– Spoiler Review –
Chelli Aphra has a karking sister?! The wonderfully intriguing reveal in the previous issue gets paid off in both fun and promising ways in Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent #5, though this is now also unfortunately the far too early series finale.
But we’re not kicking off this review by focusing on the sad and infuriating news about the series ending, so let’s dive first into what made this such a memorable (final) issue for Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent. Since the series began, Chelli Aphra’s had several fun, one-off adventures with familiar faces like Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, and even Krrsantan, though it felt like the winds were changing to a bigger, more open story after Chelli’s ultimatum at the end of the previous issue, as well as the reveal she’s had a sister we’ve never knew about. While issue #5 opens with the next cameo, as we learn it’s Princess Leia herself who has been bankrolling the DAGGERs and the one who thought this process would be good for Chelli, it’s a minor part of the story as we quickly learn Chelli’s (half) sister, Dellen Aphra, has gone missing. As Dellen’s the one who took out Chelli’s electro-tattoos, she’s still the only one who can bring them back, so Leia and Lt. Meteora task Chelli with bringing back Dellen to the New Republic and then they’ll allow her tattoos to be reactivated. What’s interesting with what follows is not only how Cherish Chen handles the dynamic between the two half siblings, but what Dellen says about Chelli and how far she comes as well.
It was great to see Chelli on her own again, though technically she has a surprisingly capable GNK droid (which really likes to kick people) with her, as she gets to work a little more like her old style, be it asking the droid to bash down doors or come up with chaotic half-plans to save her half-sister. Yet unlike past adventures by herself, or as she’s roping others into her chaos, she’s changed over the years and now finds herself in a new situation: usually Chelli was the target of overtures to stop running and stay, but now she’s the one actively asking someone else to stay, not go off on their own. Time and time again, be due to self-sabotage or insecurity, Chelli chose to go her own way when asked otherwise, though by the end of the second series, she committed to sticking with people finally, joining with her beloved polycule; they’ve since seemingly broken up and what transpired remains a big question without an answer. Once Chellli locates her half-sister, in Dellen we see the Chelli of old, someone who is independent, content to keep running, and unwilling to believe in any system other than her own code. And while Chelli is here because of a selfish reason, gain back her tattoos, as she sees the life her sister is living is the same one she used to, she attempts to make the case to Dellen about returning to the New Republic. We get the clearest reference to the start of Chelli’s polycule life, as she uses their call to stay with them to make a point on how she was exactly where Dellen is when offering the safety of the New Republic, though she admits she somehow ended up on the wrong side of the equation along the way, yet she sees her sister’s potential and doesn’t want her to squander it, living safe house to safe house, avoiding Imperial pursuit. Reading these exchanges was like watching Chelli talk to a younger version of herself without all the time-travel, and it really helped show how far she’s really come since her introduction 10 years ago.
Be it Chelli remembering what code Dellen might use or a brief flashback, where we see the half-sister’s knowledge from being in a factory (she seems to be a little older) helps Chelli in the present as she battles an interloper, this issue starts grounding Dellen in Chelli’s past, yet Dellen quickly establishes herself as a character onto her own under Chen’s writing. Though she sounds like Chelli when we first met the character in 2015, including puffed up confidence, Dellen traffics not in chaos, but control, using her considerable skills to maintain her independence since she trusts no one. But she’s taken this lack of trust to an extreme not even Chelli went to, as while Chelli ran amok on her own, she couldn’t help but pull people into her chaotic black hole, whereas Dellen seems to be solitary, as she chastises Chelli for making (bad) friends and (worse) enemies, all of it noise that can drag her down, implying Dellen doesn’t make noise and avoids others as much as possible, helping explain part of why we’ve never heard of her in the first place. As much as they are different, by the end of the issue, Dellen reveals she can’t help but admit they are more similar than originally imagined, beyond the fact they both love using nicknames and have electro-tattoos (Dellen’s are a different design and now I’m wondering if they went and got them together!), claiming they both are capable of good yet can’t place their trust in any institutions…or anyone. I think the last few issues have found Chelli placing faith in the New Republic and her decision to join the polycule meant she put faith in others (hopefully we’ll learn one day what happened), so they might not be as similar as Dellen claims, but together their opposing chaos and control just might make them an unstoppable force if they decide to team up. But what would they get up to together? Would it be doing things for themselves or others? Good or bad? We won’t get to know, but I do love how issue #5 ended on a note similar to Doctor Aphra #40 (2016), with Chelli looking out at the galaxy and seeing all the opportunity at her beck and call, this time with her sister at her side.
This works as an ending, for now, but feels more like what Aphra fans would expect during the character’s 10th anniversary year, a big jumping off point for where the series was set to open up and really take off. There are so many intriguing things left on the floor as Chaos Agent ends prematurely, it boggles the mind this is being done to the creative team, the character, and the fans. Who were the Imperials after Dellen? Would this be how Chen would’ve connected to the lingering thread of the ISB officer Melichor Votto sending bounty hunter Raslin Grace after Chelli, where maybe Melichor changed tactics and went after Dellen to draw out Chelli? Or vice versa? Could Melichor be a half-sibling to Dellen, further complicating things? If Dellen and Chelli didn’t get their electro-tattoos together, who copied who? In another promising aspect of Chaos Agent, I can imagine Dellen interacting with Magna Tolvan and Sana Starros, maybe helping heal whatever bridge broke between the polycule, helping Chelli or the other two understand one another better. How fun could’ve that been?! Maybe Chen would’ve been able to dive into the polycule mess in general in the issues ahead? Seeing how Dellen slotted into the past more would’ve been interesting as well, maybe even bringing back Papa Aphra aka Korin, for some good ol’ fashioned family drama. How would the New Republic and the DAGGERs feel if the Aphra sisters never came back, going it on their own? And of course, was there a plan to finally do something with the Bothans, a theory I was developing after the few references in the series so far? There’s so much potential in Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent you can feel it ready to spring forth, but the powers-that-be didn’t let it happen.
