– Spoiler Review –
Phasma’s hunt for the only person in the First Order who knows of her actions on Starkiller Base continues to get as brutal as she is, making issue #2 a riveting entry for the Captain Phasma miniseries.
I gained some extra appreciation for this issue of Captain Phasma because I had just finished the Phasma novel by Delilah S. Dawson a few days prior (review to follow soon), but even if I hadn’t read the book, the revelations and insights it gives to the character are distinct on their own. Phasma is relentless in her pursuit of FO officer Rivas, willing to do just about anything to ensure her secret stays safe. And by anything, that means battling whatever monsters and horrors lie beneath the sea of the planet she and a FO TIE pilot land on in pursuit of Rivas. Phasma’s tireless drive comes into play in the character’s novel, but writer Kelly Thompson effortlessly paints the picture in issue #2 (and already painted it quite a lot in issue #1), as we get to witness Phasma’s battle with one of the sea-creatures, and her reaction to learning Rivas was taken by the creatures and likely dead is simply she wants to see him die under her boot to be sure. It’s a chilling ending to the issue, one earned through the character’s trek and battles on the planet already, and really hammers home her cold-blooded nature. The moment also brings to light an intriguing thought: just how loyal is Phasma to the FO if she’s more concerned about killing the only witness to her crime than immediately teaming back up with the FO after their defeat? It’s another point the novel touches on as well, but the comic manages revealing the idea by itself anyways. Succinctly: don’t freaking mess with Phasma! Which, if she and Finn are supposed to battle, suddenly I’m growing more and more concerned for him.
Considering we’ve only ever seen TN-3465 in their armor, I appreciated the play on expectations here when it was revealed ‘Pilot,’ aptly named by the humorless Phasma, is a woman. I’ll admit I fell prey to the assumption Pilot was male, as 9 times out of 10 it seems to shake out that way, so I was surprised and excited when it turned out the opposite. That the issue spends zero time on this revelation illustrates that it really shouldn’t be considered a revelation and rather something fans can expect in the first place over the usual assumption. A subtle, well-placed moment that might gain even more praise if most people just glossed over Pilot’s gender without a second thought.
Marco Checchetto and Andres Mossa already took this series by storm with the first issue and have already proven they can bring strange monsters to life in Obi-Wan & Anakin, but they outdid themselves on both counts in Captain Phasma #2! The sea-beast, a Tsw’ells, was a terrifying thing of beauty, deserving of the splash page it graces. And the action panels as Phasma fought it underwater? Also just as chaotic but beautiful. Not only does the story leave me wanting to see what happens next, I’m eagerly awaiting where Checchetto’s art and Mossa’s colors can take this series as well.
Here are a few other things:
- Even with scrapped together armor to seem less threatening to the locals, Phasma has to have a cape. But how does Phasma know their language? Does it have to do with her seemingly random concern the FO armor they were wearing would be too threatening? As in she or the FO might have been involved with an event from their past, as they explain they left their technology behind because it corrupted them, so possibly it was from the FO? I don’t know if anything will come from it, but I’d love to see where Thompson could go with that.
- As I mentioned having read the book, I immediately found the planet Luprora familiar to Phasma’s home planet, Parnassos, something even she makes a comment on in the issue. So the comic can certainly entertain and stand on its own, but digesting both Phasma-centric stories will garner great insight to the character. UPDATE: Here’s my review of the novel!
The Captain Phasma miniseries is as relentless as its main character and I’d not have it any other way.
+ Death only comes for you once Phasma delivers it
+ Art team accentuates the hardships ahead
+ Relentless
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
Journey to The Last Jedi: Phasma (novel) | Leia – Princess of Alderaan (novel) | The Legends of Luke Skywalker (novel) | The Last Jedi (movie)