Doctor Aphra 2 review

Writer Kieron Gillen introduced us to the Archeologist/AI expert, Dr. Aphra, in his Darth Vader series. Along with assassin droid Triple-0,BeeTee (an experimental war droid from an imperial program that went completely wrong) and a wookie mercenary, she’s now starring in her own solo series. It’s kind of like Star Wars meets Indiana Jones, with a main character that’s an anti-hero at best but probably leans more toward being a villain.

The first issue was very entertaining, and this issue is about the same. Doctor Aphra 1 ended with her father showing up, revealing that he put her doctorate credentials into question because he wants her help. Clearly their relationship has serious issues. Most of this comic focuses on the two of them discussing what Aphra’s father is looking for, with flashback-like scenes showing several very different theories on something called the Ordu Aspectu. The legend behind what Aphra’s father is seeking is fascinating, and the dialogue is consistently entertaining, whether it’s Aphra’s reluctance to help out, Triple-Zero complaining about being “torture teased” or even the very end teaser combined with the father’s closing line.

The art by Kev Walker is great. Facial expressions and body language do a great job at conveying emotion, like Aphra’s father waving his hands outward like a gameshow host when he’s explaining his theory on the Ordu Aspectu, and Aphra transitioning between slapping her forehead and glaring at her father. The background in Aphra’s ship looks similar to the Millennium Falcon with visible loose cables and pipes, and the walls are unclean. The different theories of the Ordu Aspectu are complete with completely different looking outfits and characters, capturing how everyone sees the group in their heads. Antonio Fabela’s colouring is also great. The inside of Aphra’s ship has a slight green hue, but everything’s colourful otherwise, and there’s smart use of light reflections and shadows on the droids.

This series is off to a great start. Aphra’s a fantastic character already, and introducing her father and family struggles adds a lot of depth to her issues. Triple-0 is delightfully evil as always, and while the story has a clear direction, it can still go in a number of directions from here. If a somewhat evil Indiana Jones in the Star Wars Universe interests you, then you should pick this up.

9/10