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Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2016)
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Vol. 7: A Rogue's End
After all she's been through, professional disaster zone DOCTOR APHRA is right back where she started: working for DARTH VADER. What villainous use has the dark lord found for her to make him spare the life of his most annoying foe...? And how long does she have to try to slither out of harm's way before he decides to finish what he started three years ago...?
COLLECTING: STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA 37-40, STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA ANNUAL 3
COLLECTING: STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA 37-40, STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA ANNUAL 3
144 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
December 11, 2022
This is it. The final collection for this series. It comes full circle as Aphra is once again under Vader's thumb. How will she survive and escape this predicament this time?
This collection was a tough one to rate. It definitely had its ups and downs. I will say that I believe that this run has gone on a little too long so I am happy that it is over. I mean how many times can I read about Aphra getting into trouble and narrowly escaping by the skin of her teeth. This series has become wash, rinse, and repeat. We open with Aphra terrified that she is reunited with Vader. The problem with this is that the author played this scenario for laughs and I did not enjoy it. It played out like a comedy on television and when there was a funny line you could hear the laugh track being forced into the audio. Finally when we get back to what made Aphra an interesting addition to this galaxy is when I started enjoying this collection. Like I said parts I enjoyed and parts I did not. I can say this about the finale and how she wins the battle. Some of it was heartfelt which I feel stayed true to the character. I am not sure if I buy into how it was accomplished though.
As you can tell I feel like this collection is a mixed bag. That is why I went with the three stars. It does come full circle with the return of all the important characters that we have seen during this run. And that part did not feel forced. It was a satisfying conclusion but it will not wow you. I know this character comes back in a different run in a different time setting and I look forward to reading that.
This collection was a tough one to rate. It definitely had its ups and downs. I will say that I believe that this run has gone on a little too long so I am happy that it is over. I mean how many times can I read about Aphra getting into trouble and narrowly escaping by the skin of her teeth. This series has become wash, rinse, and repeat. We open with Aphra terrified that she is reunited with Vader. The problem with this is that the author played this scenario for laughs and I did not enjoy it. It played out like a comedy on television and when there was a funny line you could hear the laugh track being forced into the audio. Finally when we get back to what made Aphra an interesting addition to this galaxy is when I started enjoying this collection. Like I said parts I enjoyed and parts I did not. I can say this about the finale and how she wins the battle. Some of it was heartfelt which I feel stayed true to the character. I am not sure if I buy into how it was accomplished though.
As you can tell I feel like this collection is a mixed bag. That is why I went with the three stars. It does come full circle with the return of all the important characters that we have seen during this run. And that part did not feel forced. It was a satisfying conclusion but it will not wow you. I know this character comes back in a different run in a different time setting and I look forward to reading that.
September 5, 2020
Dr. Aphra comes full circle as she's back working for Vader. Spurrier does a nice job of bringing back a lot of the reoccurring characters. I for one am glad this current series is ending though. Spurrier has been spinning his wheels for awhile on this title telling the same story over and over. Casper Wjingaard's art is OK. Elsa Charretier's art from the annual is just plain awful. It's cartoonish and unfinished looking. Frankly it looks like she drew thumbnails on a cocktail napkin and then they blew the art up into full pages from that.
February 28, 2020
For me, Doctor Aphra has been a lousy story ever since she got her own series. This volume is no exception, but it's even a bit more annoying than usual because Aphra is allowed to influence real Star Wars characters and events. There is no way that she and the two droids would be able to defeat Darth Vader. And setting up the Rebel base on Hoth shouldn't have anything to do with Aphra. In the end, rather than allow Aphra to sacrifice herself for some noble cause, the writers only have her helping a few of the people she's swindled in past issues, and then she gets to go free through the galaxy. Even the droids are, yet again, nearly destroyed, but of course will be rebuilt and do the same shtick all over again in the next book.
March 23, 2021
Aphra schemes and scrambles her way to safety one more time, with some familiar faces making a curtain call along the way.
