Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020-2024) #15

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) (Single Issues)

by Alyssa Wong, Sara Pichelli (Cover Art), Minkyu Jung (Artist)

“PARTY FAVORS” CRIMSON DAWN is back, and DOCTOR APHRA is trapped aboard their ship! What treasures lie aboard the VERMILLION? And what price will Aphra have to pay to obtain them?

Genres: Star Wars, Comics, Science Fiction, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book, Graphic Novels

23 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2021

About the author

Alyssa Wong studies fiction in Raleigh, NC, and really, really likes crows. She was a finalist for the 2016 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and her story, “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers,” won the 2015 Nebula Award for Best Short Story and the 2016 World Fantasy Award for Short Fiction. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Pushcart Prize, the Bram Stoker Award, the Locus Award, and the Shirley Jackson Award. Her work has been published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Strange Horizons, Nightmare Magazine, Black Static, and Tor.com, among others.

Reviews

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Also, I’m not finding murder nearly as fun as I used to. Maybe I’m going soft.” – ”Or you’re finally maturing into a real human being.” – ”Ugh, don’t say that.”

Doctor Aphra continues to be one of the strongest, consistently good and enjoyable comics in Star Wars right now! Aphra, Sana, Ariole and Lucky are trying to escape the Crimson Dawn flagship, but Deathstick, the unpredictable assassin is after them. But Aphra won't let assassins or anything else for that matter stop her from getting her necklace and getting the hell out of the ship.

I liked how this issue introduced this very peculiar sounding dark culture that focused on dark technology - such dark technology that even sith were wary of them. I can't wait to see where that, and what happened to Aphra with the technology, will lead. I also just loved all the interactions between this comic's four central characters. They are all such dynamic and fun characters, and having them work together is just delightfully chaotic and unpredictable. Sana and Aphra gave me so many emotions in this issue - I ship them so goddamn much.

This issue ended in an exciting way. I can't really make any predictions on where this story might go now, but that's the joy of Doctor Aphra comics - anything can happen! Whatever it ends up being, I'm sure I will love it and I can't wait to read it.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping that Lucky and his friend are finally done, but next issue's cover seems to hint otherwise. They still haven't grabbed my interest at all and while I agree having competition adds an extra twist to the Aphra Sana dynamic, I'd rather have just had more of them and their past written out in rich detail.

Liked the idea of the evil artifact and seeing how it fried Aphra's tattoos. I wonder if last series, murder-apathetic Aphra would have enjoyed using it much more than this "contemporary" Aphra, who's "gone soft."

The grand reveal at the end was rather dulled by the fact that I couldn't remember the difference between Black Sun and Crimson Dawn. As well as the fact that I couldn't tell if we were supposed to recognize all those locations/organizations specifically or were they just general Rebels / Empire / random space stations? Well, Q'ira was dramatic, I suppose...

Wonder if I'll ever get really into this series. It's a shame.

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the artifact/dark power angle but the Crimson Dawn is everywhere reveal was a bit duh. Hope Aphra gets her splicing tattoos up and working again.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The artifact was pretty cool. I'll give it that.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

#15 PARTY FAVOURS – “Crimson Dawn is EVERYWHERE.”