Doctor Aphra #25: Aphra Team Go!

The previous issue in this series did a lot of setting up. It got the players headed on the path to meeting up for an epic conclusion to the saga of the Spark Eternal. This issue acts as the beginning phase to that eventual conflict. The issue is broken up into three separate story threads that all come together at the very end. On one hand, the Spark Eternal in Aphra’s body is scheming with Crimson Dawn. There is also Sana and her allies taking action against it. Finally, there is the inside of Aphra’s mind, where she is trapped with a version of the Ascendant leader made manifest through memory. The Spark’s scenes are bathed in red. Sana’s crew are splashed in gold. The real Aphra and the Ascendant leader reside in a world of green. The Spark and Aphra’s mind are tethered to each other in the same location, so the rest of this chapter is all about Sana getting to Aphra. That is where most of the action is. There is some action involving Just Lucky, but he seems to be wrapped up in his own affairs as usual. It is uncertain as to how he will play into the plot, also as usual, but he’s in the right place to show up again.

This chapter brings some interesting concepts to not only this particular story, but the overall Star WarsSaga in general. The whole idea that the ascendants were a group obsessed with recreating Force powers is not new to this arc. It has revolved around it. It is certainly no coincidence that this former cult of Force-obsessed beings from the past is seemingly parallel to the various religions based around The Force in the current phase of “The High Republic.” This issue give no real tangible connection to that era, but it does reach back even further with the mentioning of cortosis alloy, which was a material that could nullify a lightsaber blade. That material is a much older reference. It dates back to the era of “Knights of the Old Republic” in the previous “Legends” continuity. The “Doctor Aphra” series is notorious for mentioning many older concepts and bringing them further into current canon. This reference is completely in line with that. The fact that the series is centered on ancient weapons and objects specifically allows for that.

In many ways this issue is a best of the best showcase. It features almost every major character in this series up to this point. The art and usage of color are stunning as they typically are. The impact on the overall series is very present as it acts as a culmination of everything that has come before it. Sana and Tolvan were major characters in the previous “Aphra” series. Beetee and Triple Zero have even deeper roots as they were with Aphra from her very beginning in the first modern “Darth Vader” series. Aphra’s father has also been a long established character. Detta, Eustacia, and Just Lucky were Aphra’s original crew when this series launched. Kho Phon Farrus was the new big character from this arc, and they turned out to be a dynamic and impressive character in their own right. This issue can boast an impressive line-up and used them accordingly. This chapter might not be the climax of this tale, but it certainly marks a beginning of an end.