#anti doctor aphra

[padme-amitabha]

Like you, I also have this strong dislike, bordering on hatred, for Doctor Aphra. She's such an annoying, unlikeable character and I'll never understanding why she has a fanbase. Aphra is a delusional hack who thinks she's Indiana Jones when she's really Rene Belloq!

Haha so true. She's such an annoying bratty character. And apparently the whole point of her was to make Vader comics more "fun"?? He was always a compelling, interesting character to begin with and didn't need a discount, wannabe Indiana Jones with her edginess and "gray morality". Her interactions with other characters are so stupid and her plot armor gets her through situations she has no chance of surviving while having the nerve to disrespect Padme because she died. She is the actual Jar Jar Binks for me who deserves the hatred (and Jar Jar had a better purpose and arc than her because she's so pointless). Despite my criticisms on Ahsoka, at least imo she was redeemable. I just didn't like Filoni fetishizing her or shoehorning her into anything Skywalker-related and her overpoweredness could have been fixed by changing her time and place in the story. But characters like Aphra feel like lazily written OCs disney keeps dishing out. Even that crazy nurse in the comics had a better realistic storyline.

[leahikol]

Dr. Chelli Aphra

Such an amazing character, you hate her, love her and relate to her at the same time

[lefemmerougewriter]

I have to think that these comments were written by bots. Just look at how similar they all are... Prove these jokers wrong and read the fics they tried to defame!-->

Also, for the record, I NEVER use AI for any of the fics I write. Update, I had another anonymous user claim the same for the Lara Croft fic, lol.

[fantastic-nonsense]

Tom Taylor getting nominated for a GLAAD Award while Meghan Fitzmartin gets nothing for Urban Legends is a hate crime

[infinitepunches]

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) #5 by Alyssa Wong

HAHAHAHA! The bad guy in the Aphra comic is a dude who destroys beloved artworks out of his egotistical sense of self-importance. Alyssa Wong is a satirical genius and a renegade.

[lordofhunger47]

Anyone who says people hate rose tico for being asian can suck this! by the way I'm asian,I was overjoyed when luke propery got treated in the mandalorian season 2 and I hate rose and sequel's existence with passion!

[padme-amitabha]

Vad*phra is the Sn*mione of the Star Wars fandom. Disgusting, creepy, abusive and wrong. Yes, Snape had a creepy obsession with Lily but I doubt he would ever be into Hermione who is old enough to be his daughter. Same with Vader. (Isn’t she like two or three years older than Luke and Leia?) Why would he not focus on his son and be a petty villain and spend so much time hunting down this oh-so-important b****? Oh that’s right, because they need to sell more of her comics. Not only that, didn’t he hit her (using the force and also choked her) multiple times and treated her as a tool to get the job done? Even that audiobook with her confirms that he treated her like garbage and she’s afraid of him or something. But they keep including this unnecessary unoriginal character wherever they can. Why is this ship popular again? Do people have a thing for dark and abusive ships? Or it’s probably just Vader fangirls using her as a self-insert.

Considering she’s supposed to be an Asian, lesbian character, the writers aren’t transmitting the message clearly. Instead they shamelessly keep inserting sexual innuendos in their interactions and even though she’s supposed to be gay, she acts like she can’t keep it in her f****** pants every time she’s near him. And they even try to whitewash her on multiple occasions and try to make her look and act like a dark Padmé (please, your unoriginal trashy OC could never measure up to Padmé Amidala). Her jokes are forced and annoying, she acts like a complete w**** and turns everything into a joke. Being “quirky” doesn’t make your character good when said character has about as much depth as a piece of paper. They try to force some Anakin/Padmé parallels to show her one sided idolation. Hence the existence of the godawful popular “dark” crackship. Not only that, she manages to sink her claws into Luke too. And I have seen people ship them as well. Few characters enrage me as she does. For someone who’s supposed to bring diversity into the franchise, she is acts like a (shameless) straight white female (she is Asian in some issues but white in others). What’s worse is her creator Kieron Gillen supports this trash of a ship and acts like he’s surprised to discover them. As if there wasn’t enough of Marvel comics to fulfill fanboyish power fantasies. Being able to write for George Lucas’ franchise is probably making these writers have delusions of grandeur.

Not only that she is given a ridiculous amount of importance for someone who actually has no place in the main story, her job could still be done by Boba Fett but we needed more Strong Woman™ in the story. And oh boy, the plot armor is strong with that one. She keeps coming back even after he throws her out into space because how else are they gonna make some cash? These writers have taken it way too far with their fanfiction. What were they going for? A Bellatrix Lestrange in Star Wars who is infatuated a villain? This unoriginal b**** (ripping off of Han, Padmé, Indiana Jones, Lara Croft) is one of the worst and shallowest characters in existence.

I try to stay away from this trashy crackship but when it shows up on my dash, I just lose it. F*** you Disney for ruining Star Wars.

[padme-amitabha]

Lucas!Vader is the only valid Vader to me. That’s how the creator of SW wrote him and the other versions are just fanfiction/their own interpretations basically?? 

