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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

New Discussion - Tales of the Bounty Hunters

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Jade40291, Apr 15, 2005.

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  1. Jade40291

    Jade40291 Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2005
    I am currently reading this book. I haven't been reading them in order...I'm jumping around a bit. I started with the Boba Fett story, and I'll go from there. I was just hoping to start a conversation about this particular book with people who are either reading it right now...like me...or people who are fans of it. Just like to talk about what I'm currently reading I guess....
     
  2. Kish

    Kish Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jul 12, 2004
    I really liked the book, I think it helped flesh out that one scene in Empire Strikes Back for me.

    My favorite story is the 4-Lom and Zuckuss one.

    My least favorite is the IG-88 one. Man, I try to think that thats not part of continuity.
     
  3. Jade40291

    Jade40291 Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2005
    I haven't gotten all that far yet...but I'm concerned about the Boba Fett story...it seems wrong in light of revelations from AOTC. How have other readers reconciled this inconsistency?
     
  4. Darth-Lando

    Darth-Lando Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 12, 2002
    I sometimes think that I am the only person on Earth who actually likes the IG-88 story. It is actually my favorite in the whole book. Weird, huh? :p
     
  5. Jodus

    Jodus Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jan 21, 2005
    it cant really be considered wrong, since it was written what? 10yrs ago? The way its accepted by many, is that these happened after the CLone Wars when he went to settle down. People believed he was Jaster for a time i believe, and he went with it. As for the part with Leia where he speaks of never holding a woman, it has been considered "i havent since i was married".

    THey are basically small discrepencies, but overall from book to book, I think most ppl like how Fett is written there. It is my personal favourite rendition of Fett. If it were possible I'd love to see that author write an entire book involving Fett. Doubtful this will ever happen, but it would be nice.


    As for the IG-88 story, I dont think its so bad. I kind of enjoyed it, and can see no harm with that being what actually happened. The time frames that are now coming out about these droids I think was fixed at a point for continuities sake, but I'm no expert on that. As for how that story ends...well, why not? Seems perfectly logical in a way.

    I wasnt really a fan of the 4Lom and Zuckuss story, can't think of a real good reason why not. But I wasnt a real fan of the Bossk story, I just plain didnt like it. It seemed to focus more on the other two characters than on Bossk as the main character.

    I enjoyed Dengars story, I thought it gave a lil plus into him. He's not nearly as bad as the rest of the hunters I think. He at least finds something else that meant something more than killing in the end.

    Overall the book was a good buy, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a good read, or wants to learn more about their favourite hunter. It seems to set the standard for me when it comes to the Tales books.
     
  6. rogue_wookiee

    rogue_wookiee Jedi Youngling star 6

    Registered:
    Apr 24, 2004
    Therefore I Am. Started out great. Even the idea of having IG-88 trying to destroy all the squishies and rule the galaxy was cool. An infinities story about the Yuuzhan Vong invading the droid galaxy would be interesting. But then KJA made IG-88 the DS2 and had him pranking Palpatine. There are no words. [face_plain]

    Payback. Great look into Dengar's character. His vendetta against Han Solo for the swoop racing was great.

    Prize Pelt. It was barely even a Bossk story. I like original characters. But Tyers was supposed to write a Bossk story. Not a Tinian story.

    Of Possible Futures. Great look at 2 bounty hunters that teamed up dispite being incredibly different. 4-LOM is ruled by logic yet he trusts Zuckuss's insticts. Having them join the Rebellion and try to save Han in the SotE comic was great.

    Last One Standing. Awesome. The definative Boba Fett. It gives us a great look at his character and the best part is that the stuff about his past was vague enough to wiggle so that Jaster Mereel is his adoptive grandfather. Everything else starring Boba Fett is nothing compared to this.
     
  7. Rogue_Follower

    Rogue_Follower Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2003
    The Mandalorian article in Insider #80 clears up any problems with the Jaster-Fett problem. Fett just assumed the name Jaster and settled down on Concord Dawn for part of his life. I really don't mind the IG-88 story, but I admit it is kind of silly. Someone really needs to write an article about the history of the IG series and clear up all of the problems.
     
