The first meeting between Darth Vader and Boba Fett should be fraught with danger and darkness. But writer John Wagner instead filled Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire with whimsy and chuckles, so a potentially powerful book just sort of sits there and fizzles.

Darth Vader is, of course, the Dark Lord of the Sith and the Emperor's heavy right hand. Boba Fett is the galaxy's most feared bounty hunter. And Vader employs Fett to track down a mutinous commander and return a valuable item to his care; Fett takes the job even though he suspects his own death will be part of the payment.

OK, with that solid footing for a good action story, Wagner tosses into the mix an inept band of comic assassins also in Vader's employ, as well as an order of religious pessimists whose existence centers on the anticipation of bad things happening. And, with Vader and Fett in the picture, bad things probably will. But instead of exciting action, it becomes jocular slapstick. Woo hoo. Even the art telegraphs the notion that this is a comedy, not a serious adventure tale.

When Vader and Fett fight, as you know they must -- well, I find it hard to believe a mere bounty hunter, no matter how good he is, could last more than a panel against a Sith of Vader's abilities.

A bonus tale, also written by Wagner, is a brief story in which Fett risks two bounties to snare an even bigger prize.