World Famous Comics: Death, Lies, and Treachery (Star Wars: Boba Fett)
Death, Lies, and Treachery (Star Wars: Boba Fett)
By: John Wagner, Cam Kennedy Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Dark Horse Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 144 Publication Date: January 21, 1998 Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Product Description: Throughout the vast reaches of the galaxy one name is always uttered in hushed tones, a name guaranteed to strike fear into the stoutest heart: Boba Fett. His prices are exorbitant, but if you're looking for revenge, or if you're looking for protection, he'll get the job done.
Amazon.com Review: Is there anyone cooler than Boba Fett? Like a cross between Clint Eastwood and Chow Yun Fat--but with a jetpack and kneepad rocket dart launchers--Fett has always symbolized cool, quiet power. If Fett wants you, you're as good as got (that ridiculous incident over the Great Pit of Carkoon in Return of the Jedi notwithstanding).
So any book or comic featuring his royal Fettness had better be good. Fortunately, our boy gets his due in this quality Dark Horse collection of three previously published comics (Bounty on Bar-Kooda, When the Fat Lady Swings, and Murder Most Foul). The story, by John Wagner of Judge Dredd fame, is by no means brilliant, but it's clever enough to rise a cut above the more schlocky Star Wars spinoff fare. What really sets this collection apart, though, are the moody colors and expert composition of Cam Kennedy (Star Wars: Dark Empire). From our favorite bounty hunter nonchalantly capping some thug without even turning around to breezing through the defenses of a H'unn's criminal stronghold, Death, Lies, and Treachery is classic Fett. --Paul Hughes
If John Woo or Shinichirô Watanabe Had Created Star Wars, It Probably Would Have Been Like This. I wouldn't call this the most deep or complex Star Wars Spinoff, but, after all these years, it is one of my favorites.
Essentially, Boba Fett goes on three missions for Gorga the Hutt. Each of the three stories can be read on their own, but there is an overarcing plot connecting them all together.
As far as plot and artwork go, it's pretty dark for a Star Wars yarn. In a lot of ways, it seems to have more in common with Cowboy Bebop than it does with Star Wars. This comic is full of chase scenes, savage fights, seedy and corrupt characters, and grim deeds such as graverobbing and cold-blooded murder.
Don't get me wrong, this book has a lot of comedy. However, the humor is absolutely black. One "gag" (for lack of a better word) depicts the fresh remains of a half-eaten hutt. Believe-it-or-not, that's not even the most disturbing visual in the book.
One of the coolest moments is when Wagner and Kennedy first introduce Fett. The first time you see him, he's doing what he does best: chasing down a group of bounty heads...all with a chillingly calm demeanor.
For the first time, I actually enjoyed Cam Kennedy's unusual choice of coloring. I hated it in Dark Empire, but it really captured the mood and atmosphere in Fett's adventures.
For those who don't know what I'm talking about, Cam Kennedy made his Star Wars debut with the limited series Dark Empire and his method of coloring divided a lot of fans. For each page or set of pages, Kennedy uses a single color. Let's say that color was red. This means that everything on that page would be a different degree of red, even the charcters. It was like looking at the world through a set of stained lenses.
The problem is that, in Dark Empire, the colors he used often weren't appropriate for the scene. This distracted from the reading expreience.
However, where he failed in DE, he succeeded here. From the brown rugged canyons, to the green toxic waste junkyard, every color matches the atmosphere and/or mood for the scene.
This comic also features the first and only appearance of my 2nd favorite Expanded Universe character: Wim Magwit. Cross the physique, resourcefulness, and charisma of Bilbo Baggins or Willow with the showmanship of magician David Copperfield and you'll have this character. He has the unique "privilege" of being Fett's sidekick for a time.
Another bonus is that this book came out in 1998. So, if you're like me and you hated how they destroyed the mystery when they revealed Fett's origins in 2002, just dig into this one and pretend that Attack of the Clones never happened. This book keeps Fett enigmatic, just the way we like him.
So click that order button and prepare for a wild, shocking, but ultimately rewarding ride.
THIS is Fett??? I can be pretty forgiving where Star Wars is concerned. But the Boba Fett spotlight book "Death, Lies & Treachery" is just plain awful.
The art by Cam Kennedy is ugly, with monochromatic washes on many pages that make it look like a child's paint-by-numbers book. You know the sort of thing I mean; little Timmy doesn't yet understand the correlation between numbers and colors, so he just paints the whole page green. Kennedy's work is like that.
And the story by John Wagner isn't much better. It's a trilogy of sorts, all putting Fett at the beck and call of a Hutt even more loathsome than Jabba. His primary foe (or, rather, his primary foe and his primary foe's brother) is a caricature that one can't even begin to take seriously.
by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(n e t) editor
Good story, average art This was a great graphic novel with the exception of the art. Reading it, I was under the impression that the only color available to the artist was green. Still, the story was good (not to mention interesting) concerning a Hutt getting married. Another con about the art is the fact that Bar-Kooda looks almost exactly like Ry-Kooda. Another downside to the story is the end. (SPOILERS AHEAD) The end is highly predictable, what with Boba riding off into the sunset with his mission complete.(SPOILERS END) This still gets 4 stars because, simply put, it's Boba Fett, and it's hard to ruin him. Reccommended to Fett fans only.
Meh. Nothing to notable here. The plot was overall quite shaky, with an inconsistent mix of humor and action. Cam Kenndey's art is its usual.... uniqueness. Like it or not, it will take some getting used to.
The stories are odd and at times rather ludicrous. Overall, if you want some nice Boba Fett/bounty hunter action, look for 'Enemy of the Empire' and the 'Shadows of the Empire' comic.
Shrapnal`s review Boba fett didn`t die in the pit of carcoon. He escaped after finding out about the inteligent life form inside the salaac. That`s why he was able to be written about in this extreme comic book. Action is kept up through the intire book. It prooves Boba Fett`s skill and power. I love the literature that is used by all of the main people. Boba fett`s calm atmosphere makes his killings seem athentic to his personality. YOU GOTTA READ THIS BOOK!
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