Even though he spoke just six lines of dialogue throughout the entire first Star Wars trilogy, ruthless bounty hunter Boba Fett remains one of the most popular characters in the SW universe. Though Enemy of The Empire is a standard tale of deceit and intrigue, interest will surely be peaked with the promise of a stand-off between Fett and Darth Vader, two of Star Wars"s hardest characters. Set before A New Hope, Boba Fett, even then much feared and respected, is hired by Vader to retrieve a box from a rogue Empire soldier who has been sentenced to death. Suspicious of Vader"s interest in this artefact, Fett soon believes his bounty will be paid in the form of lingering death, as the contents can determine the future of the galaxy. John Wagner, of Judge Dredd fame, does a superb job of capturing the deviousness of Fett and Vader, two men with hidden agendas of varying intensity. Whereas Fett only wishes to ensure that he gets his bounty, Vader sees the artefact as the key to his ruthless ambition to depose the Emperor and rule the galaxy. The battle between the two is brilliantly staged, with Fett having to use his utmost guile to survive Vader"s awesome power in the Dark Side, and resolved in a surprising but fitting fashion. Whether you are a fan of Fett or delight in the darker elements of Star Wars, this is a strong and thrilling tale with Wagner doing both characters justice. A return engagement is required. --Danny Graydon