In this review of Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1, the notorious bounty hunter is all about the payday (and survival) in this done-in-one story of a dangerous recovery job (with a twist), set in a dangerous region of space. This series is brought to you in glorious black, white and (of course), bloody red.
STAR WARS: BOBA FETT – BLACK, WHITE & RED #1
Writer: BENJAMIN PERCY
Artist: CHRIS ALLEN
Main Cover: ALEX MALEEV
Variant Covers: JOSEMARIA CASANOVAS, KAARE ANDREWS, LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Page Count: 40 pages
Release Date: September 17, 2025
This review contains spoilers
Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1 begins with a violent prison break from an Imperial facility on Sterna IV. Boba Fett, his quarry in tow, escape via jetpack, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake, as Fett aims to collect huge for this perilous extraction. His bounty, an unnamed (and terrified) prisoner, exclaims that the Empire will come after Fett, but the bounty hunter just considers that the cost of doing business.
On the planet Ergeshui, Fett is greeted warmly by Boss Tusk, who is more than happy to compensate the bounty hunter for retrieving the traitor from Imperial clutches. The floor beneath the unnamed prisoner slides open and the man plunges helplessly into the deep, dark waters below (and into the clutches of what appears to be a hungry Sarlaac).
Unimpressed, Fett takes his leave, but an unnamed guard offers some advice about betrayal that becomes self-evident only moments later when Fett is confronted by a squad of heavily-armed Imperial Stormtroopers outside of Tusk’s lair.
Later, onboard an unnamed Star Destroyer, a pair of Imperials enter Fett’s cell, the ranking officer introducing herself as Captain Coldwell. Fett (still in his armor) demands to hear the terms of her deal. Coldwell is taken aback by Fett’s impudence, and attempts to break him, but even after the captain destroys the payment disk from Boss Tusk, Fett remains quietly defiant, but willing to hear her out.
Coldwell warns Fett that she holds his life in her hands, and gives him the specifics of the mission. In exchange for all charges dropped, Fett is ordered to capture (alive) the wanted fugitive Bantan Jabar, who stole classified intelligence, and is hiding in a treacherous region of space.
When Fett arrives, he encounters a black ops Rebel group also hiding in the system, and accepts their generous “offer” to retrieve the drive for them, “or else”. Fett prowls the system and correctly deduces where Jabar is hiding. With his bounty in custody, Fett contacts both the Imperials and the Rebels for a clandestine meet up, unaware that Fett has baited them both into attacking each other while he escapes.
Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1 ends with Boba Fett speeding away from the chaos he caused, his record expunged, reputation intact, and on the prowl for the next bounty.
Analysis
Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1 is a lean and mean, gritty crime caper with crackling dialogue, shoot outs, space battles, and double-crosses galore. It’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys in this seamy noir thriller as everyone seems to know Fett’s reputation, and they all want him to pull off a job for them, or else.
Writer Benjamin Percy successfully redeems Boba Fett by bringing the character back to his ruthless, bounty hunting roots. Boba Fett as a character has always been one-note, and is best for limited use as either a foil or a one-man-army. Fett captured the imagination of millions with his animated appearance in the otherwise maligned Star Wars 1978 holiday special, and later in film, with a humiliating (and comedic) end.
Like Darth Maul and General Grievous, Boba Fett is a deliberately limited character. A cool name, a slick design and an impressive arsenal, but little nuance or backstory. These characters are best experienced in small doses or else the magic fades. The ill-advised attempt to add dimension to Boba Fett (on Disney+) failed the true essence of the character. Fett is self-serving, vicious and loyal to none but himself.
A more amiable surrogate was eventually found in Din Djarin (from The Mandalorian), a character with the coolness factor (and armor stylings) of Boba Fett, but he was also a flawed character full of humanity, compassion and emotional depth.
Chris Allen’s (Black Panther) artwork dazzles in the many fight scenes, while adding a claustrophobic feel to the submerged Sarlaac pit, the Rebel ship and the Imperial cell block. During the various tense standoffs throughout Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1, Fett’s body language is relaxed, no matter what his adversaries throw at him.
Captain Coldwell is a striking and standout character, cold, calculating and overconfident. Her face is marked by a damaged eye and battle scar down the left side of her face, depicted in a brilliant, blood red by colorist Rachelle Rosenberg. The limited palette of this miniseries enriches the noir sensibilities of Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1, while also highlighting Allen’s crisp and detailed linework.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars: Boba Fett – Black, White & Red #1 is a rock solid crime thriller, exploring what fans have always loved most about the character. The noir settings, crisp writing, blazing action, intrigue, gorgeous art and effective use of limited color creates an even darker aspect of Star Wars underworld. Well done.
