The covers: Four covers to pick up if you’re a fan of the cinema’s most famous bounty hunter. The Regular cover is by Terry and Rachel Dodson and it’s set up in the same striking style as their previous covers on this run and the Age of Republic series. Boba Fett stands with his hands folded over one another before him with his gun cradled in his right arm. His cape is slightly billowing out and he stands before this yellow and green logo. Seriously, how could anyone say no to a cover by the Dodsons? The Concept Design Variant by Ralph McQuarrie is image I’ve seen before, but not this large. The reader is looking down at the Mandalorian’s helmet as he looks to the left. He looks more like a stormtrooper in this snow white version. Cool, but I’m so much happier with the screen version. The Photo Variant has an iconic scene from The Empire Strikes Back featuring Jeremy Bulloch. Fett watches carefully as Han Solo is placed into carbonite in Episode V. There’s a lot of smoke in this image, making the character difficult to make out. I can’t believe out of all the photographs of this fan favorite, this is the one that was chosen. The Puzzle Piece Variant cover by Mike McKone & Guru-eFX continue with their superior Puzzle Variant covers. Boba holds his rifle up high to his left as he stares down at the reader. Behind him is a red background that has his own Slave I barely seen, while A-wings fly from the upper left to the bottom center and a pair of Imperial Shuttles zip through the center, right to left. Overall grades: Regular A, Concept Design Variant B+, Photo Variant C+, and Puzzle Variant A
The story: On Carajam in the Outer Rim, Zingo the bounty hunter is about to capture, or kill, a mark in the desert, but in the distance a rider is seen approaching. The captured woman asks, “Is that–” and Zingo responds, “Yeah.” Running off the woman laughs insanely, knowing that Zingo has got a big problem. Turfitch, Zingo’s partner, says they need to run, too, but Zingo says they need to fight. As the pair stand still, Boba rides by on this mechanical mount, a dead body of a Rebel pilot is flopped over the metal creature. Zingo realizes, “…He ain’t coming for us unless he’s paid.” Greg Pak sets up this pair of supporting characters and the lead well, moving next into town where Fett collects his bounty for the dead man. While there he looks for another mark to make some money and comes up with a surprising discovery. Though only in the three panels at the bottom of Page 5, there’s a character that’s stupid, hilarious, and lucky. The story then move to his newest prey, where harsh actions are taken on 7. The turnabout on 9 is spot on gangster, with the expected, but enjoyable result. A new location is ventured into on 11, with several new characters in a tight spot. The action that follows is good, with the dialogue excellent. Oh, and about dialogue, Fett doesn’t speak until the last two panels of the issue. He just exudes cool and killer throughout this book. There’s a neat twist in the story on 17 that follows through to the end of this issue, with Pak again putting in a twist. It’s fun. If Boba were ever to have his own series, I’d like to see Pak writing it. Overall grade: A
The art: If Boba Fett is the lead character I expect some intense visuals. The silent stance of the character would have to create a threatening tone for the reader. Marc Laming definitely accomplishes this. I like that Zingo, the dominant character on the first page, isn’t clearly seen until the third panel. Boba’s first appearance is from a distance, much like a rider coming in from afar, very Lawrence of Arabia. The second page is a great full-paged splash of Fett on his mount with his prey. It that doesn’t create a tone for the reader nothing will! The cantina that Fett enters is much more lush than the familiar one on Tatooine and it’s peopled with several familiar faces. There are several panels where Laming moves in tight to Fett’s helmet so that the individual he’s looking upon can be reflected on his visor. It’s neat, but it does seem overplayed. The action in the fourth panel on Page 7 is excellent. I can’t give enough praise to Laming for the incredible details he puts into characters’ clothes, with Zingo’s wrap amazing. Page 11 is silent, save one word at the end, allowing Laming to tell the story with only his art and he does a bang-up job; I really like the second panel’s point of view. The kick on 13 is outstanding and the small panel that ends the page will have fans screaming. The action on 14 and 15 is explosive and I was once again taken with the incredible amount of detail Laming is putting into every panel. A new character enters the story on 18 and I would love to see more of this individual. The final page is a full-paged splash that beautifully ends the issue, giving the reader exactly what they want, while completing this tale. Yeah, I’d like to see Laming illustrate a Boba series. Overall grade: A
The colors: This story is set on a desert world. Unless the colorist wants to go for neon strangeness, the story is going to demand a lot of yellow, orange, and brown. I was impressed that Neeraj Menon does so much more than that for this environment and this series. Yellow and gold do comprise the opening setting, but look at all the terrific work he does with characters in the shade, trying to protect themselves from the sun. Dust is kicked up often and the coloring makes it very realistic. Boba’s greens stand out on Page 2, as does the orange clothing on the dead man. I like the violets used for the dark interiors of the cantina, which give the blues on the owner a sinister touch. Sounds get some strong colors, such as the many blaster sounds. The oranges and yellows that dominate the climax are epic. There are also some holograms that get some neat shades. Uh…can I add Menon to this Fett series I’m wanting? Overall grade: A
The letters: VC’s Travis Lanham is the letterer on this book, creating scene settings, dialogue, sounds, weakened speech, yells, and some Aurebesh. I really like the scene settings on this book and would like to see them applied to all Star Wars titles. The dialogue is not as willowy as other Star Wars titles, with characters getting thicker and larger letters for stress and yells. There are quite a few sounds, with a wide variety of cool blaster sounds. I’m liking Lanham’s work, too! Overall grade: A
The final line: A very enjoyable tale of Boba after a mark. There are several incredibly fun moments with Fett just flat out awesome. The visuals are highly detailed, making this a very lush reading experience. This would be a welcome addition to any Star Wars fan’s collection. Recommended. Overall grade: A
To order a digital copy go to https://comicstore.marvel.com/Star-Wars-Age-Of-Rebellion-Boba-Fett-2019-1/digital-comic/51405?r=1
To see the covers visit my Instagram account: patrickhayesscifipulse
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