Review: Doctor Aphra Vol. 3- Remastered

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is fun and exciting, with plenty of lighthearted, comedic moments. Aphra’s personal story gets even better here, especially when it details her new relationships. Secondary characters are great in the collection’s second half. The artworks looks good and suits the story well.

Cons: The inclusion of secondary characters is a bit chaotic near the collection’s beginning.

Overall: This volume continues to prove how delightful Doctor Aphra’s solo adventures can be. It contains all the charm and excitement fans have come to expect from this series, with a little extra too. New elements give readers a chance to learn more about Aphra as a person and even see a little romance along the way. Any of the book’s very minor problems are almost completely overshadowed by how compelling this book is as a whole. Those who have been enjoying Aphra thus far will continue to do so with this volume.

Story

After a major shakeup for the series as a whole, Doctor Aphra returns in a story that is every bit as compelling as the previous volume. Doctor Aphra Vol. 3: Remastered, by Kieron Gillen and Si Spurrier, has action, comedy, self-discovery, and even some romance. It excels at bringing back all the story elements fans already enjoy while also managing to improve on a few. This allows Aphra to shine as a character and draw even more interest to the series. Overall, this is another win for this relatively new Star Wars property.

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Part of what makes Remastered so entertaining is its ability to recapture everything that made the first few volumes great. Aphra is charming, the action is fun, and the writing has plenty of lighthearted comedy. Plus, the main storyline is wonderful to follow along with and makes for a tremendously entertaining read. These have been staples of the series thus far and are as present here as they ever were before.

However, Remastered also excels by taking some of the positives from previous volumes and making them more even more significant. The biggest example of this can be seen in Doctor Aphra’s journey of self-examination. This entire series has seen Aphra question the morality of her own actions and struggle with the ethics of her current path in life. In Remastered, she is placed under the thumb of a true psychopath and forced to do things that make her realize how bad she has been. All of this builds up to Triple-Zero’s approval of Aphra, which appears to hurt her more than anything else has. It will be interesting to see where her character goes from here, as Aphra’s quest for self-discovery is only becoming more compelling.

The other element that Remastered adds to the series is a touch of romance. The flirtatious cat-and-mouse relationship between Aphra and Tolvan has developed into something more significant, in a way that works well for both characters. Aphra and Tolvan are both currently stuck on paths they desperately wish to escape from. This shared pain makes their relationship more meaningful, as they appear to be each other’s salvation. Plus, their status as enemies working against one another adds a unique element that allows their romance to stand out. Like other elements of this comic, it will be interesting to see how this develops as the series progresses.

The only problem in Remastered is only really a problem in the first few chapters. This volume introduces over half a dozen new characters in the second chapter, all of whom play a part in upcoming battles. Having so many relatively unknown parts moving at once makes a couple of scenes rather chaotic and hard to connect with. Luckily, as the collection progresses, the number of secondary characters slims down and readers have a chance to more sufficiently connect with them. From here, their inclusion in this narrative is a joy and enhances the read.

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Art

Remastered sees a new artist take over visuals while still managing to maintain the level of quality to which fans have become accustomed. Emilio Laiso’s artwork is lighthearted and stylized in a way that suits Aphra and her adventures very well. This sets a tone that allows comedy to be present without feeling out of place. The visuals here are also detailed and creative in a way that highlights the new discoveries made during Aphra’s journey. All in all, the artwork here pairs well with the story and makes this a more enjoyable book all around.

Continuity

Doctor Aphra Vol. 3: Remastered continues the story from Doctor Aphra Vol. 2: Doctor Aphra and the Enormous Profit (Review). Both stories take place between the movies Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope and Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back.

The story here continues in Doctor Aphra Vol. 4: The Catastrophe Con.

This volume also makes references to various elements from other Star Wars stories, detailed below:

• The prior actions of Imperial Inspector Thanoth are mentioned a number of times. His initial appearances are shown throughout Darth Vader Vol. 2: Shadows and Secrets (Review) and his most recent appearance is shown at the beginning of Darth Vader Vol. 4: End of Games (Review).
• Hera Syndulla is one of the central characters in the Star Wars: Rebels television series.
• At one point, an Imperial weapons test on Jedha is mentioned. This weapons test is shown in Rogue One.