Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: andrea broccardo, Doctor Aphra, han solo, kieron gillen, Luke Skywalker, Marvel Comics, princess leia, screaming citadel, star wars

Doctor Aphra #7 Review – Tensions Rise And Gillen Shows He Knows His Characters

*Ties into the Screaming Citadel crossover

Who is Luke Skywalker really? That may be an odd question, and it's one not often pondered. Sure he's cocky and maybe even a bit whiny, but what drives him as a character? I guess it's time to mention that I haven't read all of Jason Aaron's Star Wars series, so maybe the revelation Kieron Gillen gave me in Doctor Aphra #7 will seem a bit obvious to many of those reading this review.

He's an idealist a hopeless dreamer. He wants to see the galaxy become a better place, and he's willing to fight to see it become that way.

I guess, in the countless times I've watched the original trilogy, it never hit me that this is who Luke Skywalker is.

Kieron Gillen put together a character-driven tale in Doctor Aphra #7, and it made that revelation about Luke really click for me. Meanwhile, Princess Leia Organa is the strong leader, and Han Solo is the cocky daredevil. Those were a bit more obvious for me, but it's worth rounding out the trio for the purposes of this review.

To finally get to the plot, Luke and Aphra are running from the mind-controlled monstrosities of the queen of the Screaming Citadel when they run into Han Solo, Princess Leia, Sana, Beetee, and Triple-Zero. They are hounded by the guardsmen of the Citadel, and they are split up once more as Han and Luke fall under the hypnotic control of the queen. Leia, Sana, Beetee, and Triple-Zero find the Wookie bounty hunter, Black Krrsantan, and the group makes their final stand against the super-powered guardsmen of the Screaming Citadel.

This was an exciting and action-packed issue in comparison to the previous issue of Star Wars, which doubled-down unwisely on lengthy tension. Seeing the classic Star Wars cast team up with Aphra and her killer droids was a great joy, and seeing them attempt to evade the queen and her guardsmen was quite exciting.

The cartoony artwork of Andrea Broccardo provides good visuals for this adventure, and the style is excellent for showing faces and expression. The utilitarian approach to emotional detail does have the drawback of not giving much other detail, leaving the characters to look far younger than they seem they should be. Han, in particular, often looks 18-years-old.

As previously stated, Gillen understands these characters as well as any hardcore Star Wars fan. He knows who they are, and the dialogue never feels out of character for anyone present. His grasp of Luke, Leia, and Han is very gratifying.

This is a great continuation to the Screaming Citadel story arc, and it is recommendable to any Star Wars fan and comic book reader.

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