Star Wars: Captain Phasma

In the wake of “The Last Jedi” there’s been a lot of talk about how Captain Phasma is the Boba Fett of this new trilogy.  Specifically, in how she doesn’t do a whole lot in the films themselves but has a distinctive look and presence to captivate fans.  I’d also add that in regards to Fett, he came off a lot better after all the effort that was spent developing him in the Expanded Universe.  Consider this miniseries, and the book that was released last year, the first steps towards affording Phasma the same status.  As for the miniseries itself, it’s concerned with addressing a loose plot thread from “The Force Awakens.”  Specifically:  How did Phasma get out of the trash compactor after Han Solo and Finn dumped her in there?

The answer boils down to “by pure brute force,” but that’s only the start of the story.  You see, Phasma’s authorization was used to bring down the shields around Starkiller base and now she has to take care of that as well.  Only a lowly First Order tech accessed the records before she was able to delete them and now Phasma is on the hunt for him with a lowly pilot press-ganged into her service.  The chase leads Phasma and the pilot to a harsh, mostly-inhospitable planet whose seas are riddled with monsters and is inhabited by a dwindling number of colonists.

It’s the perfect kind of hunting ground for this utterly ruthless warrior and the story is a pretty great showcase for that attribute of Phasma.  Writer Kelly Thompson doesn’t give us a lot of insight into the title character’s thoughts or background (I guess you’ll have to read the book for that) and instead focuses on her determination to achieve her goal at any cost.  It’s enough for this four-issue miniseries and I thought it was refreshing how the writer kept the title character efficiently ruthless throughout the length of the story.  This is worth a look for people who have already taken a liking to the character, as well as for the art of Marco Checchetto.  Between his work on “Shattered Empire,” “Obi-Wan & Anakin,” and the first part of “Screaming Citadel” Checchetto proving himself to be the definitive “Star Wars” artist at Marvel.