The Boba Bounty

Let the rumors begin! Disney just announced it will debut a new animated series in fall 2014, taking place in the virtually untouched time between Episode III-IV. According to Disney officials, “Star Wars Rebels” takes place about 20 years before A New Hope.

This is great news for fans of Boba Fett – as it provides a great opportunity to not only tie up loose ends from “The Clone Wars,” but flesh out the rise of Boba Fett to the infamous role he plays in the Original Trilogy era.

We’ve heard there was a Boba Fett story arc planned for season six; we even saw an image of him in his Mandalorian armor. However, we never got to see his full transition from an angry orphan to a renowned bounty hunter. How did he wind up with his classic armor? How did he retrieve Slave I from Hondo?

It wouldn’t be too hard to put Boba Fett in this new animated series, especially since they’ve already got the animated model complete for the character. There’s also opportunity to show the foundation of Boba Fett’s and Darth Vader’s working relationship.

Since this series focuses on the Rebellion, this creates a place for bounty hunters as well. It was Prince Xizor who suggested the Emperor use bounty hunters as tools for the Galactic Empire in the Bounty Hunter War trilogy. He points out in the first novel, how there’s an advantage to using these individuals for certain missions.

We see how useful bounty hunters are to the Empire in “The Force Unleashed II,” when Darth Vader recruits Boba Fett to hunt down Juno to lure in Starkiller.

During this era, the Empire may even hire bounty hunters like Boba Fett to hunt down the remaining Jedi who escaped Order 66. There’s all kinds of possibilities – not to mention, many fans would like to see the fallout of Mandalore – it in itself a channel to bring in Boba Fett again.

Let’s also not forget in the time of “The Clone Wars,” Cad Bane is the No. 1 bounty hunter. How does Boba Fett take hold this role?

We need to demonstrate to Disney the fan base of Boba Fett. His role in “Rebels” would also provide a good build up to get younger fans excited about a Boba Fett spin-off film. To show our support, we’ll be starting a campaign to #BringBackBoba. It starts with a Facebook page, and hopefully we’ll be able to grow from there.

Help us build the foundation for our campaign. Here is the Facebook page we’ve created, which will receive a shorter URL once we fulfill the “like” requirements.

“Like” our Boba Fett’s Return in ‘Star Wars Rebels’ Facebook Page

WIN FOUR TRADING CARDS FOR YOUR COLLECTION…

The Boba Bounty announces its first Giveaway in celebration of reaching 50 followers on Twitter. This weekend, a random follower will be chosen to receive four free trading cards from Star Wars Galactic Files.

These cards include bounty hunters Bossk, Zuckuss and Durge, and Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla. To be eligible, just follow us at twitter.com/thebobabounty by Friday night at midnight.

If you’d like to help promote this giveaway, tweet who your favorite bounty hunter or Mandalorian is and why, followed by hashtag #bobabountygiveaway.

The random follower will be direct messaged, where we can obtain a mailing address to send the cards. The winner will have three days to accept the giveaway offer, or a runner-up will be chosen.

Thank you all for the continued support and readership! We’ll plan bigger giveaways each time we hit a milestone.

Eric Geller of ForceCast.net posted an article on RebelScum.com that a source close to Lucasfilm confirmed the “bonus material” said to be released for The Clone Wars will consist of two story arcs, which were planned for the season six.

He also reported there was a story arc including Boba Fett plotted for season six, which we will never see. According to Geller’s source, the story arc would have wrapped up the stories for Cad Bane and Aurra Sing.

This is highly disappointing, to say the least. It would have been exciting to see an older Boba Fett interact with Cad Bane and resolve lingering issues with Aurra Sing. We got to see the dynamic between these three bounty hunters in previous seasons.

Sing was a mentor to young Boba Fett in season two, and it was eluded that Bane provided the same role for Boba while imprisoned together. It would have been more than interesting to see how the dynamic would have changed the next time these three ran into each other.

Since those earlier seasons, young Boba Fett had risen to become a leader of his own little bounty hunter gang. No longer green behind the ears, would he had “fallen in line” when reunited with Sing? Would he have clashed with Bane? In fact, would Bane or Sing’s fate been at the hands of Boba, himself?

