Aphra Awakes Something Better Left Alone in Marvel’s Doctor Aphra #5

Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Kev Walker
Cover Art by Kamome Shirahama

 

  • Has Aphra actually found a lost ancient Jedi site?
  • And if so, can she make it out with her life?
  • And if so, will she be able to get a good price for it?

 

 

SPOILERS AHEAD.

 

 

When we left our (anti)heroes in the last issue, Miss Aphra, her father, murder droids and Black Krrsantan have narrowly escaped Yavin IV and found the long-lost citadel of the Ordu Aspectu, the ancient Jedi order.

 

 

At the beginning of this issue Captain Tolvan arrives on the site with the Imperial forces, while our protagonist and her crew go deeper into the citadel.  Aphra is casually taking lightsabers of the fallen Jedi much to her father’s dismay and it is disclosed that, in addition to her debt to Black Krrsantan, she also promised him that’s she would find out who trained him as a gladiator.

 

Coming in front of the big door leading even deeper into the citadel, the group is divided when Aphra sends the murder droids back to the ship. Naturally, they fail to inform the rest of the team of the Imperial presence which is why they are caught off guard. Leaving Krssantan to hold off the Imperials, Aphra and her father advance deeper into the citadel looking for its core where all the records are being kept.

 

 

Krssantan fools the soldiers, slips behind their backs and takes the ship, leaving Aphra and her father unprotected and without means to escape. Destroying the Force bridge of the Ordu Aspectu, our rogue archeologist manages to stop the Imperial advance for a while. Her father and her find the elevator to the core and there the remains of the ‘Immortal Rur’.

 

 

It seems that they are unable to reboot the computer and that Aphra’s father will never find out what happened in the citadel. He reveals that this was never his goal – he wanted to bring back the light to the galaxy so his daughter could grow up safely in it, which caused the split with his wife who lived her life without the fear.

 

 

He thinks both his wife and he failed as parents. He discloses that the man Aphra stole the research from died and she would have no trouble to regain her doctorate. Before he can say how, Aphra stops him and shows him the crystal she stole from the corpse of Rur – the crystal that can reboot the computer. Before he does, Aphra warns him that it appears that Rur died trying to shut the system off and asks him if he really wants to know what happened that badly.  Naturally, he does and they are both faced with what presumably killed everyone on the citadel – the ‘Immortal Rur’ appears to be a giant droid.

 

 

After several issues containing Aphra’s rip-roaring adventures and lore uncovering, we got a bit more intimate issue. While there was certainly action in it, the central piece of the issue is Aphra’s conversation with her father who isn’t, as it previously appeared, blind to the darkness that has spread through the galaxy. His heartfelt confessions and the fact that everything he was doing was for her sake awake Aphra’s softer side, though, of course, she tries to hide it behind the tough exterior. When we initially met Aphra’s dad, I wondered how someone like Aphra could have turn out the way she did and in this issue we get some answers. The discord between her parents and their misguided ways certainly contributed to it.

 

The giant droid cliffhanger also points to the possibility that neither version of the Ordu Aspectu lore we saw in the previous issues is true. It might be that we are not dealing with the personality but with a massive weapon one side created and which got out of hand. It can also be that the ‘immortality’ was achieved by transferring of consciousness, or a version of it, into a droid. We saw sentient droids that carry Palpatine’s orders but, while they appear with his face, they never claimed to be Palpatine. One thing is for sure, this cannot be good news for Aphra and her dad. Add to that the fact that Tolvan is still on the citadel and that they have no means to escape, they have plenty to overcome in the forthcoming issues. More than anything, I am curious to see how this story line will connect to the announced crossover – The Screaming Citadel.

 

Doctor Aphra certainly surprised us with how much it added to the Star Wars lore. I am greatly enjoying new, unexplored corners of Jedi history and new settings given to us by Gillen and Walker. Antonio Fabela’s colors made this issue appropriately mysterious. While this issue dwelt more on the characters, it was a solid addition to the series and a perfect bridge to…

 

 

THE NEXT ISSUE:

 

 

Doctor Aphra #6

  • Aphra Jr. and Sr. have stumbled upon an ancient Jedi citadel…
  • …but it appears that some form of life has survived…
  • …and they are NOT happy to be disturbed.

 

 

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Staff member, comic and book reviewer. Cheers for the Light Side, but would drink with Grand Admirals.

Jelena Bidin (LadyMusashi)

Staff member, comic and book reviewer. Cheers for the Light Side, but would drink with Grand Admirals.

3 thoughts on “Aphra Awakes Something Better Left Alone in Marvel’s Doctor Aphra #5

  • March 9, 2017 at 4:35 am
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    Chelli Lona Aphra is an anagram for “Anal Phallic Hero”

    What does it mean?!?!?
    What does it mean?!?!?!

    (I hope Laura Dern is up for the challenge.)

  • March 9, 2017 at 3:59 pm
    Permalink

    This was a good issue. Its nice to have a bit of Aphra’s father’s motivation explained. The next issue will likely be the end of this arc.

  • March 10, 2017 at 3:26 pm
    Permalink

    I really like the artwork in this series. Almost as much as the Lando mini-series.
    And speaking of Lando, what about Aphra’s dad channeling Lobot with his earmuffs..

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