Tag Archives: Marvel Comics

On The Continued Importance of Doctor Aphra

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Three years ago, I sat down to write a piece titled “On the Importance of Dr. Aphra.” At the time, we were just barely two months past Aphra surviving the end of Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca’s Darth Vader series. That in itself had been enough of a surprise but then, when Marvel gave Aphra her own ongoing series? I was genuinely shocked and in the best way possible. Not only was she the first female character to get a Star Wars ongoing title but she was also one of the first characters unaffiliated with the films or TV shows to headline her own comic or book. And now that comic book has come to an end with the publication of yesterday’s Doctor Aphra #40, a more than respectable run especially in this modern comic book world.

I didn’t think the book would make it past issue #12. I’ve never been happier to be wrong. Continue reading →

Review: Beckett #1

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There’s so much Star Wars content these days. So, so much. Truly, there has never been a better time to be a Star Wars fan. One of the consequences of all that content, though, is that there’s so much to read through/watch/play that, at a certain point, some stories just don’t need to be told. The can be, they can even be enjoyable, but they’re just not necessary to understanding the galaxy far, far away.

And so, we have Star Wars: Beckett, the comic one-shot from Marvel detailing the exploits of Han Solo’s mentor (they knew each other for like 3 days but we’ll go with it) and his partners in crime, Rio Durant and Val. To cut right to the review, it’s fun! Writer Gerry Duggan makes the adventures of these merry misfits more entertaining than I would have expected, and weaves it into the universe well: Beckett’s fake Death Priest scam is hilarious, and I’ll admit I’m curious about a few background details that came up as well (Spoiler-y speculation: were the Tognaths we see those of Rogue One fame? Was this heist stealing from Saw Gerrera, and did it inspire him to send one of the twins to infiltrate Enfys Nest’s cadre?)

At the end of the day, though, this comic just… didn’t really do anything for me. It was fun, but I still don’t understand why Beckett, a fairly boring and predictable character from the moment we met him, got so much screen time in Solo over a character like Val, and indeed why this comic was called “Beckett” – why not Val or Rio, or all three? They all get the same page time. In a prequel comic like this, I’d hope to see some sort of character development between what we’re seeing and Beckett’s character in Solo, but I just didn’t get that here. I went into this comic wondering why exactly I should care about Tobias Beckett, and I came out the same way.

So, if you loved Solo, read this comic. If you are fascinated by Tobias Beckett (more power to you), read this comic. If you just like comics, the artwork by Edgar Salazar, Marc Laming, and Will Sliney is certainly worth the price of admission. If none of the above is true for you, though, you can skip this one, to be perfectly honest. It’s fun, but it wasn’t a story that needed to be told, and not one that I’m convinced actually adds anything to the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars: Beckett #1: Gerry Duggan/Writer; Edgar Salazar, Marc Laming, Will Sliney/Artists; Jordan Boyd/Colorist; VC’s Travis Lanham/Letterer; Tom Groneman/Assistant Editor; Mark Paniccia/Supervising Editor

Review: Thrawn #1-6

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I’m going to start this review with complete honesty: Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn was fun and I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my favorite book. I liked learning more about Thrawn and loved Eli Vanto, but the plot felt convoluted at times, and like too much was being shoved in for the sake of building out Thrawn’s entire Imperial past ahead of his appearances on Star Wars Rebels. So, when Lucasfilm and Marvel announced Jody Houser’s comic adaptation of the novel, I wondered how such an intricate plot would transfer to such a different medium.

