Doctor Aphra #26 Review

Writer: Simon Spurrier

Artist: Emilio Laiso

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Publisher: Marvel

The story of the issue continues from the end of the previous arc, The Catastrophe Con, and kicks off a new chapter for the series. Aphra and Triple Zero are stuck together after an encounter with mad scientist Doctor Evazan, who planted bombs in the pair preventing them from being more than twenty meters apart from each other purely for his own amusement. The duo, now without any of their usual compatriots, travel to Tam Posla’s homeworld Milvayne to try to get the bombs removed.
 

I’ve enjoyed the series since it started but I hadn’t really been digging the previous arc until the final issue. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t catch me as much as the arc before it or some of the other current Star Wars ongoings. The final issue was full of twists and turns that elevated the entire arc to another level for me and set up awesome story threads to be continued in the next arc here.
 

Characterization is on point here. Triple Zero is terrifying in all the ways he should be. Evazan and Ponda watch the events unfold from the comfort of their couch, leading to occasionally adorable and hilarious reactions. A lot of the supporting cast from the last couple of arcs are gone or absent (Tam, Hera, Sana, Tolvan, BT, Dek-Nil), it’ll be interesting to see who comes back and what new characters come in. One shot in the comic sets up a unique return that I’m really looking forward to seeing play out.
 

The art is looking great. Laiso did the art for the Remastered arc, which most loved, but he was replaced for the Catastrophe Con. The art wasn’t bad but Laiso was missed and he makes his return in this issue. His art fits the series very well, managing to be both sufficiently creepy and lighthearted at times.
 

Overall, it’s a pretty solid issue and a fun start to what I presume will be a great arc. It’s moving at a pretty fast pace and while I have a couple guesses about where the story will go, I’m certain that it will end up surprising me just like the last arc did. I’m really looking forward to finding out!