Lucas!Vader is sad dad and just following Palpatine’s orders and feels it’s too late to be redeemed after so many years but just one conversation with his son encourages him to ‘break his chains’ and be free again. His inner battle is about learning to forgive himself and do the right thing this time around. He’s not that good in duels either because it’s probably been years since he has encountered a Jedi (I mean he didn’t win with Obi-wan nor with a trained Luke - only over a Luke who wasn’t fully trained). I’ll let the killing rebels in RO slide since they were non-force users so they weren’t a real threat - it probably felt like good exercise to him. Lucas treated him more like a broken man than a soulless killing machine.

Filoni!Vader does try to show “the good side” a little but George said he wasn’t evil as most people thought at the time. There was so much more to him - conflict, past, regret, sorrow and also the need to obey his Master. Filoni!Vader again just tries to make the point that he’s different from Anakin (and I’ll never buy that for one second). Vader wasn’t an evil demon possessing Anakin or a different identity. Vader is Anakin after Mustafar, after he lost everyone he cared about and only had Palpatine left. Vader was what Anakin became after many years of isolation and crippling depression. So seeing flashes of Anakin from Vader seems ridiculous to me - this is Anakin who slaughtered all the defenseless sand people in his rage, how is he the “good side”? Anakin was no saint.  

And then there’s the worst version - the furthest from what Lucas would have wanted. It’s fanboy service so he looks cool, him acting like a typical Marvel villain, pulling unrealistic stunts, remembered for those “badass” one-liners and is so petty it’s annoying (hunting down people who betrayed him - really he has that much time for one person?). Vader in OT had some self-respect he didn’t bother hearing from people who failed him - he just eliminated them and continued contemplating/meditating. Once he saw Luke, he tried to offer him the same thing he offered Padme but when he rejected it, he still patiently waited for him to show up. And even then he tried to persuade him to join him, he didn’t force him to join him. The reason why Vader was such a unique villain was because he remained very calm and detached from everyone around him (like a Jedi if you will) and even after hearing Luke and his friend’s escape, he remained calm. Sure, he killed Ozzel but the fact that he displayed no emotions while strangling him makes him so terrifying. Rogue One made him a typical villain and had him indirectly say “I’m scary are you scared of me?”. No imperial questioned Vader in the movies but they didn’t comically flinch either; they treated him as a superior and knew they would be punished if they failed at their job.

Comics follows Filoni’s interpretation and takes it one step further: to prove he is not Anakin he must now kill his younger self, Obi-Wan and Padme in his vision (I think I remember him choking or hurting Luke once too). Not only does that make him completely unsympathetic and unnecessarily ruthless, what even was the point to show all these brutality when we know he will be redeemed by the conflict in him? It’s just issues and issues of him acting ruthless, doing “cool” stuff, being petty and hunting down people who betrayed him, slaughtering thousands of people and giant monsters without displaying any emotion at all (sure he remembers bits of his past at times but they try very hard to make it seem like it’s Anakin’s memories not his) and overall being very stoic (though Vader in Legends was vulnerable and got emotional at times). It completely ruins his depth and presence from the movies. Then giving him idiotic unoriginal sidekicks (who make fun of him and lightens the situation with her sh*tty jokes - i’m talking about Kieron Gillen’s trashy OC Smelly Loony A*hra ofc - who just can’t die because she’s got plot armor and needed for diversity and turns everything into a f***ing joke) when he only interacted with imperial officers and even when he made a deal with Bounty hunters he didn’t set off on adventures with them. And sorry to disappoint people but Vader in OT definitely couldn’t pull all these ridiculous stunts - the suit restricted his movement a great deal and he fought mostly with physical strength when dueling with Luke. He’s meant to be a tragic character not a Marvel supervillain. Not only are these Marvel Vader comics ruining the mythological aspects, tone, aesthetic, morals of Star Wars, they are also making it mainstream and a cheap imitation of MCU. 

ngl I am low-key worried about Rogue One, but only because my boy Darth Vader is in it, and idk what incarnation of Vader they are going to use.

Filoni!Vader: yEAHHHHHHH!!! i am PUMPED to be on the DARK SIDE man I LOVE KILLING REBELS! *flies a tie-fighter with the Force so his cape can billow while he stands menacingly under a spotlight* I’m angry all of the time and I’m like OBSESSED with killing Obi-Wan! *chugs a Red Bull through his vents* WHO WANTS TO GO NEXT?

Lucas!Vader: high-key wanna die if any of you rebels could do that for me i’d appreciate it. *slaughters thousands of rebels effortlessly* come on man did you even try. damn this self-preservation instinct of mine. *sees obi-wan* HELL YEAH I’M GONNA DIE I CAN’T WAIT! *kills obi-wan in one swing* what.

Comics!Vader: *doesn’t say anything, but if he does it’s going to be one badass line like “ALL I’M SURROUNDED BY IS FEAR AND DEAD MEN”* *has a lot of flashbacks to the time when he had hair* *is sad a lot* *surrounded by quirky fun characters because this is anakin skywalker we are talking about*

[drfate]

Dr. Fate: In the Dungeon of the Damned

An old school Dr Fate novel by Rex F Dorgan

Epilogue – The Flame-Flower

The old woman moved slowly through the small cemetery adjacent to the ruins of a long-abandoned chapel in western Massachusetts. Thirteen headstones occupied the grounds – ancient, worn, broken, moss-eaten, some sunken into the ground, but on all of them the names were still legible: Cornelia Rainsford, Emeline Malady, Georgine Pendergast, Rebekah Crue, Aphra Okes, Aurinda Okes, Silence Meagher, Verity Gorge, Jane Ingold, Zipporah Bastwick, Hecuba Hodge, Lydia Calthrop, Keziah Judge.

