Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (Volume 1)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Si Spurrier
Artist: Kev Walker
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2018
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (1) #21
Reprints Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (1) #20-25 (July 2018-December 2018). Doctor Aphra always finds herself in jams. Now she’s trapped on an Imperial prison ship under an assumed name. When she lures her new lover Inspector Tolvan to the prison and her ex Sana Starros arrives as well, Aphra finds herself caught in a trap…not to mention the discovery of a dead Jedi’s ship infected with a deadly and toxic spore that has forced the prison to take drastic measures to contain it. Time is running out and Aphra has to get off the prison before it is too late…always have a back-up plan!
Written by Si Spurrier, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Volume 4: The Catastrophe Con is a Marvel Comics Star Wars spin-off series collection. Following Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Volume 3: Remastered, the series features art by Kev Walker. Issues in the collection were also included in the Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Omnibus.
Doctor Aphra is a great addition to the Star Wars universe. A true rogue, the character often does the wrong thing or if she does the right thing, she does it in a roundabout manner. Despite generally “winning”, Aphra manages to lose every time…and this could be her biggest failure.
Often, Doctor Aphra is written very, very tight. This is true in this volume as well. Smaller actions have pay-offs, and the pay-offs generally propel the story forward. The result is every story arc of Doctor Aphra plays out like a heist movie…with Doctor Aphra one step ahead of everyone. It is probably a harder series to write than a typical comic book, but in the fact that this happens every volume, it runs the risk of becoming repetitive.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (1) #24
As a result, this volume wasn’t my favorite of the series. I generally like the banter between Aphra and her droids which was missing this volume and I felt the Aphra in prison storyline had already been used to a better effect earlier. I also got a bit tired of the deadly Jedi fused spores which seemed more like a magic go-to when writing around the problem of the falling prison got a bit too tough.
This volume does have some fun revelations. I was always a big fan of Dr. Cornelius Evazan in the original Star Wars and his ally Ponda Bobba (or as some call him Butt-Face). It was nice to see them back here and Evazan’s “present” to Aphra was fitting. I also liked that Darth Vader has been reinserted into the series. The relationship between Aphra and Vader in Vader’s own series was fun and the fact that Vader feels betrayed by her is a great set-up for future problems.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra maintains being a good series, but I want a bit more variety to the overall plots. The scheming and quick-change dealings of Aphra are key to the series, but there needs to be a bit more substance. I like where Aphra is going with Tolvan and I want to learn more about her past with Starros…the sky is the limit for the character since it isn’t bound by Star Wars lore…Aphra forever! Star Wars: Doctor Aphra 4: The Catastrophe Con is followed by Star Wars: Doctor Aphra 5: The Worst Among Equals.
Related Links:
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra 1: Aphra
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra 2: Doctor Aphra and the Enormous Profit
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra 3: Remastered
