Payoff!
Creative Staff:
Story: Kieron Gillen, Simon Spurrier
Art: Emilio Laiso
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
What They Say:
Tensions are high in this galaxy far, far away for Doctor Aphra. She’s got a new master holding her reins…and he’s a Triple-threat. Also – Magna Tolvan. Friend or foe?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
It’s been interesting over the run of this book with how I’ve been feeling about the character of Tolvan. I’ve had mixed on it so far as it felt like it leaned too far into caricature for my tastes but there’ve been some interesting moments bolstered by interesting locations and events that let it work. Her recent arc has not been good for me with where she ended up before the rescue, but I’ve enjoyed the direction that Gillen has taken the book lately and Spurrier’s inclusion in scripting has worked well as the series felt like it moved into a new stage. The consistency for a while in the artwork with Emilio Laiso on board has helped a bit as well as Tolvan is feeling a bit more defined in a way and he’s definitely capturing some great facial expressions in this issue.
The change in the feeling of the series with Aphra now serving under Triple-Zero has been something that it needed to shake things up a bit and to give Aphra a chance to really be the underdog, to show a different side of her in an engaging way. Seeing her struggle with the team Triple-Zero put together for her here is a whole lot of fun since they come across as a kind of Suicide Squad themselves with the jokes and the not wanting to get too involved with a lot of things. There are a lot of moments as they make their way into the facility they’re after here where it’s so laid back and comical that it felt less like a Star Wars book, or even an Aphra book, than usual. It’s a little disarming and takes some getting used to, and not what I want on a regular basis, but it worked to showcase what Aphra is dealing with here as she’s playing it very morose – while trying to keep everyone alive.
Naturally, amid all of this there’s the arrival of Tolvan thanks to a little technology that clued them in to what Aphra is up to. That they crash into the facility is essentially the worst thing they could do as it sets off one of the ancient artificial creatures in there and causes the chaos. It’s the weak point in how this happens but the results are strong. Watching as Tolvan and Aphra deal with it and end up essentially working together for a bit to stay alive is definitely fun in the classic Star Wars sense. Even down to them just laughing after surviving a harrowing bit. Tolvan’s been given some complicated feelings toward Aphra, a woman whose name she doesn’t even know, and that’s been ramped up a lot in this issue through the action and the resulting passionate kiss between them as the adrenaline runs high. It sets the stage for things later in the series run if it’s given the chance to be explored and I’m hopeful for it because this is definitely a complicated piece to work with. Laiso does a great job with the page for it as he really sells the connection that the two have been dealing with for a bit now.
In Summary:
With a lot of good character material in the mix, the big reveal comes toward the end as we discover what it is that Triple-Zero is actually after. And it’s one of those moments that makes me genuinely afraid of what could come of things if he actually gets what he’s after, much like Aphra’s afraid I’m sure. You can imagine the wheels turning in her head how to turn this to her advantage while still looking compliant though. There’s a lot of action in this book that works, some humor that just feels a little too forced, and a bit of romance that was spot on fun and right where the book has been angling toward for some time now. It’s a fun read for the most part and I like the uncertainty of where it’s going. Combine that with great visuals from the artists and it’s one of those books I look forward to each month easily..
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Marvel Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: January 31st, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
