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Star Wars: Boba Fett #5-9

Star Wars: Boba Fett - Enemy of the Empire

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Collects Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire #1-4, Boba Fett #0.5. Before the events of A New Hope, Darth Vader employs Boba Fett, on a mission to discover and bring to Vader a single small box, the contents of which could change the fate of the galaxy. But there's a catch: Vader trusts no one, and the truth of the box's mystery is too important to allow the bounty hunter to live! When Fett retrieves the prize, he finds himself the target of more of Vader's thralls.

114 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 1999

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About the author

John Wagner

1,288 books191 followers
John Wagner is a comics writer who was born in Pennsylvania in 1949 and moved to Scotland as a boy. Alongside Pat Mills, Wagner was responsible for revitalising British boys' comics in the 1970s, and has continued to be a leading light in British comics ever since. He is best known for his work on 2000 AD, for which he created Judge Dredd. He is noted for his taut, violent thrillers and his black humour. Among his pseudonyms are The best known are John Howard, T.B. Grover, Mike Stott, Keef Ripley, Rick Clark and Brian Skuter. (Wikipedia)

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Gianfranco Mancini.
2,340 reviews1,075 followers
December 23, 2018


Boba Fett vs Darth Vader!

George Lucas had a remarkable skill in creating villains: Darth Vader is a pop culture icon, but the bounty killer in the Mandalorian armour always had an epicness aura that made him one of the most fan favourite SW characters ever, when I was a kid I just loved my Boba Fett toy figure more than jedi, smugglers, droids and wookies.



This SWEU story by John Wagner, filled with all the british humour trademark of the Judge Dredd's creator, set before Episode IV: A New Hope and published by Dark Horse before of the Jango Fett/Clones crap fluff, is a wet dream for all fans of the two badass characters, with Boba Fett fighting for his life against the Sith Lord because of the content of a misterious chest.



And the ending is not going to be the one you are expecting at all.



Sadly cartoonish artworks were just not as good as storyline, otherwise this was probably going to be a five star review.
Profile Image for Brian Skinner.
327 reviews9 followers
January 14, 2021
Boba is a bad man.

pretty good story but I didnt like the art very much. very sloppy looking. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Profile Image for Callum Shephard.
324 reviews45 followers
May 5, 2019
Star Wars had no end of background characters which stuck in your memory. From the majority of Red Squadron to, well, everyone in the Mos Eisley Cantina or the Stormtrooper who announced: "Look Sir, Droids!" it had an odd quality to make them memorable. Part of that was thanks to the developments of the time, but a chunk of that was thanks to good presentation. Of all those present, none can deny that Boba Fett was the one who succeeded in drawing in the most attention. While we discussed his visual impact a few years ago, works like Enemy of the Empire helped to show the true storytelling potential behind the character. Let's explain just why.

The Synopsis

Set years prior to A New Hope, Enemy of the Empire sees Fett hired by Darth Vader himself. His target is simple: A renegade Imperial officer of an auxiliary battalion has taken a casket for himself, and Vader requires what lurks within it. Yet as Fett closes in on his target, it becomes increasingly clear just why Vader wants it for himself, and that he will let no one with knowledge of it walk away alive...

The Good

Let's go with the obvious one here: Boba Fett is written as a cold-blooded bastard. He's a bounty hunter first and foremost, and the comic's writers do not forget that. While there are hints of an honour code and moral compass, he's ultimately in it for the money and isn't afraid to use every underhanded trick in his arsenal to emerge victorious. While this could have easily backfired, a number of creative forces (notably Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner) worked on 2000AD, and had experience writing engaging but morally black figures. This prevents Fett from entering the hero-but-not-really angle which diluted the character, and it makes him much more engaging as a result.


The story is also framed actually as a man hunting a bounty, which is another bonus in its favour. It's often joked by some fans that Fett doesn't hunt so much as turn up and fight people, but this one places a key emphasis on his tracking skills. Almost all of it consists of him following a trail left by his target, piecing together clues or using ingunity, threats and devices to get his answers. It makes it clear that there is a brutal cunning beneath that helmet, and his infamy as a bounty hunter is well earned.

None of this is to say that the story lacks fights, and many of those present show a distinct style for Fett. He is clearly skilled, very talented and not someone you want to fight. However, he will not rely purely on skill to win but will always avoid a direct fight whenever possible. Every engagement in this is something he clearly tries to end as fast as possible, and the fact that this visibly scales with the threats he faces makes this entertaining to read. Even when you know he will win a fight, it's interesting because it leaves you asking yourself how he will win.

