Comics The Screaming Citadel (One-Shot, Star Wars #31-32, Doctor Aphra #7-8) (5/5 Released)

What the....

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Luke killed Mara?!

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well, at least Ktahthuke is still canon.

 

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-Leia feeling it's Luke
-Luke being free
-Sana and Dr Aphra moment
-Leia flirting Han and not attacking her friends
-Luke/Leia hug

 

Shippers need not fret.

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He only killed the humanoid body. Pretty sure Mara is alive at the end. So given how it played out, Ktahthuke ship was really between the bug symbiote and Luke. Aberluke lives.

 

I didn't HATE Aphra 8, but it wasn't good.

As others have said, the best parts were

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Luke giving Aphra a dressing down.

Sana and Luke bonding over being screwed over by Aphra.

Murder droids being the most consistently written throughout this arc.

The art was a nice step up from SW 32. I honestly would have been fine is it was at that level the entire arc. Getting straight B's is better than getting A, D, C, D, B in a row


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-I like the artist a lot, except sometimes with Luke's facial expressions. But overall I like the style.
-I feel like they went to far in the other direction with Leia, and suddenly she's acting way too nice to Han.
-Han's big plot moment of freeing the Queen's slaves easily could have been given to Luke, and would have fit Luke a lot better. Other than that, Han's entire presence in this series wasn't needed. Leia pretty much the same.
-When did 000 get turned into a yenta? First with Leia, then with Aphra. He's the most emotionally aware and sensitive psychopathic robot around.
-It really annoys me that the writers still haven't told us what went on between Sana and Aphra, even though they seem to have resolved their tension for the moment. Aphra even started to talk about it, but the writers didn't go through with it. Again! I did like Sana, at least temporarily, forgiving Aphra and seeming to move on.
-The Aphra/Luke confrontation just afterwards was interesting too, as we saw aspects of both that we don't see very often. Aphra was genuinely apologetic and penitent, Luke was genuinely angry and unforgiving.
-Luke/Aphra had some fanfic-level obvious hints about their feelings towards each other towards the end, with their confrontation and then Aphra and Luke sitting with their respective crews, both lamenting how much they're annoyed by the other. Classic.
-Didn't like any of the villains besides the Queen. They were totally forgettable.
-But I'm really happy the Queen, or at least her archetype, survived. What we saw of her new host looked intriguing, and her obsession with Luke should prove interesting. The ending, all the ship-teases included, left me very intrigued for the future.

 

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Mara shipping aside, and more seriously, It's obvious the old host was an innocent girl, just like the new host

 

Why on Earth do people keep

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calling the Red Queen "Mara"? Are they serious? Is this a joke? Is this semi-serious? What do they have in common apart from being redheads?

 

Characters that have been called Mara Jade:
-Jyn Erso
-Dr Aphra
-Sana Starros
-this Queen
-Laura Dern's character
-Snoke
-any girl who talks to Luke Skywalker

 

LelalMekha,

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I started shipping her and Luke. However, in all seriousness, when I said, she is also a redhead, anyone thinking what I'm thinking? I was just shipping new redhead/Luke. But someone said, yes, Mara for canon! so I just went with it. Now, however, I just thinking you know, what if she is indeed Mara in the disney canon? Evil redhead, who somehow ends up marrying Luke? Also, the new host is also redheaded? Mara?! Did they finally made you canon? tl; dr: semiserious

 

Jedi Jessy

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You forgot Ciena Ree! She ends up with Emperor Snoke!Luke!

No way Ciena ends up with Thane. He ruined her. No Ciena/Thane shipping for me!

 

It's a joke.

But the red queen really is Rey's mom...


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Finally, this event is over. Can't say I'll be rushing to buy the trade given the chatter about it all.

Although, the way things are looking there may not even be an OHC of this!

 

I was so glad when the previous arc (Yoda and the mountain stuff) ended. Then, I hoped that the next arc (Screaming Citadel) would be good. Now I'm sooo happy that's finally over too. I sure hope I won't feel the same way about the next one. Time for a positive change.

 

TBH, the main series has never been that good. I only followed this arc for the cool (on paper) concept, and because I'm already reading Aphra. And I may not do that second one again, since I'm a big believer in voting with your wallet.

 

I don't think there is a next "arc" yet.

33 - Luke and Leia stranded on a planet
34 - Lando and Sana pull a heist on (Coruscant?)
35 - Han takes a job smuggling for a Hutt.
36 - Secret Agent Terminator R2 rescues C-3PO

One more issue and that would fill a TPB, then we might get the next "arc"


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I completely agree with you. To tell the truth, I am really considering the option to stop reading the main series and Poe Dameron. I just skimmed the latest issue of the latter, and while the art is ok, I've lost interest in the story some 10 issues ago. I don't feel any interest to sit down and read it properly. Here's hoping that Doctor Aphra will get back to form come next issue and that the new Vader series will live up to it's potential. Otherwise, the miniseries might be our only hope.

 

oh well, the art got improved. These faces are actually showing some emotion

At least in the next arc they crew will be well-dressed.

 

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A lot of this arc was pointless or not capitalized on enough, but overall I enjoyed it. I loved Aphra and Luke's interactions and where this takes Aphra as a character. She clearly feels bad about betraying him and the hinting at her liking him and feeling ashamed of who she is can be great for moving her forward as a character. The villains in this where weak though.

I LOVED the way Gillan wrote Luke though. That scene about the Jedi ideals and emotion nailed the Jedi in a way I don't think anything in the comics has thus far. We get some ok lines and platitudes but I think Gillan really gets the reason the Jedi don't let emotion control them. Can we give him a PT era book?

 

they should just turn this one into the next arc.

 

I will concur that, yeah, Gillen wrote a pretty darn good Luke.

 

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I was a little whiplashed by Luke telling Aphra to "stay the hell away" from Luke and his friends. She betrays him several times over the arc and he always maintains the belief that there is good in her. And then this time Aphra legitimately comes back to help him (even if it is by implanting a symbiotic in his cranium), and NOW is the time for Luke to put her in her place?

I do like the Queen as a character both aesthetically and in substance. Beautifully drawn character and the artist in issue 8 really owns this character and draws her as well or better than the one-shot. And the fact that she lives on through another host is very intriguing. Very cool that the prior Queen who died may have merely been an innocent that was "possessed" by whatever it is that has taken over this new woman. Looking forward to seeing the new Queen catch up with Skywalker in a future issue.

 

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I think this is Luke's breaking point cause this time she flat out left him. Sure she came back but I think her flat out walking away when he is suffering hurt him a lot because he stood up for her this whole time.

 

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Aphra actually saved Luke and for the first time gave justification to Luke's belief that she was "good". Aphra also delivered to Luke what she had promised at the onset of the mission. Luke just realized it wouldn't be helpful to him after his encounter with Rur. IMHO, strange time for Luke to run cold on Aphra considering she actually saved him and delivered the goods (the crystal).

 

I liked it mainly because Aphra is one of my favorite characters and Gillen always writes her well. Do wish they would be completely done with this Screaming Citadel storyline but it looks like they will be picking parts of it up again sometime later.

They are so setting up a potential Luke/Aphra relationship for later on. They made it very obvious that both have feelings for each other. I am getting to the point that I firmly believe that if Luke ends up being Rey's dad Aphra will wind up being being the mom. I think Marvel is just waiting to see what Rey's parentage ends up being before they really start delving into a Luke/Aphra relationship storyline.

Jedha John it seems they are setting up the traditional love interest situation where they make eachother so mad because they actually really like one another. It isn't that much different from how Leia viewed Han for the first movie and a half.

 

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It has nothing to do with the crystal not turning out how he wanted it to. She saved him AFTER showing that she was willing to betray him and his friends to die. Yes she came back but clearly after a guilt trip and her feeling guilty to do the right thing does not make things any better for Luke. Aphra has shown Luke she is not evil but she has also shown him that she is not good. He says she is delusional because she used him as a shortcut to get what she wanted. The goods and saving him do not diminish the fact that she clearly hurt him a lot by even thinking of and trying to walk out on him. Yeah Han did a similar thing in ANH but I think Gillan is making a point of that with the mention of how similar they are in issue 1. I think it's clear Luke has some feelings for her which make her betrayal hit home more than Han leaving did to him. Her coming back and whatnot likely still bugged him because he likes her and is hurt that she would even try to leave him to suffer and everyone else to die. I can believe that Luke would be volatile after feeling his heart get stomped on.