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Zam Wesell La Belle Dame Sans Merci
Review: Zam Wesell TPB

by Nekhrun
Published 4/24/02


The Republic faces a grave threat. You guessed it, bad writing.

Contains spoilers for Episode II.

Zam Wesell TPB

Story:
Art:
Coloring:
Lettering:
Ron Marz
Ted Naifeh
Dave Stewart & Digital Chameleon
Digital Chameleon

If you've not read Jango Fett, you may want to check out my review first to get a quick summary.

Summary and Commentary:

The Jango and Zam debacle continues. The Jedi Council discusses a course of action, as they must once again save the galaxy from itself. General Ashaar Khorda (Jango Fett's mysterious employer from his self-titled trade paperback) returns to wreak havoc with his recently re-acquired idol of mass destruction. (How did he lose it in the first place?) The council narrows the threat to three planets, but it's fairly clear all along that the real threat lies on Coruscant. Did anyone really want to see Oppo Rancisis run off to safeguard Corellia anyway? The task of guarding Coruscant falls to Yarael Poof because of his superior mental abilities. I'll play along, he seems like an intriguing member of the council. I'd like to know a little more about him and these "mental abilities" that are referred to.

The heart-warming saga picks right back up where it left off in Jango Fett as Daddy Fett and Boba play ball. I'll discuss that more later. Zam interrupts and Boba is sent inside.

Zam and Jango discuss the artifact that was retrieved and who they were really working for. There is more romantic/violent tension between the two, and Zam explains the idol's destructive potential. She wants Jango to help restore the idol to its rightful place. Jango doesn't want to; besides, he needs to spend more time with Boba. Zam feeds him some sappy line about all of the sons on Coruscant that need his help. Jango opens up about his past, adds what I'm sure is some foreshadowing for Episode II, and quickly changes his mind.

We are told that the General's motivation for wanting to take out Coruscant has something to do with the Republic's treatment of his homeworld and worlds like it. Suffice to say, his final speech to the troops fails to evoke any emotional response from the reader. Hey, I'm all for revolutions when there is some sort of altruistic cause, but any real convincing argument is left out.

Interlude:

An innocent looking child is being chased around Coruscant by some street toughs before he is dramatically saved by the mental stylings of Master Poof. There is some small talk between Yarael and the kid, and the master once again resumes his search for the idol. He seems like such a nice guy, I'd hate to see anything bad happen to him.

Jango scares some already scared ruffians who seem to know who he is. As I've mentioned in a previous review, how effective can a bounty hunter be, if everyone who sees him knows who he is? He must be just that good. Spoiler here: Zam's a shapeshifter, not that it helped her any because she comes from her information hunt empty-handed.

The General has learned that enough raw power will trigger the idol's destructive capabilities, so everyone goes off to the planet core, of course.

Party time:

Well, it looks like everyone received their invitations because Coruscant's core is now crawling with General Ashaar Khorda and his crew, Jango & Zam, and a Jedi Master. Talk about timing. Minor characters die, the idol lights up, and Jango's armor is stronger than a stormtrooper's. More bad things happen and we find out why Master Yarael Poof no longer sits on the council for Episode II. Jango & Zam save the day and the idol, Yarael calms it down before becoming one with the force.

Light Side:

  • The artwork. Though done in typical comic book style, great attention was paid to detail, color, and the various aliens that make up the book. Good stuff.
  • Seeing Jedi.

Dark Side:

  • Zam using her abilities for shock value rather than to further the story.
  • Jedi decisions and discussions. Come on, they've been around for thousands of years, but we are constantly being fed this garbage that their collected abilities are only just enough to continue this stumble to their ultimate demise. If you don't have a good story to tell, then you shouldn't tell it at all. The council is content to know that the threat has been neutralized and feels no need to search for the mysterious heroes, or the idol.
  • General Ashaar Khorda. He is a less eloquent and imposing version of Darth Sidious. I know that Lucas borrowed quite a few of his ideas from various sources, and I've come to terms with that, but when Ron Marz does it, it's just sad.

It seems likely that young Boba may, in fact, be a clone of Jango. That is the only explanation for Boba being so ugly. The whole loving father bit may be Jango's way of making up for his own lack of a good dad and a "stable" childhood. It seems that there may be quite a few parallels between Boba Fett and Darth Vader. Not having one parent, missing another, covering the face, and over compensating for not living up to a father figure's expectations.

The most interesting characters in the book are the Force-sensitives from the idol's home. They tell Fett and Wesell that their people are dying and their secrets will die with them. I'd like to see a series about them, even if they do look like sea lions.

I think I'm done here. If you've made it this far you know more about this book than you probably should.

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