The story is one of those which genuinely feels large thanks to frequently shifting locations. It's a rare balance that few tales ever get right, but this one manages to nail the sense of grandeur the setting needs. We see a multitude of stations, worlds and some very colourful places which offsets the possible bleakness the story might have otherwise wallowed in. This allows the artistic team to really have some fun at points, and the visual stylings embraces the sort of bizzarely outlandish qualities that Star Wars sadly so often lacks at the moment. It doesn't clash against the tone of the tale itself, but it serves to offset it somewhat.

Finally, there's the final fight of the comic. This is one of the engagements fans would have wanted to see for years, and it delivers. You can probably guess who it is between from the synopsis, or even just that line. To avoid spoilers, however, all I will say is that the comic is worth buying for that fight alone.

The Bad

What many people will struggle with more than anything else in the comic will likely be the tone. While the type of storytelling is undeniably effective, more than a few elements more typical of 2000AD have edged into here. This includes satirical comedy figures, an excess of characters, and even a few elements which add little to the story beyond a single gag scene. While most do their job to a point, others seem never to play any effective role within the tale besides bulking out the story. The most egregious example is, perhaps, the criminals hired to tail Fett by Vader. While they keep showing up, they never do anything more than repeating certain scenes or relaying information back to Vader himself. It only serves to pad out the story somewhat, and it's difficult to shake the feeling that they could have easily been left on the editing room floor.


Another definite problem with the tale is how much of its resolution goes off in an entirely different direction. After following Fett for such a long period of time, the finale ends up offering him little material. Vader promptly takes centre stage and, while he offers some interesting points, Fett barely plays a part. It robs the character of agency and, as a result, it feels disconnected from the story as a whole. It's only in the final few pages that this is somewhat mitigated, but even then it doesn't quite correct things.

Another definite problem within the story is how it tends to bring up ideas, but never follows them through with any context. This might sound petty, but it's small and quite irritating points such as having Fett recognising a mark and exclaiming as if it's a grand revelation, but never explaining what it relates to. Who it relates to, certainly, but we don't even get a sentence to explain the context behind it. These small moments are evident throughout the story, and they serve to be a point of frustration after a time.

The Verdict

It's unfortunate that Enemy of the Empire had such notable flaws present in its tale, as it is still very engaging and entertaining despite them. However, a tighter script or even a decent supporting cast could have elevated this from "great" to being a true classic of the Star Wars brand. Instead, it ends up being a tale that is worth your time if you want to see Fett done well in a comic and shows the potential behind the character, but falls short of being what some might want.
Profile Image for Adam.
998 reviews241 followers
January 18, 2020
Enemy of the Empire -- this is the one Boba Fett comic I remember reading in my first torrent back in 2011. It very much has the stoic badass Fett I remember, a character who is defined more than anything by the fact that he's unbeatable and untrickable and just really gd cool, and wouldn't it be cool to see him fight Darth Vader, who is also all those things? What I didn't remember about this story is its very heavyhanded sense of humor. It feels somewhere between, like, newspaper strip humor and Monty Python? Not particularly funny, more winking than I'd like, though still I guess a welcome balance for the serious reverence given to Fett. I also don't particularly like the thematic stuff about precognition, both for the way it pushes the rules and possibilities of the universe and for the boring, well-trodden ground it covers.

Despite all that, the plot is surprisingly well put-together, and it's overall more enjoyable than the parts might suggest.