All we know for sure is Boba Fett was going to get his Mandalorian armor in season six. We also know Hondo was in possession of Slave I – newly outfitted and repainted in the color schemes we see in Empire Strikes Back. Lastly, we know planet Mandalore had fallen.

Boba Fett had evolved greatly over the episodes he showed up in. This last arc would have, in theory, fulfilled the final step in his character’s development, making him into the cold, calculating bounty hunter we saw in Empire.

Will his storyline be totally scrapped now that Disney is obviously trying to move past the prequel era in hyperdrive?

The bitter truth is, the only way we may receive the answers we’re looking for is; a) the #SaveTheCloneWars campaign works; b) the long-rumored Star Wars: Underworld project gets off the ground; c) through a standalone animated feature or live-action film.

There’s also a great disappointment for toy collectors. As reported earlier this year, the Hasbro line of Clone Wars toys is not longer being produced. Otherwise, this season could have produced a Boba Fett figure in Mandalorian armor, sculpted in the style of The Clone Wars.

Stay updated with the #SaveTheCloneWars campaign by tuning into www.savetheclonewars.com.

Also, it can’t hurt to voice your support for The Clone Wars.

Write a friendly letter to the powers that be:

• Disney Studios
  500 S Buena Vista St.
  Burbank, CA 91521 
  Attn: Bob Iger
  
• Lucasfilm
  P.O. Box 29901 
  San Francisco, CA 94129 
  Attn: Kathleen Kennedy

The last few months have been disappointing for Star Wars fans. We’ve seen the cancellation of The Clone Wars and the release of prequel films in 3D, a postponement for Star Wars Detours and a few video games put on hold.  

Some retail stores have also been consolidating their Star Wars merchandise. This past New York Toy Fair was universally reported as being underwhelming in terms of new lines of action figures.

I walked into Wal-Mart a couple weeks ago to see it tore down the aisle display for its Star Wars merchandise. Besides Hasbro’s upcoming Black Series, there are really no new waves of action figures being released this year in North America.

Therefore, the pegs are being filled with beaten, damaged figures on cards that were lying around warehouses or storage rooms.

During a grocery shopping trip earlier today at Target, I was not expecting to find the first wave of Fighter Pods Rampage Series 4 was on the shelves. One of the new vehicle sets included in this new wave is the Slave I.

I failed to find images of Fighter Pods Rampage Series 4 emerge from of the New York Toy Fair. Also, the Fighter Pod’s website is not updated with images from its new waves, so I successfully embarrassed my wife, as I performed a little dance of surprise and excitement in the middle of the toy aisle.

The Slave I is beautifully sculpted and painted in the blue and silver color scheme of Jango Fett. Since this toy line is known for releasing variants, I imagine we’ll see another Slave I, painted in Boba Fett’s color scheme, in an upcoming wave.

The set comes with three pods, which fit one pod at a time snugly at the rear of the Slave I – where the Cargo Bay is usually positioned. By pressing the cockpit window, the pod is launched or dropped from the vehicle. In my personal (biased) opinion, this is one of the most well designed vehicles in the Fighter Pods line.

This set also comes with eight characters, including new versions of Obi Wan Kenobi, Jango Fett, Saesee Tiin, Asajj Ventress, Luke Skywalker, Sandtrooper Hologram, Chewbacca Hologram and R-3PO.

Most of the characters and vehicles from Series 4 come from the prequel era and The Clone Wars. This is likely to many toy companies planning their toy lines to be released around the time of the prequel movies were going to be released in 3D.

This first wave introduces a fourth version of Boba Fett to the series – a Boba Fett Hologram figurine. The hologram is sculpted in red plastic, identifying him as part of the Dark Side characters. Boba Fett Hologram stands at a relaxed position, with his blaster resting at his side.

As far as I’ve seen, the Boba Fett Hologram can only be found in the product lines’ blind packages. However, I’ve not seen the full line of new vehicles or combo packs, so it might very well be found in those later this season.