October 25, 2020
So that's that. A series that started very strong under Gillen, and then got more and more watered down the further it got. I don't feel Spurrier ever really understood the character of Aphra, his writing for her has always felt off, writing her with a dumb, obvious 'wit'.
April 30, 2020
So I just got through with watching the latest episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and it’s put me in a Star Wars mood (well, more of a Star Wars mood than usual), so I thought I would get a review together for the seventh and final volume of the excellent 2016 Doctor Aphra series, A Rogue’s End.
After saving the Emperor’s life from an assassination plot, archaeologist, scam artist and all-around disaster zone Doctor Chelli Aphra thought that she would finally be safe. Instead she finds herself trapped in the one place she has been running from for years, in the clutches of the most dangerous person in the galaxy, Darth Vader. Vader desperately wants Aphra dead, as she knows his darkest secret, his obsession with Rebel pilot Luke Skywalker, and it is only a matter of time before he finds an excuse to kill her.
Trapped aboard Vader’s Star Destroyer with her young companion, Vulaada, Aphra’s only chance to survive is prove her usefulness and help Vader find the location of the new Rebel base. However, Aphra is nothing if not resourceful, constantly looking for a way to game the system and extend her life. An encounter with a mysterious figure in an ancient temple seems to offer her the best chance of survival, until she finds out that it is her Jedi-obsessed father, Korin Aphra, once again causing trouble.
With the fate of everyone she loves in the balance, Aphra begins to devise another elaborate plan. With the help and hindrance of her ex-girlfriend, Captain Magna Tolvan, and the murderous droids BT-1 and Triple Zero, Aphra sets out not only to fool the entire Empire but to finally bring her affiliation with Darth Vader to an end. Can Aphra pull off the greatest con of her career, or will all her lies and deceit finally bring her the grisly end she has been running from for years?
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2020/04/30/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
After saving the Emperor’s life from an assassination plot, archaeologist, scam artist and all-around disaster zone Doctor Chelli Aphra thought that she would finally be safe. Instead she finds herself trapped in the one place she has been running from for years, in the clutches of the most dangerous person in the galaxy, Darth Vader. Vader desperately wants Aphra dead, as she knows his darkest secret, his obsession with Rebel pilot Luke Skywalker, and it is only a matter of time before he finds an excuse to kill her.
Trapped aboard Vader’s Star Destroyer with her young companion, Vulaada, Aphra’s only chance to survive is prove her usefulness and help Vader find the location of the new Rebel base. However, Aphra is nothing if not resourceful, constantly looking for a way to game the system and extend her life. An encounter with a mysterious figure in an ancient temple seems to offer her the best chance of survival, until she finds out that it is her Jedi-obsessed father, Korin Aphra, once again causing trouble.
With the fate of everyone she loves in the balance, Aphra begins to devise another elaborate plan. With the help and hindrance of her ex-girlfriend, Captain Magna Tolvan, and the murderous droids BT-1 and Triple Zero, Aphra sets out not only to fool the entire Empire but to finally bring her affiliation with Darth Vader to an end. Can Aphra pull off the greatest con of her career, or will all her lies and deceit finally bring her the grisly end she has been running from for years?
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2020/04/30/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
January 28, 2021
*4.75
Full RTC
Full RTC
January 31, 2021
The adorable, acerbic, annoying, anti-heroine archaeologist (and those are just the “a”s) Doctor Cheli Aphra has been a fun and enjoyable series within the Star Wars universe, but, as they say, all good things must come to an end.
So, with Volume 7, “A Rogue’s End” (kinda gives it away in the title, huh?) the Doctor Aphra series comes to its satisfying conclusion.
Has she met some friends along the way? Yes. Do most of them end up hating her guts? Probably. Has she done more harm than good? Debatable. More importantly, has she learned anything about herself? It’s a toss-up.
She does manage to do a few selfless things in this one, actually helping the few handful of people she can call loved ones. She also manages to outwit and escape the clutches of Darth Vader, which isn’t easy to do for someone who is not only weak in the Force but purposely thumbs her nose at and gives a raspberry to the Force on a constant basis.
