– Spoiler Review –
In Age of Republic – Jango Fett #1, which deals with legacy and reputation in the bounty hunting trade, we get to peer into some unknown parts of the titular characters life, as well as his son’s, in another solid entry to Houser’s “Age.”
Though this is titled Jango Fett, we learn a bit about both Boba and Jango, as a mission together is an important training lesson for the younger Fett, while we get a glimpse into the life and honor of the elder Fett. To Jango, reputation is everything, something he’s built up enough to be approached by a man named Darth Tyranus (aka Count Dooku) to be the template for an entire army for the Republic. A moment mentioned in Attack of the Clones, we finally get to see the canon version of the scene this issue, but instead of shadow canon-ing the events of the Bounty Hunter game, it seems to override it, unfortunately. While I might feel it’s unfortunate because I enjoyed the game, knowing it’s now simply due to Jango’s fearsome reputation that got him the job on Kamino instead of going through some competition, makes him seem even more badass and increases my interest in learning more about his past/how he got such a reputation. As intriguing as his past might be, seeing Jango being a father to his (clone) son turns to be the superior point of interest Age of Republic dives into. Jango brings Boba along for a minor job, one the other bounty hunters hired for are surprised someone like Jango would even take, but he’s only there to see how Boba does than any concern with the money or the job. It’s a very hands-off approach, but after Boba’s performance, it’s very clear he’s trusted his son from the start, honing and training him for exactly this moment. This issue highlights how little Jango cares about the “legacy” of having an entire army created from him (one of my favorite moments of the issue), but rather how important Boba is to him as his true legacy, evident in how he’s bringing up his son.
Boba doesn’t actually do much on the actual job they were hired for, but rather it’s what happens after the job is over that really tests the young bounty hunter’s mettle. Two of the three bounty hunters working with the Fett’s on the job decide to double cross Jango, capturing Boba. Jango shrugs and walks away, and in the issue’s coolest, deadliest sequence, turns the tables on his captors, executing them with impunity, while making the decision to spare the third bounty hunter as he didn’t seem to be in on the betrayal. Boba questions this choice, but he did it less because the hunter wasn’t in on it, and more about how a living witness to how the Fett’s deal with betrayal helps build their legacy…and Boba’s own reputation. It’s a pretty chilling scene, but it really helps set up the deadly young hunter we get to know more of in The Clone Wars series, as well as the feared, masked individual by the time of the original trilogy.
As Abigail Dillon pointed out over at Eleven-ThirtyEight, each hero and villain pair is compared and contrasted with one another each month in Age of Republic, so this Jango Fett rhymes with the Obi-Wan Kenobi issue from last week. Where Obi-Wan struggled with how to be a mentor and trust his apprentice Anakin, Jango is confident in how he wants to mentor his son, Boba. Where Obi-Wan believes his new role as a Master is another chance for his own learning, Jango doesn’t believe he has anything new to learn and instead sees training Boba as a way to secure a better legacy than an army of clones bred for cannon fodder. In a way, one could argue Jango is a better mentor than a Jedi Master, as he trusts in the one he’s teaching and allows them to act autonomously, learning from their mistakes. Even if Jango is the better mentor, Obi-Wan is at least trying to teach his “son” to be a good person/Jedi, while Jango is teaching his “son” to be a ruthless, effective bounty hunter, but if that’s the best way to help your son survive, does it really make Jango’s goals with his son any different than Obi-Wan’s? Both must have done something right, as both Boba and Anakin go on to be great warriors in their own right, even if Anakin stumbles a bit along the way and Boba ends up going out like a chump (as far as we know…).
Writer Jody Houser continues to make it a harder job for the writers following her in the rest of the “Age of Star Wars,” as she deftly sneaks in character work for two of the more enigmatic, masked characters that both honors their silent reputations and builds on them in exciting, chilling ways. Since we’re on a villain issue, we’re back to the grittier art of Luke Ross, who, at this point, just needs to be involved with all villainous Star Wars comics going forward. His work with Java Tartaglia (colors) in the panels where Boba Fett goes off does a fantastic job of not romanticizing the violence, instead showing its starkness and suddenness,reminding readers it really is just another part of the younger Fett’s life.
Here are a few other things:
- We get one extra Age of Republic issue this month: Special #1! This is a really exciting issue, as it contains four stories about four different characters from 4 different writer/artist teams. We’ll get to see fresh new tales about Mace Windu, Asajj Ventress, Captain Rex, and even Jar Jar Binks…talk about variety!
- Also, a big congrats to Bria LaVorgna, from both the fan-site Tosche Station and the official site, who got to write this issue’s afterword about Jango Fett!
Age of Republic – Jango Fett #1 is another success for Jody Houser’s prequel focused “Age of Star Wars,” showing readers some exciting new glimpses into some fan-favorite characters.
+ Boba’s big moment and reasons thereof
+ Jango’s real legacy
+ Art is fantastic match for the vibe of the issue
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
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