I enjoyed this (abrupt finale) issue, but the moment it was over and my mind stopped spinning about what we’re going to miss, I’ll admit I cried, sad and upset about the situation. Given Chelli’s my favorite character, which I celebrated by getting my first tattoo earlier this month, it’s also the character’s 10th anniversary, and for some reason Marvel decided to stay absolutely mum about the fate of this and any other series, it’s not only so sad to see Chaos Agent cut short before it deserved to be, but it also feels like a slap in the face to fans by Marvel, caring more about profit than storytelling. Why cut down all the series if only one or two weren’t selling well enough? Star Wars comics have been one of the most important parts of my fandom and for Mynock Manor, but the wind’s been taken out of my sails regarding them after this, at least from Marvel, as it seems not only is Aphra over, but every other series launched in 2025 will wrap up soon and we’ll get a full line relaunch in 2026. But given how they could cut a series at 5 (and even 10) issues despite advertising it as an on-going, why would I want to get into or invest in any series by Marvel going forward? This profit-first mindset degrades trust by the fans and doesn’t let stories get the time they need to grow, and if they want better sales, maybe they shouldn’t be so greedy and let the fans connect before shutting things down. So I’m sad. I’m mad, even furious at times. And I can only imagine how the heck Cherish Chen feels, for whom I’m the most sad and mad for at this moment, as it’s clear there was so much left in the tank, especially since it seemed like we were heading away from the cameos. I’ll for sure be breaking down these developments regarding Marvel’s disappointing choices, especially if we can learn more, in my 2025 comics year-in-review article out early 2026, but I might feel like putting together an article earlier, we’ll see. Regardless, sad and extremely disappointing day for Star Wars comics, as Marvel’s making their big 10th anniversary of their canon work memorable in all the wrong ways.
Anyways, we still need to talk about artist Steven Cummings joining the series for its finale issue, alongside colorist Michael Atiyeh and letterer Joe Caramagna! Cummings took home a Top 3 Creatives win in my 2022 Star Wars comics year-in-review (the inaugural year the category was introduced) and his work on this issue doesn’t disappoint, while it has echoes of earlier issues which showcases a colorist’s influence on the final work. While I haven’t spoken too much about Stripes, the GNK droid assigned to Chelli’s mission, I have to say, this art team made the droid’s penchant for kicking people and moving faster than expected such a blast, it provides the punch Chen’s humorous intent deserved. The first time it punches in a door, Caramagna’s sound FX makes the GNK droid seem like an absolute unit, while Cummings’ drawing of the bent and crumpled door and Atiyeh helping with the effect of Stripes might really makes the droid seem powerful, yet also hides its speed in plain sight. When Stripes smacks into the bounty hunter Chelli fights in Dellen’s safe house, it’s such a delightful reveal, with Caramagna’s GNK noise SFX making it seem like just another day in Stripes’ life, yet the resulting crunch SFX gives the droid’s speedy attack a nasty punch, while Cummings draws the hunter almost as crumpled as the door, the being’s face unable to hide the pain. Stripes kicking the hunter out the door, with a fun “fling” SFX, and it kicking a down, but not out hunter in the background later make this droid one I hope could return whenever Chelli does next. Dellen’s introduction page, a one-page splash, says a lot about both the gulf between sisters and Dellen herself. I really liked the use of distance, as Chelli stands far enough back from Dellen, and a few steps above where her half sister sits, as it implies the distance between them and who’s really above the other, while having Dellen surrounded by computer screens featuring Chelli’s face versus Chelli looking directly at Dellen shows one is more alone than the other. Dellen seems content to watch from afar, not get involved, avoiding others, while Aphra’s the one here, looking for Dellen, trying to connect. Atiyeh’s colors help provide some of this too, as Chelli has a little brighter color palette with her splashy red jacket, like she wants to be seen, while Dellen’s clothes are dimmer, more like night colors, so she blends in and people might overlook her in the shadows. Also, their electro-tattoos say a lot about them, as Chelli’s circuit board lines seem more chaotic and Dellen’s flow more evenly and seem almost symmetrical on both arms, denoting the chaos and control of the siblings. And lastly, I have to say, mad props to Caramagna dealing with some lengthier dialogue this issue, as the two sisters chatted and Chen put in as much as she could to help kickstart our understanding of their dynamic, with extra special appreciation for how he makes Dellen’s initial lecture to Chelli, a big, heavy word bubble, feel like it’s pushing down on Chelli.
Here are a few other things:
- We’ll have another interview with Cherish Chen, this time going over the five issues we got, for readers hopefully in a few weeks!
- It was nice to see Chelli get her electro-tattoos back and functional again!
Doctor Aphra: Chaos Agent #5 could be taken as a neat enough ending which thankfully isn’t a cliffhanger, but it shouldn’t be a series finale given the potential and trajectory were enticing as all heck, ready to blow up all over the page, making this a damn shame this series wasn’t allowed to flourish.
+ Through Dellen, we see how far Chelli’s come
+ Brimming with enticing potential for where Cherish Chen could take the series from here
+ Cummings, Atiyeh, and Caramagna give weight to the difference between the sisters and make Stripes quite the star
– Nothing to do with the issue itself, just Marvel: DAMN SHAME TO CUT DOWN CHAOS AGENT BEFORE IT GOT TO SPREAD ITS WINGS
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him and the website on Bluesky and Instagram @mynockmanor.