So, all in all, it was a good series. Is it really over? The writer, Simon Spurrier, certainly left it open pretty wide in the end, so I’m gonna say nahh. Something tells me this isn’t the last we see of Doctor Aphra.
So, with Volume 7, “A Rogue’s End” (kinda gives it away in the title, huh?) the Doctor Aphra series comes to its satisfying conclusion.
Has she met some friends along the way? Yes. Do most of them end up hating her guts? Probably. Has she done more harm than good? Debatable. More importantly, has she learned anything about herself? It’s a toss-up.
She does manage to do a few selfless things in this one, actually helping the few handful of people she can call loved ones. She also manages to outwit and escape the clutches of Darth Vader, which isn’t easy to do for someone who is not only weak in the Force but purposely thumbs her nose at and gives a raspberry to the Force on a constant basis.
So, all in all, it was a good series. Is it really over? The writer, Simon Spurrier, certainly left it open pretty wide in the end, so I’m gonna say nahh. Something tells me this isn’t the last we see of Doctor Aphra.
March 5, 2020
Doctor Aphra's adventures come to an end in this final volume (at least for now), as she finds herself under Darth Vader's boot once more. But with the consequences of her actions finally catching up to her, it's time to revisit all her supporting characters as Aphra stitches together one final plot to save herself and, more importantly, the people she cares about.
Aphra backed into a corner is often one of two things - painful, because she breaks down, and painful, because it makes her betray herself and everyone she knows. Wait, that's the same thing. Oh.
So this final volume feels like a return to form, and an end to the cycle. We first met Doctor Aphra as a Darth Vader supporting character, and now she finds herself working for the Dark Lord once again. But this time, their final confrontation feels far more cathartic after everything Aphra has learned both about him and herself. Even when it looks like she's breaking every self-imposed rule she has, it all ends quite nicely, and leaves the character(s) in good places for a new series springboard as well as being an almost happy ending.
We actually get two final issue type stories, with the final issue of the series and the back-up story from Star Wars: Empire Ascendant revisiting Aphra's final words from different perspectives. Oh, and there's a convoluted little annual that works really well and brings back Winloss and Nokk, if you like them.
The art in this volume is far more consistent, with Spurrier's Angelic collaborator Caspar Wijngaard (yes I googled it) drawing all of the main issues and the back-up all to himself, while Unstoppable Wasp's Elsa Charretier (googled that one too) handles the annual in a style very reminiscent of the IDW Star Wars comics, actually.
Aphra ends, as she always does, somewhere in between the light and the dark. But while she may be off hiding for now, you just know it won't be long before the next big score tempts her back into the spotlight - and I for one cannot wait. You want to find the greatest addition the Star Wars universe since Disney took over? Look no further.
Aphra backed into a corner is often one of two things - painful, because she breaks down, and painful, because it makes her betray herself and everyone she knows. Wait, that's the same thing. Oh.
So this final volume feels like a return to form, and an end to the cycle. We first met Doctor Aphra as a Darth Vader supporting character, and now she finds herself working for the Dark Lord once again. But this time, their final confrontation feels far more cathartic after everything Aphra has learned both about him and herself. Even when it looks like she's breaking every self-imposed rule she has, it all ends quite nicely, and leaves the character(s) in good places for a new series springboard as well as being an almost happy ending.
We actually get two final issue type stories, with the final issue of the series and the back-up story from Star Wars: Empire Ascendant revisiting Aphra's final words from different perspectives. Oh, and there's a convoluted little annual that works really well and brings back Winloss and Nokk, if you like them.
The art in this volume is far more consistent, with Spurrier's Angelic collaborator Caspar Wijngaard (yes I googled it) drawing all of the main issues and the back-up all to himself, while Unstoppable Wasp's Elsa Charretier (googled that one too) handles the annual in a style very reminiscent of the IDW Star Wars comics, actually.
Aphra ends, as she always does, somewhere in between the light and the dark. But while she may be off hiding for now, you just know it won't be long before the next big score tempts her back into the spotlight - and I for one cannot wait. You want to find the greatest addition the Star Wars universe since Disney took over? Look no further.
