comics, Star Wars

Boba Fett – Death, Lies, and Treachery: Comic Review

Sadly, we are not done with the Hutts. Though this time they play second fiddle to Boba Fett.

Boba Fett: Death, Lies, and Treachery

Cover of Boba Fett: Bounty on Bar-Kooda

Originally published as Boba Fett: Bounty on Bar-Kooda, Boba Fett: When the Fat Lady Swings, and Boba Fett: Murder Most Foul.

Published from December 1995 to August 1997, at a rate of about 1 per year.
Written by John Wagner
Art, Covers by Cam Kennedy
Lettering by Steve Dutro, Bob Pinaha

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Synopsis

In between Dark Empire II and Empire’s End, Boba Fett ends up working on retainer for another Hutt gangster – Gorga. Gorga has been feuding with another Hutt gangster, Orko, but is also in love with Orko’s daughter, setting up a set of three adventures.

Bounty on Bar-Kooda

In order to get Orko’s approval for Gorga to marry his daughter, Anachro, Gorga tasks Fett with killing a space pirate named Bar-Kooda, and to do so Fett will need the assistance of a reluctant stage magician who also has a bounty on their head.

When the Fat Lady Swings

Orko has granted Gorga’s approval to marry his daughter. However, when Anachro is kidnapped by another group of gangsters (and local law enforcement refuses to raise a finger), Fett is brought in to get her back. Meanwhile, Bar-Kooda’s brother, Ry-kooda, is out gunning for Fett in revenge.

Murder Most Foul

Gorga has had quite enough with Orko, and sends Fett to kill his father in law – but when Gorga learns that Anachro’s pregnancy is quite unstable, he tries to call off the hit before Fett can carry it out. However, Ry-kooda is not quite dead, and still wants revenge against Fett.

Worldbuilding

  • The planet of Skeebo has a major problem with kidnappings – and local law enforcement is in league with the kidnappers.
  • We meet our first Herglics – Bar-Kooda and Ry-Kooda.

Characterization

  • Boba Fett: Still bounty-hunting after his escape from the Sarlacc, and still working for the Hutts, at least for now.
  • Gorga the Hutt: He’s a Hutt, he’s a gangster, and he’s married with children.

Other Notes

Yes, this is from that John Wagner – the creator of Judge Dredd.

Final Thoughts

Wagner does an workman like job of writing Fett. He doesn’t write Fett like Dredd – he doesn’t have Dredd’s rigid sense of duty. Wagner writes him with a sort of Man With No Name sense of mystery, and generally that works.

However, Cam Kennedy’s art, with its limited color palette, is very much in full effect, and that really hurts these books. I understand why he uses this color palette – his glaucoma was already in effect at this point. I really, really, wish someone at Dark Horse had just taken Cam aside and said, “Listen, your glaucoma is impacting your coloring – your pencils and inks are excellent, but you should have someone else do coloring. We recommend $NameOfColorist.”

Just, Kennedy’s various shades of sea-green and navy blue don’t complement the work. Just having the series as black and white would be better.

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