Which brings me to the point of my review: if you were excited about this adaptation, you’ll probably love it – it’s exactly what you’d expect. Seeing Thrawn in all his imposing, blue glory at the helm of the ISD Chimaera is always a treat, and his dialogue actually transfers quite well to the comic format (I couldn’t not hear Lars Mikkelsen’s voice in my head as I read it). Bonus points to Houser and artist Luke Ross for making Vanto notably not white, as we got a sense of his isolation in the novel due to his Wild Space origins that’s heightened by adding the racial component to others’ disdain here. Continue reading →

Review: Darth Vader (2017) #13-17

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In the “Burning Seas” arc of Charles Soule’s Darth Vader comic series, we take a bit of a time jump from the series so far: while issues #1-12 focused on the days immediately following the rise of the Empire, issue #13 opens three years after those events (so, around 16 BBY, for those keeping track). The Empire is consolidated, the military has built up, and the Emperor’s sinister servant, Darth Vader, has come into his own as the regime’s chief enforcer.

Whereas the series so has shown us the internal struggles of becoming Darth Vader, this arc focuses much more on external events – namely, the pacification of Mon Cala, the water world home to some of the future Rebellion’s greatest heroes. Indeed, these issues are full of familiar faces: Not-yet-Grand Moff Tarkin and his capital ship Sovereign (previously seen in the Tarkin novel) are pitted in a battle of wills (and weapons) against King Lee-Char of Mon Cala (who you may remember from The Clone Wars), Admiral Raddus (Rogue One), and then-Commander Gial Ackbar (c’mon, you know him). With such a cast of characters demanding page-time, we actually get less of the titular villain than one would expect; Vader plays the role of antagonist here, rather than the focus of the plot.  Continue reading →

Review: Doctor Aphra #18

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Hey Aphra? I hope you understand how lucky you are to be alive right now because holy crap, you should’ve died at least six times in this issue alone. Okay, maybe not six but a lot. At least twice.

One of the coolest things about this particular arc (and with so much going on, there’ve been a lot) is the combination of Aphra and Hera; two women who could not be more different. Even if they were on the same side of things, I highly doubt you would ever see them getting a drink together but wow are they fun to throw together. I particular enjoyed Aphra having a scientific interest in the abominations created by the Tarkin Initiative while Hera is horrified on moral grounds. My second favorite was Hera’s remark that “It’s lonely being you, isn’t it?” because WOW did she figure Aphra out fast.

This issue is making me think a lot about Aphra and what kind of person she is. The easy answer is that she’s not a good one but it’s always more complicated than that. Simultaneously, Aphra does what’s in her best interest and almost gets herself killed a lot. She’ll do the terrible thing but try and find a way around it. And she’ll flirt with an Imperial officer even though she knows it can’t end well. Aphra, you are a delightful and complicated mess and I love you more with every issue.

As Aphra’s allies dwindle, in part because of her own actions, her chances of surviving this arc are decreasingly rapidly… as are the chances for her allies. Seriously, I need that next issue now. Please?

Doctor Aphra #18: Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier/Writers, Emilio Laiso/Artist, Rachelle Rosenberg/Colors, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor

Review: Poe Dameron #25

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When reading Poe Dameron #25, it feels like this could have very easily been the end of the series. Instead, it’s an end of an era within the comic as we reach the last issue set prior to the Sequel Trilogy. From here on out, everything’s clearly going to be different and you know what? They’ve earned it.

One of the best things about this arc has been the insight it’s given us into Lor San Tekka. If anything, he’s a character we should see more of in his earlier days because he’s clearly had quite a life and seen some things. His thoughts on the Force are of particular interest given that he’s studied the Force but cannot touch it. Perhaps it’s his conversation with Poe at the end though that has the most impact. After all, he’s right: the fate of the galaxy doesn’t just revolve around Force users and nor will Luke be quite the catalyst that his sister hopes. Characters who respect the contributions of non-Force users as much as the Jedi are the best.

I do have to say that even after all this time, I don’t necessarily buy Snap and Karé as a couple. It’s very nice that they’ve found each other and clearly care but… I don’t? (Sorry.)

It does, however, say something that Soule can make us care about a mere droid so much. Poor Jess Pava has had the worst luck when it comes to astromechs and brave Ivee volunteered to fly with her and then… well, I’m sure you can guess. One of the sweetest scenes in this entire series thus far takes place between Jess and BB-8 as they remember their friend together.

