Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #12 (Star Wars: Doctor Aphra by Alyssa Wong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
From the cover of this comic you’d be forgiven for thinking that Aphra has an encounter with Boba Fett in this issue…or that Boba Fett is actually in it. He’s not. (Or is he?) But that cover, by Sara Pichelli, is gorgeous. The art inside the issue? Not so much. Minkyu Jung’s art has a clear manga influence, which in itself is not a bad thing, but their composition is lacking and even Rosenberg’s superb colouring can’t save it. Sorry, but it’s just not to my tastes.
The writing is, well, the usual mixed bag from the writing in this book at the moment. Wong doesn’t really seem to have a real feel for Aphra yet and doesn’t seem to have decided what it is she’s trying to say with this book. As such it ends up feeling like a pale imitation of the runs which preceded it. I feel like she needs to stop trying to write Aphra as she has been written and find HER Aphra, and write the character her way.
That said, there are some nice moments here, especially when Aphra attempts to rob the Falleen woman. But then this is very much Aphra “up to her old tricks”…although, that said, Aphra’s never exactly been a pick pocket.
I feel like I’m being overly negative, but at this point I have no idea who any of the cast are beyond Aphra and Sanna, despite the fact that I’ve been reading this book since #1. Not only do I not know who any of the other characters are, I don’t care. I’ve said before that I don’t see the point of having a standalone Doctor Aphra book if the creative team don’t have a clear vision for the book, and this issue just confirms that.
Please, give this book a reason to exist other than “Aphra’s cool and people like her.”
Get early access to all my reviews and read them a week before everyone else over on my Patreon!
Random Ramblings Of A Ragamuffin 