Kieron Gillen

Once & Future: The King Is Undead

by Kieron Gillen, Dan Mora, & Tamra Bonvillain
collects Once & Future #1-6

It’s not often that I read the synopsis for a book and say “F*** yeah!” aloud, but when I read “retired monster vampire hunter and her grandson,” I’m going to respond with “F*** yeah,” and thankfully, Kieron Gillen didn’t disappoint.

Older women protagonists are such a rarity in literally all genres, especially (too often patriarchal) fantasy, and while there are a few self deprecating lines from Bridgette about her age, it’s never at her own expense. Brigitte is a retired monster hunter and when she learns of a plot to resurrect King Arthur, she ropes in her grandson and an unsuspecting professor to save the world. Bridgette is an unflappable, badass woman, and I love her. I think she needed a moment of vulnerability towards the end, but that’s okay.

Once and Future is a very solid fantasy with a fun Arthur twist, it would translate very well into a TV show. (How is this not a TV show yet?) There are definitely echoes of other fantasy/adventure stories, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade came to mind more than once. The pacing was a bit quick, it throws a lot at the reader in a few issues without much pause. A few characters are a little underdeveloped, especially Elaine and Rose, and Duncan’s ‘coming of age’ arc also felt a bit rushed. But Bridgette rightfully steals the show, and there’s absolutely no filler.

Mora and Bonvillain’s art was the perfect match for Once and Future. It’s light and kinetic, with facial expressions that are consistent and just over the top enough. The psychedelic colors of the otherworlds was also perfectly done. (Nancy, I love how we chose the same word!) I also liked the amount of horror and gore – enough to feel like an adult story, not so much that it felt like horror genre.

Yet another new favorite thanks to this group! I’m excited to read volume two.

Ok to air!

Die: Split the Party

by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, Clayton Cowles
collects Die #6-10
volume reviews one | two

I really wanted to like this second volume. Gillen, Hans and Cowles have an amazing premise – five adults return to Die, the RPG world they spent two years in as kids, with one of their own staying behind. As I described in volume one, there’s a real magic to creating a world in an RPG, and Die captures that thrill several times over, even if we don’t see the die being rolled.

But even though Gillen is clearly a big fan of RPGs and has built an interesting world with his team, the book can’t breathe under its own weight. There’s just too much dialogue and exposition – very obvious exposition about characters’ lives back home, Die-specific jargon still meaningless to the reader, the mechanics of the RPG with an odd, literary turn, particularly when the opening words said the world was created by math. Instead of the action balancing the dialogue, we skip over any exciting combat in a few short panels. (For the record, this is surprising coming from Kieron Gillen.)

It was challenging to feel settled in Die’s world, or emotionally invested in the wide cast of characters, except perhaps for Ash towards the very end. What’s most interesting and unique is the concept of adults reliving a character they created as a teenager – there are so many interesting places to go here. Ash becomes more compelling at the end, but that’s because she has the clearest, strongest tension between both selves (still aided by a flashback). Because Ash (presumably?) identifies as male in the real world, there are also some interesting discussions about gender here, that are hinted at but not fully addressed by Gillen. It’s reminiscent of Crosswind, but not nearly as direct or progressive.

Regardless, we should have seen more of that tension from Isabelle, Matthew and Angela, that wasn’t straight up exposition. Revealing how they are meeting and clashing with their past selves would make this a compelling book, frankly far more than the actual fantasy conceit. (Chuck is left off this list because he has nothing to offer in development yet.)

Hans’ strong, bold art continues to deliver with panels that evoke a response, even if I’m not fully invested in the story. I love how emotive her characters are and the more thinly penciled flashback scenes. She is quickly becoming an artist who I would blindly pick up a new book for, if I saw her name on the cover. And Clayton Cowles always makes comics better, even if you’re not noticing the lettering – here, his lettering for Sol was chilling and effective.

I’m interested in Die, but not invested. I’ll read volume three but not with a whole lot of anticipation.

Doctor Aphra: Remastered

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.