July 20, 2020
Not a very exciting conclusion, but I did enjoy seeing Doctor Aphra run amok through the Star Wars universe, as usual. The final issues, however, were too repetitive, which led to her final monologue becoming tedious rather than inspirational.
The drawing style for Aphra really does fluctuate and I definitely prefer the more detailed styles from the issue covers to the minimal, blank-eyes of the main illustrations. Ah well.
Hopefully the 2020 Doctor Aphra run will be fun!
The drawing style for Aphra really does fluctuate and I definitely prefer the more detailed styles from the issue covers to the minimal, blank-eyes of the main illustrations. Ah well.
Hopefully the 2020 Doctor Aphra run will be fun!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2021
A satisfying and fitting end (for now) for the not-so-good doctor. Loved seeing more of and Aphra's monologue made me tear up.
October 18, 2020
This review was originally posted over at my blog, The Grimoire Reliquary. Check it out!
Previous | Next?
Here it is, the last chapter in Simon Spurrier’s Doctor Aphra run. It’s a love letter to the character he spent three years writing, through some excellent ups and a few mediocre downs. A Rogue’s End concludes on a high note, however, and one that convinces me that following this character has been worthwhile.
It ends where it began, but much worse.
Doctor Aphra is once more working under the Dark Lord of the Sith DARTH VADER* but this time is on the shortest of leashes, the only reason she’s still breathing due to her saving the life of Emperor PALPATINE**. The cover of the volume captures her precarious position with Vader perfectly:
Gorgeous cover art by Ashley Witter, as always.
How long can the fury of the angriest Sith in the galaxy be contained? The answer is in the question, and with that ticking clock at the back of every reader’s mind, there’s an undercurrent of tension which serves Mr. Spurrier very well indeed. Vader is his threatening self. I’m sure some might be unhappy with the resolution at display, but I quite liked the place he and Aphra ended up at. I’m sure that won’t come back to bite her in the face.
This volume sees the return of all the important people in Chelli Aphra’s life, from everyone’s favourite pair of homicidal droids, Trip and BT-1 to her old man, to the brutal wookie Krrsantan and in the third Aphra annual. Most important for many will be Magna Tolvan’s return; the contentious relationship between the two lover-nemeses (a term all too rare in Star Wars) comes to a head in typical fashion, where Aphra and ‘Sir’ are concerned — blood, betrayal, and banging. Look, I had to go all the way with the alliteration.
[image error]
Seeing Aphra on board the Executioner offers several funny moments, from her interactions with Vulaada Klam (now working as Imperial cleaning staff and bunking with Chelli) to the spite her fellow archaeologists hold for her, to the off-hand comedic tasing she suffers from at the hands of an Imperial general whenever she lets her mouth get away from her.
But what Doctor Aphra is good at is interposing humour with questions of morality, loyalty, and the perennial selfishness of our title character. Her inability to do the decent thing has been well recorded, but the question whether she is capable of change, one way or the other, might just be answered.
The last issue proper in the run (though the third to last piece in the trade paperback) has some words of Aphra’s I particularly enjoyed:
As for the art, I’m not an enormous fan of Caspar Wijngaard’s art, but it is at the very least consistent. What I dislike most is the way he draws eyes — other than that, the line art is good enough; but Aphra’s eyes are so lifeless. And not just her — but then again, maybe it’s the fault of color artist Lee Loughridge for using simple, monochrome colours. I’ve been trying to figure out for a while what I find wrong with the art and it’s this — shame, that.
A Rogue’s End is a lot of fun — the whole of Spurrier’s Doctor Aphra run has been a blast for me, despite the dip in quality in the middle. I give you my hearty recommendation to check it out, and will be giving this a 4.5/5 score on Goodreads.
What’s next for the good Doctor? I’ll find out in January 2021, when the trade paperback of Alyssa Wong’s first volume comes out!
Until then, join me next week for another dose of Star Wars goodness!
*I wanted to sound a little like the opening crawl of a Star Wars movie, for a minute there.
**Read above. Also, this refers to the events of the previous volume.
Previous | Next?
