Doctor Aphra Vol. 3 - War Of The Bounty Hunters

Doctor Aphra is the only reason I read Star Wars comics. Bought War of the Bounty Hunters series and companion because I didn’t want to miss anything Doctor Aphra related. You don’t need to read War of the Bounty Hunters for Aphra. Her appearance in series is completely in this volume. One issue in companion might be useful but this volume doesn’t get that far. You probably enjoy main series and companion if you like Doctor Aphra. I did.

Even when I enjoyed main series and companion Doctor Aphra is best part of War of the Bounty Hunters. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. In Vader Down Doctor Aphra’s and her companions’ role was to fight with movie counter parts. It was basically fan service. Luckily War of the Bounty Hunters doesn’t do the same. Doctor Aphra’s connection to main story arc is she shows up and sees two characters from main story. Everything else has nothing to do with main story arc. This could have happened on any underworld meeting.

This is basically heist story. Aphra is after one item which has nothing to do with War of the Bounty Hunters. Item just happens to be in same place. Team doesn’t meet characters from other books or main players of War of the Bounty hunters after it is introduced this happens during War of the Bounty Hunters. I was bit surprised of that. Probably less serious Doctor Aphra doesn’t work well with more serious characters. Which is fine. I don’t want Aphra to run into movies’ or other comics’ characters.

Considering how little Aphra had to do with War of the Bounty Hunters it seem to have huge impact on her comic. One issue of companion introduced new characters and this one sets new storyline in motion. There is five issue Crimson Reign miniseries continuing what started in War of the Bounty Hunters. I hope it doesn’t mean there will be crossovers in near future.

My main issue with this was it was so short. I read it on one sitting and now I have to wait few months for next one. Considering reading all Doctor Aphra comics starting from Darth Vader where she was introduced. I need more of this.

Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters

I like Doctor Aphra. Only reason I picked this up was because Doctor Aphra was involved in War of the Bounty Hunters. Her book went into tie-in mode for the event. I wanted to know the event. Don’t care about any of the other Star Wars comics. Have read hose only as far as Doctor Aphra is involved: Nothing has made me want to read more of them.

Current Star Wars comics are in between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi period. War of the Bounty Hunters tell how frozen Han Solo got from end of Empire to beginning of Jedi. Like we needed to have epic story explaining it. This is my biggest issue with Disney’s Star Wars. They tell epic stories of what was briefly mentioned in original movies or what could have happened in between movies. Some parts of War of the Bounty Hunters doesn’t even make sense on original movies’ context. Doctor Aphra is good because she isn’t involved into movies’ characters most of the time.

Han Solo’s frozen body was stolen from Boba Fett. This leads into continuation of Han Solo’s movie’s story and gathering of all current Star Wars books’ characters. This is mainly Boba Fett story with others supporting. Doctor Aphra has brief cameo which doesn’t move the story anywhere. Others get more involved. If you are like me this doesn’t bring anything important to Doctor Aphra’s book. At least I can’t see what it could be. Haven’t read tie-in yet.

Overall War of the Bounty Hunters is quite fun if you can get past how little sense some of the parts make in context of original trilogy. Doctor Aphra is only Star Wars book I read but if there was Boba Fett book made by same people as this one I would pick that. It didn’t make me want to pick main Star Wars, Darth Vader or Bounty Hunters comics. To be fair if I didn’t read Doctor Aphra this wouldn’t have made me read it either. I am bit curious of fallout of War of the Bounty Hunters but not curious enough to read anything else than Doctor Aphra.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-) Vol. 2: The Engine Job

Doctor Aphra was introduced in Darth Vader comic. Later she got her own comic which crossed paths with other Star Wars comics. When Star Wars comics “relaunched” 2020 with stories happening after Empire Strikes Back Doctor Aphra looked like she would stay away from more familiar characters. After reading this collection I am not sure it would stay like that. Issue ten ends at the beginning of crossover event. So everyone is about to know Doctor Aphra is still alive and premise of this new comic is gone after ten issues.

This five issue story arcs is bit of a soft restart. It continues from fifth issue but very little from previous five issues follow. New premise is based on previous five issues but you really don’t need to read those issues before this. Everything you need to know is explained in first issue of this collection. Aphra gets new partner and client she works for. Story revolves around ancient engine which powerful people are after. Side stories hint something big is coming but that is probably the crossover event.

I liked the collection but I start to feel Doctor Aphra needs something more than just adventures she barely escapes. Older series had more interesting characters, places and story arcs. It took more changes. This new one gives us what we have already seen and maybe trusts too much on Doctor Aphra’s likeability. Her new partner is another old friend (or more) she has betrayed before. She is quite one dimensional. Is it because these issues are so close to crossover event? Will there be more character development after the even?

If you like Doctor Aphra you will like this. My biggest problem with it is it ends at the beginning of War of the Bounty Hunters crossover and I probably have to wait until its collection and next Doctor Aphra collection until I see how this continues. And I don’t know which order I should read those. I hope collection of the event and Doctor Aphra is enough and I don’t need to read every comic in crossover. I don’t like other Star Wars comics that much. I kind of want to reread everything Doctor Aphra while waiting for those collections.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Vol. 1: Fortune And Fate

This is second Doctor Aphra volume 1 I have written about. Doctor Aphra started new comic along other Star Wars titles last year. Previous comics ended at the beginning of Empire Strikes Back. This one starts at Hoth after the battle. Doctor Aphra is 30% of Han Solo, 30% of Indiana Jones and 30% of Tomb Raider. Last 10% is ruthless con-woman. She was introduces as Darth Vader’s sidekick. Later she got her own comic but her paths connected with Darth Vader’s paths and she met protagonists of Original Trilogy.

