– Spoiler Review –
The race for the Spark Eternal, the ultimate artifact of the creepy Sith-inspired ancient cult the Ascendant, reaches its end in an entertaining and inventive manner readers expect from the stellar creative team and the eponymous character…including a jaw-dropping and chilling conclusion in Doctor Aphra #20 (Vol. 2)!
Issue #20 opens in the past, and while it’s a much shorter flashback than last issue’s excellent glimpse of Kho Phon Farrus, Aphra, Sana Starros, and Eustacia Okka’s history together, it adds an intriguing new wrinkle. By the end of issue #19’s flashback, it seemed clear why Kho would hate Aphra as much as they do now, setting them up to take the fall for Chelli, Sana, and Eustacia looting a Sava’s office. This flashback picks up after the event, where Chelli Aphra makes nice with Kho, offering them candy and an apology, before asking for their help again! While this seems bold, even for Aphra, the cute and innocent way Kho takes the treat, the peace offering, shows how much even Chelli’s little ally-ship moment seemed to affect their feelings towards her. The flashback ends before we see the results of the next team-up, but it’s clear while the broken trust is Aphra’s fault, there is blame to lay on Kho’s feet as well if they were so willing to work with her again. We almost don’t need to see what happens next, even though I’d absolutely love to, as it probably happens again even after that (hopefully for Kho not that many more times, though they have seemed to hint otherwise before) hence the eroded relationship between the two of them. This little additional snag on the shared past is why, unlike Sana, Kho is unable to accept maybe Aphra did change to some degree, though Aphra doesn’t help her case by not even trying to fight Kho’s taunts (well, she does physically fight them here) as she calls her things like a terrible nemesis and worse friend (deliciously biting yet hilarious writing from Alyssa Wong) as the two scuffle for the Spark Eternal. Is it because Aphra knows she can’t change Kho’s mind, doesn’t want to, or just knows it’ll distract Kho enough for Sana to use some Ascendant tech against them? or a little bit of everything? In a way, Chelli agreeing with Kho’s biting comments should show them she’s changed, willing to admit to her less-than-savory actions, but for now Kho’s too close to gaining what they think they desire most, they can’t see any other truth in front of them, but hopefully that’ll change now that the truth of the Spark Eternal is made known.
At the end of last issue, it was revealed the Ascendant’s temple and the Spark itself had been underneath the University of Bar’leth the entire time, but Aphra and Sana were seemingly too late to stop Kho and Sava Nos from gaining the Spark. Issue #20 reveals there’s still a chance for them to stop the ritual, with Aphra distracting the Sava with snarky comments because pushing buttons is her speciality, while their clever plan to use the Ascendant’s powerful magnets against Kho for once allows Aphra to get up close and personal to intervene in the ritual. It’s cool to see Sana and Aphra turn the tide on Kho and her usage of the tech, as they’ve kept the pair on their toes and too many steps behind with it, hence the last ditch effort here to stop Kho from obtaining the Spark. They even use the tech to later rob Kho of getting the Spark, Aphra once again pushing buttons to rile up Kho enough to give Sana an opening to pull her away with a hidden set of the magnets. Sava Nos completes the ritual despite all the fighting and the Spark Eternal appears, Aphra claiming it for her own… and I’ve never wanted the ‘villain’ to get the valuable MacGuffin than the ‘hero’ more in my life! Well, I’ve come to really enjoy the complex Kho, so technically I’d rather Nos grabbed it (really, anyone BUT Aphra), but here we are, and oh mynocks, I’m still in utter disbelief several hours later (and likely will be for days, weeks, and months until the next issue arrives).
