Review: "Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1"

Boba Fett really gets to shine in comics — especially this one, which begins a 4 part anthology style miniseries with different writers for each issue.

As stated from its title, “Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1” consists only of using the colors black, white, and red. We need to state the obvious because this style is instrumental in creating a certain vibe for this comic. It makes it seem “retro,” more dated than it actually is. The style might not be for everyone, but I did enjoy it. It reminds me of certain movies like “Sin City,” that were largely in black and white with minimal color elements. It gives an artistic and atmospheric gravitas to the whole thing. I’m no comic aficionado, so I don’t know how common this style is. But for this particular miniseries, especially one about Boba Fett, I think it works.

But the most important part of anything in pop culture is the story itself. So how does it hold up? We’ll briefly go through it and I’ll give my verdict on that.

This issue is called “The Impossible Job,” written by Benjamin Percy with art by Chris Allen. That’s actually an important factor concerning Boba that we’ll dive into later. For now, the story starts on Sterna IV, which is apparently an Imperial prison station. Boba is slaughtering Imperials left and right while dragging some prisoner. Everyone involved thinks Boba is crazy to be doing this – that the Empire will destroy him. The comic makes sure to note to us that this is the sort of mission that most would consider impossible. However, as one early panel says, “Boba Fett always found a way when others didn’t.”

Let’s pause a moment, because that particular quote hit heavy with me. At his absolute best, Boba Fett is the definition of relentlessness and efficiency. It’s a faithful continuation of his original portrayal in “The Empire Strikes Back” and is especially a great tribute to who he was in the Expanded Universe / Legends. This idea of finding a way when others would have given up or not even tried – that was one of the core ideas of what Boba once represented, and what inspired me following his missions as a kid. When I read this quote, I knew that this author gets it. Benjamin Percy gets Boba.

I imagine this takes place during the Galactic Civil because both the Rebels and Empire are mentioned. Boba, of course, escapes with the prisoner and delivers him to the client, a rhino-like crime lord appropriately named Tusk. However, bounty hunting is a complicated profession. One of the reasons it’s complicated is because treachery in this business is as common as oxygen molecules in the air. For whatever reason, Tusk had sold him out to the Imperials and Boba is surrounded by Stormtroopers. This particular moment was interesting and tense. There were about nine Stormies surrounding him. Realistically, it’s essentially impossible to win a 1 vs. 9 at close quarters. But remember, this is the legend Boba Fett that we’re talking about. Conversely, Stormtroopers are absolute cannon fodder and a competent operator can likely take out several on their own. However, Boba plays along and lets himself get captured.

Long story short, he’s captured alive because the Imperial officer involved in this operation wants a certain thief named Bantan Jabar captured, along with a data disk of stolen Imperial data. If Boba can do this bounty for the Empire, his previous transgression in the prison break is forgiven. A quick side note: that initial prison break kind of reminds me of something similar Jango Fett did in the game “Star Wars: Bounty Hunter.” However, Jango’s mission was far crazier and harder than what we just saw Boba pull. I guess completing impossible missions runs in the Fett family.

This Bantan Jabar is hidden on a volcanic system, protected by the Rebel Alliance. Boba and the Slave I are immediately surrounded by Rebel vessels, but they just “want to talk,” notes one panel. Their leader is a rough Rebel called Rooker. They do the dirty work for the Rebel Alliance. They know Boba is after the disk that the thief gave them. However, they want to strike a deal with Fett. They offer to pay him off, double the bounty, to not continue the bounty. Boba agrees…

However, Boba always completes a mission once he accepts it. Deducing that the heat of this system would force Rooker to have a base on a cooler location, Boba finds a nearby moon and heads there. Of course, the base is there. It seems to be very well built and impervious to outside attack. However, a critical error presented an opportunity: the oxygen recycler was located partially outside the base. Boba’s jetpack missile makes short work of this and the base starts filling with smoke. The thief, Jabar, seems to be a member of the same race as Pong Krell; he tries to use 4 blasters to blast his way out of this mess. It doesn’t matter, as Boba easily subdues him with the good old whipcord.

The next and final sequence of the comic is what Boba Fett is all about and wraps up the story in the same cunning way Boba used to triumph in the “good old days.” We see Boba negotiating with both the Rebels and Empire. With the Empire, he gives the coordinates for them to meet him and trade the bounty for the data disk. With the Rebels, he will give them the physical data disk back in exchange for the money they promised him. It’s more or less the same deal…

The Imperials arrive to Fett’s coordinates to find the thief with a thermal detonator in his mouth, and a hologram of Fett. He requests the deal to be completed, and it is. You see, the Imperials were planning to kill Fett after they got the data disk, and he knew it. This is the signature trait of the way Boba Fett operated in the Expanded Universe / Legends: he was always one step ahead of his opponents. In anticipation of this ambush, he doesn’t show up physically and leaves an incentive – the thermal detonator – for them to cooperate.

But it gets even better. Boba had also given the same coordinates to Rooker’s Rebels. They were also planning to double cross Fett and he also got the drop on them in the exact same way. He outsmarted both parties, turned their machinations in on themselves and even pitted them physically against each other. In conclusion, everyone in this comic loses but Boba – and that’s what I like to see. It’s a testament to why he became the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.

Overall, this comic was simple and straightforward, but great. It’s an excellent nod to the Boba of old and I hope this trend continues. Hopefully it can help Boba regain momentum, starting with issue #2 which drops October 29. He has unfortunately had something of a drought after “The Book of Boba Fett.” He made an awesome cameo in “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” and a forgettable one in “Star Wars Outlaws.” The stories like the one in “Black, White & Red,” why can’t we get more of that in other mediums? Fingers crossed for now. I think this comic is a worthwhile read and a faithful addition to Boba’s career.

The Pros

• Faithful portrayal of Boba Fett

The Cons

• Enemies are typical cannon fodder – no heavy hitters

Rating

Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1
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