Here it is, the last chapter in Simon Spurrier’s Doctor Aphra run. It’s a love letter to the character he spent three years writing, through some excellent ups and a few mediocre downs. A Rogue’s End concludes on a high note, however, and one that convinces me that following this character has been worthwhile.
It ends where it began, but much worse.
Doctor Aphra is once more working under the Dark Lord of the Sith DARTH VADER* but this time is on the shortest of leashes, the only reason she’s still breathing due to her saving the life of Emperor PALPATINE**. The cover of the volume captures her precarious position with Vader perfectly:
Gorgeous cover art by Ashley Witter, as always.
How long can the fury of the angriest Sith in the galaxy be contained? The answer is in the question, and with that ticking clock at the back of every reader’s mind, there’s an undercurrent of tension which serves Mr. Spurrier very well indeed. Vader is his threatening self. I’m sure some might be unhappy with the resolution at display, but I quite liked the place he and Aphra ended up at. I’m sure that won’t come back to bite her in the face.
This volume sees the return of all the important people in Chelli Aphra’s life, from everyone’s favourite pair of homicidal droids, Trip and BT-1 to her old man, to the brutal wookie Krrsantan and in the third Aphra annual. Most important for many will be Magna Tolvan’s return; the contentious relationship between the two lover-nemeses (a term all too rare in Star Wars) comes to a head in typical fashion, where Aphra and ‘Sir’ are concerned — blood, betrayal, and banging. Look, I had to go all the way with the alliteration.
[image error]
Seeing Aphra on board the Executioner offers several funny moments, from her interactions with Vulaada Klam (now working as Imperial cleaning staff and bunking with Chelli) to the spite her fellow archaeologists hold for her, to the off-hand comedic tasing she suffers from at the hands of an Imperial general whenever she lets her mouth get away from her.
But what Doctor Aphra is good at is interposing humour with questions of morality, loyalty, and the perennial selfishness of our title character. Her inability to do the decent thing has been well recorded, but the question whether she is capable of change, one way or the other, might just be answered.
The last issue proper in the run (though the third to last piece in the trade paperback) has some words of Aphra’s I particularly enjoyed:
Y’know, I spent a lot of my adult life kinda hot for discipline. The idea of it, I mean. Oh, not ust the Girls-in-uniform thing–although, sure, that.
But mostly–a galaxy like this? The jackboot always felt safer than the jungle. I guess it’s about time I admit I always made a little exception for myself.
Like–the tyrannical forces of brutally imposed order sure are impressive…
Just as long as they’re pointed at someone else.
As for the art, I’m not an enormous fan of Caspar Wijngaard’s art, but it is at the very least consistent. What I dislike most is the way he draws eyes — other than that, the line art is good enough; but Aphra’s eyes are so lifeless. And not just her — but then again, maybe it’s the fault of color artist Lee Loughridge for using simple, monochrome colours. I’ve been trying to figure out for a while what I find wrong with the art and it’s this — shame, that.
A Rogue’s End is a lot of fun — the whole of Spurrier’s Doctor Aphra run has been a blast for me, despite the dip in quality in the middle. I give you my hearty recommendation to check it out, and will be giving this a 4.5/5 score on Goodreads.
What’s next for the good Doctor? I’ll find out in January 2021, when the trade paperback of Alyssa Wong’s first volume comes out!
Until then, join me next week for another dose of Star Wars goodness!
*I wanted to sound a little like the opening crawl of a Star Wars movie, for a minute there.
**Read above. Also, this refers to the events of the previous volume.
November 30, 2024
*sobs* dr Aphra deserves love!!!
October 30, 2020
Dr Alpra is my favorite new Star Wars Character as she has Vader, the Resistance and her exes all gunning for her. In this one, Dr. Alpra has to trick everyone, while at the same time getting everyone to some sort of safety .
January 13, 2024
Well, that was a fun series!
September 4, 2020
This is the final volume of Doctor Aphra's first series, and the last arc by writer Simon Spurrier. I wish I could say that Doctor Aphra's first series went out with a bang, but it was largely disappointing, and perhaps the unnecessary reboot is just what the book could use to inject some new life into it with a new creative team.
