Review: ‘Doctor Aphra’ #33 – ‘Dead Ringer’ Is a Classic Doctor Aphra Adventure
Doctor Aphra‘s 33rd issue packs everything we love about the morally ambiguous archaeologist into one tight issue. It has tomb raiding, Force mysticism and a hint of introspection for the title character as Aphra shows small signs of growth. Throw in some backstory from the Clone Wars and more of her team up with Luke Skywalker and we have the making of a classic Doctor Aphra story.
The issue wastes very little time explaining last issue’s cliffhanger regarding Shaak Ti and Aayla Secura and it’s resolved in the way you likely predicted, but it does nothing to dampen the story’s excitement. The Sason Temple is steeped in mysticism and intrigue, so much so that the presence of two dead Jedi Masters is but the tip of the iceberg.
The tension grows as Chelli and Luke navigate the temple, bouncing off each other as the temple’s traps threaten to swallow them whole. Luke is perhaps a little naïve even as he comes close to figuring out what’s really going on, but that’s the only real nitpick I have with this issue.
It looks like this arc will probably be wrapped up in the next issue before the Dark Droids crossover begins, and Dead Ringer‘s cliffhanger has me waiting in anticipation to see what happens next.
Spoilers ahead…
The issue takes a minute before explaining Shaak Ti and Aayla Secura’s presence in the temple by showing us a flashback to the time of the Clone Wars. Master Secura is training some younglings in lightsaber combat when she is summoned by Shaak Ti, who teases that Kythoo’s Bell is keeping some dangerous force at bay.
In a separate flashback later on in the issue, the masters leave the padawans alone, telling them that if the bell stops ringing then they must leave the temple immediately. These flashbacks take on a different art style to the present day storyline, which is a nice touch to help further distinguish between the two.
We snap back to Luke and Chelli and it’s quickly discovered that Shaak Ti and Aayla Secura are merely illusions, holo-projections standing in place to scare any intruders. This is what I expected from last issue’s cliffhanger and was the most predictable answer by far. Luke feels disappointed upon realization that these aren’t real Jedi, but Aphra jokes that he’s not alone with her around. Chelli’s banter is great fun as she manipulates Luke into accompanying her further into the temple.
Her jokes start to irritate Luke as they walk through the temple’s mazey corridors and when he asks her to cut it out, the temple’s defences spring into action. Their reflections in the crystal walls start saying things in each person’s mind, the illusions praying on each person’s deepest insecurities through the Force.
Aphra hears Luke say “No wonder Sana left you”, a barb that we know cuts extremely deep as she continues to process her old flame’s rejection. But Luke never said it; it was an illusion created by the temple’s crystalline reflections. Similarly, Luke hears Aphra call him “useless” and “pathetic” and the two turn on each other, arguing until a horrifying specter appears in the wall behind them and terrifies them both with a ghostly roar.
That puts things back into perspective for them and when Luke nearly walks into a spiked pit, Aphra pulls him back and the two speculate about what’s actually going on. Luke realizes that Shaak Ti’s hologram is saying that the Kythoo Bell is protecting “us” from whatever is concealed inside the temple and decides that they need to leave.
However, Doctor Aphra holds him at gunpoint, forcing him to keep going. It’s here where we get some interesting insight into Chelli; she’s actually trying to do the right thing. Presumably there’s something here she can sell, but she genuinely wants to help Luke. That would be a great step forward for her as she tries to become the kind of person that deserves a loving partner like Sana Starros, but then we realize this adventure is borne out of self preservation.
Aphra reveals that the idea for this adventure came after her recent interaction with Darth Vader (which places Doctor Aphra‘s timeline at just past that of the Darth Vader series, but before the main Star Wars comic run). She needs Luke to be powerful enough to defeat him and save her from his gaze, which undercuts her seemingly altruistic motivation. Once again, her personal growth takes two steps forward and one step back.
Luke senses her desire to do good, even if it’s for the wrong reasons, and reluctantly helps her navigate the temple even though he senses something dangerous lurks inside. There’s a fun montage of the two of them bypassing the temple’s defenses — Luke uses the Force to navigate while Chelli deals with its dangers — while Aphra narrates the plan. It’s an economical use of space that helps the issue’s pacing.
Soon, they reach the bell and Aphra is dismayed when she realizes how huge it is, making it impossible to carry out by themselves. Either way, she nabs a shining orb from the bell and accidentally dismantles it, causing it to crash on the ground and shatter. As Shaak Ti mentioned, with no bell chiming, the monster that scared them earlier reappears in front of them.
Luke finishes his earlier thought, realizing that Sason is a Jedi prison facility, not a temple, as this monstrous Force specter prepares to attack them. It’s quite the cliffhanger to end on and I can’t wait to see what threat this entity poses. It’s an exciting end to what is a pretty damn entertaining issue that is one of the best Doctor Aphra stories.
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.
