Luke and Han in the Queen’s Hungry Hands in Doctor Aphra #7

 

“THE SCREAMING CITADEL” — PART 3 – The Queen’s parasites are spreading. Things don’t look good for Han.

 

Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Andrea Broccardo
Cover by Marco Checchetto

 

 

 

When we left Luke and Aphra in the last issue, they were on the run from the Queen’s monsters as Han, Leia and Sana have come to the rescue, thinking Luke was kidnapped by the infamous archaeologist.

 

As this issue opens, Luke valiantly offers to hold the monsters off, but the Rebels arrive using Aphra’s ship. We learn that Sana is a woman of few words when she simply chooses to shoot Aphra on sight. Talk about ‘woman scorned’.

 

 

In spite of discovering the Force and blowing up the Death Star, Luke is still very much that naïve farm boy we know from A New Hope. He not only defends Aphra, but declares her his friend – much to the dissatisfaction of Leia and Sana and to the utter confusion of the rogue archeologist.

 

 

The group is forced to flee the Queen’s posse and barricade themselves in the laboratory with Abersyn symbiotes, a species that feeds on the brains of sentient species and which is responsible for the fall of many civilizations. Aphra explains that the symbiote is so dangerous that even the Empire doesn’t dare try to weaponize them.

 

While checking if all the exits are sealed, Luke questions why Aphra would be on the side of the Empire. She explains that her mother was killed during the Clone Wars and that although the Empire isn’t perfect, it keeps people safe. For ordinary people, any peace is better than war. Luke reiterates that Aphra really is like Han and not that bad underneath. Aphra, on the other hand, believes that Luke has lead a sheltered life, until he reveals to her that Empire killed his family.

 

 

Unfortunately for Aphra and Luke, the Queen of Ktath’atn and her cohorts are waiting for them on the other side of the door. She succeeds in hypnotizing Luke, but Aphra has protective goggles. She threatens to blow Luke up if the Queen tries to double-cross her again. The Queen agrees to reactivate Aphra’s crystal but orders for the others to be killed. Relying on his blaster, Han attempts to shoot the Queen, but he is hypnotized as well.

 

 

At Aphra’s urging, Leia, Sana and the murder-bots escape, but not before Triple Zero has an idea. Outside the Citadel, they see Black Krrsantan being tortured by one of the Queen’s sentinels. They manage to fight him off for a time and bring the Wookiee on the ship where Triple Zero implants a symbiote in him, while at the same time psychoanalyzing Leia and her relationship with her friends.

 

The Queen’s guard manages to break into the ship where he is met by a transformed Krrsantan. Apparently, symbiotes don’t like to be implanted in certain species, which is the reason why Wookiees aren’t allowed into the Citadel. The panel below shows you exactly why that is.

 

 

I have to be honest, after seeing the preview for this issue, I was less than enthusiastic. The result isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it’s still hit and miss.

 

What Gillen does really well is the dynamic between Aphra and Luke. They are completely different and yet you cannot take your eyes off the page when they are together on it. It is clear that Luke’s earnestness is slowly affecting Aphra, though she is trying really, really hard to avoid it. I am really enjoying this aspect of the comic, and I think it was a great decision to pair these two up. Additionally, Sana’s presence and their history together also have an effect on Aphra – she hides the fact that she used Sana to find the Rebels.

 

Where Gillen misses, in my humble opinion, is his depiction of Leia. The princess always had the take charge attitude, but she was never abrasive and abusive. Apparently, her behavior is sufficient to prompt Triple Zero to compare Luke and Han to himself and BT-1 and point out her dissatisfaction with their actions when they disobey her. Also, the only function Han has played so far in the story is to be captured by the Queen. Hopefully, he will get more to do in the next two issues.

 

 

Additionally, I feel that Andrea Broccardo’s art is completely unsuitable for the Gothic horror story Gillen is trying to tell. Don’t get me wrong, I could never draw like this, I just feel that the style doesn’t fit the story. If it didn’t carry negative connotations that I don’t intend, I would call it ‘cartoony’, a style more suitable for an upbeat story. But, keep in mind that the art is subjective, and you might love it.

