“Doctor Aphra” meets Speed as Aphra has to stave off death by staying close to someone she’d rather far, far, away from. It’s a sticky situation but one that allows us to explore a dynamic we’ve been waiting to see.
Cover by Ashley WitterWritten by Si Spurrier
Illustrated by Emilio Laiso
Colored by Rachelle Rosenberg
Lettered by VC’s Joe CaramangaCollects Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #26-31, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Annual #2.
Doctor Aphra — worst among equals! On the run from the law in a massive alien metropolis, Aphra has ten hours to cross the hostile megacity before the bomb implanted in her throat explodes. And don’t forget the pack of bounty hunters and crazed cops that are on her tail. No big deal, right? But there’s one more wrinkle: Aphra can’t stray more than a few paces from her companion without activating the bomb’s proximity alert and blowing both of them up. And that companion is Triple-Zero — a sadistic, murderous droid who’s more interested in Aphra’s death than in playing nice! With undead hunters, monster trappers and the foulest divisions of the Imperial war machine between Aphra and salvation, is this the end for the galaxy’s foremost amoral archaeologist?
There’s been a lot of characters throughout the pages of “Star Wars: Doctor Aphra” to this point in the series. So many that you may wish for a scorecard to help keep track! And so many that you may have forgotten that when this series started, the core group was Aphra and her sidekicks Triple-Zero, Bee Tee, and Black Krrsantan. Aphra and Krrsantan parted ways at the end of ‘The Enormous Profit,’ and sadly Bee Tee is destroyed at Darth Vader’s hand.
This leaves us with just Triple Zero, and fortunately, it also provides the most fascinating character dynamic. Triple Zero went from employee to boss in his relationship with Aphra, and as we open ‘Worst Among Equals,’ they’re very much dependent on each other for survival, in the most literal sense.
As you may recall from the previous arc, the crazed Doctor Evazan implanted bombs in both Aphra and Triple Zero’s bodies. In order for the both of them to stay alive, they must stay together. One strays too far from the other, they both blow up. Compounding the situation is their presence on Imperial-controlled Milvayne, where everyone seems to want Aphra in their sights. And with their very different moral codes, they are going to have very different ideas on how to get out of this situation alive.
Group projects are so much fun, aren’t they?
While this may be a stressful situation for Aphra, it provides a new fascinating dynamic to explore in this relationship: the idea of equals. (Hence the name of this arc, ‘Worst Among Equals.’) Aphra searches for the most humane, most ethical way out of their various situations, while Triple Zero thinks nothing of death and destruction as a means to an end. They have to meet in the middle, they have to work together, they have to treat each other as partners. And that’s something that hasn’t been present in their relationship. The power dynamic balances itself, and neither really knows what to do with it.
By the end of these three issues, both Aphra and Triple Zero are still persuading the other that their moral code is the effective moral code for the situation. That level of tension adds to the tension of their escape from Milvayne, and it all keeps you intrigued from issue to issue.
While this may be a thriller in the style of Speed, there’s still some elements of fun, mainly thanks to Si Spurrier’s means of setting a scene. The irreverence reminds me of “West Coast Avengers” and the Kate Bishop “Hawkeye” and it helps break up the tension to leave you refreshed for more.
Emilio Laiso, who you may remember from the ‘Remastered’ arc, returns for this arc, and the aspects of his art style that we loved from that arc are here. There’s some hiccups with some close ups on Aphra’s face, particularly in one moment in issue #26 with a little too much light on her face that adds too much accent and too much texture. But overall, it still looks like the Aphra we know from before. He has some fun with the look of Doctor Evazan, reminding me a bit of Danny Devito. (If that Doctor Aphra TV series ever does come to pass, here’s a casting idea right here.)
Continued belowBut what I noticed most about these three issues were Rachelle Rosenberg’s colors. If you’ve read these recaps regularly, you know that’s one of the things I raved about most: the vibrant colors. Throughout the first two issues, Rosenberg uses every color in her paintbox to bring the world of Aphra to life: blues and greens of Milvayne City (perfect to show off all those holograms), bright neons for heat signatures, and red – – the signature color of power and passion – – in the final moments of issue #28 as Aphra faces down death from a source she did not expect.
We’re pretty confident Aphra’s going to make it out of Milvayne (after all, we have 12 more issues and another Annual to go, but anything is possible), but what I’m eager to see is, yet again, what effect this challenge – – both the escape and having to work as peer alongside a very murderous droid – – will have on her character.
Next week we close up ‘Worst Among Equals’ with issues #29-31
If you want to read along with me this summer, you can pick up the single issues or trades of “Star Wars: Doctor Aphra” at your local comic shop (be sure to social distance, wash your hands, and wear a mask, or even better, order your comics online for curbside pickup or delivery!), or digitally via Comixology Unlimited or Marvel Unlimited. As of this writing, all 40 issues of the series are available on Marvel Unlimited, and issues #1-25, and #28 (along with volumes 1 – 4) are available via Comixology Unlimited.
