The cover makes this issue out to be a Boba Fett story, and while Fett is a major player in the plot, the focus is not on him. This is a classic story of a conflict between two brothers, one a pacifist and a leader of men, and the other a power-hungry dictator. It's an almost archetypical tale, and as a result, while it's compelling, it's also pretty predictable. On top of that, the artwork does go far enough to distinguish among the alien characters. Still, Wagner and Kennedy do capture why a minor character from the Star Wars mythos has sparked such a rabid following among fans over the years.
Not long after Luke Skywalker and the rebel forces successfully destroyed the first Death Star, on a distant Empire outpost called Solem, rebel forces rise up against the Empire's resident representative, Governor Malvander. The rebels on this planet are led by a poet named Yolan Bren, and his safety is of the utmost importance to those he leads. When he's wounded, it forces them to take Bren to the city in order to be tended to by a sympathetic physician, but it provides Boba Fett -- whom Malvander has hired to eliminate Bren -- the chance to fulfill his contract.
In the original three Star Wars flicks, Lucas often portrayed space as a rather wild, dirty place, and Kennedy captures the same feeling here. The characters are emotive, and Yolan really conveys a calm, pacifist demeanor. The problem with the linework is that Yolan is sometimes difficult to distinguish from other members of his race, and there are plenty of them in this story. I also found the colors washed out much of the art. Each panel seems to boast one main color, but fortunately, what seems like an almost monochromatic approach lifts by the final scene.
The greatest strength of this story is the accessibility. One needn't be familiar with the Star Wars mythos at all, let alone Boba Fett's story, in order to understand and appreciate the story. The dialogue is strong as well. Wagner captures an alien feel with a slightly lofty tone to some of the dialogue, but there are more grounded elements to be found in the script as well.
The predictability of this self-contained story, though, robs it of any suspense. It's Malvander's one-dimensional personality that projects where the plot is headed, and that's a shame. Had the villain been a more fully realized character rather than a stereotype, not only would the plot been more compelling, but so would he.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