 

We are over the half point in the story and while I like the unusual idea overall, I feel the previous issues were better. I do hope that the rest of the story will improve and that we will end on a high note. We will see how that goes in…

 

 

THE NEXT ISSUE:

 

STAR WARS #32 – THE SCREAMING CITADEL #4

(W) Jason Aaron (A) Salvador Larroca (CA) Marco Checchetto

•  The Queen’s influence is spreading…
•  Our only hope lies in the kindness of scoundrels.

 

 

 

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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.

27 thoughts on “Luke and Han in the Queen’s Hungry Hands in Doctor Aphra #7

  • May 31, 2017 at 10:23 pm
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    So, I wonder if there’s any coming back from where Gillen took Krrsantan. Is this the end for the Wookiee bounty hunter?

    • May 31, 2017 at 11:02 pm
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      There must be a reason why symbiote doesn’t like certain species. Maybe he can reject it in addition to raging, uncontrollable behavior? We’ll see after he creates a bloodbath in the next issue as I am predicting. 😀

  • May 31, 2017 at 11:03 pm
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    I really liked this issue. I got a few good chuckles from it (especially from Triple 0) and I really liked that moment where Luke says Aphra is his friend. It really reminds me of A New Hope Luke.

    • May 31, 2017 at 11:22 pm
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      He is practically ANH Luke, sweet farmer boy. 🙂 Triple Zero was the best part of this issue for me, funny and surprisingly perceptive. Though Leia might have had a better working relationship with BT-1. 😉

  • May 31, 2017 at 11:17 pm
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    These kind of things with Luke makes me excited for his portrayal in The Last Jedi, just to see how different he will be in his mindset and world view. Plus to see if he still has that bit of the farm boy in him.

  • May 31, 2017 at 11:37 pm
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    I am sorry I just don’t buy that the Luke I saw in ESB actually went through these events. Yes it’s canon, and comics are the right medium to explore the more stranger and out there stuff but man, I really don’t believe it.

    • June 1, 2017 at 12:06 am
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      My only issue is not the events themselves but that there are so many.
      I know its 3 years between ANH and ESB. But there seems to be no time passing between each story.
      I have the same issue with clone wars.

      • June 1, 2017 at 3:15 pm
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        Same here. So they basically did something every space day? Luke must be really tired man. Haven’t seen him take a space poop yet in this comic!

        • June 1, 2017 at 5:11 pm
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          Even in the Clone Wars; at least one of Anakin, Ahsoka and Anakin were involved in every major battle.
          I completely understand why they had to be there (they are the main characters).
          But say the battle of Kamino, that could have been lead by Shaak Ti and another Jedi.

          • June 1, 2017 at 5:34 pm
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            When you consider the fact that real world military campaigns can be rather lengthy, along with the fact that they had to travel all across the galaxy to these different locations, it is hard to believe that they had the time to be at all these places.

    • June 1, 2017 at 12:45 am
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      That’s what eventually kills all this EU stuff. There’s just too much or it — and the tone, quality & characterizations are all over the place.

      Live action movies: the actual canon
      Cartoons: probably canon
      Books and comics: third rate canon (true until it ain’t)
      Games: Not Canon
      Star Wars Holiday Special: Lost Gospels of Itchy, Lumpy and Mala

      It doesn’t matter what anyone says, this is just how things end up after a while.

      • June 1, 2017 at 2:06 am
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        While I definitively think there is a hierarchy between mediums, I truly think now everything is and will remain canon.
        However, the priorities are to the films first. That is to say they will do anything in the other medias (tv shows, comics etc) which would place restrictions on films. Such as them not truly devilling into Kylo and Luke back stories much in the books/comics. Bloodline would have made sense with Kylo in it. However, anything they do with him there would be canon, and could restrict something they want to do with him in Ep9 (or beyond).
        I also don’t think the will de-canoise material simply because of the uproar it would cause. Not only with people who were angry with the abolishment of the original EU material, but also with people who may simply purchase the comics/novels because their canon, such as my self. I had never really had much interest in the EU star wars books (though Plagieous is fantastic) , however the fact that these new books are canon gives me a incentive to buy them.

        • June 1, 2017 at 7:20 am
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          I get that the Story Group keeps saying that, & it’s cool that you feel that way — to each their own… IMO, at some point the ever expanding continuity will become impossible to deal with (again). Especially when new people take over in the future (again).