Doctor Aphra and the Enormous Profit

Kieron Gillen course corrects everything I complained about in volume one and delivers a solid, satisfying and very fun Doctor Aphra story. A few events have clearly happened between volumes one and two (issues 7-8 were crossovers with other events and aren’t included in this arc), but most importantly, the evil gang’s back together and Aphra has her hands on a sentient crystal, housing an immortal Jedi, who can also control technology. (I know it sounds weird, but it works.) What she does next, of course, would make Han proud – get all the galaxy’s baddies in a room and sell it to the highest bidder!

This is a great Aphra story because it effortlessly leans into the gray area between hero and villain that Aphra occupies, while showcasing her smarts, improvisational skills, and humor, especially when things escalate beyond her control. We also get some real funny robot dialogue with Triple Zero (aka evil Threepio), who is tremendously bored from not killing anyone in a while and throws a few wrenches into Aphra’s plans. Apparently, droids can have excellent character development too. Kev Walker, Marc Deering and Antonio Fabela’s art continues to meet expectations, capturing the kinetic Star Wars feel and color palette, even though we don’t see much planet landscape or space scenes. I also appreciated that while Aphra gets herself all dressed up for an issue or two, she isn’t sexualized.

Aphra, a wild card who lives in the gray area, is necessary to the Star Wars universe – a queer woman of color who isn’t defined by her minority statuses, especially – and so is a purely fun Star Wars story, which is exactly what I want in a Star Wars comic. Stories with Leia, Han and Luke often get boring or repetitive, because we know they can’t die or have character growth after a certain point. But Aphra, Triple Zero and Krrsantan? New, compelling characters and their endings are total fair game. And sometimes, stories where “the fate of the galaxy” is at stake gets tiring. But an immortal Jedi possessing a droid and shooting up a bunch of villains? Sign me up.

My only complaint about the book is that the only (female coded) woman other than Aphra in the entire arc dies. I’m not going to complain about the entirely male creative team every volume, but….no wait, I think I will. (Looking forward to finally getting to Alyssa Wong and Marika Cresta’s run on the character which started this year.) Excited for volume three.

Mini Reviews 3 [Star Wars edition]

May the Fourth be With You!

Happy Star Wars Day from my corner of the galaxy to yours. Here’s to one of my favorite stories of all time, reminding us that hope is always there, and anyone can be a hero.

The debut series of rogue archaeologist, Miss – sorry, Doctor Aphra, was very forgettable, even though I like the character a lot – or at least her potential. I always want to see more women in the Star Wars universe – and queer women in the Star Wars universe, what a concept! (though it was very much tossed in at the end) – but Aphra’s debut series didn’t make much of an impression.

Aphra first debuted in Darth Vader’s series also penned by Kieron Gillen, as a minor character in Vader’s employment, but now she’s free and able to pursue her life’s work: stealing and profiting from ancient artifacts. (note: I read this before reading Vader and I met her briefly in Aaron’s Star Wars title.)

Aphra’s like a Star Wars version of Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, (wrote this then learned Gillen used Indy as inspiration), who shares Han’s snarkiness and comfort in the gray area between hero and villain. Aphra feels like a natural character in the Star Wars universe and she’s got a lot of potential. Gillen gives her a strong voice and it’s truly unclear whether she’s altogether good or bad. The way we learn Aphra is queer leaves no room for questioning it, but is also subtle enough that it’s just one of many aspects about her, which is so necessary these days.

(And I just have to mention, again, she’s one of very very very few queer women, and women of color, in Star Wars so it’s kind of a big deal. Though it would have also been nice if the creative team was one or more of those things – maybe eventually they’ll hand it off.)

But then, the plot goes sideways with her father and a confusing mythology story that seemed too big and important for one trade, but also wasn’t given a whole lot of time. This is where the book lost me. Even though Gillen gives lil boop and her dad time to (predictably) work things out, it isn’t really her story when it’s primarily centered around her dad’s life’s work. Aphra’s compatriots, Black Krrstantan, Beetee and Triple Zero had some nice quips, but I had trouble getting beyond how they’re just an inverted image of Chewie, Artoo and Threepio. Finally I wasn’t crazy about the art, which had more than a few sloppy panels, and didn’t bring any “wow” moments, especially from the fight scenes, that really elevated the early volumes of Aaron’s Star Wars title.

