In the latest issue of Marvel’s ongoing comic-book series Star Wars: Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith seeks out the help of his former assistant, rogue archaeologist Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra.
Those who have been reading the current-canon Star Wars comic books since they began in 2015 will remember that Doctor Aphra made her first appearance in Vol. 1 of the Darth Vader comic, eventually splintering off into her own title. Well now, in the wake of the opening of the Fermata Cage (as seen in the Star Wars: Hidden Empire miniseries) the Dark Lord has concluded that he needs Aphra’s help once again, in an effort to gain control over his own fluctuating powers. But Darth Vader #35 begins with Emperor Palpatine delivering some expository dialogue about the Fermata Cage and its effects to Sub-Administrator Sly Moore and Grand Vizier Mas Amedda, just in case new readers happen to be jumping on with this issue. Then writer Grek Pak cuts to the planet Sesid in the Outer Rim, where Dr. Aphra is competing in a game of Sabacc against some seedy characters, including one Sith Assassin Ochi of Bestoon. Naturally this means Darth Vader is nearby, and soon Aphra finds herself at the mercy of the Dark Lord once again. But with Palpatine having sent out bounty hunters in pursuit of the wayward Vader and his powers unpredictable, the fallen former Jedi Knight needs Aphra more than he is immediately willing to let on.
It turns out Vader remembers Aphra having trapped him in a device called a Kyberite Confessional (see Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, Vol. 1, #40 for more) and needs something similar to help hone his out-of-control powers. So the good doctor leads Vader and Ochi to a planet called Ringo Vinda (first seen in The Clone Wars animated series) where they find an artifact called the Zaly Shield, which was crafted by a Separatist scientist decades earlier. With Vader now possessing a means to focus his Force abilities– and Aphra having programmed in a safeguard to protect herself from the device), the trio seem ready to confront other, more pressing galactic matters. But first, they have to deal with the very dangerous-looking droids emerging from the darkness of this location, which gives us this month’s cliffhanger ending. I have a feeling this is all building up to the Star Wars: Dark Droids crossover event, which starts this August, but right now I’m still trying to put all the pieces together of what takes place when in the various ongoing Star Wars comic titles. With Luke Skywalker guest starring in Doctor Aphra and Doctor Aphra guest starring in Darth Vader, I’m going to need to do some serious Wookieepedia-ing to make sense of the proper order of things. Still, it’s great to see Vader and Aphra hesitantly back in each other’s company, and I like where this all appears to be headed as these assorted titles kick off new arcs in the wake of Hidden Empire. And so long as Pak and artist Raffaele Ienco keep up their excellent work in Star Wars: Darth Vader, I’ll be on board for whatever comes next.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #35 is available now wherever comic books are sold.