Salvage -- I enjoy the idea of Fett using his bounties as a kind of impromptu RPG party to solve problems that come up on subsequent missions, and wish more of these stories made use of that. It presents an interesting series of incentives and motivations, lil game theory. Anyway, this book doesn't do much of interest with that, and while I love a good parasite, and a good ghost ship story, this is too brief and cartoony to satisfy on either count. It doesn't really feel like there's anything to it in any dimension.
Profile Image for Malcolm Cox.
Author 1 book4 followers
August 19, 2019
This has a bizarre mix of a cartoony artwork against dark comedy. Much of the story takes place at the monetary of pessimistic monks featuring some scenes I'm not entirely sure were supposed to be funny or not. There's a band of 'ruffians' sent to track and kill Boba Fett who at no point convey even the slightest hint of menace, the artwork choice has a lot to do with that. Despite all that, I enjoyed this story particularly the inevitable clash between Darth Vader and Boba Fett. It was also nice seeing the impact of Fett's reputation in that he commands respect and cooperation in his quest purely by stepping into a room.
The book has a bonus story at the back: Boba Fett: Salvage.
This sees Fett explore a drifting spaceship and told with a horror vibe. This was probably better than the main story.
Profile Image for Joshua Atchley.
23 reviews
July 27, 2025
I recently revisited this story after more than twenty years since I first read it as a kid, long before the Disney era. The plot: Boba Fett is hired by Darth Vader to retrieve a box containing the head of an Icarri queen, which has the power to predict the future. However, when Vader hires some goons to assassinate Fett, he decides to keep the box for himself. Vader then goes after Fett personally, leading to a brief but exciting battle. While this story is no longer considered canon, it’s still worth reading if you're a Star Wars fan. Some of the dialogue and art may come off as a bit silly, but it’s a graphic novel aimed at a younger audience, so that’s understandable. Overall, it's enjoyable.
Profile Image for B.A.G. Studios.
184 reviews
November 24, 2024
Lots of meh lately, lots of meh. This is fine, I have no care in the world about this story. It’s about Darth Vader hiring Boba Fett to do a job he proves he could’ve done himself to get a fortune telling decapitated living head. Vader is not written well, Boba does nothing particularly cool, we fall into the cliche of making a random background race we’ll never see again — this time a bunch of doomsaying pacifists — and the cover is cooler than anything or any art within the folds. It isn’t bad, no, but I am feeling awfully negative about the whole thing because it’s very disappointingly meh. The premise seemed cool before I knew what it was.
Profile Image for Sandra.
753 reviews7 followers
October 22, 2024
Die 3 Comics sind ganz okay. Vorallem in der ersten Geschichte gefiel mir die eingeführte (und direkt ausgerottete) neue Rasse ziemlich gut - und der Kampf gegen Vader war super.
Allerdings gefiel mir der Zeichenstil der ersten beiden Geschichten überhaupt gar nicht - dafür der Stil aus der 3ten Geschichte, wobei dort die Story ziemlich schwach war.
Boba hat hier jetzt auch keine große Charaktertiefe o.ä. Es geht einfach darum, wie oft die eigenen Reihen das eigene Imperium hintergehen, um selber Gewinn zu machen - und wie wenig das Boba interessiert :D war ein netter Zeitvertreib
Profile Image for Michael.
44 reviews6 followers
October 10, 2020
Great read. I don't know why but the name "Ancient Order of Pessimists" added this kind of whack, child-like twist to it that I didn't really appreciate.

Seeing Boba receive his dent in the helmet was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. I really loved how he handled everything and his attitude towards the seer and his disinterested in knowing his future.

The second story was much shorter, but still very enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Damien Hughes.
24 reviews5 followers
March 29, 2018
Boba fett enemyof the empire

I love Boba Fett and that said to see him go one on one with the Dark Lord himself Darth Vader that in itself is epic I gave it 5 stars artwork story line characters just an all around great read for any fan of the star wars universe or a good comic regardless of who is the main character. This was without a doubt Boba Fett at his best.
Profile Image for Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind).
3,215 reviews11 followers
September 15, 2019
I have been loving diving into these legends Star Wars comics on Comixology. This story is set after Episode IV and documents the first job that that Vader hires Fett for. It seems like a simple retrieval job that quickly gets more complicated as betrayal is in the air. Awesome art and a story that really showcases what fans of Boba Fett love.
68 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2021
Weird but fun boba fett story. Although this book is definitely very early EU, and can feel cartoony at times. It's still an enjoyable read, and the Vader boba fett fight at the end is just bad ass. Rating:6.5/10
1 review
December 14, 2017
Well done

Good book well done boba fett is my favorite person in star wars super well done for doing this book
Profile Image for Roman Colombo.
Author 4 books35 followers
May 14, 2018
Really strange but really fun. The art was pretty cool too,almost a retro feel to it.
Profile Image for Marta Duda-Gryc.
593 reviews43 followers
April 23, 2019
Hah, amazingly I enjoyed it. Especially the Ancient Order of Pessimists, my preciouss!
Profile Image for Ken.
82 reviews
June 2, 2019
finally we get to see boba actually do stuff
Profile Image for Josiah.
210 reviews
May 13, 2020
Boba Fett is a bounty hunter that tracks a bounty; no fob required because he is simply the best.
Profile Image for Timo.
Author 3 books17 followers
August 10, 2020
Tries to be darkly funny and at most time fails in that one. And I still do not like Ian Gibson art.
Profile Image for Roz.
343 reviews12 followers
April 2, 2019
Set before ANH, Fett is sent by Vader to collect a box with the explicit instructions that he must never open it. Part heist, part psychological thriller, this TPB comic was just not up my alley. Especially considering Fett and Vader are not my favorite characters. Doesn't help that the only woman in the comic was a disembodied head who had lost almost all agency (because, you know, NO BODY) that was being fought over for men to use for their own advantage and was ultimately killed as a means for one man to one up another. It was all just bad and I hated it!
Profile Image for Jared.
407 reviews17 followers
June 23, 2019
Star Wars Legends Project #206

