Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #6 (2020)
THE ENGINE JOB part 1 HEADHUNTED
After narrowly escaping Darth Vader and doing a huge solid for the Rebellion, Doctor Aphra’s cut all ties to her past and is trying to go back to what she does best: hunting down the most valuable treasure in the galaxy.
But the rogue archaeologist is also exceedingly good at making enemies. Aphra’s latest misadventure to find the
mythical Rings of Vaale put her at odds with Ronen Tagge, the insanely powerful scion of the Tagge dynasty.And the Tagges do not forgive. Nor do they forget…
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artist: Ray-Anthony Height, Robert Gill
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover artist: Leinil Francis Yu
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publication date: November 25, 2020
Pages: 32
UPC: 759606097241
Star Wars Doctor Aphra #6: The Engine Job: Headhunted starts a new caper for our rogue archaeologist. The front cover of the comic gives us a clear indication of the key players in this new adventure, although Sana Starros isn’t mentioned in the book until the last page.
This issue starts with a cold opening, and not for the first time Dr Aphra has been captured but this time surprisingly it’s by her old pal Just Lucky. We then flashback to discover that unfortunately for Chelli her time spent ducking and diving Ronin Tagge isn’t the last time she’s going to run into trouble with the mega-wealthy and galactically rich dynasty. As it turns out Domina Tagge has put a 20,000 credit bounty on the head of Aphra, and it’s an amount that even her most stalwart of allies Black Krrsantan finds hard to turn down. However, after some pleading and bartering Krrsantan acts as a shield allowing Aphra to hightail it out of immediate danger only to be pursued by the bounty hunting Hal’lath quadruplets.
A fast-paced swoop bike chase ensues with Aphra getting the best of her pursuing assailants until Just Lucky takes a well-aimed shot at her swoop sending the good Doctor sprawling. However, it was Just Lucky’s partner Kharrek a green insectoid bounty hunter who zaps a dart laced with nurotoxin into the unwitting doctors neck, incapacitating Aphra and that brings us back to the ‘present’ where the two hunters deliver Aphra to the indominable Domina Tagge. Though some crafty light-fingered skills Aphra manages to turn things round on the bounty hunters and Domina only to find out that revenge wasn’t what Lady Tagge had instore for Aphra. It turns out that Domina wants to enlist Aphra in stealing a piece Nihil technology that dates back to The High Republic era from a galactic engineering firm called De’rruyet Industries.
Chelli agrees to the terms, but only if she can team up with her on-again-off-again flame Sana Starros.
This sets up nicely the continuation in next months issue as well as an interesting “working relationship” between Aphra and Domina Tagge.
The issue is a great start to this new arc for Aphra. Ultimately if you dangle any piece of old tech or treasure in front of Aphra she’ll be game to trying to obtain it and there’s no doubt in the readers mind that Aphra will be looking to keep the piece for herself and that Domina Tagge isn’t so naïve as not to be expecting a double-cross.
A good balance is struck between typical Aphra action and chaos and a steady bit of exposition setting up the main themes of the arc; it’s a slower start than other Aphra capers, but it’s engaging nevertheless.
Originally released in November you can’t miss the links to the up coming High Republic publishing programme, much like in Aphra #4, and only time will tell if this bit of Nihil tech will play a bigger part in The High Republic era.
Alyssa Wong continues to deliver a great characterisation one of my favourite Star Wars characters, so I’m looking forward into getting stuck into Aphra #7.
Hope you all spotted the nice Valence mugshot easter egg.
- Hardcover Book
- Kuhn, Sarah (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages - 04/06/2021 (Publication Date) - Random House Worlds (Publisher)