The dates of their births varied greatly, and the years of their births ran from 1608 to 1632, but the year, month, and even day of their deaths was the same: November 1, 1666.

The old woman cackled malevolently as she walked among the headstones. Once the ground beneath her feet would have scorched her soles like hot coals, but that was a time long past. These grounds, this chapel, had long ago been – what was the word? desecrated? literally correct, but not as the word was used by common folk – she supposed the term would be something like “anti-sanctified.” What word would you use to mean a fortress taken over by the enemy, and now a stronghold of that enemy? She thought of those large lethal hawk-wasps that killed tarantulas and made nests of their carcasses. Like that.

She carried in her hand a strange silver pot holding an even stranger flower: its stem was gnarled and thorny, but its petals, exactly thirteen in number, were pointed, like those of a sunflower. And yet, on closer inspection, they writhed and throbbed in a way no flower petals should. On closer inspection, those petals were revealed as tongues of flame.

One by one, the woman daintily gripped each petal between thumb and forefinger and, holding it over a grave, dropped it to the ground, where the flame flowed outward in the shape of the skeleton buried below. One by one, the graves shook and shuddered and the ground in front of each tombstone convulsed and churned until finally a hand or head broke free from the earth. One by one, the animated corpses of long-dead women climbed from their graves and stood by their headstones as the flesh regrew itself over their bones, until thirteen women stood in the deserted churchyard, in varying states of tattered dress, their flesh covered with dirt and mould and the occasional worm, but complete again.

Aphra Okes was the first to speak. “Hail, sisters. We are made whole again. We are ONE again!”

The women responded, “Hail, Sister Aphra.”

Then Aphra Okes turned to the old woman carrying the remains of the flame-flower, stripped of its petals, but with ovary, receptacle, and stigma intact. “Hail, Lamashtu, mistress of us all!”

The old woman curtsied and said, “I am your servant, not your mistress.”

“Servant and mistress, and soul of us all. We are one in you, Lamashtu.”

Again the old woman curtsied.

Jane Ingold spoke. “We thought we would never return, but you have found a way, mistress.”

“Our time came at last,” the old woman said. She paused and looked over each of the women approvingly, and then met each one’s rapt gaze, eye to eye. There was a satisfied silence and then, after a while, she continued. “I ventured into Faerie as often as I could, but after my first attempt to steal the flower, I was immediately recognized on every return visit. Sometimes, they would take me captive and torment me. As great as my power is in this sphere, that realm is altogether different, strange even to me, and I was each time barely able to escape, although I often left behind my human host to whatever doom those fierce denizens had planned for me. But always there was a price. One time I returned to find that all my remaining acolytes had vanished without a trace. One time I returned, and a century had passed.”

“Praise her, sisters,” said Lydia Calthrop, “For her conviction never flagged.”

“Praise her,” the assembled women shouted.

“But finally the wheel turned, as it always does; even Anu’s wheel is turned on its head,” the old woman said. “For Nergal returned. Oh, my Church, his power was unrivalled. No demon, no god, has ever wielded such power. If not for the wit of Doctor Fate, he would even now be ruler of this world, and many other worlds besides. ‘Tis lucky for us that Nabu’s servant conquered him, oddly enough, for Nergal would not abide us. You would be too great a threat to him. For the Coven of Ashland was ever the greatest circle of witches. When you thirteen are gathered, even Nergal has reason to fear you. Had reason to fear you.”

“Had? Then he is removed as a threat forever?” asked Emeline Malady.

“Yes, my dear one,” the old woman responded. “The Good Doctor destroyed him utterly. Even his soul has been cast down. But not before he ventured into Faerie and retrieved the flower! He used it to call forth former allies from the Pit, and with it populated again his necropolis of Kur.”

“But the flower regrew its flames again, even after Nergal made use of it? You used it to restore us?” asked Aphra’s sister, Aurinda.

“Yes, dear,” replied the old woman. “Nergal has finally answered that question for us, and quelled our greatest fear. The flame-flower regenerates, one petal per moon. I watched and waited seven months for the flower to regrow all its petals but finally I was able to restore you. For when Nergal died, I retrieved the flower from where it lay hidden – deep in the heart of the Tower of Fate itself. Stolen from right under the nose of Doctor Fate!”

The dark congregation seemed to gasp in unison. “Tell us all, mistress!” Aphra exclaimed.

“It has taken me eighty years, but I finally found my opportunity to occupy this body. Lady Grey is a formidable witch herself, but the charm of protection Doctor Fate placed on her was the strongest such spell I have ever encountered. No amount of cunning or force allowed me to pierce it. But I was vigilant, and persistent. And finally, one day, for exactly one minute, the shield dropped. For Doctor Fate had died.”

“Doctor Fate – dead? But then…” Verity Gorge’s question was halted in mid-sentence.

