– Spoiler Review –
The prequel-focused comics continues with Ethan Sacks and Luke Ross’ Jango Fett #1, a miniseries where the famed bounty hunter is on the job for a missing jewel which could mean the difference between peace and war. With old school tone and a fun, gritty script, this series is off to an all-time start!
The opening several pages set the pace and tone so damn well, readers are easily pulled into the rest of the issue and miniseries’ story afterwards, as I know it left me absolutely eager for the next entry! In the opening, Jango Fett comes for a bounty in what looks like an outmatched situation, but he proves his lofty reputation by taking out several grunts, grabbing his target, leaving a memorable present for those still in the building, and ends it all with a quip. Sacks’ script really flies in these opening moments, keeping Jango down to a man of few words and lots of confidence, and by the issue’s end it already feels like he’s getting the same renaissance his clone son has had recently in TV shows. The opening scene, and the entire issue for that matter, work so damn well because artist Luke Ross (who earned a spot on my Top 3 Artists of 2023) and colorist Nolan Woodard drip older, grittier comic tone into every corner of every panel, alongside a dingy level of darkness and soot, this series feels different than everything else at the moment. As Jango jets away with his target in hand and an explosion in his wake, with some comedic good timing by letterer Joe Caramagna, it’s a mic drop worthy moment, signifying this is the level of entertainment one can expect going forward, and the rest of the issue lives up to this in spades. I’d easily say you could stop reading right here, this is all you need to know and you should be out there, getting this issue, but it’s definitely worth talking about what’s next, so once you’ve read it or somehow aren’t convinced yet, continue reading as we go over what else makes Jango Fett #1 a blast.
The issue heads to Glee Anselm, where the native Anselmi and Nautolans are in a civil war (what’s it with aquatic species sharing a planet and being in a state of war?!) but the Republic is hoping to build a bridge, bringing back a precious piece of art subtly called “The Hope of Glee Anselm.” It’s not the biggest effort, but it’s something, though only moments later a group of dissidents, wearing suits which reminded me of the Manta Men from Aquaman, attack the proceedings and steal the art, once again putting the future of the planet’s diplomacy on the tipping point. The Republic reaches out to Jango Fett to recover it thanks to his reputation…and the fact they can’t include the Jedi because Kit Fisto’s involvement makes them seem biased. Jango’s intermediary, a droid running a bounty network, told more hunters than Jango about it though, while it seems someone in the Republic doesn’t want him to succeed, as they release Aurra Sing from a heavily secured prison to interfere. There’s a lot of layers here, from the thieves of the art and whatever their deal is, the Republic hoping for a diplomatic win, the forces inside it who aren’t, the Anselmi and Nautolans’ true desire for peace or not, and of course how Jango and Aurra feel about being used as pawns in the unfolding situation. It might sound like a lot, but once again it’s Sack’s script, never lingering too long but giving away just enough information for now, which really lends the issue a snappy pace and enjoyable tone, with believable stakes and an interesting set of circumstances that leave you wanting to know more.
We got our first taste of the series in Sacks’ short story in Revelations (2023) #1, though given Aurra Sing was out of prison already and Jango was on the hunt for the jewel, it must take place after the events of this issue, at the very least. Maybe it’s in-between issues #1 and #2? Either way, Aurra had someone speaking to her over the comms about not taking out Jango just yet, so is it the Republic official introduced as Judicial Huijari, a Miralan, who released her in this issue and was speaking to her, or was it someone else? And what is Huijari’s goal in all this and who might be pulling his strings (Palpatine, anyone)? Beyond Huijari, we also meet Vigor Struk, an older human male who also hears about the bounty and, after showing off some considerable skills taking out bigger thugs, sets out to claim the prize as well. Lots of movers and shakers and that’s exactly what a story like this needs!
As I mentioned earlier, there’s something special that Ross, Woodard, and Caramagna are putting together with the art in this series and I am very intrigued to see what else they’ll bring to the table in the following issues. There a lot of showy, bigger things that make it all work, but for me it’s how packed and grimy the team makes some of the underworld and bars look and feel which really sets the tone and vibe for me overall. The opening panel alone, the sense of scale in the scene setting image, with the implications everyone who goes to such a place is trying to hide their actions and themselves, is immaculate in its detail, while it’s the first glimpse of the bar that really sets the mood. Woodard’s colors are this dingy, darker green, no spot in the place unable to avoid this gross color, and Ross packs the bar with hooded individuals, plenty of different species, lots of little things like gambling chips and drinks at the tables, and even the individual, what appears to be an Aqualish, on the floor, leaning against one of the tables, as if they just got into a fight and lost. Later on, when we meet Vigor, the Two Blasters Bar (on Daiyu, first seen in Obi-Wan Kenobi!) has its own vibe, as it’s bright and colorful, though plenty of shadows exist and shady characters to fill them, once again a dizzying amount of them and the variety of species too. Both panels remind me of the establishing shots of Chalmun’s Cantina in A New Hope, as it really gives each place a sense of weight and place in the galaxy. Beyond the great scene setters, a Jango Fett comic is going to have a lot of action and you know the art team more than rises up to the challenge, even in the opening sequence alone, but there are two scenes I’m more impressed with in the later half of the issue. For one, it’s Vigor’s scene where he beats up the bigger thugs, as the way the panels of his beatdown are displayed across two pages, they are angled, down and to the right, where Vigor is standing victorious over the thugs, looking back up at the panels, as if to suggest he’s playing it over in his head and/or the team is hinting his triumph is a foregone conclusion; Caramagna gets a lot of great little sound FX in the fight, using it and the word bubbles to move us across the little battle. The other action scene I really enjoyed was the one at the end, when the Anselm Dissidents are about to sabotage Jango’s ship, as it’s another time we have the bounty hunter’s confidence on display while he uses a variety of gadgets to get the job done. He using his whipcord to pull one of the attackers off the platform, he doesn’t really attempt to move out of the way of blaster fire, his armor reflecting a hit with a satisfying “clank,” he whips out his blaster, and uses one of those reflective pucks* to get the last one. After all this, just walking up to the scene, he jets off, not before the ship’s engines’ SFX drown out his little joking swear, as if this is all just another day in the life of Jango Fett.
Here are a few other things:
- As a big fan of Charles Soule’s Poe Dameron series, which has yet to be collected in an omnibus and I second everyone’s constant calls for it, I loved seeing the Megalox Beta Penitentiary! It featured in an early arc of the series that found Poe and Black Squadron of the Resistance visiting to gain information on the famed Lor San Tekka, but soon find themselves having to break out.
- Rose Tico is featured on the issue’s Women’s History month variant, by artist Aka! The initial reveal cover didn’t quite look like the character and it was later adjusted to what you see above to better reflect actress Kelly Marie Tran.
- *Jango using the blaster reflective puck we’ve seen Crosshair use in The Bad Batch was such a great reveal, as the moment he threw it out and it stuck to the hull, I was sitting up in my chair, Leonard DiCaprio meme style, pointing in delight at them making it part of Jango’s arsenal. So if you’ve been watching clones use it, it’s a great way to show their lineage to their template, but if you haven’t really watched it be used before, it’ll be a nice payoff down the line when you do. Now that’s how you do an easter egg.
Jango Fett #1 is a blast to read, bringing old school style and a snappy script to craft a memorable, fun experience.
+ Clever, enjoyable pace
+ Lots of movers, shakers, and motivations!
+ Gorgeously gritty art makes the tone and script hit just right
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Bluesky, Twitter @MynockManor, and Instagram @mynockmanor.