A protocol droid specialized in etiquette, customs, translation and torture. Oh my.
Creative Staff:
Story: Kieron Gillen
Art: Salvador Larroca
What They Say:
When a Dark Lord needs help, who can he turn to? Meet Aphra, the galaxy’s foremost raider of lost weaponry! Plus, could these be the deadly droids she’s looking for?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The Darth Vader series has been pretty impressive in its opening installments with what it wants to do, putting Vader in a different place than one might expect after A New Hope and setting him off on a mission to build his own private resources. After quite a few years serving the Emperor loyally and with likely pretty much every success, seeing him being punted down a bit to work under Tagge and to know that the Emperor is up to his own schemes now that don’t involve him has him wary to say the least. And wisely so, considering how the Sith work. The story so far has been a little referential as one might expect, having seen some bounty hunters and familiar locations, but this installment finally cuts loose.
And all for the better.
As much as I am a fan of the films, the open ended possibilities here are what excites me. This installment has Vader going to get what he needs to really put things together and that comes in the form of Doctor Aphra, a female archaeologist of sorts with some great thieving skills, quick wit and incredible knowledge. We see her initially going in to steal the Triple Zero Matrix from a secure storage location on a quarantine droid world, which has some very familiar designs from the prequel trilogy. Aphra is really great to watch as she goes through the job with some of her toys, some of her interactions with those in charge, and then the realization that everything is about to change as Vader has arrived there and he’s come for her.
What really makes this work is the way that she deals with him. Initially, it’s all about the fact that she talks a lot when she’s nervous, and the Dark Lord of the Sith should make almost anyone nervous. But seeing that kind of almost flippant talk in front of him when it’s just the two of them isn’t the norm and it’s intriguing. Particularly since a big part of her gig is all about restoring and reactivating long lost or dormant technology of hugely destructive levels. While it makes sense for Vader to use her, and you know she’s being used for his own ends, the way she views him as this all comes into focus is beautiful because she sees him and what he’s offering as the culmination of all her hopes and desires with what really excites her. And that plays out beautifully here, both in the dialogue and the pacing but also the utterly gorgeous artwork that Larroca brings to it.
We also get the introduction of two new droids that could be around for a bit and present us with what’s in essence the dark side of our more familiar droids. With similar designs overall, the initial one becomes the new protocol droid for Aphra, albeit one with a penchant for torture, which is why the Triple Zero Matrix was safely locked away for some time. The other is an astromech named BST-1 that was part of an expansive R&D effort by Tarkin that went awry and caused copious amounts of destruction before it jettisoned itself into space. Both droids are intriguing, but there’s also some interesting echoes to it as well with Vader’s own past with droids, and running in parallel to what Luke is doing in the other part of the galaxy.
In Summary:
This is what I was waiting for. This is where we see the potential of not just the character, but in doing some really strong material within the Star Wars universe that feels cohesive and a part of things but builds on it rather than replicating it. There are obvious echoes to the films that one would expect, as the films played that card well, but with the introduction of Aphra and the two droids, it all feels like we’re seeing something really grand taking shape here. Aphra is a huge sell for the book and with her personality, dialogue and Larroca’s design for her, she should be a nearly instant hit with fans that I’d almost hazard would rival Boba Fett in a way if given a chance. I’m completely enamored by her and the potential with her, and what she and Vader and this team he may be putting together can do while off in the larger Star Wars universe.
Grade: A
Age Rating: 12+
Released By: Marvel Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: March 25th, 2015
MSRP: $3.99