          Anyway, the EU is a great place to tell stories with these characters. Always has been. The only thing that kills it for me is trying to reconcile it with what we’ve seen on screen — so I don’t.

          • June 1, 2017 at 5:18 pm
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            The difference with the EU and the “additional canon” (tv series, comics books etc) was that the EU didnt care about continuity with anything other than the films.
            Every EU book or comic would only stick with the canon of the films. There was no crossover.
            Now every thing is considered canon. There is crossover between novels for adults to comic strips intended for children.
            Its been say 3 years of this current canon, and I dont think there has been any true slip up in continuity (although I personally am not convinced about the way they say Shaak Ti died; why would she record a holocron message about Order 66 then just mediate letting the temple fall !?”

          • June 1, 2017 at 7:21 pm
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            Lets see how all of this holds up in 30 years. My guess is that a comic book published decades in the past won’t have much impact on new movies, comics or whatever interactive holograms we’re being entertained by. I do think it’s cool when bits of the EU show up in the movies or even across other mediums. That will probably continue to happen under this new “one canon” policy. IMO, it’ll be more as easter eggs than anything else. But, who knows.

      • June 1, 2017 at 3:18 pm
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        Exactly, people don’t want to recognize it but nothing that happens in the expanded material will have any sort of real impact on the movies. Never ever ever. Sure, you’ll have a Saw Guerra show up for 5 minutes or see the Ghost flying by or Chopper rolling through the background but that is the extent of it. There won’t be an Ashoka movie, ever. Mark it down. If you watch the cartoons, read the books/comics then you’ll get a little more out of the movies, but that is it. The films are top tier canon and it flows down from there, not up. If someone thinks differently they are clearly the type of person that thinks strippers really do like them.

        • June 1, 2017 at 5:32 pm
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          This comment gave me a chuckle. I agree with you. I love the expanded universe material and am glad they keep churning out the comics, novels, etc. But I also think that, like you said, some of it is hard to buy into in relation to the films. That being said, I think you are absolutely right – the films are top tier. Everything else is supplemental or at the very least non-contradictory. I don’t feel like I have to buy into its historicity within the fictional universe to enjoy it though – and as long as it doesn’t directly contradict the films – I’m cool with it. I do wish they’d move on from the timeline between ANH and ESB however. People use the Clone Wars argument all the time about how that’s only three years and look at all that happened there – but that’s actually my point. As much as I enjoy TCW, I still have to stretch my imagination to believe that all that took place in between AOTC and ROTS. The more time we spend in this time period, the more unbelievable these events will become.

    • June 1, 2017 at 2:56 pm
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      Really? The Luke in ANH is naïve and gung ho while ESB Luke is more confident and tested. He is a Commander, leading a squad. Makes sense to me.

      • June 1, 2017 at 3:13 pm
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        Yes, really. There are a lot of things I can imagine that Luke did from ANH to ESB, learning more about the force, going on some more missions for the Rebellion, but fighting a space vampire with Indiana Jones is just not one of them. It’s too Sci-fi, but that is just my opinion, you’re welcome to feel differently.

        • June 1, 2017 at 5:29 pm
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          I like it when stories aren’t what I imagined.

          • June 1, 2017 at 5:56 pm
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            I don’t like it when stories go completely outside the scope of what the world actually built previously.

        • June 1, 2017 at 11:04 pm
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          Midi-chlorians. That is all.

  • June 1, 2017 at 12:00 am
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    Did they change the “CGI-face” art style?

    • June 1, 2017 at 12:08 am
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      I think since this is the a “Doctor Aphra issue” they are just using the artist from that series.
      I personally like this art style over the realism of the over issues (not that they are bad; to me is just a bit stale).

      • June 1, 2017 at 5:16 am
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        Oh yeah, you’re right, that style is from the Star Wars series, I thought this was from that too, my bad. And I agree, this style is much better

      • June 1, 2017 at 5:36 pm
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        This is correct. But it should also be noted that this issue is the first issue for the artist on this series as well. Previously, Kev Walker was on the Aphra series.

  • June 1, 2017 at 10:57 am
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    Looks terrible friends. Luckily it’s almost over. Then the healing can begin….

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