Tag Archives: Marvel Comics

Review: Doctor Aphra #17

Posted on by

Doctor Aphra: Still gay
Tolvan: Still doesn’t know her name. Still pretty into her

I dig it.

“Remastered” has no intent of confining itself to just one location and in Doctor Aphra #17, our favorite archaeologist and her team make their way to a rebel pilot training base where the general in charge is a very familiar green face. Yup, it’s the face you’re thinking of because who else could train a batch of recruits to fly x-wings quite as well as Hera Syndulla?

One thing I really like about this comic is that it never tries to hide that Aphra’s not a great person but at the same time, it makes it clear that she’s not exactly a really bad person either. This arc in particular has emphasized this with Triple Zero forcing her to do things she otherwise wouldn’t and Tolvan skinning another being as part of her disguise which Aphra’s not okay with. It gives Aphra more depth than your standard “bad gal” and honestly, it’s part of what makes me love her. It’s also a part of what makes her feel real. She makes a lot of bad decisions and then has to deal with the consequences. If anything, Jango’s line about being a simple man trying to make his way in the universe probably really applies a lot to her too.

This issue also does lovingly poke fun at how trusting some of the Rebels can be. (Or maybe that’s just Flight Control; Hera at least knows what’s up. Actually Hera is by far the most competent person in this issue.) In a way, it’s almost sweet how he so easily believes that these mercenaries are there to join up without any ulterior motive.

I think it’s been a little while since I’ve mentioned it but I am really digging the Laiso/Rosenberg combination for the artwork on this book. There was something about their work on this issue that particularly clicked into place. I can’t quite put my finger on it but there was something about it that took my feelings on the art from like to love.

There’s a heck of a lot going on in both “Remastered” and Doctor Aphra #17 and I’m definitely still on board with all of it and can’t wait to see how both Hera and Aphra handle things in the next issue.

Doctor Aphra #17: Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier/Writers, Emilio Laiso/Artist, Rachelle Rosenberg/Colors, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor

Review: DJ: Most Wanted

Posted on by

DJ: Most Wanted: It’s fine.

Oh wait. You want more of a review than that? Fine.

(Did you see what I did there?)

Set right before the events of The Last Jedi, DJ: Most Wanted gives us a little more insight into what it’s like to be DJ. Unsurprisingly, it’s basically what you think: a scoundrel who finds trouble and looks out for himself. This isn’t even necessarily a slight against Ben Acker and Ben Blacker because there’s really only so much they could do with a character prequel comic like this and we have seen them do far more captivating work with their Storms of Crait one-shot where it feels like they had more freedom. It’s not a bad comic. It’s just… a comic in which DJ certainly gets into trouble and tossed into jail. If nothing else, the story helps further flesh out Canto Bight. If you want more of these things, it’s worth picking up this issue. Otherwise… it’s fine.

The one delightful thing about this book is that we get to see Kev Walker drawing Star Wars again! There’s no one else I could imagine being the one to draw an incredibly buff Rodian. (No really: look at the size of his biceps!) If nothing else, you can always count on Walker to keep his cast of characters diverse and his backgrounds interesting.

Bottom line? DJ: Most Wanted is fine but not worth going out of your way for.

DJ: Most Wanted: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker/Writers, Kevin Walker/Penciler, Marc Deering/Inker, Java Tartaglia/Colorist, Clayton Cowles/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White, Editor

Review: Mace Windu

Posted on by

Mace Windu just might be the first of the Marvel comics that I recommend you skip entirely and that’s a bummer. Mace Windu has been one of my favorite Prequel Era Jedi ever since I read Shatterpoint and I was hoping for so much more from this. In fact… go pick up a copy of that book instead. It may be Legends now but it’s a better use of your time than this bland comic.

Bland may sound harsh but it’s the best way to describe the book. You could have subbed in almost any other Jedi without the story changing too much. That’s not a good thing. If you’re going to put Mace Windu on the cover then you expect a little of his grim and badass personality to come through on the pages. It never does. That’s not to say that Matt Owens doesn’t try and come up with an interesting story and you can see places where it might really take off but unfortunately, it just never works out.

And then there’s the art… It’s difficult to move past the gremlin Yoda and struggling depictions of some of the more familiar aliens. Most of the time, the art is serviceable but it’s difficult to get that image of Yoda out of your head.