  8. Syntax

    Syntax Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 1, 2001
    I liked the 'Tales of the Bounty Hunters' a lot, too. It's been too long since I've read it.

    My favorite story is probably either the Boba Fett one, or the 4-LOM/Zuckuss one.
     
  9. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    The Boba Fett story is fabulous, whether it fits continuity or not. It really gives a great mythic feel to both Fett and Han.

    I think the Open Seasons graphic novel, also excellent, by the way, begins to get at the heart of the Jaster Mereel retconning. Regardless of that, Last Man Standing is just great fiction.

    The Bossk story was disappointing.

    The Zuckuss and 4-LOM story was interesting in concept, but not particularly so in execution.

    The IG-88 story is exactly the opposite, idiotic in concept, entertaining in execution. The idea of several 88's, 88 taking over the Death Star II, this stuff is just ludicrous, but it's a fun story.

    Dengar's story is the second best in the book, solid and interesting.

     
  10. Jade40291

    Jade40291 Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2005
    not to sound like a dumb@$$ here, but I keep seeing this term, retconning....what does it mean?
     
  11. Jodus

    Jodus Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jan 21, 2005
    basically once something gets messed up continuity wise by a more definitive source (like the movies) they have to go and fix something that was done in the past.

    IE: Last One Standing has Fett AS Jaster, whereas in AOTC, Fett is a clone, and never was Jaster. Therefore Last One Standing, while a wonderful story, doesnt exactly fit 100% into continuity, and parts have to be addressed in a separate article or book somewhere. I believe Abel fixed it up perfectly in his Mandalorian article.

    But thats just one example. There are many other examples, I just cant think of them right now.
     
  12. -E-

    -E- Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    Last One Standing is a great story, good enough that most people feel it trumps other tales it may conflict with (there's a lot of argument around here, but average fans don't seem too concerned with, or even aware of,the old Gamer bit about the "wife".)It makes sense that someone in his field would take up aliases, and a young guy with Fett's background could feasibly begin an idealistic life of law enforcement (Jaster).
    For me, the whole crux of the story is the effect of time and experience on a person and their character. Beyond the Solo arc, there's a great development of Fett's personality; for fun read the bits out of order to see how Moran changes the tone of Fett's thoughts. Lose the transitions, and it's quite obvious. Of course, this is paralled in Solo's story, as he confronts his fading youth. Catch the phrase at the beginning about being "young, and quick, and full of promise" - that sets the stage for the real theme of the tale. People might note that he mellows out too much by the end, when in truth he just gets real. Youthful idealism is slowly replaced by hard experience, and in the final confrontation two enemies stand face to face with a new dynamic -changed people, same job.

    Dengar's story is compelling too, in that much of the conflict is interior. I might reread that to refresh my memory on that one now that I have free time.
    Lord, I can't believe how old these are. Didn't I just buy this book?
     
  13. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Boba Fett's story was great, and I'm a real fan of "Of Possible Futures" (as it gives us a nice insight into events surrounding the Hoth evacuation and Toryn Farr was great).

    Bossk's story was dull and just out me to sleep.

    Dengar's was decent.

    IG-88's story was pretty good too, though the ending was a tad too much.

    It is however, almost impossible to arrange the events in all the stories together 100% perfectly...I came across a couple moments while writing that Of Possible Futures example screenplay that had to be fudged a bit to work.

    >>I sometimes think that I am the only person on Earth who actually likes the IG-88 story.<<

    Don't worry, you're not alone- I'd say about 85%-90% of the reviews I've read of TOTBH actually cite the IG-88 story as their favorite/best story of the collection.

    On these boards, it seems to be the inverse for some reason ;)
     
  14. Tam_Elgrin

    Tam_Elgrin Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 1, 2004
    I adore Of Possible Futures. It's probably my favourite story from the Tales anthologies.
     
  15. Kish

    Kish Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jul 12, 2004
    So how does The Bounty Hunter Wars fit in with all this?