“Died, but he is not yet dead. Sadly. But if he were, Nergal would be alive. So pick your poison, I reckon. Fate sacrificed himself to prevent Nergal from stealing the Amulet of Anutu, but Nergal was sickened by Fate’s vital-force when he tried to imbibe it. I have no idea how that happened, but I intend for us to delve deep into the matter. Fate’s life-force returned to the Doctor and he defeated the poisoned Nergal. Later, when he realized the means by which Nergal had retrieved damned souls from the Pit, Fate made the journey back to Kur and relieved Neti, who is now Lord there – yes, Neti, ha – of the flame-flower. He hid it in his Tower, which would have been as inaccessible to me as Kur, or Faerie – but for my possession of the body of his friend.”

“And the perfect friend for me to have possessed! For not only was Lady Grey trusted above all others and invited to dine with Doctor Fate and his delicious wife “ – this was met with a few murmurs of lecherous assent – “but she is one of the greatest practitioners of plant-magic I have ever encountered. And flowers are her specialty. All her wisdom was mine to access, and I used it to cause the flower to regenerate. Blood,” she added as an aside, “the more innocent, the better.” And the demon-inhabited crone smiled wickedly and licked her lips until they shone in the moonlight.

“Finding the flower in Fate’s maze of a warren was simplicity itself with Lady Grey’s heightened sensitivity to flora, and concealing it was, too, for Fate had foolishly given Inza a bracelet made of beads from Ishtar’s necklace, and Lady Grey – well, I, inhabiting her – simply pilfered the bracelet on my way back from ‘the loo.’”

Lamashtu looked at the frail, withered arms of the body she had stolen. “These flesh sacks are so weak! Even in a magic fortress, there is need of a toilet! But these flesh sacks are also strong, for they will enable us to do what your insubstantial ghosts could not – seize dominion over life in all its forms! What say you, my Church, my Congregation, my Coven?”

Thirteen voices shouted in unison. “Hail, Lamashtu. Dominion is ours!”

The old woman turned to leave the churchyard. Behind her, in the silver-blue moonlight, the shadows of the thirteen witches slithered along the ground back to the feet of their owners, climbed up their bodies, and then completely drowned the figures in darkness. The shadow-women then slowly shrank and reformed into sleek black winged shapes, and thirteen crows alighted from the churchyard, bound for the lights of the great city by the sea.

[rebelsofshield]

Panels Far, Far Away: A Week in Star Wars Comics 11/13-11/27/19

It’s certainly unfair for Lucasfilm to pick my first semester of grad school to start supplying us with more Star Wars content than at any other point in recorded history. Jerk move on their part. Anyways, as a result, here are three (!) weeks worth of Star Wars comics review in which: Marvel’s ongoing ends its seventy five issue run, Doctor Aphra gets her groove back, and Chewbacca knocks some heads. Hopefully I can be quicker about this in the future!

11/13/19

Star Wars #74 written by Greg Pak and art by Phil Noto

In its seventh chapter, “Rebels and Rogues” hurtles towards conclusion. The result may just be the strongest installment of an arc that has been chockfull of great ideas, but often struggled on just how to tell its sometimes overly scattered story. With the different teams now in open communication with one another and each fighting for their lives in desperate situations, writer Greg Pak’s take on the galaxy far, far away has never felt more a live and energetic.

We hop between narratives with surprising ease and elegance and the flow of the story is easy to follow, high energy, and positively fun. Han, Leia, and Dar Champion are flying for their lives in a defenseless ship against an Imperial star destroyer, Luke and Warba are in route to the planet’s rebels but with an Imperial patrol of Stormtroopers riding velociraptors right on their tale, and Threepio and Chewbacca are right in the center of a growing conflict between the rock people of K43 and Darth Vader himself.

Threepio’s arc here still remains the most fascinating stuff in “Rebels and Rogues.” For the first time in a long time, old goldenrod feels like he has an emotional story all his own and it culminates in a moment of self-sacrifice that capitalizes off all the themes of sentience and personhood that this surprisingly delightful subplot has been playing with since day one.

The promised Chewbacca/Darth Vader showdown on the cover doesn’t occur until the comics final pages but it sets up what should be a killer finale. Noto draws a suitably visceral encounter and no other panel in this creative team’s legacy will likely spark as much joy as Chewie spiking a boulder off of the Sith Lord’s ebony helmet.

Score: A-

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: Dark Temple #4 written by Matthew Rosenberg and art by Paolo Villanelli

At the time of this writing, I’ve actually finished playing Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The first single player Star Wars game in over a decade provides a very fun and rewarding experience that is populated with some truly outstanding characters. The game also shows that its tie-in comic, Dark Temple is surprisingly more consequential than one might have originally thought. Sure, Cere and Eno Cordova were known characters in the game from the start, but Dark Temple sees the two encountering numerous elements from Fallen Order for the first time.

Even outside the comic’s surprising consequence to the game it draws from, Dark Temple continues to be a very entertaining prequel era narrative. Even four issues in, writer Matthew Rosenberg is still providing us with new information and twists that upend our understanding of what exactly is going on. Cere and Cordova may have gotten involved in something bigger than they originally anticipated and there is more on the line than freedom for Fylar. Rosenberg has weaved a complex web and just what exactly lies within the titular temple is just as much a mystery now as when it started.

It also helps that this comic is arguably the best looking Star Wars comic on the stands now. Paolo Villanelli has always excelled at drawing dynamic and well choreographed action sequences and he truly shines here as the violent conflict between Flyar and the DAA corporation explodes into full blown war. Villanelli is great at creating a sense of motion and scale and these moments of larger conflict are filled to the brim with well designed characters and explosive energy. Colorist Arif Prianto makes the comic feel like it comes ablaze too with multicolored embers peppering each panel.

Between the surprisingly complex story and the killer art, Dark Temple has quickly evolved into one of the stronger tie-in comics that Star Wars has released in recent memory and a significant improvement on both creator’s previous works in the franchise. Its final issue may not stick the landing, but this is a comic that is well worth considering picking up.

Score: B+

Star Wars Target Vader #5 written by Robbie Thompson and art by Cris Bolson, Robert Di Salvo, and Marco Failla

So turns out the Hidden Hand isn’t the rebellion? I’m very lost at this point. The mysterious crime organization that has been at the center of Target Vader from its start has always been its biggest head scratcher. A last panel reveal at the end of the comic’s first issue heavily hinted that the Hidden Hand was actually just an organization used by the Alliance to work in the criminal underworld. Over the past few issues, we have been given to doubt this reading, until now, where this theory is thrown out the door. Turns out the Hidden Hand may have older and more mysterious origins, but now we are just as lost as ever.

It speaks to the overall aimlessness of Target Vader. Despite the violent thrills of last issue, this miniseries has still been a mostly confused and overly long affair. Beilert Valance is still a mostly dull protagonist and his quest to neutralize Vader feels even more muddled than ever before. Writer Robbie Thompson does some work to try to remedy this situation by giving us an issue that is split between retelling Valance’s past and maiming by the Imperial military and the present where he is now caught between the grip of the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. It creates an interesting scenario for our central anti-hero, but ultimately fails to reveal much enlightening about Valance as a person. We may know why he is a grumpy, angry loaner by this point, but it doesn’t make his relatively one-note behavior any more interesting.

It also doesn’t really help that we have three guest artists on board instead of Stefano Landini. Marco Failla’s pencils may do a good enough job of approximating Landini’s style, but as a whole the result is a bit jarring as the comic never establishes a clear visual consistency. Combined with the fact that we already lost Marc Laming after issue one, this just adds to the weirdly confused reading experience that Target Vader has maintained to this point.

We have seen this comic work. Last issue’s installment was a brutally realized explosion of violent chaos, but we only have one issue now to really bring it all together, and I’m worried that Target Vader may not be up to the task of making this long, strange voyage worth it.

Score: C+

 11/20/19

Star Wars #75 written by Greg Pak and art by Phil Noto

All roads lead to K43. In its eighth and final chapter, “Rebels and Rogues” sees all our team members converge on the rocky moon for one climactic stand against Darth Vader and the Empire. In this extra sized finale, Greg Pak and Phil Noto try their best to pull the disparate threads of this arc together while also delivering a satisfying finale. The result proves fun, very strange, and ultimately forgettable. It ends with a summation of this run as a whole: filled with smart art and ideas, but lacking in standout storytelling beats to leave a lasting impression.

Some of the disappointment comes from the fact that much of this issue comes down to our various cast members beating up on Darth Vader. We open with the final blows of Chewbacca and Vader’s brawl which Noto clearly enjoyed bringing to life, but much of the rest of the issue resorts to the extended ensemble blasting away at him in various set pieces. It plays out like a miniature version of 2016’s Vader Down, but lacking in the edge and thrills of that original crossover.

There’s also some strange choices made with the rock people of K43 that don’t entirely gel with what came before. Part of what made these characters so refreshing throughout this story arc has been how Pak used their existence to challenge our characters’ concepts of sentience and to allow C-3PO to bond with another group of non organic life that is similarly overlooked. This fun play continues, but the conflict of it all is handwaved away in a manner that feels unusually flippant. Given the amount of effort put into finding a way around murdering this race, Pak introduces a last minute plot detail that makes it all feel unnecessary and that’s before the giant planet sized stone giant appears.

Yes, this comic gets very weird and it’s certainly fun, but it feels more than a little scattered and chaotic in a comic that already feels all over the place.

With that, we bid goodbye to this short but enjoyable era of Marvel’s Star Wars ongoing. While Empire Ascendant will presumably be the final issue of the main series, with it being rebooted for a new post Empire Strikes Back ongoing headed by Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz sometime in January, there is a sense of finality to this creative team’s last chapter aboard. Pak and Noto prove a fun bunch and had a great sense of playfulness and scope to this ongoing during its final days even if the execution wasn’t always immaculate. I’m glad to hear that Pak will be staying around to write the next volume of Darth Vader. He has some big shoes to fill, but if the heights of this comic are any indication, he is capable of the same spectacle and intrigue as past creators.

Score: B

11/27/19

Star Wars Adventures #28 written by John Barber and Michael Moreci and art by Derek Charm and Tony Fleecs

Chewbacca’s adventures with his porg sidekick, Terbus, are pretty much perfect fodder for an all-ages Star Wars comic. Given how strong Adventures’ visual storytelling has been since day one, having two protagonists who speak through grunts, squawks, and body language is right up this teams’ alley. Yes, it’s cutesy and yes it is a bit simple, but there is undeniable charm in the way Derek Charm draws us through the liberation of Kashyyyk. It may not be as visually inventive as last issue, but the way that Chewbacca hops through the forest and takes on First Order baddies is still illustrated with the same energy and personality.

There is a bit of tonal whiplash here though. While it’s hard not to be won over by Porg salutes and Wookiees knocking heads, there are moments where the enslavement of the Wookiee population is presented as an all too real possibility. The lighter, more playful execution of this issue may do a lot to make this subject matter more palatable for younger readers, but one wonders if this should have been the direction that the story went with at all.

Michael Moreci’s droid adventure is more tonally cohesive and certainly also a fun time, but it lacks the standout visuals and heart of the Chewbacca section. Last issue succeeded by pairing the under appreciated droids with another outcast that also was invisible to the First Order, but the events here are less concerned with character and theme and more so with the fun action of their plan. All the same, it’s still a decent read and sure to delight younger readers.

Score: B

 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #39 written by Simon Spurrier and art by Caspar Wijngaard

With just one issue left before the end of their tenure, Simon Spurrier and Caspar Wijngaard are pulling out all the stops for the end of Doctor Aphra. After the misstep that was “Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon,” it has been nice to see Spurrier get back in the swing of things with “A Rogue’s End” as each issue improves upon the last. Wijngaard and colorist Lee Loughridge feel more in sync here than ever before and Spurrier twists the knife as Aphra digs herself further and further into a disaster of her own making.

While she was first introduced in Kieron Gillen’s run on the title, Magna Tolvan and her relationship with Aphra have been staples of Spurrier’s run since he first stepped into the title. Here as we hurtle towards the big finish, it seems only fitting that the tortured and complex romance between these two very different souls take center stage. “A Rogue’s End” isn’t afraid to really dig into what it is about these two broken and confused women that drives their attraction to one another and just how deadly and ill advised their love, if it can be called that, is. It’s antagonistic, violent, but ultimately brimming with the sort of affection and tension that makes a good Star Wars romance sing. There is one image in particular here that is beautifully realized by Wijngaard and Loughridge and may rival the two’s first kiss for the iconography of this pairing.

It’s not all two woman coming to terms with one another under extreme circumstances, Aphra is still full speed ahead on her own mission survival. We hurtle towards a series of decisions at the issue’s end that may just cross the line into Aphra’s biggest moral slippage to date. Spurrier seems poised to deliver final judgement on what kind of person our dear rogue archaeologist may be, but knowing her and this series, the final thematic resting point is anyone’s guess. It’s a good thing that Spurrier makes the whole thing so damn fun to read and Wijngaard creates such beautiful imagery.

Score: A-

[trashforanidala]

The very existence of the "Doctor" here is just a money grab in every way. She is not and will not be needed but is there to increase sales with no appreciation for the main original plot that should've remained untouched like she ruins so many things and is the both fakest and trashiest "replacement" I have EVER seen like there are fanfic ocs that are better than her n I'm including the Mary Sues of x reader fics (no offense but I'm not a fan). No one asked for her, no one wanted her n yet here she is 😑 PURELY for money

So… finally what I feared it happened… disnerdtards and marvelos are destroying Anakin/Vader’s character by making him have another annoying shitty OC with hybristophilia to act as a “love iterest” because they can’t just write something good without ruining everything… ikr… I knew this could happen. So guess they are making him have a bastard and so disnerd can have that stupid ass parentage of Rey.

BIG FACK YOU DISNERD, FACK YOU MARVEL SHITTY WRITERS. ANAKIN LOVES AND LOVED PADMÉ ALONE AND ONLY LUKE AND LEIA ARE HIS LEGACY.

[theethird]

Casual Reminder that...

Doctor Aphra and Sabine Wren have both been confirmed to be Asian inspired by anyone who's anyone involved with canon authenticity. So don't white wash her. Because the last thing we need is less PoC in a Galaxy far far away. Lord knows after Rogue One we need all the color we can get our hands on.

[qqueenofhades]

50 Awesome Women To Know: Part 5

Yes, this was supposed to be one post.

To say the least, it was not.

Altheia Jones-LeCointe (1945 -- ): Trinidadian, doctor and biochemist (she holds a PhD from University College London), as well as a major leader in the British Black Panther/anti-colonialism movement in the 1970s. She was insistent that defending black women and girls should be a big part of its aims.

Anbara Salam Khalidi (1897-1986): Lebanese, author, classics scholar, translator (the first to translate the Odyssey and the Aeneid into Arabic), one of the early figures of modern Arab feminism.

Anna Yevreinova (1844-1919): Russian, first Russian woman to receive a Juris Doctor degree, ran away from an arranged marriage and ended up in a long-term lesbian relationship, correspondent of Anton Chekhov and others, feminist, lawyer, editor, and scholar.

Anne Dieu-le-Veut (1661-1710): French, pirate and buccaneer (you’ve heard of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, but probably not her). Married another pirate after he refused to duel her since he didn’t want to fight a woman, then proposed to her on the spot. Described as “brave, stern, and ruthless.”

Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007): Pakistani, the first female leader of a democratic government in a Muslim nation when she became Prime Minister in 1988. Champion of liberal reforms and women’s rights, if controversial for alleged corruption in her administration. Assassinated in 2007.

Bertha von Suttner (1843-1914): Austrian, first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1905, for her ceaseless (if ultimately unsuccessful) efforts to keep early 20th-century Europe out of war. Correspondent of Alfred Nobel, author of many novels. With her husband, she founded a league devoted to fighting the growing Anti-Semitism in Europe, and sponsored a broad philosophy of tolerance.