I’ve only seen the Slave I set at my local Target, but nothing on the packaging hints at it being an exclusive to this retail location. If you’ve spotted this set at other stores, please comment on this post and to let us know.

It only took 24 hours for Dark Horse’s new series, “Star Wars,” to sell out during its debut on Jan. 9. Set in the original trilogy era, the happenings of the story arc, “In the Shadow of Yavin,” document the fallout from the destruction of the Death Star by the Rebel Alliance.

Within a few days of its release, Dark Horse staff announced a second print would be made available on Feb. 6, featuring a cover stripped of any text, so fans can revel in the cover art by comic legend Alex Ross.

The same day as the first issue’s release, a blog entry by the comic’s writer, Brian Wood, was ran on StarWars.com, and a few days later re-posted on Dark Horse’s website. Wood shares he aimed to capture the tone and feel of the original trilogy and feature a story that transpires only days after the final events of “A New Hope.”

Wood teases the series will be, “heavy on space battles and snubfighter dogfights. A series that gets into the emotional states of our post-Tattooine, post-Alderaan, post-Yavin characters who have lost so much yet press on in their fight for freedom.”

If there were any doubts that Wood would deliver the space battles and tales of peril he promises, fans were rewarded with a four-page preview of “Star Wars” #2 through the digital pages of Entertainment Weekly.

What is guaranteed to entice another sold out issue is the reveal that the second issue features the infamous bounty hunter, Boba Fett. In the preview, we see the Millennium Falcon avoiding fire by Slave I as the smugglers navigate space debris.

Scheduled for release on Feb. 13, the second issue hones in on Han Solo and Chewbacca as they attempt to evade the capture of Boba Fett; we’ll also see Darth Vader carry out a secret mission assigned to him by the Emperor.  

While the Empire doesn’t formally issue a bounty for Han Solo and company until “Empire Strikes Back,” it is already known after Solo’s encounter with Greedo in “A New Hope” that he is wanted by Jabba the Hutt.

Hiding in space debris, Solo believes they’re safe from being found, however, a ship appears on their radar. When identifying the ship, Solo realizes the immediate danger once they see Slave I fast approaching. Why is this interesting? This tells us Solo and Boba Fett have a history before the happenings of the original trilogy.

The chase between Fett and Solo is a common trope in Star Wars comics, so the challenge for Woods will be to make it fresh and new. How will Han Solo escape, or will he? I’d be interested to see what story unfolds if Solo and Chewbacca are actually captured – and later escape, of course.

Whatever happens though, this story needs to expand on the relationship between the bounty hunter and smuggler – besides the tired “cat and mouse” angle to their encounters. Unlike other bounty hunters, consider his run in with Greedo at the Catina – the films illustrate Han Solo having a genuine fear toward Fett.

I’m crossing my fingers we get a tale that explains why Solo takes the threat of Boba Fett more seriously than other hired guns.

Last year was a renaissance for Star Wars, once again moving to the forefront of popular culture.

Collectors saw plenty in the vein of new comic titles, novels and action figures. Film buffs got excited upon hearing the Saga would be return to theaters in 3D.  We received expansions to the Hasbro toy line and LEGO sets. We even saw a mash up of Star Wars and Angry Birds.

The coup de grâce, of course, was the announcement of Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm and the dawn of a new era of movies. The Disney buyout meant the franchise would move away from being merely nostalgia, experienced through the Expanded Universe by devoted fans, niche publications and conventions.

We’ll soon be seeing Star Wars seep into the mainstream. We won’t have to hunt down Star Wars related materials in the corners of the web or comic stores. Instead, bounty hunters and Jedi will pop up on cereal boxes, on magazine covers at the check-out lane, illustrated on Pepsi bottles and every other marketing avenue.

This also means we’ll be seeing a lot more of our favorite Mandalorian bounty hunter. Earlier this month the retail favorite, Target, introduced a large line of Star Wars products to its bargain bins – ranging from mini puzzles and yo-yos, to notepads and water bottles. The most prominent character splashed across these items? None other than Boba Fett!

