Aphra Unlocks A Hidden Secret on Yavin 4 in Marvel’s ‘Doctor Aphra’ #4

In the bowels of an abandoned Rebel base, the Great Massassi Temple on Yavin 4, the Aphras have stumbled upon the location to an ancient citadel in connection to the mysterious Ordu Aspectu.  But with the Imperials having now occupied the area in the wake of the Rebel exodus, can Aphra and crew make it off of the jungle moon alive?

 

 

 

Of all of the Marvel series currently in print, Doctor Aphra continues to be my favorite.  I have been a big fan of Kieron Gillen since his work in the X-Men franchise and his current ongoing series with Image comics, The Wicked + The Divine, is a breath of fresh air in an industry largely controlled by spandex-clad super beings.  As a follow up to his stellar run on Darth Vader, Gillen continues to impress with his ability to tell great stories in the Darth Vader spin-off Doctor Aphra.

 

 

Issue #4 of Doctor Aphra graces your local comic shop with its presence this week and for those who have become enthralled by this surprisingly intriguing story, the most recent issue in the series does not disappoint.

 

 

Spoilers Ahead…

 

 

 

Having been blackmailed by her own father into helping him track down the source of his life’s work on an ancient mysterious order connected to the Force (the Ordu Aspectu), the Aphras – along with the murderous droids Beetee and Triple Zero and Wookiee bounty hunter Black Krrsantan – have unlocked an ancient secret in the depths of the Great Temple – the location of the long-forgotten Citadel of Rur.

 

 

Hot on their tails is Imperial Captain Tolvan and her regiment of troops, suspecting Aphra and crew to be a group of Rebels who have returned to secure something left behind during their hasty evacuation. Tolvan was sent to the jungle moon as a form of punishment for her failure to maintain proper security on Eadu when the Rebels attacked the facility prior to their assault on Scarif to secure the Death Star plans.

 

 

Hell-bent on securing her own redemption as an Imperial officer, Tolvan dispatches a squadron of stormtroopers and an AT-AT to put an end to the Rebel insurgents.  But when Black Krrsantan arrives on the Ark Angel to rescue the team, Tolvan loses her quarry to the sanctuary of hyperspace. Determined to not allow this hiccup to be yet another mark against her record, she prepares her shuttle for launch.

 

 

As Aphra and company exit hyperspace, they arrive in what appears to be an asteroid field.  Ahead of them is a particularly monstrous meteor with a Citadel built upon its desolate crags. Entering the Citadel, it finally hits them that this place is the real deal – as evidenced by the skeletal remains of what appear to be ancient Jedi amongst the ruins.

 

 

Who were the Ordu Aspectu?  What is their connection to the Jedi?  To the Sith?  In the aftermath of another great issue in what has been a fantastic series so far – I am more excited than ever for the next one.  As this story arc wraps in the next couple of issues, I fully expect that some answers are forthcoming sooner rather than later.

 

 

While Kev Walker’s more cartoony artwork is not my favorite among the artists involved with Marvel’s Star Wars, his style compliments the frantic pace of the story and the rebellious demeanor of its main character quite well.  This comic is just a fun ride, and I feel like any complaints would be nitpicking at this juncture. There wasn’t a great deal of character development here as this issue was more action-oriented, but we were given a nice glimpse into the motivations behind the antagonist which more than made up for that.

 

 

The promise of digging even deeper into ancient lore of the Star Wars universe continues to entice.  As long as Gillen can deliver on the promises he has made so far, it will all be well worth it in the end. I strongly recommend jumping on board with this series or at least checking out the collected trade paperback when it comes out in July.  If you are eager to jump in, you can pick up the first four printed issues in your local comic shop or digitally at Comixology.

 

 

 

 

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Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

Jordan Pate (Hard Case)

Jordan Pate is Co-Lead Editor and Senior Writer for Star Wars News Net, of which he is also a member of the book and comic review team. He loves all things Star Wars, but when he's not spending time in the galaxy far far away, he might be found in our own galaxy hanging out in Gotham City or at 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, NY.

13 thoughts on “Aphra Unlocks A Hidden Secret on Yavin 4 in Marvel’s ‘Doctor Aphra’ #4

  • February 8, 2017 at 7:25 pm
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    I’m glad that the comics are starting to tie into Rogue One, but I found this issue to be just okay. BT-1 and Triple 0 were on point once again but everything else was a little flat.

  • February 8, 2017 at 8:21 pm
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    Not trying to be snarky, but why should I care about this series at all?

    • February 9, 2017 at 7:15 am
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      The same reason you should care about any Star Wars content. It tells a cool, fun story that expands the Star Wars mythos.

      • February 9, 2017 at 2:35 pm
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        Seems too Indiana Jones for it to be Star Wars.

        • February 9, 2017 at 10:07 pm
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          HERETIC! The two franchises belong together!

  • February 8, 2017 at 9:57 pm
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    Hey quick question guys..I’ve never been to celebration before and was wondering if anyone would know more or less when the episode VIII panel would be. Would that be the most expensive day? Or the first day of celebration.

    • February 8, 2017 at 10:24 pm
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      My guess would be the first day but idk. I wish events like that and comiccon had those things listed when you buy tickets.

      • February 8, 2017 at 10:43 pm
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        Same it’s like I’m gambling here lol. Well I guess it would make sense if it’s the first day of celebration..is that how it usually goes down?

        • February 8, 2017 at 10:57 pm
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          Best I can tell, yes. Now watch them change it this year. 😉

  • February 8, 2017 at 10:18 pm
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    I don’t normally read comics but this run just might get me on board.

    • February 9, 2017 at 3:07 am
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      I think you’d enjoy it, I’ve read about Aphra’s character from the Darth Vader comics and enjoyed her character enough that she’s become one of my top favorites. She’s…spunky…but in her own unique way.

  • February 9, 2017 at 10:50 am
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    I’d like to see her in the spinoffs but at this point I think she’s too popular to be cast and everyone would throw a fit no matter who they picked. Especially if they go the PT route and pick some random Asian model with no acting experience then the SJW’s would come out in full force.

  • February 9, 2017 at 11:28 am
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    I’m going to restate my theory that Tolvan is Governor Chalis from Twilight Company novel. Someone pointed out before that they don’t think Tolvan would be Chalis because Chalis was too bitter against the empire and wouldn’t go back. So, I’ve modified my theory to say that perhaps Chalis IS Tolvan, but at a later time. We see in Twilight Company that Chalis is already not on the best of terms with the empire, and her position as Governor was kind of a demotion – which may have been a result on this failure on Yavin IV (seeing how much she was chided). Perhaps Chalis is some sort of ceremonial name for being governor?

    Of course, this new modification neglects the whole basis for my theory, which was that Tolvan’s cyborg neck could correspond to Chalis’s force choke injuries, but… whatever. Maybe Vader specifically choked her in the novel because she had neck implants (humiliation or knock out some cyborg advantage or this town ain’t big enough syndrome), but then you’d think the novel would’ve mentioned it…

    So obviously it’s a pretty weak thrifty l theory, but, I mean, it’d be pretty cool.

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