In the interest of not being entirely negative about the comic, I was happy to see the miraluka brought back into canon. They’ve always been a species that’s fascinated me and the eye-related humor did get a laugh or two from me. The absolute best part of the book were the battle droids. Owens got their voices and The Clone Wars feel down pat. They were the highlight of the book.

I genuinely hate to sound so down on a Star Wars comic. I honestly do. Mace Windu isn’t necessarily bad: it’s just not up to the level of the other Star Wars comics that Marvel’s been publishing. You can feel comfortable in skipping this one.

Mace Windu #1-5: Matt Owens/Writer, Denys Cowan/Penciller, Roberto Poggi/Inks, Guru-eFX/Colorist, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Heather Antos & Charles Beacham/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor

Review: Poe Dameron #23

Posted on by

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Poe Dameron #23 had me flipping each page as anxiously as I might watch a dogfight in one of the films. It feels like a strange thing to say because we know that Poe’s going to make it out okay and we know that Lor San Tekka has to survive to hide on Jakku and yet I found myself consistently worried about both of them and, weirdly enough, Terex.

Let’s start from the top. When last we saw Poe, Commander Malarus who is, without a doubt, completely out of her mind, had just commandeered his x-wing. There’s just something about Poe that seems to infuriate his First Order opponents beyond their ability to think rationally. Malarus was just… Honestly, I can’t say that she’s been my favorite villain in this book. That honor still goes to Agent Terex who has really seen better days but who is also doing whatever he can to get control of his mind back. (Who knew that the riot batons came in miniature sizes?)

Poe, on the other hand, does some pretty fantastic flying in an unfamiliar ship but it has consequences that are, shall we say, adding to the feel that we’re rapidly approaching the events of The Force Awakens in this comic. On the one hand, it’s helping build the excitement but on the other, it’s a bit of a bummer because I’d love to see so much more of the Resistance in this book especially now that the Tico sisters are likely fair game. Also, precisely how much money does Leia have? Is she funding this entire Resistance out of her own bank accounts? And if so… daaaaang House Organa was loaded!

Poe Dameron #23 is a definite page-turner and I’m very anxious to see how things go in #24 especially after those last few pages.

Poe Dameron #23: Charles Soule/Writer, Angel Unzueta/Artist, Arif Prianto/Colorist, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Jordan White/Editor, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor

Review: Darth Vader (2017) #10

Posted on by

If Darth Vader #10 tells us anything, it’s that there is still a bit of Anakin Skywalker close to the surface of the man who is now Darth Vader.

We all knew how this story arc was going to end for Jocasta Nu. There was no other option. We know how this sort of tale ends for the Jedi. That said, what an ending for her and I can only hope that someone further down the timeline makes use of the seeds that Jocasta planted. More people need to read this comic and give her some respect. If nothing else, read it for a badass old lady condescendingly calling Vader ‘boy’ and not giving a damn that he could kill her with a thought.

The one thing that this comic has consistently done beautifully is explore the rough transition from Anakin to Vader without ever actually putting us inside of the Sith Lord’s head. There’s still a little bit of the Jedi hero that was once within him; the sort of man who hesitates when it comes to killing his clearly defeated enemies. I couldn’t help but draw mental parallels between how he treats an unarmed Jocasta and how he inititally treated an unarmed Dooku. In contrast, we see the lengths he’s willing to go to protect his own secret… and it doesn’t end well for the clones. (Honestly, does this book ever end well for the clones?) Either way, it’s a delightful slow burn that has me always eagerly awaiting the next issue.

Darth Vader #10 is a satisfying conclusion for the Jocasta Nu arc and absolutely one that’s worth picking up just like this entire comic has been.

Darth Vader #10: Charles Soule/Writer, Giuseppe Camuncoli/Pencils, Daniele Orlandini/Inks, David Curiel/Colorist, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor

Review: Storms of Crait

Posted on by

Without a doubt, Crait was one of the most visually striking things within The Last Jedi. Fields of salt covering red crystals? Yep, I’m on board. When the movie revealed that The Last Jedi was an old Rebel Alliance base, I was excited for this comic to learn more about it. After reading it… Still intrigued even if it wasn’t exactly what I expected.

Learning not to cling to expectations is something that The Last Jedi taught us but that I’m still struggling to truly learn. I expected to see the Rebel Alliance hang around Crait for a while and I also expected to see Amilyn Holdo pop up. Neither of those things happened but that didn’t stop this from being a fun ride.