These items are official Lucasfilm licensed products and manufactured toward the end of last year. There’s a collapsible water bottle, featuring the helmet of Boba Fett, a play pack that includes crayons and a 24-page coloring book and a 48 piece puzzle that shows Boba Fett launching into action – the image of Darth Vader illustrated over his left shoulder.

Perhaps its wishful thinking – but I have to raise an eyebrow over the high number of Boba Fett merchandise suddenly coming out of Lucasfilm. The bounty hunter, while massively popular, has always been treated like as a background presence as far as merchandising is concerned. He’s the mail-away offer, one of many in a collage, one chapter in a book.

I will hesitate analyzing this too much, but I am sure 2013 will be a big year for Boba Fett. He’ll be a player in two upcoming Dark Horse comics, inside the pages of “Agent of the Empire,” and the new “Star Wars;” his ship re-emerged recently in “The Clone Wars;” and I have a feeling this is just the beginning.

When Angry Birds Star Wars was announced, great speculation hit the Internet. Fans of both properties wondered what characters would be included, fan art circulated the blogs and the merchandise hit store shelves before the game was even released.

Angry Birds Star Wars launched Nov. 8 with two episodes open for game play – Tatooine and Death Star – each with 40 levels to attempt for three stars. These episodes represented the major two locations from A New Hope.

These episodes included the main characters from the first film: Obi Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca. Representing the Empire and the pigs are Imperial Troopers and Darth Vader.

The mobile app also features a Bonus episode with droids R2-D3 and C3PO, and Path of the Jedi also became available for a few extra dollars. This last episode is located in Dagobah – another major location from A New Hope.

It stands to reason the initial release of the game focuses on the first film of the original trilogy. However, teased to come next is an episode themed around Hoth – the ice planet and location of the secret Rebel base that opens up Empire Strikes Back.

If the game follows its current pattern, the following episodes will be developed around major locations from the Empire Strikes Back, including Hoth and Cloud City.  Additional levels will most likely be updated into Path of the Jedi.

I’m guessing these new episodes will introduce Boba Fett and Lando to the roster of Angry Birds Star Wars characters. I have two pieces of evidence to support this theory:

In October, I tweeted about my anticipation for the new Angry Birds game and my hope to see Boba Fett translated into the application. Within 24 hours my tweet was answered by the verified Angry Birds account:

“Well there’s a long future of opportunities ahead, so who knows,” was the reply I received, along with a winky face. I took this as a hint of Boba Fett’s inclusion and a reference to Rovio’s history of keeping its games fresh by continually adding new levels and developing new characters.

My second item of evidence is an image I posted a few days ago of Boba Fett and Slave I being included in Angry Birds Star Wars coloring book and sticker album. Whether this was an accidental inclusion or a purposeful nod – it confirms the bounty hunter is under development.

It’ll be interesting to see how fans of both franchises react to Boba Fett’s introduction. Many pieces of fan art illustrated the bounty hunter as a bird, but these images surfacing in coloring books and sticker albums obviously show Boba Fett as a pig.

Most likely, this is because he will be the “boss” at the last level of the Cloud City episode – similarly to Darth Vader being the boss at the last level of Death Star.

In 2010, fans of The Clone Wars were treated with the release of a new series of trading cards entitled, “Rise of the Bounty Hunters.” The cards were inspired by the second season of the animated series, and focused on characters like Cad Bane, Aurra Sing and Boba Fett.

If you’ve viewed the second season of The Clone Wars then you’re aware the last story arch focuses on a young Boba Fett seeking revenge against Mace Windu for the death of his father. Of course, I’m biased but this was my favorite three episodes of the season.

The young Boba Fett is represented by half dozen cards, which screen captures various scenes from the episodes.

“Rise of the Bounty Hunters” includes sketch cards, animator sketch cards, foil-stamped parallels and motion cards. Along with retailers selling the series by individual packs, the cards were also made available in collectible tins that held eight packs. The tins were come in the shape of clone trooper helmets.

The back of each card depicts the episode the screen capture comes from, when the episode aired, the writer and director and trivia from the episode.

Collect all the cards from “Rise of the Bounty Hunters.”