‘Doctor Aphra’ #28 Review: ‘Code of Honor’ Brings Tagge Subplot to a Thrilling Climax
The latest issue of Doctor Aphra, named Code of Honor, takes a quick break from Doctor Aphra and the Spark Eternal to deal with the Tagge corporation.
After the last issue saw Ronen Tagge blackmail Sana Starros and the others into servitude, tasking them with killing his aunt Domina Tagge, I had assumed that it would take a few issues to reach the climax of this quest. Thankfully, that is not the case, and instead we are treated to a chaotic and thrilling issue as Sana & Co. board Domina’s flagship and take the fight straight to her.
While the face-off between Domina and the gang is incredibly visceral and entertaining (I’d forgotten just how badass Domina could be), that isn’t all we were treated to. Code of Honor still manages to keep a couple of twists up its sleeve, keeping the reader on their toes as you realize what’s really going on.
It looks like next issue will deal with the fallout of whatever happens in Hidden Empire #3, but this was a very fun issue that wasted no time in getting to the good stuff. Long may that approach continue when we return to Doctor Aphra herself and the Spark Eternal next time.
Spoilers ahead…
Domina Tagge is a force of nature. Of course, she’s always the most powerful being in the room with every appearance, but I’d forgotten just how physically dangerous she could be. I was taken aback by just how skilled she was in combat. It was nice to see the prototype plasma blade again, but not only was she incredibly adept at using it, she was doing stylish leaps while carving her way through enemies.
It was genuinely a delight to watch her cut down nearly everyone in her path, and seeing her eyes grow so huge as she satisfied her bloodlust was chilling. She genuinely enjoys killing people. She’s just as insane as her nephew really, she just hides it much better than he does. It says something that even Boushh is little more than a footnote in this issue.
Sana and the gang arrive in Tagge Space to find Domina in the middle of a space battle with Crimson Dawn’s forces. Artist Minkyu Jung did a great job at showcasing just how chaotic and messy the space battle was — there were lasers and explosions everywhere, and it provided a great moment for Ariole to shine.
It says a lot that I found myself genuinely impressed by Ariole as he skillfully navigated the battle to board the Acquisitor. I usually find him annoying and his romantic history with Just Lucky a bit uninteresting, but it was fun watching him showcase his expert piloting skills.
As the gang fought their way to the bridge, they meet Domina and Boushh. After a couple of words are exchanged, another fight erupts between the two, and once again it was very entertaining watching Domina go to town on them. While she didn’t deal any lasting damage, it definitely felt like they were struggling against her.
Though it seems that might have been by design. After the first twist that saw Ronen Tagge enter the bridge, flanked by his own soldiers and Domina’s assistant Lapin, I thought that this would be the end for Domina, until writer Alyssa Wong revealed the true twist shortly afterwards. It turned out that Sana had been secretly allied with Domina the entire time, putting on a show to convince Ronen that she was genuinely trying to kill his aunt.
Ronen went off on a big monologue, not realizing he was being recorded and when Sana and Domina dropped the act, it was clear that this time the spoiled brat had met his end. For real, this time. It’s a twist we’ve seen before in many stories, but it doesn’t mean it was any less effective. I certainly didn’t see it coming and it was thrilling to watch it play out.
I also loved that Lapin got her own little moment in the sun, incapacitating Ronen with an injection when his back was turned. Every character really did get their own time to shine. As thanks for helping to get rid of Ronen, Domina agrees to wipe the slate clean for all of them, even Doctor Aphra. It seems this is the last we’ll be seeing of her for a while, now that none of the main characters are indebted to her anymore.
The issue ends with Sana & co. meeting Kho Phon Farrus at the Fermata Cage from Hidden Empire, who reveals that he knows what Qi’ra wants with the Spark Eternal and where they are. It seems next issue will deal directly with whatever happens in Hidden Empire #3. I can’t wait to see what comes next, but I hope it’s just as entertaining as what we got here.
Rating: 9/10
Josh is a huge Star Wars fan, who has spent far too much time wondering if any Star Wars character could defeat Thanos with all the Infinity Stones.
