Doctor Aphra #10 Review
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artist: Ray-Anthony Height
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS CONTINUES.. TO BE PRELUDED! This issue of Doctor Aphra both concludes the second arc of the series, as well as sets up the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover. Or at least, it says it does on the cover. In actuality, this is really just a conclusion to the second arc, there's nothing really indicating that this is a Prelude in any way aside from the very last panel of the issue, and honestly? I like it that way. I didn't really like how Vader and Star Wars went out of their way to suddenly tie things into the WOTBH crossover, but just a little tease at the end here works far better.
Crossovers aside, this is a really good conclusion to the arc! The last issue seemed to go by a little too fast, but this one is the exact opposite: there's a whole lot happening here, and I definitely prefer it that way, it makes Aphra feel fast-paced like it should, but not lacking substance. Another thing I really like that's always been present in the Aphra series is how grounded it feels. I don't just mean that tonally, I mean it feels like it takes place on the very ground level of Star Wars. There's a news crew outside this factory reporting on this hostage situation Vukorah instigated; that's not something you'd normally see in a Star Wars story, you'd just get the hostage situation. But Aphra goes out of it's way to make the story feel more real and grounded, and it works all the better for it.
As for the plot itself, it resolves itself in classic Aphra fashion. Aphra has her rare moment of caring about others (with Sana this time instead of Magna Tolvan), and everything blows up in her face. Vukorah wants the Path Engine, only the one in front of them isn't real. Aphra disables it so that it doesn't explode when activated while Sana gets the hostages out and the Empire in. A firefight breaks out between the Unbroken Clan and Empire, and in that chaos Aphra escapes with the Crystal Core that powered the original Path Engine.
This is where I started to really like the issue. If this was the last issue, it would've ended there with barely anything happening, but instead we get a whole lot more. Aphra and Sana take the Crystal back to Domina Tagge and get their next job, while the series' other main castmember, Lucky, gets a job (along with his ex Ariole) that promises to send them hurtling right into each other... and not only that, but Durge seems to be heading to the same planet as our heroes! The issue ends perfectly, wrapping things up, setting up the next story, and teasing what's to come as far as the War of the Bounty Hunters. This is a great issue, maybe one of the best yet in the series! The art by Height, Olazaba, and Rosenberg suits the series perfectly, although it's strange they mixed up the penciller for just this one issue. Can't wait for the next issue!
Artist: Ray-Anthony Height
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS CONTINUES.. TO BE PRELUDED! This issue of Doctor Aphra both concludes the second arc of the series, as well as sets up the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover. Or at least, it says it does on the cover. In actuality, this is really just a conclusion to the second arc, there's nothing really indicating that this is a Prelude in any way aside from the very last panel of the issue, and honestly? I like it that way. I didn't really like how Vader and Star Wars went out of their way to suddenly tie things into the WOTBH crossover, but just a little tease at the end here works far better.
Crossovers aside, this is a really good conclusion to the arc! The last issue seemed to go by a little too fast, but this one is the exact opposite: there's a whole lot happening here, and I definitely prefer it that way, it makes Aphra feel fast-paced like it should, but not lacking substance. Another thing I really like that's always been present in the Aphra series is how grounded it feels. I don't just mean that tonally, I mean it feels like it takes place on the very ground level of Star Wars. There's a news crew outside this factory reporting on this hostage situation Vukorah instigated; that's not something you'd normally see in a Star Wars story, you'd just get the hostage situation. But Aphra goes out of it's way to make the story feel more real and grounded, and it works all the better for it.
As for the plot itself, it resolves itself in classic Aphra fashion. Aphra has her rare moment of caring about others (with Sana this time instead of Magna Tolvan), and everything blows up in her face. Vukorah wants the Path Engine, only the one in front of them isn't real. Aphra disables it so that it doesn't explode when activated while Sana gets the hostages out and the Empire in. A firefight breaks out between the Unbroken Clan and Empire, and in that chaos Aphra escapes with the Crystal Core that powered the original Path Engine.
This is where I started to really like the issue. If this was the last issue, it would've ended there with barely anything happening, but instead we get a whole lot more. Aphra and Sana take the Crystal back to Domina Tagge and get their next job, while the series' other main castmember, Lucky, gets a job (along with his ex Ariole) that promises to send them hurtling right into each other... and not only that, but Durge seems to be heading to the same planet as our heroes! The issue ends perfectly, wrapping things up, setting up the next story, and teasing what's to come as far as the War of the Bounty Hunters. This is a great issue, maybe one of the best yet in the series! The art by Height, Olazaba, and Rosenberg suits the series perfectly, although it's strange they mixed up the penciller for just this one issue. Can't wait for the next issue!
A Look Inside