As Aphra reaches to grab the Spark, which she describes as cold despite the intense, white heat look it gives off (like the effect from the Thought Dowser), the little orb SPEARS APHRA IN THE CHEST!! I didn’t realize it at first, too caught up in the moment, like Aphra as it dawns on her what’s happened, but as it dawned on me and Chelli, I was absolutely floored as the panels by Minkyu Jung and team continued on, Chelli’s life leaving her, the last thing she sees before falling face first, dead (!!!?!?), onto the Ascendant altar is Sana rushing up to her side. I expected Alyssa Wong to push these characters to the edge and back again, and again, driving exciting tales and character-focused moments, but never did I expect the pushing to actually take them over the edge! I read Darth Vader #25 in 2016 prior to the announcement of Chelli’s Aphra own series, and even though there were enough hints it was coming, I still cried a little as Vader jettisoned her out the airlock, and I felt defeated, forcing me to put down the issue (prior to reading the ‘after-credits’ scene of her survival), so while I’ve seen Aphra “die” before, it became frighteningly clear this time wasn’t a fake-out, and I was (and am) too much in shock to have cried, though I did have to put down the comic and, well, I went and pet our two puppies for a moment to cope. It’s a bold, chilling, exciting, and nerve-wracking story decision by Wong and, as much as I am emotionally distressed by it and am still in disbelief, I’m glad they did it! I mean, I’m just pulling my hair out here until this gets resolved though, no big deal! There are two, one page panels, one of Aphra being speared and the other of her dying, Sana’s screaming exploding across the page unlike any lettering I’ve seen before, shocking bookends to make clear the beginning of her death and the end of it. But whereas Sana is in pain and Kho in disbelief the Spark killed Aphra, claiming the Ascendant’s mantra didn’t predict this, the Sava seems expectant of this moment and eager to see what comes next.
Well, just when I thought killing Aphra was a big moment, Wong takes it to the next level. Turns out, metal from the altar begins to move, picking up Aphra’s dead body, bending around it to form an armor over her upper body (in a really sick look for the character), and bringing her back to life via the Spark, much to everyone’s horror! Well, not my horror, but my utter glee as it seems Aphra isn’t dead after all…potentially…I hope. The Spark Eternal heals her visible face wounds when it takes over her body, so I’m going to assume it also fixed the giant hole in her chest, even though it’s where the spark seems to reside. Aphra must still be in there then, right? Somewhere in her own mind, fighting against the Spark’s control? So with this reanimation comes hope and I’ll cling to whatever I can, while simultaneously realizing Wong could always have a big trick up their sleeves like this again and I’ll make sure to never feel comfortable about Chelli Aphra’s fate again.
While she’s had nightmares of Vader pushing her out the airlock, a PTSD episode even more recently upon seeing him again, the way the Spark speared her looks more like the fate she was trying to avoid with Vader: a lightsaber’s finalizing cut. Considering her PTSD moment and now she’s probably locked in her own mind, her new death likely triggering that fear again, it’s going to be even tougher for her to come back from this internally (and solicits for future issues seem to suggest a fight is coming). If there’s any team I trust to handle the situation with nuance and humor, it’s Wong and Jung, and I can’t wait to see what these two have in store for us. Likewise, I enjoyed how this sort of felt reminiscent of the Eternal Rur (besides the Eternal part) crystal in the first Aphra run, though while that was the case of a Jedi’s uploaded conscious in an attempt for immortality, the Spark Eternal is far more malevolent and its goals, well, unclear right now beyond it’s promise to everyone in the room: it’s eternity. As anxious as this development makes me, how about figuring out the name to call this Spark Eternal controlled Aphra to lighten the mood? Sparkra? Chelliternal? Spark Aphra? Chelli Spark? We have until June 29 to settle on a choice!
