Doctor Aphra (2020) #25
DESOLATION
As a Spark-possessed Doctor Aphra sought Ascendant tech aboard the ”Vermillion”, flagship of Crimson Dawn, the true Aphra found herself trapped within her own memories. In this mental prison, Aphra encountered Miril, the creator of the Spark Eternal, who revealed the origins of Ascendant technology.
Searching for their friend, Sana Starros and her team of Aphra associates arrived on Birukay, where they found the two murderous droids BT-1 and 0-0-0 in need of some entertainment.
Ordered to steal the Spark, Just Lucky and Ariole Yu landed on the ”Vermillion”, where the Spark welcomed them with a Sith-killing blade….
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artist: Minkyu Jung
Colourist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Vc Joe Caramagna
Cover artist: Rickie Yagawa
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: October 26, 2022
As if Doctor Aphra being in constant trouble wasn’t enough, now we have her opening the 25th issue of the second volume of her solo title trying her level best – enhanced and controlled by the Spark Eternal – to end the stories of both Just Lucky and Ariole aboard the Crimson Dawn flagship Vermillion. Not the kind of action we expect Chelli to be taking, despite her own persistent dalliances with disaster, but there’s a twisted misfortune in Kho Phon Farrus contacting the Archivist and telling her she has the Spark, way out on Birukay on the Outer Rim. We cut to the rest of our cast of characters – Sana Starros, Kho, Magna Tolvan, Aphra’s father Korrin, Eustacia Okka and the murder droids BT and 000 as 000 explains their recent actions, stranded on a tropical paradise with nothing to kill until Crimson Dawn arrived. Korrin works out that the Dawn has Aphra – or they have the spark, which has Chelli reasons Okka – and so they figure to head for the Vermillion to rescue Aphra before things get even worse.
It’s worth remembering – and it can get confusing, which is kind of the point – that there’s what’s happening in the real world with the under-the-influence Aphra and the memories of Ascendant leader Miril, and here as the team arrive on the Vermillion we step from one to the other as we enter those memoires as Miril not only reveals to Aphra the Sanctum but shows her the power of the null blade and questions why she’d ever want to turn off the power of the Spark Eternal. Unfortunately for Aphra it appears that there is no off switch, and we’re back in the now with Kho and the possessed Chelli as Kho starts asking questions and Spark Aphra starts answering.
The rest of the team bump into Just Lucky and Ariole, on the run around the corridors of the Vermillion. Lucky warns Sana and co to get off the ship and escape before Spark Aphra gets them, and checking in with BT-1 and 000 who are truly in their element mopping up security, we hear the voice of Aphra who realises Kho has an earpiece and calls them to her chamber. Kho brings a massive chandelier crashing down so she can escape, but not before Aphra grabs her, going for what turns out to be a deactivated lightsaber hilt and getting shocked into unconsciousness as Sana states her intention to rescue her.
As ever there’s plenty going on in the latest issue of Doctor Aphra, and fortunately Alyssa Wong keeps the proceedings just the right side of confusing to still deliver an enjoyable, frantic, making-it-up-as-I-go adventure that sets up issue 26 and hopefully a return to regular programming for our garrulous archaeologist. The art is edgy, a pleasing dash of original Marvel run Star Wars #89 artist Brett Blevins clear in the pencil and inks of Minkyu Jung while Rachelle Rosenberg lays down her always-engaging colours to add flair and panache to this evolving storyline from Wong.
You can watch below as we took the opportunity to interview both Alyssa and Rachelle at New York Comic Con 2022, but for issue 25 – a landmark issue for any ongoing title – this is another pleasing entry in the Spark Eternal storyline that feels like it’s approaching the final straight.
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