New comic lose connection to Darth Vader early on. Darth Vader is mentioned once at the beginning and that was it. Aphra starts without package which came from Darth Vader connection. She is lovable anti-hero from the beginning when in previous comic she had connections to really evil characters. Now this is more about action and fun. Darker aspects of previous comics are gone. I liked previous comics but I don’t have problem with new tone. If we get live action Doctor Aphra Disney may not want her comic to have evil droids who enjoy torturing too much.

New series is good starting point. You don’t need to know her history. First volume tells everything you need to know. Aphra and gang are after mysterious rings which are told to give wearer wealth and eternal life. It introduces new characters which could have important role in larger story arc. First five issues are about action, fun and introducing Aphra and her world. Doctor Aphra is still my favorite in Disney’s Star Wars. She might be happy accident. Evil Han Solo/Indiana Jones shouldn’t work this well. Reason she works is she is more developed than evil version of two Harrison Ford characters.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2016-2019) volumes 6 & 7

This is review of Volume 6: Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon and Volume 7: A Rebel’s End. The last two volumes of Doctor Aphra (2016 - 2019). It was good while it lasted. Doctor Aphra’s adventures continue in new series which has only one issue out at the moment. This ends her stories from time between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.

Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon continues some time after Worst Among Equals. Aphra has girl from that story with her and mysterious woman behind scenes gets bigger role this time. Story continues more serious less fun tone of previous stories. It still adds fun parts but it doesn’t work so well because of serious tone. Villain’s plan is too convoluted for serious story. It would have worked better in funnier story. Simpler plan would have worked better in serious one. I was engaged but kept thinking why villain tells her plan to our hero.

A Rebel’s End is tie in to Empire Strikes Back. Aphra is trying to survive when story heads to beginning of Empire Strikes Back. Before this she has tried to save herself but now more mature Aphra tries also to save her friends from herself and help them survive from Empire. So Aphra growing and seeing errors of her ways arc pays off in this story. This volume pretty much ends everything open from Darth Vader ( 2015 -2016 ) and this run of Doctor Aphra. Annual gives conclusion to monster hunters’ story. Everything is ended with Doctor Aphra related part from Empire Ascendant (2019).

A Rebel’s End made one choice I didn’t like. It reset Triple-Zero and BT-1 to default state. Triple-Zero became much more than your regular evil droid in Worst Among Equals. They could have done much more with evil droid who questions his whole existence. But no. Back to being regular evil droid. Triple-Zero and BT-1 had big role in story but it wasn’t worth undoing all development of Worst Among Equals.

This next one goes to whole Disney’s Star Wars. It has need to reference movies in everything and use movies’ characters as much as possible. Doctor Aphra was introduced in Darth Vader’s comic. In the end of it she was dead to Empire. Her stories didn’t need to involve movies’ cast. She didn’t need to meet Darth Vader, Emperor, Luke, Leia or Han in her own books. It was worst in A Rebel’s End where characters acted and talked like they knew what will happen in Empire Strikes Back. It is probably too much to ask to have Aphra to stay away from movies’ characters and events in her new comic. I fear she will be one helping rebels to get to Jabba’s palace in Return of the Jedi.

Doctor Aphra is best thing Disney’s Star Wars has given us. No, I have not seen Mandalorian yet. I am curious to see where new comic goes. First half of this was about fun ride and second one had serious tone showing evils of Empire and how Aphra betraying everyone leaves her lonely. Both parts worked. I liked first half better but Worst Among Equals from second half was my favorite story.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2016-2019) volumes 4 & 5

Next on my Doctor Aphra binge are Volume 4 The Catastrophe Con and Volume 5 Worst Among Equals. These volumes conclude second longer arc of this run. It started from Remastered. It is weird that Volume 4 is my least favorite volume so far and Volume 5 is my favorite.

The Catastrophe Con is Doctor Aphra’s prison break story. It doesn’t get as fun as previous stories and there are few moments where characters make stupid really choices to take the story where it needs to go. At times it feels like writer actually hates Doctor Aphra and makes her suffer. Other times it feels like writer wanted to throw everything at you and see what sticks. Ending has so many big moments the biggest moment lost effect. There were couple twists after biggest emotional moment. That ate impact of it. Ending goes really dark and depressing. Story has its moments. It is not bad. Just not on same level with other stories.

Worst Among Equals starts with Annual which reminds us Doctor Aphra is still fun. We needed it after The Catastrophe Con. Worst Among Equals was surprisingly good. It still continues to punish Doctor Aphra but this time it uses it to make Aphra more interesting character. Story forces Aphra and Triple-Zero work together. I liked Triple-Zero before this longer arc which started from Remastered. During Worst Among Equals he becomes really interesting character again. He grew to something other than evil droid without restrictions. Aphra grew too but I am not sure if it will last.

I don’t know what to think about The Catastrophe Con. On its own it is not that good but it sets the stage for best Doctor Aphra story so far. Before Remastered Doctor Aphra was all about the fun ride. Remastered started deeper stories. Those started to work on Worst Among Equals. In same time it is so heavy comic can’t continue long like it. There has to be something easier next.