Poe Dameron #25 is a fitting end to this part of Black Squadron’s story. I’m not sure where the comic intends to be (aside from to Jakku) but I’m most certainly eager to keep reading and hope we get to see the adventures of all of Black Squadron for many months to come.

Poe Dameron #25: Charles Soule/Writer, Angel Unzueta/Artist, Arif Prianto/Colorist, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Jordan White/Editor, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor

Review: Star Wars #41-43

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The interesting thing about accidentally putting off your comic reviews for a few issues is what you notice about how an arc reads. I’m a big fan of Kieron Gillen’s work (just go look at my reviews of his fantastic Darth Vader) but something about his Star Wars series just wasn’t entirely clicking for me in the same way. That click finally happened when I sat down and read the latest three issues together. If you’ve struggled with “The Ashes of Jedha”, try reading it all together in one sitting for a better experience. (Which given that we’re talking about Gillen’s writing here, probably shouldn’t have surprised me. But here we are.) Let’s talk about each of the big three. Continue reading →

Review: Darth Vader (2017) #11+12

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After the crazy, brain breaking kyber crystal arc and then the Jocasta Nu Chronicles, Darth Vader #11 and #12 are nice, self-contained story that serve almost as a palette cleanser before Soule and Camuncoli send the dark lord off on his next adventure. For now though, his Jedi hunt continues as Vader and Ninth Sister head out to Cabarria after hearing rumors of a Jedi there… only for the hunt to turn against him and the originator to be very highly placed within the Empire…

These two issues make sure that we don’t forget several things about the relatively young Darth Vader. First, that he is far from an established presence within the Empire and its power structure. Second, that Palpatine is incredibly twisted and has no problem beating Vader down verbally. Third, there is still a little bit of Anakin Skywalker left within Darth Vader. In a way, all three of these things have been key to the entire book so far and will likely remain so in future issues.

This isn’t the first time the Camuncoli has depicted how Vader sees himself in the Force while meditating but it’s still jaw-dropping nonetheless. Those panels need very little to no dialogue to convey so much and I hope that they continue to be a thing throughout this book. I also strongly appreciated that Camuncoli made it a point to depict both men and women within the Imperial ranks. Hopefully this continues to be a trend in the Star Wars comics.

If you’re looking to start reading the Darth Vader comics, issues #11-12 aren’t a bad way to jump on to the book or to test the waters a little and see if it’s your thing. There’s plenty here to enjoy for both new and established readers alike.

Darth Vader #11+12: Charles Soule/Writer, Giuseppe Camuncoli/Pencils, Daniele Orlandini/Inks, David Curiel/Colorist, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor

Review: Poe Dameron #24

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LISTEN AGENT TEREX. I’ve liked you a lot throughout these last two dozen issues of Poe Dameron. You’ve been a very good antagonist and delightfully evil when the occasion required it but this time you have gone TOO FAR.

PADMÉ AMIDALA NABERRIE’S GOWNS ARE INTERGALACTIC TREASURES AND HOW DARE YOU SPACE THEM LIKE THAT. HOW DARE.

*clears throat* Anyways. About the rest of the issue.

Actually you know what? Let’s just do bullet points for this thing.

  • Terex has clearly lost it. Understandably so but lost it. Only a crazy man talks to Phasma like that.
  • Lor San Tekka deserves better than what life is giving him.
  • Jess Pava is an adorable nerd, pass it on.
  • Still very much not invested in Karé/Snap, sorry.
  • The close up shot on Leia’s ring is aces.
  • No but seriously: Jess Pava is delightful and I need more of her.

Given that we know the events of The Force Awakens are rapidly approaching and the cliffhanger this issue ends on, I’m really unsure how Soule is planning to wrap this arc up but I’m definitely fascinated. It continues to be awesome to see more of the Resistance and how they tangled with the First Order. I have next to no idea how this all going to go but I sure am enjoying the ride.

Poe Dameron #24: Charles Soule/Writer, Angel Unzueta/Artist, Arif Prianto/Colorist, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Jordan White/Editor, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor