Comics Focus: Phasma - Future of the Force

Captain Phasma gets her own adventure in this comic mini series

Set immediately after the events of The Force Awakens, Phasma tells the tale of how Captain Phasma escaped the trash compactor Han and Finn dumped her in and made her way to the First Order rendezvous point. In it, Phasma makes her way back to the control room to access the records and wipe the evidence of her part in the destruction of Starkiller Base. It’s there she discovers that a young officer also accessed the security log and decides to pin her crimes on him. We are also introduced to a young female Tie pilot who accompanies Phasma in her escape from Starkiller Base. Together, the two pursue the officer as he escapes and lands on a nearby planet. It soon becomes clear that Phasma will stop at nothing to find and kill the officer and thus save herself.

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This comic gives us a mini inside look into Captain Phasma as a character. She is so underutilized on screen, so it was great to get to see her fleshed out more here. There is a panel with a brief flashback that left me curious for more of her past, but I guess I’ll have to read Delilah Dawson’s novel for that. This comic did clue us in into how ruthless she can be and how determined and obsessed she is with her own survival. She’s doing what she does not out of loyalty to the First Order as her pilot companion initially believes, but to save her own skin. It makes one wonder if Phasma has any loyalties at all except to herself.

I liked the addition of another female pilot in this one. TN-3465, or “Pilot” as Phasma calls her, was a great way to show that the First Order has woman pilots just like the Resistance. She also made a good foil for Phasma. I really liked her as she seemed to not be the type to blindly follow orders, or to completely agree with First Order doctrine. I was really hoping we might see more of her in the future, but alas, her questioning of Phasma means we won’t.

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Introducing Kelly Thompson

This is Kelly Thompson’s first series for Marvel’s Star Wars comics. She previously penned the Annual #2 included in Yoda’s Secret War that I liked, but this is her first full series. I enjoyed the story she crafted here for its simplicity and its characters. While I do wish the series had been longer, it was intended to be completed in the lead up to The Last Jedi.

The artwork was completed by Marco Checchetto who I was pleased to see was back, this time for a full series. Together they made a great team.

I highly recommend this one to anyone who is a fan of Phasma or who wants to know more about the mysterious First Order Captain.

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