts and bounty. When the biology-based horror of Mingula is revealed, Fett must fight his way off the ship – without bringing that insidious infection aboard Slave 1 (Fett’s ship). Like Enemy, Salvage is a solid (if generic tale structure) ride: it even sports the same end-twist as Enemy. This graphic novel is worth owning as long as one does not mind light characterization or oft-used storylines.



No comments: