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Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020)
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Vol. 2: The Engine Job
The sinister Domina Tagge has put a price on Doctor Aphra’s head! Now Aphra finds herself running for her life, trying to shake every bounty hunter on her tail. But one of those hunters is Aphra’s angry ex Sana Starros — and for Sana, it’s personal! Aphra can’t outthink Domina or outrun Sana…so what choice does she have left? Perhaps locating a mysterious piece of tech that could shift the balance of the galactic civil war? Aphra’s desperate hunt takes her to Corellia — but unfortunately for her, that’s right on Sana’s doorstep. And our roguish doctor isn’t the only one with an eye on this prize! Now, with the Unbroken Clan on their tails, Aphra and Sana are on a collision course with another of the galaxy’s deadliest bounty hunters!
Collects Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) #6-10.
Collects Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) #6-10.
120 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2021
33 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Alyssa Wong
424 books411 followersAlyssa Wong studies fiction in Raleigh, NC, and really, really likes crows. She was a finalist for the 2016 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and her story, “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers,” won the 2015 Nebula Award for Best Short Story and the 2016 World Fantasy Award for Short Fiction. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Pushcart Prize, the Bram Stoker Award, the Locus Award, and the Shirley Jackson Award. Her work has been published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, and Tor.com, among others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
October 23, 2021
A story that I found really hard to care about. Several artists on one arc, always gives the impression of a kind of drawing sweatshop.
October 2, 2021
Aphra is now connected to the original trilogy, Solo, the High Republic, and the Bounty Hunters graphic novel series. It's too tiring keeping up with all the connections among every era of Star Wars, especially when it requires that I keep reading series that I'm uninterested in. Instead of intriguing or fun, it's just convoluted and desperate.
June 26, 2021
Aphra's has swapped out one threating boss for another, but the adventures are the same - sent after mysterious artifacts and getting out of trouble from her past. Would rate higher except for the inconsistent art.
August 24, 2021
Forced into service for the despicable Domina Tagge, Doctor Aphra enlists Sana Starros to help dig her out of her latest mess. Unfortunately, Aphra's ex is less than enthused, and their quarry may turn out to be a little more explosive than they first expected.
This second volume of Alyssa Wong's Doctor Aphra is a marked improvement on the first one. It calls back to previous Aphra adventures, and makes her feel like part of the larger Star Wars universe again. Having Sana to bounce of off works really well too, even if it does mean we get a lot of sniping between the two.
The only problem I have is that this again feels like a story we've seen before. Swap out Domina Tagge with Darth Vader, or Aphra's old evil droids, and it's much the same set-up; someone more ruthless than Aphra is telling her what to do, and she has to betray everyone around her in order to stay alive. It's fine to return to old familiar stomping grounds, but like the first volume, this feels like a pale comparison to what came before. It's been done, and done better, and in recent memory, which makes it a bigger offense.
The artwork's fairly solid; Ray-Anthony Height pencils the opening issues while Minkyu Jung hops over from Magnificent Ms. Marvel for the middle three. Both artists mesh well together, and give the book a very lived-in feel. The universe feels organic and gritty, which is exactly what a universe as old as Star Wars should feel like.
We're on an upward swing, but this volume of Doctor Aphra is still plagued by the long shadow that its predecessor casts. Hopefully the incoming War of the Bounty Hunters crossover will give it a chance to branch out into unfamiliar territory and really establish itself as something unique.
This second volume of Alyssa Wong's Doctor Aphra is a marked improvement on the first one. It calls back to previous Aphra adventures, and makes her feel like part of the larger Star Wars universe again. Having Sana to bounce of off works really well too, even if it does mean we get a lot of sniping between the two.
The only problem I have is that this again feels like a story we've seen before. Swap out Domina Tagge with Darth Vader, or Aphra's old evil droids, and it's much the same set-up; someone more ruthless than Aphra is telling her what to do, and she has to betray everyone around her in order to stay alive. It's fine to return to old familiar stomping grounds, but like the first volume, this feels like a pale comparison to what came before. It's been done, and done better, and in recent memory, which makes it a bigger offense.
The artwork's fairly solid; Ray-Anthony Height pencils the opening issues while Minkyu Jung hops over from Magnificent Ms. Marvel for the middle three. Both artists mesh well together, and give the book a very lived-in feel. The universe feels organic and gritty, which is exactly what a universe as old as Star Wars should feel like.
We're on an upward swing, but this volume of Doctor Aphra is still plagued by the long shadow that its predecessor casts. Hopefully the incoming War of the Bounty Hunters crossover will give it a chance to branch out into unfamiliar territory and really establish itself as something unique.
December 7, 2021
An of continuation of the series. This volume felt like a bit of a filler to an up upcoming story.
Since last time Aphra has made very powerful enemies even he her standards. Can even Aphra come out o top this time? I do like the continuity with the High Republic books.
The main let down in this book for me is I have never liked characters that just seem to get by on luck alone. In this volume Aphra tend to have more lucky escapes than figuring her way out of things. She does have some moments of brilliance but not enough for me.
Not a good as I was expecting from. This series but am hoping that it is setting up yo an even bigger adventure coming up. The book finishes with a varient cover gallery of issues 6 to 10.
Since last time Aphra has made very powerful enemies even he her standards. Can even Aphra come out o top this time? I do like the continuity with the High Republic books.
The main let down in this book for me is I have never liked characters that just seem to get by on luck alone. In this volume Aphra tend to have more lucky escapes than figuring her way out of things. She does have some moments of brilliance but not enough for me.
Not a good as I was expecting from. This series but am hoping that it is setting up yo an even bigger adventure coming up. The book finishes with a varient cover gallery of issues 6 to 10.
December 9, 2022
*4.75
Yes, YES.
Oh, this is EXACTLY what I wanted from this series!!
I feel like Wong was a lot more in touch with Aphra here than she was in book 1. I could write a whole essay about Aphra's brilliant emotional arc in the original series and the heart-rending ending... so I was pretty annoyed when Fortune and Fate threw in this pretty boring new character who is Aphra's ex from school... and that's it. That's literally it. How am I supposed to care about this dynamic when the original series had Sana and Tolvan?
But - thankfully - I don't think that character (Eustacia? God I can't remember.) is coming back, and it doesn't seem like she's in love interest territory anymore. So that's something.
This book has a pretty different cast of characters than the first one. I think getting Eustacia and that student kid out of the way really made the story here more compelling. Just Lucky was my favorite new face in book 1, so I loved seeing where he fell now, taking care of his brother and teaming up with old allies... I can't wait to see more of him.
And, of course, the central focus of this book - Aphra and Sana are back together! Well. Not like that, and I don't know if that's the direction they're heading in or if I even want that. But oh man, their dynamic is just so much fun. I remember reading Star Wars, Vol. 3: Rebel Jail way back when and thinking "is... is there something going on with Aphra and Sana?" and then BANG yep they're actually exes. And Sana's actively trying to kill Aphra half the time. Wild. Love it.
Aphra and Sana teamed up is excellent, but the references to Tolvan here and there - ooh, this is the good stuff.
That ending - I really can't wait to see all these paths collide! All these series, oh I love them. 4.75/5 stars.
Yes, YES.
Oh, this is EXACTLY what I wanted from this series!!
I feel like Wong was a lot more in touch with Aphra here than she was in book 1. I could write a whole essay about Aphra's brilliant emotional arc in the original series and the heart-rending ending... so I was pretty annoyed when Fortune and Fate threw in this pretty boring new character who is Aphra's ex from school... and that's it. That's literally it. How am I supposed to care about this dynamic when the original series had Sana and Tolvan?
But - thankfully - I don't think that character (Eustacia? God I can't remember.) is coming back, and it doesn't seem like she's in love interest territory anymore. So that's something.
This book has a pretty different cast of characters than the first one. I think getting Eustacia and that student kid out of the way really made the story here more compelling. Just Lucky was my favorite new face in book 1, so I loved seeing where he fell now, taking care of his brother and teaming up with old allies... I can't wait to see more of him.
And, of course, the central focus of this book - Aphra and Sana are back together! Well. Not like that, and I don't know if that's the direction they're heading in or if I even want that. But oh man, their dynamic is just so much fun. I remember reading Star Wars, Vol. 3: Rebel Jail way back when and thinking "is... is there something going on with Aphra and Sana?" and then BANG yep they're actually exes. And Sana's actively trying to kill Aphra half the time. Wild. Love it.
Aphra and Sana teamed up is excellent, but the references to Tolvan here and there - ooh, this is the good stuff.
That ending - I really can't wait to see all these paths collide! All these series, oh I love them. 4.75/5 stars.
February 1, 2022
Eu havia achado o primeiro volume de Star Wars: Doutora Aphra, escrito por Alyssa Wong, impressionante. A forma como ela trabalhava a personagem e seus coadjuvantes era muito legal. Nesse segundo volume, Missão Motor, em que a arqueóloga do espaço faz dupla com Sana, a ex-esposa de Han Solo, a aventura cai alguns pontos e não fica tão impressionante como no volume anterior. Talvez por que neste segundo encadernado, a ação se divida entre a trama de Chelli Aphra e Just Lucky, um mercenário. Também a arte, feita por diversos artistas não é tão boa e interessante quanto a que figurava no primeiro volume. Neste segundo volume de Doutora Aphra, pelo menos eu não notei tantos deslizes da tradução e da adaptação do texto no quadrinho como reparei no primeiro encadernado. A história é divertida, sim, mas eu estava esperando o mesmo nível do primeiro volume. Agurdando a terceira parte que faz ligação com a saga A Guerras dos Caçadores de Recompensas. Veremos.
February 4, 2022
This was like a 4 and a half. I love Aphra and Sana and this was them plus an intriguing story.
October 15, 2021
After loving Wong's first Aphra book, I'm disappointed to say that I did not love this one. Sana and Aphra have great chemistry, but I found the story disjointed and confusing.
November 16, 2021
In Doctor Aphra, Volume 2, “The Engine Job”: Aphra is recruited (i.e. kidnapped) by Domina Tagge (the aunt of the guy Aphra killed accidentally on purpose in the last issue) to find a legendary engine that could power ships to travel faster than hyperdrive; Aphra recruits (i.e. tricks) her ex, Nana Starros, into joining her mission; they track the engine to the Outer Rim planet of Dol’har Hyde but are thwarted by gangsters known as the Unbroken Clan, led by General Vukorah; the engine has somehow ended up in the hands of an arms smuggler named Ebann Drake; Aphra and Sana are hot on the trail, knowing that they aren’t the only ones after the engine…
More fun intergalactic hijinks with our favorite space archaeologist. Writer Alyssa Wong knows how to keep the action and momentum going in this series. Apparently, this is continued in the “War of the Bounty Hunters” crossover event.
More fun intergalactic hijinks with our favorite space archaeologist. Writer Alyssa Wong knows how to keep the action and momentum going in this series. Apparently, this is continued in the “War of the Bounty Hunters” crossover event.
January 21, 2022
Diminishing returns for Doctor Aphra already? Fortune and Fate wasn't high art, but it was consistently fun. The Engine Job feels forced at best.
After killing one Tagge sibling, Aphra is saddled with a make-up task from another. The task: find an High Republic Hyperdrive engine before a competitor can use it. Aphra teams up with Sana Starros to bounce from one locale / confrontation to another, always one step behind the engine. Which doesn't even need to be chased since it's common knowledge that it'll be revealed at a big trade show? As much as I love my Star Wars minutiae, I don't want the grand finale of an arc take place at a boring old trade show.
Aphra and Starros tangle repeatedly with Corellia's Unbroken Clan, so there's that Bounty Hunters tie-in. Just Lucky (a bounty hunter or something?) gets a dedicated side-story with him and a partner completing minor tasks on Canto Bight. It's all drama- and surprise-free. The Engine Job's purpose is basically to line Doctor Aphra (and Lucky?) up for the War of the Bounty Hunters event. Great use of my time, thanks.
After killing one Tagge sibling, Aphra is saddled with a make-up task from another. The task: find an High Republic Hyperdrive engine before a competitor can use it. Aphra teams up with Sana Starros to bounce from one locale / confrontation to another, always one step behind the engine. Which doesn't even need to be chased since it's common knowledge that it'll be revealed at a big trade show? As much as I love my Star Wars minutiae, I don't want the grand finale of an arc take place at a boring old trade show.
Aphra and Starros tangle repeatedly with Corellia's Unbroken Clan, so there's that Bounty Hunters tie-in. Just Lucky (a bounty hunter or something?) gets a dedicated side-story with him and a partner completing minor tasks on Canto Bight. It's all drama- and surprise-free. The Engine Job's purpose is basically to line Doctor Aphra (and Lucky?) up for the War of the Bounty Hunters event. Great use of my time, thanks.
November 4, 2022
When I bought this, I didn’t realize it was Volume 2 of another Doctor Aphra series. I just saw Aphra and Starros on the cover and grabbed it. I hoped it was their backstory. It wasn’t, but I wasn’t disappointed. Not only do Aphra and Starros hook up again as a fun, snarky, tough, crafty, femslashy duo, I got to meet another delightful pair of daredevil exes, Lucky and Auole. I loved Lucky from the start. His trouble looking after his brother, his predicament driving him into crime, his pals, his ex-boyfriend Auole, and how it all propelled him into adventures that paralleled and intersected with Aphra’s (poor kid) stole my heart. Intrigue and trouble draw all of them into the schemes of Lady Domina Tagge and other corporations involved with the Empire, along with even more unsavory forces all scrabbling for dangerous, offensive technology. At the heart of it all is Aphra, thinking on her feet, being unintentionally heroic (Sana is a good or bad influence, depending on your perspective), and keeping the boom less lethal with her reckless choices. All the while lamenting that she’s dealing with such shoddy craftsmanship, but not everyone can be as good as her. Otherwise she’d been in real trouble.
August 9, 2021
Jakž takž se mi duplikuje názor na první i druhou knihu téhle série, Aphra musí mít někoho mocn��ho nad sebou a řeší artefakty přičemž na konci všechny straně přehraje. Série ztratila dobrodružné kouzlo a vlastně celý humor který šperkoval předchozí sérii. Aphra teď k ruce dostává Sanu bo jí někam museli uklidnit a jako je ok, jenom ty postavy spolu nefungují. Druhá linky s Luckym je jen zbytečná výplň která mi vadí stejně jako prakticky všechny ostatní postavy co tu jsou. Art je fajn, zbytek mě prostě neskutečně nebaví.
February 3, 2022
Kind of a dull adventure for Aphra this time out and the art is a mixed bag. Still, worth reading if you're a fan of this character.
December 6, 2022
Some good industrial espionage. Many factons fighting over the same technology.
August 29, 2021
Very similar layout compared to the previous book. I did really enjoy the connections with the High Republic and the book ‘Light of the Jedi’. However, it is a very basic mission and made the Tagge empire not seem that powerful.
November 7, 2021
Unfortunately this second volume is a substantial disappointment. Wong's story is disjointed and without the stakes to really care about the outcome (we know the tide of the war isn't going to turn, and Aphra isn't going to die, so we need something else to care about). Dr Aphra partners up with her ex, Sana, and sadly the whole thing falls flat. This is the second or third time Sana's appearance in a Doctor Aphra series hasn't really done the character justice. We don't learn anything new about her (or her relationship with Aphra) and she was just along for the ride. Also, bringing up Aphra's other ex, Tolvan, seemed out of character and a distraction from building a consistent relationship.
But as much as I liked to complain about Spurrier's on again, off again storytelling, he was at least good at forcing Aphra into a corner, continually raising the stakes, to the point that Aphra tests her own limits of how far she's willing to go - who she's willing to double or triple cross - just to make it out alive. And Aphra seemed changed by the end of most volumes too. Wong really needs to inject some of that into her stories.
The art is also a major drawback - lots of artists contributed but very few of them are actually any good. Too many cartoonishly bad facial expressions and panels that lack any movement or interest. It undermined any good forward motion in the story and I had trouble maintaining interest. A sad development of one of my favorite characters in comics and Star Wars.
But as much as I liked to complain about Spurrier's on again, off again storytelling, he was at least good at forcing Aphra into a corner, continually raising the stakes, to the point that Aphra tests her own limits of how far she's willing to go - who she's willing to double or triple cross - just to make it out alive. And Aphra seemed changed by the end of most volumes too. Wong really needs to inject some of that into her stories.
The art is also a major drawback - lots of artists contributed but very few of them are actually any good. Too many cartoonishly bad facial expressions and panels that lack any movement or interest. It undermined any good forward motion in the story and I had trouble maintaining interest. A sad development of one of my favorite characters in comics and Star Wars.
July 2, 2021
Some more Sana and Aphra team-ups? I'll take it! Allyssa Wong does a good job taking us through one story and leading it into the War of the the Bounty Hunters arc. I still love the character and I am looking forward to continuing her story to see how hers will fit in the larger narrative.
February 20, 2022
Me encanta conocer más de la Corporación Tagge, sobre todo a la líder Domina, y su influencia en la galaxia. Me gustó mucho la interacción entre ella y Aphra tras revelarle sus verdaderas intenciones de encargarle robar un propulsor de paso de diseño Nihil (amo las referencias a High Republic) para no afectar a los negocios de la corporación, pues el Imperio los dejaría de lado por la empresa que les ofrezca ese propulsor.
Me encanta poder volver a ver a Sana Starros (su nave Volt Cobra me gusta mucho) interactuando con Aphra, es un gran dúo. Las conversaciones que tienen sobre la antigua etapa de comics de Aphra y Star Wars, como mencionar a Tolvan, Sana con el grupo de Luke, Han y Leia, así como los droides asesinos de Aphra me hacen querer muchísimo esta serie.
La historia de Just Lucky y su hermano ludopata, Pak, me parece interesante, sobre todo porque podemos conocer más sobre Canto Bight, el casino y hasta a la Sexta Estirpe, la organización criminal de ese lugar. La raza de su líder, Wen Delphis, me parece genial. Además que ahora Lucky debe trabajar para él para pagar las deudas de su hermano tras la derrota de Ronen Tagge.
Me encantó poder ver a Lady Proxima de nuevo, la líder de los Gusanos Blancos, la organización criminal de Corellia para la que trabajaban Han y Qi'ra. Me gustó su negociación con Aphra y el hecho de saber que para acceder a cualquier información de lo que pasa en el planeta (como la entrega del propulsor) debes acudir a ella. Este cómic está lleno de organizaciones criminales, ya tenemos a Sexta Estirpe, Gusanos Blancos y ahora se suma el Clan Inquebrantable (que vimos en Bounty Hunters Vol. 1 y 2 persiguiendo a Valance y Cadeliah), con su líder Vukorah, que está tras el propulsor también.
Más conexiones con High Republic y los Nihil en el planeta Dol'har Hyde. De ahí sacaron el propulsor maravilloso de los Nihil, que les permitía hacer cosas increíbles a velocidad luz como parpadear a traves de campos de batalla (¿será conexión con el inicio de Episodio 9?).
El teniente de la Sexta Estirpe y ex de Lucky, Ariole Yu, me llama mucho la atención. Además amé poder ver los pensamientos de Lucky sobre Canto Bight e incluso una carrera de Fathiers.
Aphra descubre que el diseño del propulsor que tienen los de Industrias De'Rruyet está incompleto y es peligroso (además que lo consiguió de una red clandestina que vende tecnología rara y de tiempos de la Alta República), ella acaba de ver y tomar en una nave Nihil el verdadero diagrama.
Al final, Aphra y Sana logran desactivar el propulsor y robar el núcleo Nihil para Domina (que en realidad es inutil), que ahora les encarga seguir a su primo Ebann Drake que encontró una oportunidad de negocio...Y hay alguien que está espiando a la Corporación Tagge y a más empresas de la competencia. Mientras, Lucky y Ariole deben matar a un traidor de la Sexta Estirpe y su contacto que fueron a un evento exclusivo...
Todos se dirigen al mismo lugar, se viene la Guerra de los Cazarrecompensas.
Me encanta poder volver a ver a Sana Starros (su nave Volt Cobra me gusta mucho) interactuando con Aphra, es un gran dúo. Las conversaciones que tienen sobre la antigua etapa de comics de Aphra y Star Wars, como mencionar a Tolvan, Sana con el grupo de Luke, Han y Leia, así como los droides asesinos de Aphra me hacen querer muchísimo esta serie.
La historia de Just Lucky y su hermano ludopata, Pak, me parece interesante, sobre todo porque podemos conocer más sobre Canto Bight, el casino y hasta a la Sexta Estirpe, la organización criminal de ese lugar. La raza de su líder, Wen Delphis, me parece genial. Además que ahora Lucky debe trabajar para él para pagar las deudas de su hermano tras la derrota de Ronen Tagge.
Me encantó poder ver a Lady Proxima de nuevo, la líder de los Gusanos Blancos, la organización criminal de Corellia para la que trabajaban Han y Qi'ra. Me gustó su negociación con Aphra y el hecho de saber que para acceder a cualquier información de lo que pasa en el planeta (como la entrega del propulsor) debes acudir a ella. Este cómic está lleno de organizaciones criminales, ya tenemos a Sexta Estirpe, Gusanos Blancos y ahora se suma el Clan Inquebrantable (que vimos en Bounty Hunters Vol. 1 y 2 persiguiendo a Valance y Cadeliah), con su líder Vukorah, que está tras el propulsor también.
Más conexiones con High Republic y los Nihil en el planeta Dol'har Hyde. De ahí sacaron el propulsor maravilloso de los Nihil, que les permitía hacer cosas increíbles a velocidad luz como parpadear a traves de campos de batalla (¿será conexión con el inicio de Episodio 9?).
El teniente de la Sexta Estirpe y ex de Lucky, Ariole Yu, me llama mucho la atención. Además amé poder ver los pensamientos de Lucky sobre Canto Bight e incluso una carrera de Fathiers.
Aphra descubre que el diseño del propulsor que tienen los de Industrias De'Rruyet está incompleto y es peligroso (además que lo consiguió de una red clandestina que vende tecnología rara y de tiempos de la Alta República), ella acaba de ver y tomar en una nave Nihil el verdadero diagrama.
Al final, Aphra y Sana logran desactivar el propulsor y robar el núcleo Nihil para Domina (que en realidad es inutil), que ahora les encarga seguir a su primo Ebann Drake que encontró una oportunidad de negocio...Y hay alguien que está espiando a la Corporación Tagge y a más empresas de la competencia. Mientras, Lucky y Ariole deben matar a un traidor de la Sexta Estirpe y su contacto que fueron a un evento exclusivo...
Todos se dirigen al mismo lugar, se viene la Guerra de los Cazarrecompensas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2021
"Don’t try to be a hero, Sana. It’s never worth it."
Doctor Aphra Volume 2 continues the hilarious, wacky adventures of Chelli Lona Aphra. This time, she is forced to team up with her ex-girlfriend, Sana Starros, on a job to locate and steal a special engine for Domina Tagge, the leader of the rich Tagge dynasty. At the same time, we also follow Just Lucky, a young criminal working for a gang on Canto Bight to keep his brother safe, but just like with Aphra's mission, nothing is simple and everything goes to hell.
I really enjoy this new Aphra series. Wong writes Aphra very well, and I've been enjoying all the twists that have come so far. This second arc, following Aphra trying to locate this old engine was very different from the first arc of the series, and that's great. I can't wait to see what's to come now that the Aphra series will tie in with the War of the Bounty Hunters storyline. I also love Aphra and Sana's dynamic, and I can't wait to see where that'll go. I ship them so much. I'm also loving the constant nods to the previous Aphra series, with Sana and Aphra occasionally mentioning Magna Tolvan etc. Sana challenges Aphra in a wonderful way - she forces Aphra to be more decent and think of others on occasion - and I love how you see that though they aren't in a great place right now, they used to love each other a lot. In dangerous situations, they are always there to protect the other and that makes me weak.
The side plot with Just Lucky didn't strike me as anything special at first but I've grown rather fond of him and am intrigued to see where his - and his ex-boyfriend Ariole's - plotline will go. I'm also just so happy that all main four characters of the series are openly and clearly queer.
I'm loving this series a whole lot, and every issue just reminds me why Aphra is one of the best characters in all of SW.
Doctor Aphra Volume 2 continues the hilarious, wacky adventures of Chelli Lona Aphra. This time, she is forced to team up with her ex-girlfriend, Sana Starros, on a job to locate and steal a special engine for Domina Tagge, the leader of the rich Tagge dynasty. At the same time, we also follow Just Lucky, a young criminal working for a gang on Canto Bight to keep his brother safe, but just like with Aphra's mission, nothing is simple and everything goes to hell.
I really enjoy this new Aphra series. Wong writes Aphra very well, and I've been enjoying all the twists that have come so far. This second arc, following Aphra trying to locate this old engine was very different from the first arc of the series, and that's great. I can't wait to see what's to come now that the Aphra series will tie in with the War of the Bounty Hunters storyline. I also love Aphra and Sana's dynamic, and I can't wait to see where that'll go. I ship them so much. I'm also loving the constant nods to the previous Aphra series, with Sana and Aphra occasionally mentioning Magna Tolvan etc. Sana challenges Aphra in a wonderful way - she forces Aphra to be more decent and think of others on occasion - and I love how you see that though they aren't in a great place right now, they used to love each other a lot. In dangerous situations, they are always there to protect the other and that makes me weak.
The side plot with Just Lucky didn't strike me as anything special at first but I've grown rather fond of him and am intrigued to see where his - and his ex-boyfriend Ariole's - plotline will go. I'm also just so happy that all main four characters of the series are openly and clearly queer.
I'm loving this series a whole lot, and every issue just reminds me why Aphra is one of the best characters in all of SW.
October 26, 2021
There's something I really like about Doctor Aphra. She's always got the long game in mind and has a scheme (usually half-baked) and "partners" (not always willing) to carry her through. But what I don't like about Doctor Aphra is that she's burned so many of these "partners" by either toying with their emotions, shorting them on promises or simply turning her back on them in their time of need (or perceived need). Why would anyone come back... And then Sana gives in over a bribe of sweet rolls from the local bakery? C'mon. It's a completely forgettable moment in the story, but without it, you start to wonder about 3/4 of the way through why the heck Sana gives a crap at all. Anyway, any enthusiasm coming out of the first book slowed to a crawl as I wondered if I've been on this journey before.
That's not to say there's nothing here. We learn a little about Just Lucky and his background. We see a touch of heart when Aphra realizes that it may be up to her to save everyone. And the hijinks of sneaking around in stolen uniforms as cover is kinda hilarious. But for me, that doesn't feel like enough.
When she worked for Vader, she knew she was a small pawn and could get put down at any moment. It was dark humor because of Vader's lack of empathy and overpowered authority over her. Now, Aphra carries this story with a similar lack of empathy to those around her in deference to "the prize" du jour, but only has mental and emotional manipulation to try wield over her supporting characters. It can work for a little bit, but the joke gets old and unless she gets a different song to play, I fear that this run of Aphra will be a lot like the first. More unfunny than witty. More cruel than crazy. And more a chore to complete than joy to visit.
That's not to say there's nothing here. We learn a little about Just Lucky and his background. We see a touch of heart when Aphra realizes that it may be up to her to save everyone. And the hijinks of sneaking around in stolen uniforms as cover is kinda hilarious. But for me, that doesn't feel like enough.
When she worked for Vader, she knew she was a small pawn and could get put down at any moment. It was dark humor because of Vader's lack of empathy and overpowered authority over her. Now, Aphra carries this story with a similar lack of empathy to those around her in deference to "the prize" du jour, but only has mental and emotional manipulation to try wield over her supporting characters. It can work for a little bit, but the joke gets old and unless she gets a different song to play, I fear that this run of Aphra will be a lot like the first. More unfunny than witty. More cruel than crazy. And more a chore to complete than joy to visit.
December 8, 2021
Having been away from this series for several months at this point, this volume hits the ground running in a way that left me really confused initially (doesn't help that the story starts at a point that then requires flashbacks to catch the reader up to speed). The rate of character introductions feels a bit dizzying and perhaps its Height's penciling or the colorer to blame, but there's a chunk of minor characters who just sort of blur together in this (honestly, there seem to be characters who are otherwise Caucasian and of East Asian decent, and only Aphra looks really distinct among the bunch). The rate of callbacks too without sufficient contextualization was tough, but I would think anyone maybe reading the breadth of the Aphra comics down the road might benefit from having all these stories firmly in mind via a concentrated dose of sequential reading.
There's also a b-plot involving Lucky and...other characters whose names I don't really remember because they just barely satisfy archetypes. Now that I'm thinking about it, the over-emphasis of humans/human-look humanoids in this volume might also be it's downfall. This ultimately just feels like filler to move the pawns around on the board and get us closer to the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover. The brief stinger for a non-Boba Fett returning bounty hunter from the EU (legends EU at that, I believe?) has me much more excited for that event should my library ever get in their copies of the collected volumes this year.
There's also a b-plot involving Lucky and...other characters whose names I don't really remember because they just barely satisfy archetypes. Now that I'm thinking about it, the over-emphasis of humans/human-look humanoids in this volume might also be it's downfall. This ultimately just feels like filler to move the pawns around on the board and get us closer to the War of the Bounty Hunters crossover. The brief stinger for a non-Boba Fett returning bounty hunter from the EU (legends EU at that, I believe?) has me much more excited for that event should my library ever get in their copies of the collected volumes this year.
February 10, 2022
Book 2, 3 ABY.
Aphra is hired by Lady Domina Tagge to steal an advanced engine design, based on the Path engines of the Nihil, from a competitor and enlists the help of her old flame Sana Starros to do so.
This is mostly just 'more of the same' for the title character, as she's employed by a ruthless boss to steal an artefact, with double-crosses all around. It's perfectly enjoyable as far as it goes but it doesn't do anything particularly new or interesting either, which feels like a shame and is the same fault I found with the last book, 'Fortune and Fate'.
Things are made a little more interesting with the inclusion of Sana but, even then, there are just allusions to their past as lovers and then nothing more is really done with the fact.
There was also something of a two-edged sword with how this book connects to the larger Star Wars mythos too.
Here's we get significant links to both the High Republic stories and to 'Solo: A Star Wars Story', but they feel fairly crowbarred-in. It's as if (evil) Disney are trying to develop the kind of interconnectivity that Star Wars canon used to have all in one go, despite the fact that the supposed confusing nature of that connectivity was the main justification for binning off the old canon in the first place.
Although I'm all in favour of Star Wars stories being woven together, doing it like this feels like the same kind of clumsy last-minute course-correction that produced 'The Rise of Skywalker'.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
Aphra is hired by Lady Domina Tagge to steal an advanced engine design, based on the Path engines of the Nihil, from a competitor and enlists the help of her old flame Sana Starros to do so.
This is mostly just 'more of the same' for the title character, as she's employed by a ruthless boss to steal an artefact, with double-crosses all around. It's perfectly enjoyable as far as it goes but it doesn't do anything particularly new or interesting either, which feels like a shame and is the same fault I found with the last book, 'Fortune and Fate'.
Things are made a little more interesting with the inclusion of Sana but, even then, there are just allusions to their past as lovers and then nothing more is really done with the fact.
There was also something of a two-edged sword with how this book connects to the larger Star Wars mythos too.
Here's we get significant links to both the High Republic stories and to 'Solo: A Star Wars Story', but they feel fairly crowbarred-in. It's as if (evil) Disney are trying to develop the kind of interconnectivity that Star Wars canon used to have all in one go, despite the fact that the supposed confusing nature of that connectivity was the main justification for binning off the old canon in the first place.
Although I'm all in favour of Star Wars stories being woven together, doing it like this feels like the same kind of clumsy last-minute course-correction that produced 'The Rise of Skywalker'.
* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.com *
October 26, 2021
3-4 ABY
This is the second compiled graphic novel volume of Doctor Aphra's adventures after the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, consisting of "The Engine Job" Parts 1-4 and issues #10, "The Invitation" which leads into a tie-in called "War of the Bounty Hunters". This arc follows Aphra after she blew up Ronen Tagge and his collection, in which Ronen's aunt is out for revenge. When Aphra is hunted down--alive--Lady Domina Tagge is willing to spare Aphra's life is she can acquire a special engine and deliver it to her. It's old Nihil technology, thought to be lost, but one engineer has created the ultimate engine...
This volume has a lot of great happenings. The art is phenomenal, and we get a revisit of Sana Starros as a side lead. The mention of Nihil tech is an incorporation that links this volume to the new High Republic works currently being released. There are some interesting connections being made between this part in time in relation to the High Republic. I love how Aphra is as devious as ever. She makes things happen in her favor by any means necessary. This is an extremely enjoyable installment to the Star Wars universe, even better than the original Aphra run, and I highly recommend Star Wars fans taking the time to get to know this Marvel Comics original character. She is well worth it.
This is the second compiled graphic novel volume of Doctor Aphra's adventures after the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, consisting of "The Engine Job" Parts 1-4 and issues #10, "The Invitation" which leads into a tie-in called "War of the Bounty Hunters". This arc follows Aphra after she blew up Ronen Tagge and his collection, in which Ronen's aunt is out for revenge. When Aphra is hunted down--alive--Lady Domina Tagge is willing to spare Aphra's life is she can acquire a special engine and deliver it to her. It's old Nihil technology, thought to be lost, but one engineer has created the ultimate engine...
This volume has a lot of great happenings. The art is phenomenal, and we get a revisit of Sana Starros as a side lead. The mention of Nihil tech is an incorporation that links this volume to the new High Republic works currently being released. There are some interesting connections being made between this part in time in relation to the High Republic. I love how Aphra is as devious as ever. She makes things happen in her favor by any means necessary. This is an extremely enjoyable installment to the Star Wars universe, even better than the original Aphra run, and I highly recommend Star Wars fans taking the time to get to know this Marvel Comics original character. She is well worth it.
September 26, 2022
Materiał zawiera zeszyty z serii Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) #6-10.
Kontynuacja przygód Gwiezdno-wojennego odpowiednika Indiany Jonesa zachwyca całkiem porządnym początkiem, średnim rozwinięciem i takim sobie zakończeniem, które prowadzi czytelnika na ślad nadchodzącego dużego eventu w świecie Star Wars.
Nie ma to jak podpaść znaczącej figurze. Taki los spotkał Doktor Aphrę po wyeliminowaniu pewnego jegomościa z nazwiskiem Tagge. Teraz ktoś z rodziny tego gagatka wyznacza za naszą bohaterką list gończy. Tym kimś jest wpływowa Domina Tagge. Doktorka ma szczęście, że chce ją "wziąć żywcem".
Jaką rolę w całym zamieszaniu odegra Sana czy Unbroken Clan? To już trzeba zobaczyć, zwłaszcza że czeka nas zadanie zdobycia technologii, która może przechylić szansę w toczącej się w galaktyce wojnie domowej. A gdy w grę wchodzą duże pieniądze to i graczy robi się stanowczo za dużo.
Kreska zarówno Raya Anthony'ego Height czy Minkyu Junga są przyjemne dla oka i dobrze sprawdzają się w tej znanej formule. Świat powołany ich wyobraźnią tętni detalami i smaczkami z filmowej sagi, na tyle mocno że wypatrywałem tego, co tu wrzuciła autorka.
Świeża seria, aczkolwiek w drugiej połowie albumu można zauważyć pewne powtarzające się wzorce. Niemniej jest to na tyle przyjemne, że warto polecić tytuł fanom marki.
Kontynuacja przygód Gwiezdno-wojennego odpowiednika Indiany Jonesa zachwyca całkiem porządnym początkiem, średnim rozwinięciem i takim sobie zakończeniem, które prowadzi czytelnika na ślad nadchodzącego dużego eventu w świecie Star Wars.
Nie ma to jak podpaść znaczącej figurze. Taki los spotkał Doktor Aphrę po wyeliminowaniu pewnego jegomościa z nazwiskiem Tagge. Teraz ktoś z rodziny tego gagatka wyznacza za naszą bohaterką list gończy. Tym kimś jest wpływowa Domina Tagge. Doktorka ma szczęście, że chce ją "wziąć żywcem".
Jaką rolę w całym zamieszaniu odegra Sana czy Unbroken Clan? To już trzeba zobaczyć, zwłaszcza że czeka nas zadanie zdobycia technologii, która może przechylić szansę w toczącej się w galaktyce wojnie domowej. A gdy w grę wchodzą duże pieniądze to i graczy robi się stanowczo za dużo.
Kreska zarówno Raya Anthony'ego Height czy Minkyu Junga są przyjemne dla oka i dobrze sprawdzają się w tej znanej formule. Świat powołany ich wyobraźnią tętni detalami i smaczkami z filmowej sagi, na tyle mocno że wypatrywałem tego, co tu wrzuciła autorka.
Świeża seria, aczkolwiek w drugiej połowie albumu można zauważyć pewne powtarzające się wzorce. Niemniej jest to na tyle przyjemne, że warto polecić tytuł fanom marki.
