Zam Wesell One-Shot

Story: Ron Marz

Art: Ted Naifeh

Coloring: Dave Stewart & Digital Chameleon

Lettering: Digital Chameleon

Reviewed by Mike Cooper (2/25/03)

Summary:

When Zam learns that an artifact that she and Fett obtained for a client on an earlier mission may be used by terrorists to destroy a planet and throw the Republic into chaos, she knows that they must act. But what can two bounty hunters hope to accomplish if even the Jedi Council can't prevail?

The Story:

Ah, the plot thickens. We pick up soon after the conclusion of Jango Fett, though just how soon is kept nicely vague. The best thing about this part is that it really emphasizes the fact that Jango is an honorable guy. He can do some cold-hearted things, but when push really comes to shove he always knows the right thing to do. It's one trait that he'd probably be sad to see Boba didn't pick up. Then again, he might consider it a weakness. =)

One nitpick: Zam is seen changing form to imitate a Dug, yet soon after, SW Gamer said that Clawdites are only able to change their skin, and thus can only mimic species close to their own body type. As with the mask issue in Jango Fett, it's probably the fault of the later source, especially when Gamer articles aren't exactly canon documents.

In any event, the story wraps up nicely. Yarael Poof gets the axe, explaining away his absense in AotC (which, incidentally, is said to be due to his similarity to Kaminoans). Goodbye, Master Poof (or as Tracy Morgan calls him, Dude With the Crazy Neck)!

The Art:

Naifeh's art is in many ways the polar opposite of Fowler's, in that he concentrates on tight, clearly defines chapes and thin lines. It works very well in most of the book, but there are quite a few panels in which the characters aren't as consistent as they should be. The best stuff is the non-organic elements, like pretty much all of Coruscant (which looks spectacular) and Jango when his armor's on. When he's good, he'd good; when he's not good, eh.

Conclusions:

This story's primary purpose was to introduce people to Jango and Zam, and in that regard, it succeeds wonderfully. If I had any complaints story-wise, it would be the fact that there isn't really any tie-in to the plot of AotC, and fans who aren't accustomed to the EU who see a "Jango Fett" book and decide to pick it up might be turned off by such a stand-alone plot. Works for me, though, and I guess that's all that matters. If I had to pick a preference between the JF art and the ZW art, I'd be hard-pressed to decide; each have a lot of plusses, along with a minus or two. All in all, it's an enjoyable read that pretty much set the standard for the relationship between two of the coolest prequel characters to date.

9/10