Doctor Aphra (2020) #22
ECHOES
The race is on for Ascendant tech!
The legendary Ascendant technology known as the Spark Eternal, an item that can grant Sith-like powers, has possessed Doctor Aphra!
Now Aphra is trapped in her own mind, reliving some memories she’d rather forget….
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artists: Natacha Bustos, Minkyu Jung
Colourist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Vc Joe Caramagna
Cover artist: W. Scott Forbes
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: July 27, 2022
UPC: 75960609724101911
Aphra, possessed by the Spark Eternal, is forced to revisit moments from her past as the spark scours her memories for the artefacts Aphra has encountered through her shady line of work.
This issue, while not without merit, felt like that last moment of looking inward before plunging into battle. The issue starts with a moment from the very first issue of Doctor Aphra way back in 2016 and I thought that was a nice touch. Alyssa Wong’s run has brought much needed consistency to the title since Gillen departed but this felt like a celebration of all iterations of the character. It’s all about Chelli too with no update on what Sana, Kho or even Lucky are up to. This was somewhat frustrating for me but only because the last issue ended on a cliffhanger and I’m so excited to see where that goes! What we do get of Aphra’s past is a mix of things we’ve seen and new bits of history. There’s a great panel where Chelli touches an artefact and we see all of the different versions of the character reflected behind her. Although the series had rocky moments during Spurrier’s run the title character has never been less than compelling and one of the best original characters in canon. Aphra is returning to her roots and the only missing piece is the world’s worst Jedi and father, the respitorily challenged Darth Vader.
The Spark Eternal does reveal a little of their history and motivations though as they show Aphra the night The Ascendant fell, destroyed by the Sith in a fascinating scene. Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe this is the first time we have seen the Sith pre-Bane/Rule of Two in canon. it was thrilling to witness them at their height, dressed in matching masks and cowls. This looks like the Sith army we know from Legends and from the time of the Old Republic. Lore fans will be eating this up no doubt. It was previously assumed that The Ascendant worshipped the Sith and developed their technology so they could mimic their deities and the power they possess. It’s revealed here that their technologies were created in an effort to destroy the Sith and that the two factions had been at war for some time. This was fascinating and I hope Wong gives us more on this in the future. Were they in league with the Jedi? Why did they want to destroy the Sith? There’s lots of potential here for more great stories.
Things take a turn when the Spark locates the memory of Aphra’s most dangerous assets. Her droids. That’s right folks it looks like Christmas has come early and we will be getting the most murderous and twisted of gifts. The Spark wants Triple Zero and BD-1 and this can only mean wonderful things for the reader and terrible things for everyone else. It’s all coming to a head as Evil Aphra travels to the Crimson Dawn flagship, The Vermillion, to obtain the venomous duo. We already know our bounty hunter friends are aboard so I’m crossing my fingers we get that crossover. All we need now is Vader and Leia to rock up in their next issues and we will have ourselves an almighty showdown. Just please give us more Sana, she’s such a great character and I’m love with the dynamic between her and Aphra.
I enjoyed the issue, particularly the look at the Sith of old, but I think this is the ample amount of the psychotic Ghost of Christmas Past routine and let’s on with the promised action and reunions!
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra: Volume 5 @ ForbiddenPlanet.com