November 20, 2022
Egmont wydaje dalszy ciąg przygód Chelli Aphry. Archeolog znów musi walczyć o życie, ponieważ za jej głowę wystawiono niezłą nagrodę. Alyssa Wong, odpowiedzialna za scenariusz, przedstawia nam nowe postacie, jednak nie zapomina o tych starych. Drugi tom moim zdaniem okazał się lepszy niż poprzedni. Fabuła skupia się na tym, na czym powinna. Nie ma chaosu. Postać Chelli Aphry podoba mi się coraz bardziej. Ekscentryczna, sarkastyczna i niezwykle wyszczekana poszukiwaczka zabytków została zmuszona zaprosić do współpracy swoją byłą dziewczynę, Sanę. I dobrze, bo w porównaniu do Aphry, Sana jest o wiele bardziej rozważna i mniej narwana. Zostają wysłane, aby odnaleźć starożytne ścieżki Nihilów, jednak tak potężna technologia w nieodpowiednich rękach może mieć niezbyt korzystne skutki dla galaktyki. Dodatkowo dziewczyny mają na głowie nie tylko bogaczy z rodziny Tagge, ale i Klan Niepokonanych, który koniecznie chce urządzenie dla siebie, a przy okazji pieniążki za sprzątnięcie pani archeolog. Komiks czyta się lekko i przyjemnie, łatwo się we wszystkim połapać, a kreska i kolory idealnie oddają to, co się dzieje w fabule. Na końcu standardowo możemy obejrzeć okładki alternatywne, co bardzo mi się w takich zeszytach podoba. Więcej na: CzasoStrefa
March 15, 2022
The second volume of the second series of Doctor Aphra (set after Empire Strikes Back) sees Aphra team up with Sana Starros to recover a Nihil hyperdrive for Lady Domina Tagge. Meanwhile, Just Lucky (yes, that is the character's name) teams up with Sixth Kin lieutenant Ariole Yu to collect on a lowlife's debt. These two storylines then end and lead into the
War of the Bounty Hunters
event.
The art's okay, it's not outstanding or anything, but it works well enough. It's not terrible or distracting or anything. And the story more than makes up for it. I like Aphra as a character. She's kinda like a super selfish Lara Croft/Indiana Jones if those characters were combined and were chaotic neutral. She's always in it for herself first. And while doesn't always try to hurt the people she loves, she often does. While I kinda got bored in the middle of the first series, this one's been really fun and enjoyable. There are little ties to the High Republic series, but they aren't a detrement to the story if you're just reading the Aphra comics. A fun Star Wars read, I eagerly await to see where this goes.
The art's okay, it's not outstanding or anything, but it works well enough. It's not terrible or distracting or anything. And the story more than makes up for it. I like Aphra as a character. She's kinda like a super selfish Lara Croft/Indiana Jones if those characters were combined and were chaotic neutral. She's always in it for herself first. And while doesn't always try to hurt the people she loves, she often does. While I kinda got bored in the middle of the first series, this one's been really fun and enjoyable. There are little ties to the High Republic series, but they aren't a detrement to the story if you're just reading the Aphra comics. A fun Star Wars read, I eagerly await to see where this goes.
November 3, 2021
Not to sound like too much of an Aphra purist, but I'm still not quite 100% onboard with Wong's take on the character. This new series has many of the tropes and antics we expect from everyone's favorite ethically questionable archeologist for hire, but at the same time it always feels like something missing.
Maybe things don't feel as clever as they used to be. She manages to achieve some crazy things but there's a lot more crazy and not quite as much of her outwitting those who stand in her way. Or maybe it's because Aphra shines better in good company and it was hard to top her former murder-droid companions.
This book has her initially being hunted down but eventually getting hired for another exotic job. The case in itself didn't necessarily feel all that satisfying in terms of its plot twists and its eventual conclusion, but it was something that kept the story moving forward. Maybe things will make sense once we get to the whole bounty hunter event that is crossing over several Stars Wars books.
Maybe things don't feel as clever as they used to be. She manages to achieve some crazy things but there's a lot more crazy and not quite as much of her outwitting those who stand in her way. Or maybe it's because Aphra shines better in good company and it was hard to top her former murder-droid companions.
This book has her initially being hunted down but eventually getting hired for another exotic job. The case in itself didn't necessarily feel all that satisfying in terms of its plot twists and its eventual conclusion, but it was something that kept the story moving forward. Maybe things will make sense once we get to the whole bounty hunter event that is crossing over several Stars Wars books.
August 20, 2022
A solid Star Wars action tale featuring Doctor Aphra, our morally ambiguous space archaeologist. In this volume, the doctor is hired by a big baddy to hunt down a special artifact. To finish the job, she has to team up with a former classmate who's still burned by Aphra's past malfeasance. But they come together, dodging murderous space pirates and corporate raiders, to get themselves off the chopping block.
The story is well crafted by Alyssa Wong and features crisp, engaging art by Ray-Anthony Height. But it doesn't add much new to the Star Wars universe; it doesn't really even expand on what's been done previously in this series. Unless there's a shakeup, it seems this relaunch is going to settle into "competent but familiar" territory.
The story is well crafted by Alyssa Wong and features crisp, engaging art by Ray-Anthony Height. But it doesn't add much new to the Star Wars universe; it doesn't really even expand on what's been done previously in this series. Unless there's a shakeup, it seems this relaunch is going to settle into "competent but familiar" territory.
January 7, 2023
Wong throws two of Star Wars' "scoundrel" archetypes from different books together and makes them bounce off each other pretty well. One might take issue that Aphra and Sana being exes turns this into the Star Wars version of "do all you gays know each other?" (certainly so with the reveal of Lucky's twink ex and Domina Tagge's enby assistant) but frankly, if Disney lets you do it, do it for as long as they let you.
Also learned that Domina Tagge is a rebooted Old EU character; with that first name and her "6 foot domineering redhead" aesthetic I absolutely assumed she was Wong knowing her gay audience.
Solid stuff, a comic that understands the assignment.
Also learned that Domina Tagge is a rebooted Old EU character; with that first name and her "6 foot domineering redhead" aesthetic I absolutely assumed she was Wong knowing her gay audience.
Solid stuff, a comic that understands the assignment.
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