Review: "Star Wars Adventures: Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear"

Back in 2009, Dark Horse started publishing a series of miniature graphic novels called Star Wars Adventures. Aimed at younger readers, these comics featured simplistic stories with bright and clear artwork, in order to make them easy and appealing to pick up and read. One of the best entries in this series was Star Wars Adventures: Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear, which arrived in stores in 2011. Written by Jeremy Barlow and illustrated by Daxiong, the comic found Boba Fett infiltrating a long-abandoned cruise vessel known as the Reverie, in the hopes of retrieving a mysterious sculpture called the Arachedron. Fett also encountered some nasty surprises along the way, but since he always prepares for the worst, he was ready to deal with obstacles he encountered.

As you can probably tell from its title, Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear is clearly a comic which clearly intends to frighten its readers. Therefore, it included plenty of panels showcasing Fett exploring the dark and twisting corridors of the never-ending Reverie, with horrific surprises often lurking around each corner. Barlow and Daxiong clearly did a great job of making the Reverie as foreboding as possible, and young readers will certainly be given chills as Fett prowls the confines of the ship. As he explores the Reverie, Fett is also forced to battle waves of non-sentient creatures known as Arachedrons, which clearly intended to make him their next meal. The Arachedrons posed a significant risk to Fett as he attempted to obtain the artifact with which the creatures shared a name, making the bounty hunter’s objective all the more difficult. And readers were reminded that danger is literally around every corner, as some panels showcased Arachedrons hiding just outside of Fett’s field of vision.

As he explores the Reverie in search of the hidden treasure, Fett encounters Edo and Rolu Strom, a pair of bounty-hunting siblings. These two brothers both have a grudge against Fett due to an incident which occurred at the beginning of the story, in which Fett left them to burn to death before they managed to escape. But they reluctantly accept his help from the dangers on-board the Reverie. Since their father, Philo Strom, was a respected bounty hunter, the brothers constantly feel like they are living in his shadow, with their father’s legacy often eclipsing their own bounty-hunting feats. Their combined desire to prove themselves instead of constantly being overshadowed by their father’s reputation made the brothers into surprisingly relatable characters, as they clearly wanted to justify their personal value to themselves and the wider community. Proving one’s worth is a goal which every person strives to attain, and readers will empathize with the brothers for wanting to showcase their skills and talents in a way which will earn them respect and admiration.

Because the Star Wars Adventures series was primarily aimed at young readers, Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear was not particularly gruesome or brutal. There were some instances in which Arachedrons exploded into slimy chunks as they were sprayed with blaster fire, but the violence towards human and humanoid characters was largely kept to a minimum. This may disappoint fans who are used to more brutal stories focusing on Boba Fett from Dark Horse, such as Twin Engines of Destruction or Enemy of the Empire. But the amplified level of tension which was felt throughout Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear will certainly atone for the lack of actual brutality.

As with all of the comics in the Star Wars Adventures series, the artwork throughout Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear was clear and relatively simplistic, and the panels were large and spacious, in order to make the story as simple as possible for young readers to consume. Although most of the other Star Wars comics from Dark Horse featured much more detailed interior art, the highly simplistic artwork throughout Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear still made it into a highly straightforward reading experience. None of the pages featured more than four panels, so even readers who are unaccustomed to comics will have no trouble understanding this story. And while the art was simplistic, the faces and expressions of the supporting characters were still drawn well enough for readers to be able to ascertain their thoughts at any given moment. However, Fett never removes his helmet throughout the book, and his inner thoughts will remain a mystery. The creators of this story clearly wanted to amplify Fett’s mysterious nature, and his refusal to show his face to others exemplified this.

However, despite its young target audience, the story still presented Boba Fett as a ruthless professional who will stop at nothing until he achieves his objective. Some of Fett’s actions throughout the comic could even be seen as immoral, which was certainly unexpected for a story aimed at younger fans. Not only does Fett leave the Strom brothers to seemingly die in a fire at the start, but he also refuses to help as one of the siblings jumps into a fiery inferno in order to save his brother towards the end. Fans have always known that Boba Fett is a man of questionable morals, something which was strongly highlighted throughout this comic. And the story also did not shy away from showcasing Boba Fett’s greed. Through the cunning use of deception, Fett managed to trick a wanted criminal into giving him a small fortune, before revealing his intention to obtain even more money by turning the criminal over to the authorities.

Although it clearly targets a younger demographic, Star Wars Adventures: Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear is still an exhilarating graphic novel which reminds fans of why they love Boba Fett to begin with. The simplistic presentation of the comic will ensure that nobody will find the story difficult to follow, and the way in which the story refuses to tone down Boba Fett’s ruthless personality despite its younger readership was admirable. The level of suspense which was felt throughout the story also helped to make Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear into a comic which Star Wars enthusiasts will never forget, as it will no doubt chill readers to the bone. Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear is therefore one of the best comics focusing on Boba Fett to have been released in the 2010s, and readers will definitely need to experience this suspenseful adventure on-board the Reverie. Fans of all ages will certainly cherish and appreciate this story for years to come.

Rating

Star Wars Adventures: Boba Fett and the Ship of Fear
2011AVAILABILITY $6.98 Varies