Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars: Captain Phasma
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Marco Checchetto
# of Issues: 4
Release Date: 2017
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #1 Variant Cover
Reprints Star Wars: Captain Phasma #1-4 (November 2017-December 2017). Captain Phasma has been disgraced. The former Stormtrooper FN-2187 forced her to betray the First Order by lowering the shields and shoved her in a trash compactor. Now, Phasma needs a scapegoat. Pursuing a First Order agent to the planet of Luprora, Phasma needs Lieutenant Sol Rivas to solidify her report. Phasma finds Luprora overrun with monsters, and she and her Tie-Fighter pilot must locate Rivas quickly…Phasma has her name to protect.
Written by Kelly Thompson, Star Wars: Captain Phasma is a four issue limited series by Marvel Comics. The series features art by Marco Checchetto and was under the banner of a Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi story (sometimes even called Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Captain Phasma) and was released as a lead-in to Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
I enjoyed Star Wars: The Force Awakens though I did recognize it was very parallel to the original Star Wars film. Within Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the “Boba Fett” equivalent rose in the form of Captain Phasma…an enigmatic, foreboding Stormtrooper who commanded every scene she was in (even briefly). In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the character returned, and she was rather unceremoniously killed off (which ironically falls in line with Boba Fett as well). Star Wars: Captain Phasma promised to flesh out this character and give her more depth. It succeeds but at a cost to the movies.
Star Wars: Captain Phasma #2 Variant Cover
The book is a rather quick read. It is primarily an action comic with not a ton of written development. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is supposed to take place immediately after Star Wars: The Force Awakens and therefore all of this is supposed to take place in a matter of a few days. The story shows a character driven to not be labeled a traitor (something she really isn’t since she was forced to bring down the shields at gunpoint) that she is willing to pursue a patsy, rally a planet, and then kill everyone who helped her. It does amplify the character’s “cool” factor.
The story is accompanied by great art by Marco Checchetto. A lot of movie adaptations and tie-ins are really just feel like they are going through the motions of putting out a forced product to sell the movie. With the nice skilled art of Checchetto, this feels more fleshed out. I could have seen this being a continuing series if Star Wars: The Last Jedi hadn’t unfolded as it did.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi squandered Captain Phasma, and this comic made it even more evident. Captain Phasma was kind of a one-off character in the first film, but you had a feeling that she would be coming back. You don’t really get the comeback in the film so this comic will have to suffice. Thompson creates a rich, driven (to obsession) character that goes out like a chump. It makes the appearance in the movie feel even more gratuitous and unnecessary.
Related Links:
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