It’s still sorta Christmas so I’m going to bullet point this thing:

  • WEDGE FREAKING ANTILLES. There hasn’t been enough of Wedge in the new canon and it’s awesome getting to see Acker and Blacker bring him a little more to the forefront.
  • Leia and Luke don’t forget their families/upbringings. Leia’s very aware of what she learned from Bail and if you think you can make the farmboy forget the moisture farm just by taking him off planet…
  • Scar Squadron: Not actually all that great
  • Leia’s Outfit: Actually pretty great
  • 100% here for Mayhew drawing the men of the Rebellion with ripped shirts and jackets.

Is Storms of Crait the most ground-breaking Star Wars story ever? Nah. Is it an effective one-shot that gives you a fun The Last Jedi tie in while also being easily accessible for new comic readers? Absolutely.

Star Wars: Storms of Crait: Ben Acker & Ben Blacker/Writers, Mike Mayhew/Artist, Clayton Cowles/Letterer, Jordan D. White/Editor, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor

Review: Poe Dameron #22

Posted on by

Poe Dameron #22 is masterful.

When I first started reading it, I figured that perhaps this issue would hit me a little harder after seeing The Last Jedi. After all, much of who Poe Dameron was in the latest film made so much more sense when you had this comic run in the back of your brain. While that level of realization was there, that wasn’t the start of the show. No, that would be Charles Soule’s writing.

It seems fitting that an issue released so close to the anniversary of Carrie Fisher’s passing features Leia narrating a plan as a framing device. Of course she has a plan to get Lor San Tekka out: this is Leia Organa we’re talking about here. Her plan is a heist because a woman picks up a thing or two thanks to being married to a notorious smuggler and being part of a rebellion since she was a teenager. And yeah, it’s a good plan.

Aside from the masterful weaving, the other great part about this issue is that it gives everyone a minute to shine. Yes, it’s definitely Leia’s show but it won’t succeed without them. Admittedly, I’d like to slap Snap for his continuing self-pity over being dumped by Karé but I’m hardly alone there. (Seriously buddy, this is not how you get a girl back.) The OTP that I’m truly invested in is Jess getting a droid who sticks around. Even Poe gets a particularly good role in this plan.

I won’t spoil any of the twists and turns for you but needless to say, Poe Dameron #22 is a comic issue that you need to read.

Poe Dameron #22: Charles Soule/Writer, Angel Unzueta/Artist, Arif Prianto/Colorist, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Jordan White/Editor, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor

Review: Doctor Aphra #15

Posted on by

I can’t say I was expecting to yelp “Aphra!” while reading this issue and yet I did.

Thankfully, I seem to be getting my wish regarding more Tolvan as she makes Imperial bureaucracy work for her and finds her way into more trouble than she probably wanted. That’s just a side effect of being intrigued by the one and only Chelli Lona Aphra. I could write an entire essay about how Tolvan literally dreams about Aphra rescuing her but I’ll spare you. (But Tolvan, honey, you have to know that this won’t end well.)

Unfortunately, Aphra has way bigger problems to deal with and by bigger, I mean more metallic and homicidal. Triple Zero is blackmailing her into working for his mob and if she doesn’t, he’ll let Vader know that she’s still alive. It’s a crazy script flip on the Aphra and the Murder Droids dynamic that we grew so used to during Darth Vader and the early part of this series. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure what to think when Gillen and Spurrier put the idea before us but it’s growing more and more on me as a way to keep the book fresh and not just a continuous series of wacky shenanigans. (Not that I would have been terribly opposed to that.)

I’m liking Emilio Laiso’s art more and more especially since we got so many different aliens and characters in this arc. If we don’t get to see more of the droideka, I’m going to be very disappointed.

Doctor Aphra seems intent on bringing Tolvan and Aphra back together and I can’t wait to see how that happens in future issues!

Doctor Aphra #15: Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier/Writers, Emilio Laiso/Artist, Rachelle Rosenberg/Colors, Joe Caramagna/Letterer, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor, Jordan D. White/Editor

Review: Star Wars #40

Posted on by

I’ve decided that all I want from Kieron Gillen’s Star Wars is more Skywalker twin interactions.

Queen Trios and the Empire continue their efforts to drill all of the kyber out of Jedha and the rebels continue to have somewhat strained relations with what’s left of the Partisans. However, things are slightly less than harmonious between even some of our heroes…

Spoilers after the cut. Continue reading →