Star Wars: Doctor Aphra by Alyssa Wong vol. 2 — The Engine Job

Aphra eventually managed to give ruthless collector Ronen Tagge what was coming to him in the previous volume.  Unfortunately this also managed to put her on the radar of Tagge family head, Domina.  Worse still is that Aphra’s actions managed to impress Domina, and now she wants the good doctor to do a job for her.  De’rruyet Industries is about to unveil what promises to be a revolutionary new hyperdrive that promises to either change the galactic economy or end the war between the Empire and the Rebellion.  Both of these outcomes would be bad for the Tagge Corporation, which is why Domina wants Aphra to figure out what the secret is behind this new hyperdrive before it’s unveiled to the public.  The thing is that the history behind this hyperdrive is long and treacherous, so the good Doctor is going to have to rely on some capable backup that she hasn’t backstabbed (recently):  Sana Staros.

I didn’t think much of writer Alyssa Wong’s debut on “Doctor Aphra” as it felt more like an exercise in ticking all the boxes in regards to the kind of story that you’d expect to see featuring the character.  “The Engine Job” makes a much better impression as there’s a lot more going on here and the execution feels sharper as well.  There’s also the fact that Aphra and Sana make a good flinty pair as they track down the hyperdrive’s origins, only to find out that it may not be everything it was promised to be.  Wong also does a good job fleshing out her new characters, particularly Lucky the sharpshooter, who finds himself being dragged down by family and past obligations.

This is all good, which is why I’m feeling a little let down by the art.  Ray-Anthony Height, Minkyu Jung, and Robert Gill all do serviceable work here, and not much more than that.  I’d hoped that the art would match the improved writing, but that’s not the case here.  At least the volume ends with a seamless transition into the “War of the Bounty Hunters” event, which gives me hope that this title will continue to improve with vol. 3.