Background: Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire, released in October of 1999, collects the four issue Enemy of the Empire series (January-April 1999) and the one-shot story Salvage (December 1997). All were written by John Wagner. Enemy of the Empire was drawn by Ian Gibson and John Nadeau. Salvage was drawn by Carlos Ezquerra. Wagner has written a handful of other Star Wars comics, about half of them Boba Fett-related. Nadeau has done a few dozen Star Wars titles, mostly for the Rogue Squadron series. Ezquerra's only on other Star Wars work is a Mara Jade comic, and this is it for Gibson. Wagner and Ezquerra are best known as the co-creators of Judge Dredd, which Gibson also worked on.

The stories are set a couple of years before the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Boba Fett and Darth Vader.

Summary: In Enemy of the Empire, Boba Fett takes a top priority job for Darth Vader, but suspects Vader's intentions when he is followed by Imperial hirelings. Meanwhile, Vader is keeping a close eye on the hunt, wary that Fett will break his contract if he finds out what he's really after. He has no intention of letting the bounty hunter walk away from the job alive.

In Salvage, Boba Fett takes a detour from delivering a couple of bounties to respond to a distress signal. He finds the entire crew dead and hopes that there may be something of value to loot from the ship . . . but first, he'll need to survive whatever killed the original occupants.

Review: This is a solidly average story. It's not terrible and underwritten, pointlessly stringing nonsensical action scenes together like so many one-off "cool character" centered comics do. It's also a bit weird and feels longer than it needs to be. The art masterfully emphasizes and complements the weirdness of the story, which is great if you're into that aspect of it, and not so much if you aren't. I wasn't a big fan of it. Both stories do a pretty good job with their characterization of Boba Fett, which is important. I was less impressed with the characterization of Darth Vader. For every pro, there was a con. I don't think I'd read it again, but I was mildly entertained while I was reading it.

C+
53 reviews
July 3, 2018
Good Boba Fett story, from back when he was still the Man with No Name of the Star Wars galaxy.
Profile Image for Justin.
382 reviews
July 21, 2013
I love me some Boba Fett, but this story was juvenile at best. I have a very difficult time even getting to enjoy the story because the illustrations were so awful. The story showed promise, but was too far fetched to even be believable (a talking head that can tell the future?!). Darth Vader sounded like a inept leader surrounded by a bunch of easily manipulated fools. He talks big and looks scary but just doesn't act like a Sith lord ought to act.

I give the author props on trying to work a minor story in between the major ones, but this attempt did not seem well thought out. I enjoyed the 'Salvage' story at the end. It showed lots of promise and was definitely believable. I would like to see that story expounded upon!
Profile Image for Bradley.
113 reviews3 followers
January 1, 2010
Star Wars comic that promises a confrontation between Boba Fett and Darth Vader. This was written before the prequels so none of that backstory makes an appearance here. According to it, its the first time Darth Vader has contracted Fett's services as a bounty hunter. During Fett's task something goes wrong and Vader has to personally intervene which leads to their inevitable one on one. I quite enjoyed the story at the time, but it has been a while since I read it. The art covers are great visuals and the story is better than many other comics that try these one vs one comics. If you like both characters, its worth a read.
Profile Image for Noah Soudrette.
538 reviews43 followers
May 21, 2008
A fun read and one of the few Boba Fett stories that isn't just a one shot. Basically, Vader hired Fett to retrieve an item, Boba decides to keep it for himself, and they fight. Their fight at the end is great and there's a lot of humor along the build up to the finale. Sadly, the art here is way too cartoony and doesn't really help the book. There's also a pointless one shot at the end involving bugs. A fun read, but could have been better.
Profile Image for Angel .
1,538 reviews46 followers
July 13, 2009
This was pretty entertaining. Boba Fett gets hired by Darth Vader to find a certain artifact. However, Vader is not the trusting type, so he sends assassins to kill Fett once he finds the item. Will the galaxy's most feared bounty hunter succeed? The volume features a second short story where Fett finds an empty ship. It looks like a basic salvage that could bring some coin, but things are not as easy as they seem. If you like classic Star Wars, you will probably like this.
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