Review: ‘Doctor Aphra’ #31 – ‘The Parting Glance’ Is Aphra’s Most Emotional Issue Yet
With the Spark Eternal defeated, there’s not much action in this issue of Doctor Aphra. We’re made to wait a little bit before Aphra’s next arc begins, as the issue concerns itself with forcing the characters to open up to each other and take the next step in their relationships, whether it’s romantic or heartbreaking.
There are some truly touching and heartwarming moments throughout this issue as we get so much emotional payoff for nearly every character, some of which made my heart jump for joy. Despite the fact the Spark was defeated last month, it feels like everything’s been building up to this issue. Chelli’s long awaited reunion with Magna Tolvan is particularly worth the wait and Aphra is wracked with guilt and self loathing throughout the entire issue.
Alyssa Wong does a wonderful job hitting all the right notes with each character and getting the appropriate emotional reaction from the reader. Aphra is laid emotionally bare here and it’s wonderful to see her finally confront her own feelings, making for the most emotionally charged issue of Doctor Aphra in years.
Once everything is tied up with Aphra’s friends and family, we get a tease of what’s in store for her next adventure. It does make me increasingly confused about how Doctor Aphra‘s timeline runs in tandem with the other Star Wars comic series, but it is a tantalizing prospect nonetheless.
Spoilers ahead…
Doctor Aphra wakes up to find all her friends and family still waiting to see her, and she’s not happy. Immediately wracked with guilt and an overwhelming feeling that she doesn’t deserve their kindness, she angrily tells them to get lost instead of thanking them. Everyone feels pretty insulted by this, not least Magna Tolvan who calls her out for being selfish and ungrateful and storms off.
I was surprised that Aphra’s father actually managed to calm her down; despite their strained relationship, Chelli clearly cares a great deal for him. Sana then encourages Aphra to go after Magna and apologize, later revealing that she knows Chelli loves both of them. She knows the emotionally stunted archaeologist will be unable to sort out the feelings on her own, so decides to give her a helping hand. I thought Lucky outright stating that she loves both of them was a bit on the nose, but it does help to explain Sana’s own motivation throughout the issue.
Chelli catches Magna right before she’s about to leave and finally apologizes for leaving and using her in the previous comic run. Magna is still hurt and Chelli admits that she “loved” her once. It’s a heartbreaking conversation that finally gets everything out in the open and while they reach an okay place where they can start to mend their friendship, perhaps leaving the door open for something more in the future, it’s tinged with sadness at a love lost.
The rest of the crew use this time to move forward in their own relationships. Lucky proposes to Ariole using the cursed ring they found right at the beginning of this run and Ariole accepts. I’ve never much cared for Ariole and I probably care about their relationship the least out of the four that are explored in this issue, but even I have to admit the proposal was very touching.
Detta corners Kho Phon Farrus as they attempt to make themselves scarce and kisses them, reigniting a romance that had been hinted at after Farrus ran off with Crimson Dawn but was never truly explored until now. They’ll be going off on their own dangerous adventures together, it seems. Detta seals the door behind them for some privacy as they get up to some activities historically unsuited to Star Wars‘ average age rating.
Even Eustacia and Aphra’s father hint at a plutonic relationship going forward, as she invites him to become a guest speaker at her lectures. Meanwhile, Sana makes herself scarce and watches the sunset until Aphra finds her. Aphra reveals that she and Magna didn’t get back together, but they’re figuring things out.
In her conversation with Sana, Aphra once again expresses her own self loathing and belief that she doesn’t deserve her love. Sana can’t explain her love either but it’s such a heartwarming conversation as her kindness and adoration for Chelli shines through. The two share a passionate kiss that made my heart swell. You wonder if they’re ready to take the next step, but no; this is a more complicated story than that.
Sana tells her she loves her, but knows that Chelli isn’t in a place where she can return that love right now and Starros rightly says she deserves more than that. It’s clear Aphra needs to figure some stuff out before she can be in an adult relationship, and Sana is willing to give her that time. She leaves — presumably to kickstart the events of her own comic series, so I’m glad to get more clarity on when exactly that series is set in relation to Doctor Aphra — as does everyone else, with Aphra back on her own again for the first time in years.
The comic then does a time jump and we’re shown Luke Skywalker camping out on Numidian Prime (Solo fans might remember this as the planet where Han won the Millennium Falcon from Lando in a game of sabacc, though it was never named in the film and popped up in the the official guide instead). It appears he’s searching for a temple of some kind. It’s unclear where this is set in the current comics timeline; I’m guessing it’s set after his trip to Christophsis, but the cover art for the next issue shows Luke still wielding his yellow lightsaber so I’m unclear what this means for the current Star Wars arc.
He enters his camp to find R2 incapacitated and inhales some smoke. He passes out as Doctor Aphra stands over him, teasing a new adventure for the pair. These two haven’t worked together since the Ordu Aspectu arc years ago so hopefully we can get into some fascinating mystical stories once again, though surely Luke will be reluctant to work with her after this reintroduction.
This was a fascinating emotional story and the tease for the next arc was tantalizing. Though light on action, Doctor Aphra is always at its best when exploring Chelli’s feelings and personal growth and this was no exception.
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.