I’ve already gushed a little about Minkyu Jung’s work, with Rachelle Rosenberg’s colors and Joe Caramagna on lettering, specifically the harrowing death of Chelli Aphra and her rebirth, but before I go into that more, let’s look at the team’s work throughout the issue. In the flashback section, again enjoying Rosenberg’s sepia-like colors to denote it’s the past, Kho’s flash of anger followed by the silly, satisfied look due to the candy treat was a real highlight of Jung’s expressive work, aiding the script’s intent to show their willingness to go along with Aphra means the gulf between them now wasn’t created by one side. In the battle for the Spark, I love the pleasure filled grin on Kho as their confidence gets the best of them in the fight against Aphra and Sana, only for it be replaced with utter surprise and dismay when they see Aphra’s blaster peeking up to say a deadly hello after they pulled her close. Rosenberg’s colors for the Ascendant’s temple, the green and blue, really make the red, be it the Spark itself or the markings on the altar, pop and have an extra menacing glow. Like I said earlier, it’s hard not to focus on the big, final few pages of Chelli’s death and resurrection, but Jung and team really bring their A-game (which they consistently do regardless!) to this big, shocking moment. The initial page of Aphra being speared, Caramagna’s SFX for the Spark attacking her is huge, potentially tearing your attention away from what’s really making that noise on screen, while the Spark itself is so voluminous, white-hot, spiky red, it’s almost easy to think the part lancing through Chelli is just part of the larger orb, but careful inspection reveals it really is sticking out of her. The next panel, a close up on Chelli’s eyes as she says “what,” just figuring it out herself, caused me to immediately look back at the last panel and that’s when it really hit me…I don’t know if this was by design or not, but it worked if it did, otherwise it was just my shock that didn’t allow me to see it initially. The SFX from Caramagna in the next few panels is a simple, yet important detail, as it’s the Spark’s bold and sinister, but when the Spark goes away for a brief moment, the next SFX is wavy, less defined for Chelli and her slip to the altar as her life leaves her. Little details, like Aphra’s wide eyes over what’s happening or the little blood dripping out of her mouth, really cause the moment to sink in, while the POV shot of Sana rushing up to Aphra is a punch in our guts, though at least it’s good knowing the last thing she sees is someone who cares about her. The next page, a resounding THUD from Caramagna, and a thought bubble bursting scream of “Aphra” from Sana, in bold, red lettering, left me damn chills, as does Jung’s lifeless Chelli, mouth and eyes open from the shock of the moment, only adding more to my shock, the red lines and designs around it looking a little less sinister for just a moment by Rosenberg. The way Aphra’s body hangs as the Spark Eternal begins to take it over is spooky, like something out of a zombie movie, while the final panel of the issue is both chilling and cool, as the metal outfit the Spark built on her body is a really unique design, almost like it has fingers wrapped around her at the hips, while Rosenberg’s red in the eyes and little glints of red all over convey how truly invasive this takeover is. Beyond Wong writing it, thanks art team for giving me so much anxiety for the next month!
Here are a few other things:
- Alyssa Wong will be at Celebration Anaheim 2022’s Marvel comics panel (Saturday, May 28, 4:30-5:30pm PST), so expect some news on Aphra‘s future, but the one thing we know for sure to expect is: a Doctor Aphra shirt (which, if you’re going, I’m willing to pay you to get!…as well as that Frog Lady plush)!
- There’s plenty of year left, and many more comic issues from various series’ to come, but I think we have the earliest contender for locked in spot for Top 5 moment of 2022. Aphra has made it on my Top 5 list every year, bias aside, and her ‘death’ here looks to be the latest in the long line!
Doctor Aphra #20 (Vol. 2) takes an unexpected turn in the fight for the Spark Eternal, by KILLING CHELLI APHRA and RESURRECTING HER WITH THE SPARK ITSELF, setting up for months of anxiety for readers and months of intriguing new places this story and the supporting characters will go, having to step to the forefront as Chelli is…elsewhere and Chelliternal (still debating!) has control.
+ The death (?!?!?!?!?) and…
+ …(evil) resurrection (PHEW!) of Chelli Lona Aphra
+ Culpability goes both ways to their past
+ ANXIETY-INDUCING ART, I WANT A WARNING NEXT TIME (I kid, of course)
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
DOCTOR APHRA (Vol. 2) REVIEWS:
Fortune and Fate: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 / Arc Review — The Engine Job: #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 — War of the Bounty Hunters: #11 | #12 | #13 | #14 | #15 — Resurrections: #16 | #17 | #18 | #19