Blanca Aráuz (1909-1933): Nicaraguan, first National Heroine of the country for her efforts to fight the U.S. occupation in the 1920s/30s (part of the Banana Wars of the U.S.’s long and disgraceful presence in Central America). 

Christine Jorgensen (1926-1989): American, trans woman, the first to become widely known in America after her transition in 1951. Trans activist, public speaker, actress, and singer.

Deborah (c. 12th century BC): Israeli, the only female prophet and Judge of Israel mentioned in the Bible, Jewish heroine and leader of the nation for almost forty years.

Dhuoda (9th century): Frankish, best known for her Liber manualis which she wrote as a lengthy book of instruction for her son, and which serves as an invaluable source for Carolingian social history. Educated and influential.

Dido Elizabeth Belle (1761-1804): British/West Indian, the mixed-race daughter of a British Royal Navy captain, niece of Lord William Mansfield, whose 1772 ruling outlawed slavery in Britain. The 2013 film Belle is based on her life.

Efua Sutherland (1924-1996): Ghanaian, author, educator, activist, known for her support of Pan-Africanism and the development of Ghanaian theater. Fierce advocate for children and community. Her daughter Esi is a professor, human rights activist, and advocate for female education and empowerment.

Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204): French, and yes, I realize everyone who follows me probably knows about her already, but I just had to put her on an awesome ladies list as a matter of principle.

Eliza Haywood (c. 1693-1756): English, prolific author, actress, and novelist in the early eighteenth century, known as part of the “fair triumvirate of wit” with Aphra Behn and Delarivier Manley, author of romantic novels, translations, poetry, and drama. A best-seller of her day.

Elizabeth Holloway Marston (1893-1993) and Olivia Byrne (1904-1985): American, credited as the real-life inspiration for Wonder Woman, who was created by Elizabeth’s husband William Moulton Marston; the three were in a long-term polyamorous relationship. Elizabeth was also an accomplished psychologist and attorney.

Émilienne Moreau-Evrard (1898-1971): French, heroine during World War I who then became a crucial member of the French Resistance during World War II (!). She not only survived both world wars, but became a politician in the Socialist Party, and died of old age.

Enheduanna (23rd century BC): Sumerian, one of the first people in history whose name we have ever known. Poet, politician, high priestess, and scribe who wrote her own autobiography.

Gabriela Zapolska (1857-1921): Polish, author, actress, social critic, and outspoken feminist, whose many works of fiction often dealt frankly with taboo subjects and shocked the conservative Catholic culture of her day.

George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819-1880): English, best known by her male pen name; novelist, poet, journalist, and one of the most influential writers of the Victorian era. Her novel Middlemarch is sometimes cited as one of the best works of fiction in the English language.

Gerritdina Benders-Letteboer (1909-1980): Dutch, another Resistance heroine of World War II who protected many Dutch Jews from the Nazis. Her husband deliberately committed suicide in prison rather than risk giving up where she and the Jews were hidden. 

Grace Hopper (1906-1992): American, and honestly, few words exist to convey this woman’s awesomeness. 115 pounds of whoopass, mathematics professor, cutting-edge computer scientist, and oh yes, United States Navy rear admiral. Among other things, a college at Yale, a supercomputer, and a Navy missile destroyer are named for her. Received countless honorary doctorates and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Grace Thorpe (1921-2008): Native American, served in World War II as a corporal in the Women’s Army Corps and received the Bronze Star Medal, outspoken Native rights and environmental activist and champion of nuclear disarmament.

Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim (c.935-after 973): German, nun, Latin author and poet, and another of the few female medieval historians we know of, with works including a biography of Emperor Otto the Great.

Iris Murdoch (1919-1999): Irish/British, graduated with first-class honors from Oxford University where she later taught philosophy, prolific novelist and Dame Commander, openly bisexual, one of the most prominent modern British authors.

Jacinda Ardern (1980 -- ): New Zealander, current Prime Minister at the age of 37, social democrat, progressive, and fourth youngest world leader.

[fanthatracks]

FanthaTracks.com https://fantha.news/mmcu6

Coffee With Kenobi #404: Star Wars Doctor Aphra Author, Sarah Kuhn

Star Wars Doctor Aphra author Sarah Kuhn joins Dan Z to discuss the unorthodox anti-hero, what her character means to the franchise, and what makes Dr. Aphra so fun and compelling to write. This is the podcast you're looking for! Contact Information: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Take The Link To Read The Full Article #starwars #FanthaTracks

[stiffstyrofoam-fapplesart-blog]

Over Fond of Speaking.

A Doctor Aphra Micro-Fiction.

Dr. Aphra was upset, to say the least, out of all the things that people had told her in the past; every time someone questioned her charm, her ethics, or even her doctorate; Aphra was able to shrug it off, but the only thing, that wasn’t even that insulting, was what Vader had said. Aphra didn’t think she was “overly fond of speaking.” She was perplexed as to why this would bother her, but then again lot of things about Vader bothered her. The whole “I’ll kill you if you don’t do whatever I say.” That was one of the big things, but the main thing was how little Aphra knew about him.

