Doctor Aphra #26 Review: The Spark Eternal Turns the Tables in Friends and Enemies

If you thought the Spark Eternal was taken out a little too easily in the previous issue of Doctor Aphra, don't worry. The fight continues in Friends and Enemies, with the Spark fighting back and really wiping the floor with Sana Starros and her team.



It's clear that the Spark is a Jedi/Sith level threat, and it seems as though regular folk like Starros and company don't have a hope of beating it. At this point, I think Vader and Palpatine are the only people in the galaxy who could beat the Spark in a duel, though even that is less certain now that it's armed with the Ascendants' null blade.



Thankfully, Doctor Aphra is working on a way to free herself from her mental prison. It's unclear what her plan is though, and who knows how long that will take. She might not free herself until the end of the entire Hidden Empire crossover.



Most of the issue is really just a big fight, with few plot developments, but it's an entertaining one all the same. It will be interesting to see how the Spark Eternal will figure into the Hidden Empire crossover.



Spoilers ahead...







We immediately discover that dropping a chandelier on the Spark didn't work. While the act itself shattered Aphra's legs, the Spark was able to quickly repair them itself so no harm was done. We then get an extended fight sequence with Sana and her crew desperately trying to lay a glove on the Spark with little success.



When droids Beetee-One and Triple Zero enter the fray, they are quickly nullified when the Spark impales them both with the null blade, which manages to reprogram them to serve it. As it leaves the room, it uses some kind of alternative Force persuasion technique on Kho Phon Farrus that convinces them to separate from Sana Starros and serve Crimson Dawn's Archivist instead. That's a new technique that I don't think we knew the Spark was capable of. Just another way to consider it the Sith's equal.



Whatever it is Crimson Dawn's planning, the Spark Eternal clearly approves of it. This makes sense, considering it's an AI created with the purpose of defeating the Sith, but it must be a good plan if an AI as intelligent and powerful as the Spark decides to support it. It leaves The Vermillion in Aphra's ship with Beetee-One and Triple Zero, intent on finding a Sith. It hints at visiting an old planet - perhaps an ancient Sith world? Surely there are no other living Sith apart from Palpatine and Vader, but if there was someone else, then that would be a very exciting addition to Star Wars lore. It just needs to be wrapped up before the events of Return of the Jedi.







Before she leaves though, Magna Tolvan grabs on to her during the big fight and manages to infiltrate Aphra's mind prison. We see there that Aphra is about to enact a plan of her own; thankfully, she was stopped, as it seemed that plan was to kill Miril with a lightsaber. For all that Aphra may have grown over the years, it's clear that her selfish survival instincts still take precedence over anything else. She might regret her actions a bit more now, but she'll still step on anyone to ensure her own survival.



Magna's presence stops her from doing anything drastic, and after a quick kiss, she sends her away seemingly imbued with a way to defeat the Spark Eternal. We have no idea what that method is, but writer Alyssa Wong tries to convince us its useless anyway when the Spark detonates Sana's ship with her, Tolvan, and the others still on board.







It's a weak fake out. It seems very unlikely that any or all of them died in that explosion, no matter how deadly it seemed, plus we've also learnt that Sana Starros is getting her own comic series next year, which would make any news of her death greatly exaggerated.



Fake out aside though, it was entertaining issue of Doctor Aphra, even if the story didn't move along too much. Hopefully, that won't remain the case now that the Hidden Empire crossover has finally begun.






<p style='text-align: center;']Rating: 6/10</p>






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