The earliest Boba Fett comic cover known is on the British The Empire Strikes Back Weekly #129 which was published on August 14, 1980. The U.S. Star Wars #42 has a cover date of December 1980 and most likely hit stores in September or October 1980.
The Empire Strikes Back Weekly #129a - Marvel Comics, England (August 14, 1980) last 1/3rd of Star Wars #42
The cover excitingly exclaims Enter... Boba Fett... The Chase is On! Another blurb strangely reads Thrilling Adventures in a Galaxy Lost to Space and Time! The cover art is not original, but is instead taken from interior art done by Al Williamson. The bounty hunter art on the cover is from the splash page of Star Wars #42. The inset art with Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon is taken from the first panel on page 11 of Star Wars #41.
Star Wars Weekly #42 - Marvel Comics, U.S. (December, 1980) splash page with Boba Fett appearance
The art from the splash page is recolored on the British weekly to further emphasize Boba Fett by coloring the other bounty hunters in a uniform mauve color. Additionally, Boba Fett has orange on his helmet instead of the red seen in the movie and his cape is colored blue instead of the two tone drab colors from the movie. Unlike the splash page however, Fett's gauntlets are correctly colored the same grey as his helmet, unlike the splash page which has him sporting red gauntlets.
While this is the first cover appearance for Boba Fett, it is not the first appearance of Fett in The Empire Strikes Back Weekly. The Empire Strikes Back Weekly #127 contains the first 1/3rd of Star Wars #42, including the spash page shown above.
If only I could read it....
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