Published: September 8, 2021
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artist: Federico Sabbatini
Colourist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Sara Pichelli & Nolan Woodard
The Synopsis:
“REPEAT OFFENDERS”
DOCTOR APHRA and SANA STARROS are imprisoned by a POWERFUL ENEMY! If they want to escape, they’ll have to work together with former foes JUST LUCKY and ARIOLE… And venture deeper into the heart of a CRIMSON DAWN FLAGSHIP!
The review;
Back to the antics of Doctor Aphra! First can I say a massive thank you to my editor Steve Galloway for reviewing the previous issue while I enjoyed a summer holiday! But back to business! War of the Bounty Hunters continues on, with issue 4 released today, and following on from this issue. It has been a tremendously well executed crossover event so far, the scale beyond anything done so far in the comics. After last issues ending, where it’s heading is anyone’s guess but I’m sure Aphra will be in the centre of it…
This issue feels very different to the last few Aphra’s. The previous few have felt very much like they have been telling the story of War of the Bounty Hunter and how Aphra fits into that story. This is exactly what I’d expect from a crossover event. However, this issue takes a step back and feels like an Aphra issue, the larger story of the event moved to the background. It’s the sort of break that is precisely what Aphra needed. We have been following the tale of Lucky, here and there, since the second arc, with not much movement. Here we can finally see the pay off as him and Aphra meet. Wong does this beautifully, not some huge confrontation but locked in a cell. Although angry with him, Aphra quickly realises that Lucky and her are just the same, sidekick at all. It’s never personal, just part of the job. The two are mirrored with their sidekicks, Sana and Ariole, who again show jut how similar they are. Each have taken different paths that have ultimately led to the same outcome.
With this comparison with the two groups of characters, Wong brings in a tremendous amount of humour. I’ll be honest, I usually like my humour in Star Wars to be quite sparring however, Wong pushes it further in this issue. It never feels too much, and I found myself laughing throughout the entire issue. Without being part of the overall main story of War of the Bounty Hunters, Wong has been able to capture the most important element of Aphra that has taken a back seat in these last few issues, fun! The humour, the light-heartedness, this is an adventure with laughs and action, exactly what this series does best. It’s difficult to bring this in when events are so close to War of the Bounty Hunters as you don’t want to diminish the event as a whole. But having this, almost interlude, from it, allows Wong to remind us of the core elements of the series.
As well as being fun, Aphra really shows off her best qualities. We get to see again that she is not one for giving up, that there is always a way, that you just have to find it. Although there is an obvious comparison with her and Lucky, this is one of their main differences, Aphra is far more optimistic than Lucky. Here it works, as it’s Aphra who is able to get the group out. It was also great to see her knowledge of droids highlighted, harkening back to her interests.
The artwork by Sabbatini this issue is phenomenal. This is artwork that is crisp, bright and has a very anime style to it. Rather than feeling like artwork for younger readers, it follows the writing, it is fun! When the eyes light up when finding the armoury, rather than being put off by the art, I was in hysterics. Sabbatini really added to the atmosphere and the humour that Wong wanted to convey in this issue and I have to say, he executed it to perfection.
Crossover events are always difficult. Not only do you have to coordinate the overall story with multiple story lines, but those series have to go at the speed of the main event. It has felt like Aphra has suffered a little for this. For a fast-paced, humorous series, Wong has had to tone down some of these key elements in order to let the events of War of the Bounty Hunter shine. I’m not saying this as a negative, put just part of the process that is entailed with something like this. This issue, Wong has been able to diverge from the main story to allow her to tell a true Aphra story, one that allows these elements to shine. And shine they do. This is an incredibly fun issue that is full of laughs and adventure, the essence of why fans around the world love Aphra. While it can’t last while War of the Bounty Hunters is occurring, it does feel rather special when Wong reminds us that those sorts of issues and stories are still awaiting.
Availability:
Doctor Aphra (2020) is an ongoing series available from Marvel. This issue is available via the Marvel App and all good comic book stores. This issue retails at $3.99.
