STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA #10
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Penciler: Kev Walker and Marc Deering
Colorist: Antonio Fabela
Letterer: VC’S Joe Caramagna
Release Date: 07/26/17
Price: $3.99
Everyone wants the Immortal Rur and Aphra has to pick who she’s going to give it to. Moving from shady party to shady party – trouble is sure to arise!
Plot
Aphra goes around from group to group listening to everyone’s offer for the Immortal Rur. There is the Ezaraa, who Triple-Zero tells Aphra are overly-confident conquerors, convinced they will rule the galaxy one day! Next, is the Cyban Font, a group of pesky droids, who offer debt forgiveness. They are the only group who want the Rur destroyed. Then there is the Shadow University, the offer Aphra does indeed take. They did try to blackmail Aphra by saying they can make her illegitimate doctorate public but she seemed to make a deal with them for something else…..
Of course, none of this happens as Triple-Zero and Bee Tee give the sacrificed Cyban Front droid to Rur who becomes free! Uh oh.
Story
This is an extremely dialogue heavy issue from Kieron Gillen. Very different from the cliffhanger of the last issue, this one skips over it to focus more so on Aphra as a character. It is a very interesting insight into her as it reveals what drives her.
Aphra was not as interested in the money that was being offered to her by the parties. On the other hand, Aphra was extremely interested in the “Why” of each party. This is an interesting character development done by Gillen. It highlights that Aphra is not someone who is motivated by the greed of money. She is a character who takes something very different into account. This is not necessarily a good trait – it could lead to a lot of unthought through decision making. For example, in taking the Shadow University’s offer, is she taking it because of their blackmail or for a reason that we do not see yet this issue?
Gillen also continues to highlight the unruly nature of Triple-Zero and Bee Tee. This pair continues to meddle where they are not allowed. Continuously causing trouble when left to their own devices. It’s going to be extremely interesting to see where their meddling this issue takes Aphra and how it will affect their overall relationship with her.
Art
Issue 10 sees Kev Walker back on board! Walker is a perfect match for the world of Doctor Aphra. He has a very distinct style of artwork in his line work that really brings forward the shady and somewhat dangerously weird world of Aphra’s part of the galaxy. What is really fun in this issue is that there are a bunch of new creatures that are brought forward and are extremely artistically appealing.
Every character has their own look and is given their own color scheme by Antonio Fabela. In an issue that is extremely dialogue and character driven it’s really essential to have characters that are unique to each other. Another nice touch is that the artists give Aphra a new look this issue. She is in an extremely creative get up that highlights her as the character she’s playing this issue – an antique seller. The colors are dark with the splash of blue and the mask keeps her in character as the mysterious figure she is.
Verdict
This definitely is not an issue for those who are looking for something action heavy. The cliffhanger of issue 9 is not yet addressed which could have been a problem for some. I found this to be a strong choice as it leaves a lot of questions unanswered that will be answered in the next arc I’m sure. As a fan of dialogue, I really enjoyed this issue because it was so full of dialogue which was extremely well written. We learned some new things about Aphra, saw the continuing problems of Triple-Zero and Bee Tee unfolding and the next issue is sure to bring everything forward in an action heavy issue.
Star Rating
3.5/5