I’ll give the next volume a shot. Until then, I’ll dream of a time when a queer woman of color’s creative team isn’t all white dudes…over seven volumes. Sheesh.

Star Wars vol 4: Last Flight of the Harbinger
by Jason Aaron, Mike Mayhew, Jorge Molina, Chris Eliopoulos
collects Star Wars Annual #20-25
volume one | two | three | four

Even though it’s better than volume 3, Last Flight of the Harbinger still leaves a lot to be desired.

Harbinger begins with another one shot of Ben’s time on Tattooine, babysitting Luke from afar. Mayhew’s photorealistic art is amazing but the stories have no substance or consequence – though it was fun to see Black Krrsantan make an appearance right after reading Dr Aphra. I know there’s only so much Aaron can do in this timeline, but it had better be leading up to something – and what about some time with Aunt Beru? Has there ever been ANY story about her?

The main arc sees Luke, Han, Leia and Sana hijack a Star Destroyer in order to save a Rebellion-sympathizing planet under the Imperial’s blockade. It’s a cool concept, but the character work is still weak. Han and Leia won’t stop bickering, and it’s more than tired at this point. We all know their romantic tension can’t be resolved until after Episode V, and I’m really dismayed that Aaron still can’t find any better character development for them, as if there isn’t any more to Han and Leia’s characters than sexual tension. Sana, who seemed to be brought in less as a full fledged character and more as a shit-stirrer, isn’t given more personality or much to do; it was refreshing to see her paired with Luke, but their scene doesn’t go anywhere. Aaron also introduces the Scar Squad, an elite squad of Stormtroopers – like an Imperial version of the Bad Batch in Clone Wars – and the backstory behind Sergeant Kreel was surprisingly compelling.

Jorge Molina’s art is alright. I love his starship battle scenes and he does a beautiful job rendering ships, space, and movement all alongside speech bubbles, which is not a small feat. But I’m not a fan of Molina’s button noses, which threw off all the characters for me, except maybe Sana.

Aaron’s Star Wars title isn’t high on my list, but it was an easy read (especially on May the 4th!) and I’ll give volume five a look when I’m up for it.

Darth Vader vol 1: Vader
by Kieron Gillen, Salvador Larocca & Edgar Delgado
collects Darth Vader #1-6

Vader was a quick read that helped connect the dots with Aphra and the main Star Wars title. It was moderately enjoyable but far from my favorite book this year.

As the only survivor of the Death Star’s destruction, Vader is the target of Palpatine’s wrath and gets a big ol demotion. He’s now the pawn of General Tagge who only sees him as a brute force. But of course Vader won’t have that, as he recruits familiar and new faces to find Luke and build himself an army.

Gillen’s restricted by the later films, and so it’s never a question that Vader gets back on top. Enjoying the story depends on how much one likes Vader, and/or any investment in the secondary and mostly original cast: rogue archaeologist Dr. Aphra, assassin versions of 3PO and R2D2, mercenary wookie Black Krrsantan, and some other minor cameos. (And Palpatine, I guess. Is anyone a fan of Palpatine?) The events in this volume nicely tie into Aaron’s first Star Wars volume, but most importantly, Gillen has a strong handle on Vader’s ruthless and calculating voice, with just enough pain underneath the surface, but only for the reader to fully understand. Vader is far from my favorite Star Wars character, but Gillen hits the right notes here. The final reveal – for Vader at least – is handled beautifully, and answers a big question in Star Wars canon.

What I didn’t get was how Vader found all the time to multitask right after becoming Tagge’s errand boy, and there’s nothing like an alien bug queen screaming “my womb! my children!” for my inner feminist to cringe a bit.

I’m torn on the art. Larocca’s pencils felt very shaky and inconsistent, and he constantly drew characters who were speaking with their mouths closed, which bothered me for some reason. Delgado’s colors are phenomenal, adding in some lovely shading and Vader-helmet shininess that elevate Larocca’s pencils and really make the story feel like Star Wars.

Vader is unnecessary but helpful for this new landscape of Marvel comics, and a must for Vader fans. Personally, I’m not sure I’ll continue with volume two – it depends on how many other Star Wars comics I read and if I feel it’s necessary.