    I picked up the first book, and none of the bounty hunters were acting anything like they did in TOTBH.

    Zuckuss didn't even speak in 3rd person. I didn't even bother finishing that book. It really didn't seem like he did his BH research.
     
  16. Jade40291

    Jade40291 Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2005
    I also have been curious about the Bounty Hunter Wars. I never read them because, honestly, they didn't really interest me at the time they were out, but in the intervening years I've met some other fans who adore them and think that they are a must read...thoughts on this in relation to TOTBH?
     
  17. Esplin9466

    Esplin9466 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 27, 2002
    "The Last One Standing" is, as far as I'm concerned, the best Star Wars story ever. :cool:


    Zuckuss didn't even speak in 3rd person. I didn't even bother finishing that book. It really didn't seem like he did his BH research.

    According to The Essential Guide to Alien Species, Zuckuss is insane, and therefore occasionally slips back and forth between third and first person. The changes in 4-LOM's character are a result of his being shot through the head in the Shadows of the Empire comic.
     
  18. Jodus

    Jodus Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Jan 21, 2005
    BHW's wasnt exactly what I think alot of us would call high caliber to compare to TOBH. While it was an interesting read and filled in some of the timelines, the characters just didn't feel right in most parts. Its been a while since I read it, but from what I remember some parts just seemed off. I never really liked how Bossk was written. Ah, i'll have to go re read it soon. But one person can only hear barve and Kuat so many times.

    The time transitions were painful too. Going from a future event back to the past, that was hard to deal with at first. I suppose I would just say it could have been better written, but it was a decent read past those negative aspects, and like I said, filled in a part of the timeline in a way. I would much have preferred the author of Last One Standing to have written it.

    Going back to Last One Standing, I would ignore all the rest of the EU and even the movies (prequals) to use that to define Fett. I was quite happy with the vague references to history. And then followed up by all the one shot comics which he starred in. To me, that was the definative Boba Fett.
     
  19. Eyrezer

    Eyrezer Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Aug 4, 2002
    I really enjoyed the 4-LOM story. One of my greatest disappointments 4-LOM having a complete personality change and it no longer being possible for him to visit the academy :(

    Just reading Boba's stroy now. Very interesting to reread in the light of the Mando article, ie that he'd never held a woman in his arms, yet he has a daughter? Interesting.
     
  20. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    The likely retcon is to "finish the setence", so to speak and take the comment as "He had never held a woman in his arms [since Sintas]".
     
  21. Excellence

    Excellence Jedi Knight star 7

    Registered:
    Jul 28, 2002
    Bossk's is happy nappily boring.

    IG-88 had potential but ultimately came across as farfetched.

    Dengar was emotionally interesting. His partnership with Fett continued for another 6yrs.

    The Gandish one was a little too mushy; back in those Tales days, they had a tendency to write the heroic Rebellion against a reviled Empire as black/white romantic mushy.

    Fett's actually didn't end, which I have issues with. Enemy Lines did that too, slapping your face with such abruptness. It was one of those full circle ones, dating from Paradise Snare's Solo's Jubilar reference to come back 15yrs after Endor again. Bullock reflecting his conversation with Leia was the longest he's had in memory are silly things to say. If that was long for him, he's of little interest to me.

    Overall, you got a decent amount of background to these fellas unlike that---excuse me---laughable Shadow Hunter. You never really saw them in full combat action, tested to their limits. It's all fine and sithy to say how armed and armoured and slashing they are, but I want evidence, not too much character-driven issues.
     
  22. Jodus

    Jodus Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Jan 21, 2005
    i think that was the best part. They showed that these guys actually had some character to them. If you want gun toting action, the comic books do them justice there. Boba's comics are what i would consider legendary for depicting him as an unstoppable killer. But theres so little character to them.

    Dengar for instance, who saw him getting a wife out of that short story at the start? Not me, I mean what are the odds on that one?

    In fact, I just realized the connection Manaroo has, and it has been sourced. In Twin Engines of Destruction, it uses the info about her from Dengar. Its nice to see that it was used as a reference material for the characters.
     
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