In this volume, Aprha is ostensibly back in the good graces of the Empire after very publicly thwarting a plot to assassinate Palpatine. So the Empire "rewards" her by recruiting her onto a team of archaeologists selected to determine likely locations for the Rebels' secret new base. Once again, in the hands of Spurrier's scripting, Aphra laments that she's a terrible person and just can't change her nature, right before she does several selfless things that belie her nature. But any semblance of character growth is discarded as she then goes back to her backstabbing ways. It's quite tedious at this point--I really enjoyed this character with Kieron Gillen at the helm, but I'm not enjoying Spurrier's take on her at all. She just keeps spinning in circles, and yes, I realize that some people do that, but it doesn't make for an enjoyable character journey.
The thing that probably bothered me more than anything else in this volume is how utterly out of character Vader acted during this arc. Throughout her series, Aphra has dreaded the boogeyman of Vader who had promised to kill her at the end of his self-titled series in which she was introduced. Then, despite her disrespecting Vader left and right, Vader repeatedly tolerates her behavior and does nothing about it. The story makes some weak attempts to explain her value to the archaeological dig or that she has too much of the Emperor's favor for Vader to kill, but neither of those things really seem believable within the story. The other thing that was extremely upsetting was that .
The art by Caspar Wijngaard is okay, but it doesn't have any of the charm that some of the book's previous artists poured into the book. The third Doctor Aphra Annual is also included in this collection, which is a largely forgettable tale of Aphra enacting a convoluted plot to get revenge on someone who double crossed her once in some way we never even learn. So it's really hard to care about anything happening in this story. Monster hunters Winloss and Nokk show back up in this one, and by this point the playful banter the two characters used to have just comes across as straight up abusive, and I mostly just feel sorry for Winloss being trapped in what is clearly an unpleasant relationship. Elsa Charretier's art in the Annual is just plain bad--very sloppy, with dull bland coloring to go along with it, and not at all suited to Doctor Aphra.
It's a shame that a book I used to love about a character I once enjoyed has just seemed to trend progressively worse with each volume. Probably best that things are ending here, and I'm VERY cautiously optimistic that he new creative team might make Aphra enjoyable again.
I'm giving this a generous two stars--I've read much worse, but most of my displeasure comes from the disappointment that stems from how much I used to enjoy this series compared to how it ended.
In this volume, Aprha is ostensibly back in the good graces of the Empire after very publicly thwarting a plot to assassinate Palpatine. So the Empire "rewards" her by recruiting her onto a team of archaeologists selected to determine likely locations for the Rebels' secret new base. Once again, in the hands of Spurrier's scripting, Aphra laments that she's a terrible person and just can't change her nature, right before she does several selfless things that belie her nature. But any semblance of character growth is discarded as she then goes back to her backstabbing ways. It's quite tedious at this point--I really enjoyed this character with Kieron Gillen at the helm, but I'm not enjoying Spurrier's take on her at all. She just keeps spinning in circles, and yes, I realize that some people do that, but it doesn't make for an enjoyable character journey.
The thing that probably bothered me more than anything else in this volume is how utterly out of character Vader acted during this arc. Throughout her series, Aphra has dreaded the boogeyman of Vader who had promised to kill her at the end of his self-titled series in which she was introduced. Then, despite her disrespecting Vader left and right, Vader repeatedly tolerates her behavior and does nothing about it. The story makes some weak attempts to explain her value to the archaeological dig or that she has too much of the Emperor's favor for Vader to kill, but neither of those things really seem believable within the story. The other thing that was extremely upsetting was that .
The art by Caspar Wijngaard is okay, but it doesn't have any of the charm that some of the book's previous artists poured into the book. The third Doctor Aphra Annual is also included in this collection, which is a largely forgettable tale of Aphra enacting a convoluted plot to get revenge on someone who double crossed her once in some way we never even learn. So it's really hard to care about anything happening in this story. Monster hunters Winloss and Nokk show back up in this one, and by this point the playful banter the two characters used to have just comes across as straight up abusive, and I mostly just feel sorry for Winloss being trapped in what is clearly an unpleasant relationship. Elsa Charretier's art in the Annual is just plain bad--very sloppy, with dull bland coloring to go along with it, and not at all suited to Doctor Aphra.
