Written by Justina Ireland
Art by Luca Pizzari, Ibraim Roberson
Published by Marvel Comics
His high exaltedness, Jabba the Hutt, gets a new Marvel Comics one-shot!
In this issue we take another break from the forward momentum of the quest to acquire the carbon frozen body of Jabba’s former favorite smuggler, Han Solo. We’re introduced to a new Jabba denzian, Deva Lompop and learn of her involvement with the hunt for Boba Fett and Solo.
This is Deva’s story.
This step back in time is actually two steps.
Deva is sent by Jabba to check up Boba Fett, who is now MIA on Nar Shaddaa after stopping off the repair Han Solo’s carbonite containment block. Not only do Jabba and Deva have a history, but Boba and Deva do as well.
This plays out in a series of flashbacks.
Her history with Jabba begs to be explored and provides the perfect motivation for her actions.
This is a charming issue despite some of the weaknesses I constantly moan about when it comes to the characterization of Boba Fett.
I really like Deva. She’s cunning and I love the gimmick of her having praying mantis qualities. She even gets the better of Fett and I totally believe that she can!
However, one of the ways she gets the better of him is by goading him, which is a device I both love and hate.
During the series of flashbacks, Deva refers to Boba Fett as “pup.”
This has a lot if implications, especially if this implies that these events take place early in Boba’s career as a Bounty Hunter. Regardless, I would think that Boba Fett HATES this nickname and I would love to have seen some kind of reaction to it. Because this should have a huge pay-off if/when these two meet again in the present.
There’s an important piece of continuity that still not jiving for me.
That’s Jabba jumping to the conclusion that Boba Fett betrayed him. It’s fun to imagine Boba becoming the hunted himself, but this backstory doesn’t help to justify Jabba’s actions. It still seems out of character.
It would have made much more sense had Deva had orchestrated this deception since she had it in for both Jabba the Hutt and Boba Fett.
I’m looking forward to the chaos Deva Lompop is about to cause.
