Emilio Laiso

This might be my favorite volume of Doctor Aphra yet. The last arc was Spurrier’s first solo as Aphra writer, and it was a clunker that tried a bit too hard. But everything’s been ironed out in this volume, with Spurrier and his great art team focusing on the best aspects of Doctor Aphra and, in my opinion, Star Wars – a fun planet romp with great characters and monsters.

The book opens with the annual, as our titular archaeologist employs monster hunters and odd-orable married couple Winloss and Nokk. Even though it was disappointing to see so little of Aphra in her annual, Winloss and Nokk are fantastic characters who belong perfectly in this corner of Star Wars (and if it were up to me, every DND campaign) and it was a delight to see them later in the main arc. Wijngaard’s art was also impressive.

“Odd couples” is certainly the theme of this volume, as Aphra and Triple Zero are stuck together thanks to two implanted bombs that won’t let them get several meters away from each other. (Off-world is our third odd couple, Dr Evezan and Ponda, the Mos Eisley duo from Episode IV and the reason behind Trip and Aphra’s implanted bombs. They had minimal investment and didn’t add much, which is fine.) Aphra and Trip’s banter was sorely missed in the last volume, and it’s in spades here – especially Trip’s hilarious yet disturbing delight in torture – as the two hit their lowest point (metaphorically and figuratively) and fight to survive.

The classic “enemies forced to work together” trope still bears meaningful and believable payoff by the end, not an easy task for volume five, or for morally ambiguous characters. I’m continuously impressed by Spurrier’s ability to gradually introduce hints and glimmers of redemption and self awareness from Aphra (and even Trip), without being unearned or too saccharine. Aphra’s selfishness and self-sabotage make her a compelling and deeply flawed character, and she is gently nudged towards growth while staying believable as a character. And as in previous volumes, her queerness is part of Aphra’s identity, but not window dressing or decoration – her regret and love for Tolvan is an important but minor part of the story.

Spurrier and the art team also take us on a fun planet romp with great world-building, fun monsters, and solid secondary characters, including the return of an undead force-infused warrior maniac. This is campy and lighthearted Star Wars at its best, and Laiso and Rosenberg continue their impressive character design while also elevating Spurrier’s humorous one liners. The sketchy, black and white flashback panels are gorgeous, and I’ve never seen a droid as creepy as Triple Zero. Andrea Broccardo assists with pencils on 31, and unfortunately it was a dip in quality, which was tough for the final issue.

The ending felt a little predictable, and the televised aspect was trite at times, but that could have been the product of reading as a trade rather than individual issues. This is probably one of the best volume fives in any series, and I’m excited for the next chapter.

This third volume of Doctor Aphra continues the blend of action, humor and moral ambiguity that makes her such a compelling character.

Gillen and new writer to the series, Simon Spurrier (Coda), turn several story elements on their heads to keep the reader guessing and Aphra on her toes! Aphra now takes orders from assassin droid Triple Zero, leaving Aphra in an especially precarious position, as TZ has no attachments or particular regard for the sanctity of life. She’s instructed to complete a near impossible mission: retrieving the assassin droid’s earliest memories from the Empire. Triple Zero’s commitment to violence, and playing with Aphra’s mind, is one of the most delightfully disturbing aspects of this book, and I am here for it.

Most of the arc dedicates itself to the memory heist, a plot which, like the Mandalorian’s heist episode, introduces us to some new characters – most of them quirky, with a particularly delightful odd couple. Gillen and Spurrier give each crew member space for their own backstories and charming weirdness, and also waste no time in giving Magna Tolvan some sympathetic backstory too.

A new art team, penciller Emilio Laiso and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, brings consistently gorgeous art that fits right in with the other two volumes, and the Star Wars universe at large. This volume is quite a bit darker than the other two volumes, as Aphra is pushed to make even more morally ambiguous decisions, and the art does a great job heightening the suspense and sometimes discomfort of Aphra’s actions while bringing more aliens, droids and giant spaceship scenes to life.

Because of this aspect – our lovable archaeologist who no longer skirts the grey, but dives right into it, and swims right up against something darker – the creative team keeps the spotlight on Aphra, even with a large injection of secondary characters, and leaves her in a different, and not necessarily better place. Where most middle volumes in a long series will start to drag, this feels like an important part of her story arc, and not at all a waste of time.

spoilers. Aphra finds some romance too, as she and Tolvan begin a dance of attraction to one another, being pulled apart by their different allegiances, and intentionally double crossing, shooting at, and saving one another. Here, I’m a bit torn. On one hand, Gillen and Spurrier could have actually taken some time to develop their relationship. All we see is the two of them quickly progressing from attraction into spending a night together. I’m not saying the two have to put a ring on it first, but it’s hard to be invested in a relationship that’s only based on attraction, some flirting and a few kisses. At the same time, perhaps Aphra and Tolvan’s personalities – as well as their positions squarely on opposite sides of the war, and the “we might get shot any second” world they occupy – led them to make this choice perfectly in-character, without second thought to an actual *relationship.*

We’ll see how it develops. Regardless, it’s so nice to see a queer relationship in Star Wars; it’s at least being treated respectfully by the creators, even if they aren’t women. All the romantic scenes, including the morning-after one, are done very well.

I’m really enjoying the series and looking forward to volume four.