It's a shame that a book I used to love about a character I once enjoyed has just seemed to trend progressively worse with each volume. Probably best that things are ending here, and I'm VERY cautiously optimistic that he new creative team might make Aphra enjoyable again.
I'm giving this a generous two stars--I've read much worse, but most of my displeasure comes from the disappointment that stems from how much I used to enjoy this series compared to how it ended.
July 30, 2020
An overly emotional and sentimental end to a run that up till now had been marked by a refreshing selfishness and amorality.
December 30, 2019
Ugh. There's always hints of greatness in the Aphra series but author Spurrier can't help but make a parody of Star Wars.
That's fine when it's self contained - involving the stale cast of characters (murder droids, aphra dad, Tolvan), but when the silliness comes at the cost of Vader's character it's just eye rolling.
Can only hope for Gillen's return to salvage anything from Aphra's character.
That's fine when it's self contained - involving the stale cast of characters (murder droids, aphra dad, Tolvan), but when the silliness comes at the cost of Vader's character it's just eye rolling.
Can only hope for Gillen's return to salvage anything from Aphra's character.
June 16, 2020
And that wraps up this story-line and this series run. It was a good one! I enjoyed the books each month. It did a good job of getting her into unsolvable problems and having Aphra figure a way out. The supporting characters really fleshed out Aphra and added nice dramatic tension. And they managed to show character development while still keeping her shady. Looking forward to what's next for her as we head into Empire Strikes Back era.
March 6, 2023
This series was wrapped up pretty well, but this volume fell a little short for me. The journey Aphra has gone through is one that has me looking forward to seeing more of who she is and what she’s up to whenever I get around to the current series!
March 26, 2020
After 40 issues, this story has come to an end. BUT, Doctor Aphra's story will continue starting with a new issue #1 set after The Empire Strikes Back just like the other ongoing series. I am so glad this comic is one of the continuing ongoing series at Marvel. An original character for the comics that is also queer and Asian! On the first page of this volume, right across from the writing credits, there's two women kissing. There's a lot more Star Wars (and Disney too) could do for the LGBTQ+ community in terms of representation, but reading this comic gives me hope.
This volume opens up with Aphra in the Empire's service yet again. She's a part of an archaeological team using their expertise to help find the Rebel base. The murder droids are back, of course. The romance between Aphra and Tolvan's relationship is so interesting. And complicated. I really like how it keeps coming back. Although I am hoping for some more permanent changes in the new series.
The third annual is also included in this volume. It features my favorite monster hunter duo of Nokk the Trandoshan and her husband Winloss. Black Krrsantan appearing is also always a plus. Mos Eisley is also a big part of the annual.
And finally, the epilogue is from Empire Ascendant which seems to be the lead-in to the post-The Empire Strikes Back content.
I give this volume a 4/5. I really enjoy this series, but this volume kind of felt thrown together instead of a true finale.
This volume opens up with Aphra in the Empire's service yet again. She's a part of an archaeological team using their expertise to help find the Rebel base. The murder droids are back, of course. The romance between Aphra and Tolvan's relationship is so interesting. And complicated. I really like how it keeps coming back. Although I am hoping for some more permanent changes in the new series.
The third annual is also included in this volume. It features my favorite monster hunter duo of Nokk the Trandoshan and her husband Winloss. Black Krrsantan appearing is also always a plus. Mos Eisley is also a big part of the annual.
And finally, the epilogue is from Empire Ascendant which seems to be the lead-in to the post-The Empire Strikes Back content.
I give this volume a 4/5. I really enjoy this series, but this volume kind of felt thrown together instead of a true finale.
March 4, 2021
Doctor Aphra has been a breath of fresh air for me Star Wars comics-wise. Although her character does remind me of an eviler version of Han Solo and Indiana Jones, the fact that keeps me want to read more are all the bad choices you see her making, often resulting in hilarious situations.