Vader took the whole tall, dark, and mysterious thing to another level. The cape was ridiculous, but when someone has crazy powers, a lightsaber and can kill anything he wants; that person can also dress however he wants. Aphra had already become so enamored with him. Usually, the whole “You are the thing I’ve been looking for my whole life” speech scares guys away. Not Vader though. He just shrugged and told her what he wanted, but even when he said what he wanted, it still begged more questions.

“Troops of unquestioning loyalty” Why would Darth Vader need his own force? Doesn’t he already have his own legion of stormtroopers? There were too many questions and not enough answers. Usually, she would have bailed on a job like this but the guy that would come to kill her wouldn’t have force powers and Star Destroyers. Aphra could not focus, at all. Then she realized; maybe she didn’t know anything about him, but someone might. Aphra jumped off her bench to grab the nearest datapad. She pulled her tablet onto her lap and thought aloud, “What to search up?”

Lord Vader?

Only Imperial docs.

Vader?

Same thing.

Vader bad?

Just rebel docs, trash talking her new employer.

Vader good?

More Imperial docs.

Then Aphra saw one that looked very interesting, it was a declassified Imperial doc entitled “Imperial Report #1289786” the other docs had code names but this one stuck out, plus it had a tag that said Vader so, she decided to check it out.

MISSION REPORT

Planet: Mygeeto

Objective: Remove rebel element

The assault was arduous, the casualties heavy, but a victory was achieved. Lord Vader provided supreme air support and hastened the progress of the siege immensely. The rebels had taken control of the Imperial command center in the city. There was conflict on every street, and our forces were not gaining ground. Our previous attempts at using air support ended in failure due to the immense amount of Anti-Aircraft equipment the rebels had. However the while the rebels could counter our conventional forces and equipment, they did not have a counter for Lord Vader. With his expert flying ability he destroyed their Anti Aircraft forces and with our new air support, the city was taken within the next hours. However there was a peculiar event, when we began to retake the command center Vader went under heavy fire damaging his suit and exposing his left eye; meanwhile the rebels wrapped their bodies with cloth and began to fill the halls with a gas, I was able to get my gas mask but it was not a conventional bio-weapon because it affected the victim through skin contact. I began to see intense visions and even Vader was not immune. When he saw the rebels wrapped in cloth and with their masks on he yelled “SAND PEOPLE!” and began to kill them all. I’ve never seen a more horrible display of power. The next hour was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. All of the rebels had been killed and the Imperial command center was ruined. Covered in lightsaber marks and littered with corpses that had been cut into pieces. However, the siege did end swiftly and efficiently.

Aphra was not that disappointed; she learned that he didn’t like Sand People, she wasn’t sure what a sand person was. Aphra had heard about them in relation to Tatooine  But other than that, this doc provided nothing. She made a note to search up what exactly sand people are. As she walked out of the workroom and into the hallway, she started to think about what she had said earlier. Did she mean it when she said “You are the thing I’ve been looking for my whole life” those are serious words? Maybe. Aphra had said a lot in her life, most of it not being the truth, but maybe this time she meant it. She didn’t know but considering the fact that Vader didn’t often leave people alive when he was done with them, she would like to be good in her last days, or at least brutally honest. There was something special about Vader, there was an energy about him. He terrified her and terrified everyone else, but if she wanted, to be honest, he was the person to bring it out, even if it was truthfulness out of fear. The idea that you could be killed at the simple whim of another being certainly changed your outlook.

Aphra then began to wonder, if he made her feel this way, could she do the same to him or was she just another tool for him to use and be discarded? Could she turn this fear against him, the master of fear? Was she even the first person to feel this way? Had others tried? Had others failed? Was she waiting for all her life to be a better person? Could she be? Was Darth Vader the chance to be better? Was he the thing that would motivate her to be better? She realized that it wasn’t necessarily Vader she had been waiting for, but rather waiting for the chance, to be honest for once; even if it was forced honesty. She couldn’t lie around Vader; else she would be killed. Aphra really did mean what she said in a strange sense and for the second time that night she said to herself,

“Whoa. That just gave me shivers.”

[padme-amitabha]

originally i wanted to like aphra, because as an asian woman it was kind of cool seeing prominent asian characters in star wars. but i truly can not stand the way that aphra is written. she comes off as an annoying asshole and not even good rep for lgbt. they tried too hard to make her the *female indiana jones*, except she does not have the charisma to keep me reading her comics. in contrast, sana starros actually works as a star wars character and more tolerable than aphra.

I KNOW ANON. I am not sure she was actually intended to be Asian either, especially she didn’t look Asian from the start (she looks different in every series she’s in) but you can tell the creator just decided to write an OC but make her poc and gay so no one can complain about her (too bad Rose Tico didn’t get the same consideration). I honestly had no opinion about her till she was EVERYWHERE in the marvel comics and can I just say how she always pisses me off. She’s literally a female Kylo with an insane amount of plot armor that comes with being the creator’s pet. I really didn’t need ANOTHER brat. I have seen her being compared to Lando which made me mad because the Aphra fan implied Lando was a player which is not true (like he hit on Leia once? And didn’t even continue pursuing her?). That’s a shitty excuse to make Aphra hit on everyone. Her attitude is just infuriating. I actually liked Sana Starros but ofc brats like Aphra are more popular in the fandom.