Star Wars #5 Review
By D. Goodman
Star Wars #5
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by John Cassaday
Colored by Laura Martin
Published by Marvel Comics
If you read my review of Star Wars #4, then you know how happy I was to see Jason Aaron begin to take Luke, Han and Leia into new and unfamiliar territory. While the first three issues served as a great way to relaunch Star Wars at Marvel, with stories so like the movies you could practically hear John Williams’ theme music, issue #4 was something else all together.
In Star Wars #4, Aaron began Luke’s hero’s journey from the farm boy we all met in A New Hope to the confident Jedi we see in The Empire Strikes Back. It’s a fascinating part of Luke’s story we’ve never seen before and I had high hopes that things would continue to develop in Star Wars #5.
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And develop they did.
Easily the best issue of the series yet, Star Wars #5 sees Luke return to his home of Tatooine in order to see if “Ben” Kenobi left anything behind that can help him become a better Jedi. Meanwhile, we also check in on Han and Leia as they embark on a mission to find a new rebel base for the Rebel Alliance.
Oh, and it has Boba Fett too.
After five issues it’s clear that Aaron has found the perfect voice and tone for the story he is telling, as the characters sound exactly like they should at this point in the Star Wars saga. Luke is unsure and scared, Han is cocky as hell and Leia is arrogant and brash. There is no sign of the relationships that will develop later as these three are still essentially strangers to each other, especially Han and Leia. It’s a small thing, but an important detail that a lot of writers forget when they write Star Wars stories set during this time period.
Even with all of that great characterization though, the star of Star Wars #5 is Boba Fett. Nowhere have I seen the legendary bounty hunter depicted quite this way. Aaron gives the reader a brutal, deadly and almost savage Fett the likes of which I’ve never experienced. Much of the mythos and notoriety around Boba Fett and his past was never shown or explained in the Expanded Universe, and the few times it was talked about it was more implied. Here, Aaron puts it front and center, showing a man who kills without mercy and will do whatever he has to do to collect a bounty.
Over the years, Boba Fett had become something of an antihero in Star Wars lore, similar to how fans regard the Punisher in the Marvel Universe. It’s refreshing to see a writer instead depict Fett as the cold-blooded killer he actually is.
Star Wars #5 also marks John Cassaday’s penultimate issue before leaving the series, which is a real shame. The art has been consistently great since issue #1 with the likenesses of both the cast and the tech spot on. If Cassaday is indeed done with Star Wars, I’m just glad I got to see his Boba Fett before he leaves, because it is a thing of beauty. His Fett is shown as unapologetic in his methods and looks better than he did in any other Star Wars comic he ever appeared in.
When you add the amazing colors of Laura Martin (there is a scene in the cantina on Tatooine that I swear looks like still from the movie and not a page from a comic) and one of the best covers of any Marvel Star Wars comic yet, you have a book that just simply works beautifully.
The Bottom Line: For fans of Boba Fett, Star Wars #5 is a must buy of the highest order. You will get to see him unlike you ever have before and it has to been seen to be believed. Even if you not a Fett fan though, the fifth issue of Star Wars will keep fans of the series happy and content. The title has clearly turned a corner and is improving exponentially by the issue. Don’t miss it.
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