She's consistent throughout the volumes, so it's not a 'lets do this for fun/shock value' kind of mindless writing. I makes sense for the character and the story.
I'm yet to read her part in 'Darth Vader', which was her debut and before these graphic novels I've just finished, but considering how people who supposedly don't like Doctor Aphra and come back to say they hate her comic repeatedly in the comments (if there was any doubt before, this is a sure sign of her popularity) as well as that she was much better before she got her own title, I can only assume that she must be even better in the Darth Vader graphic novels.
She's consistent throughout the volumes, so it's not a 'lets do this for fun/shock value' kind of mindless writing. I makes sense for the character and the story.
I'm yet to read her part in 'Darth Vader', which was her debut and before these graphic novels I've just finished, but considering how people who supposedly don't like Doctor Aphra and come back to say they hate her comic repeatedly in the comments (if there was any doubt before, this is a sure sign of her popularity) as well as that she was much better before she got her own title, I can only assume that she must be even better in the Darth Vader graphic novels.
July 10, 2022
Overall I like this series but feel more embarrassed about that than I do with other dumb star wars comic books for babies because it's such frivolous dork bait. Very joss whedony, which I have evolved enough as a person to now mean as derogatory. When it's good it's great, but it has a quippyness to the writing that is grating at times, and it eventually becomes fairly formulaic. It's an impossible mission, everything goes terribly wrong, and then in a surprise twist, it was actually exactly aphra's plan the whole time. They try to meta-fy that by making her habitual third act plot twists into a character flaw, centering how she's always betraying people to serve herself or whatever, and that does some heavy lifting to lampshade it, but it's never quite enough to escape the almost procedural feel.
All that said: still lots of fun to be had here for embarrassing dorks
All that said: still lots of fun to be had here for embarrassing dorks
April 26, 2021
3.5 stars
Not quite as good as the apex of vol 4-5, but still a satisfying, mostly feel-good wrap-up of the series’s threads that leaves Aphra in an open-ended spot for the future. Her reacquaintance with Vader is memorable, and Tolvan/BT/000 all get some nice moments too. I’m sad to see Spurrier finished with Aphra, but I’m not sure he really had more stories to tell with her and this feels like a natural end for the series overall.
Not quite as good as the apex of vol 4-5, but still a satisfying, mostly feel-good wrap-up of the series’s threads that leaves Aphra in an open-ended spot for the future. Her reacquaintance with Vader is memorable, and Tolvan/BT/000 all get some nice moments too. I’m sad to see Spurrier finished with Aphra, but I’m not sure he really had more stories to tell with her and this feels like a natural end for the series overall.
December 25, 2024
(4,4 of 5 for a decent ending of this quite excellent Aphra series)
Change of art, change of heart. The finish of this series went for completely different art but also went for the reconciliation finale. And it felt good. I like how it stayed good to her character, no mindfuck or turning the tide 180. This definitely left a nice touch and warm feeling after the whole series.
Change of art, change of heart. The finish of this series went for completely different art but also went for the reconciliation finale. And it felt good. I like how it stayed good to her character, no mindfuck or turning the tide 180. This definitely left a nice touch and warm feeling after the whole series.
August 12, 2021
Excelente colofón para la primera etapa del que es seguramente el mejor personaje creado en Star Wars en los últimos veinte años.
Esperando con ganas sus nuevas aventuras. ¡Larga vida a la doctora Chelli Lona Aphra!
Esperando con ganas sus nuevas aventuras. ¡Larga vida a la doctora Chelli Lona Aphra!
November 23, 2022
hmm. made for a little bit of a weaker entry into the series, but i did ultimately like how this arc was wrapped up! fun, just not really as fun as previous collections. also i gave up on the annual lol
January 19, 2021
A great series with a classic open-ended conclusion. She did some good and some evil. I did enjoy the solutions that she always came up with.
January 2, 2023
A very nice end to the run. I hope we get Aphra in another form than comics someday, she really deserves it. What a great character.
October 24, 2024
When this is good, it's good--but I can't help feel like the denouement dragged on just a little too long, and like the Epilogue in particular was unnecessary.
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