"Bounty Hunters #15: War of the Bounty Hunters: The Gathering" by Ethan Sacks

"Bounty Hunters #15: War of the Bounty Hunters: The Gathering" written by Ethan Sacks, illustrated by Paolo Villanelli and Arif Prianto

Wow!! SO MUCH happened in this issue and it moved like crazy. Also, the cover art is creepy as hell. We see what's happening with Vukorah of the Unbroken Clan, we see Valance and Dengar as they attempt to get Dengar's ship back, and we see T'onga and Losha as they put a crew together to rescue Cadeliah. We even get some major crossover material with the current "Doctor Aphra" run!!! For context, this issue takes place before the auction for carbonite-encased Han Solo has even begun. So these storylines are seriously time-hopping which is something I'm surprisingly okay with because I have a pretty good idea of the overall current happenings in the galaxy now what with all the different perspectives we're getting. I'm really enjoying this ride! Also, apparently, Deathstick is an assassin specifically for Crimson Dawn and she is seriously after Dengar for a reason I either don't remember or we don't know yet...

We start off with Vukorah on Corellia being led to a safehouse by two of her underlings. But Deathstick is waiting (see below) and Vukorah is not happy so she kills the Mimbanese guy who led her there. She is brutal!! And I was under the impression that she was the new ruler of the Unbroken Clan but it turns out that Cadeliah's maternal grandfather is still in charge...he's just locked himself away in a tower ever since his daughter died. Very interesting. I wonder what his thoughts would be on the existence of Cadeliah?? Would it pull him out of his stupor?? Would he be willing to unite his clan with the Mourner's Wail Syndicate?? He has to be more forgiving than Vukorah...especially if he's been so deeply affected by his daughter's passing.

Meanwhile on Nar Shaddaa, Valance and Dengar are trying to find a way off planet, Dengar leading them to a transport shuttle going to Canto Bight so they can reclaim Dengar's ship. The catch? This shuttle is a TWO day trip!! Valance is not happy. But the cyborg does get out of Dengar what's in this whole business for him when the bandaged bounty hunter tells him about Manaroo, his love that is locked behind bars in Jabba's palace. Valance of course is extremely sympathetic to his cause--I love this guy so much. Once they arrive on Canto Bight, who do they run into?? Just Lucky and Ariole!!! What?!? My comic book worlds are colliding and it is wonderful!! Turns out it's the Sixth Kin that have Dengar's ship!!! Again, WHAT?!? See Wen Delphis looking scarier than ever below. Despite the sticky situation, Dengar owes the Sixth Kin a lot of money, Valance talks them out of it and they get access to the Punishing One. But then Deathstick arrives and starts knocking our two protagonists around. For a brief moment, Dengar and Deathstick are alone and it seems like Dengar makes a deal with the assassin but the reader really can't be sure. Regardless, Deathstick disappears and Dengar reveals to Valance that he now has an invitation to the Crimson Dawn party. I am so curious about Dengar's intentions at this point. We know why he wants to find Boba Fett, but what kind of information does he have to get Deathstick on his side?? I can't wait to find out...

We are planet-hopping like mad in this issue because we go to Nar Kanji with T'onga and Losha. They're looking for some muscle to join their crew (on a mission to bring Cadeliah to her paternal grandfather in the Mourner's Wail Syndicate). And who is T'onga hoping to recruit to the cause?? None other than Tasu Leech!?! The future leader of Kanjiklub himself (see below). His opponent appears to be a super-sized Zabrak with a sword for an arm called Rodrigu Battle. Tasu wins the fight handily and joins up with T'onga and Losha. They then travel to a Gand floating sanctuary deep in the Outer Rim (see below) where they try and recruit a very beaten down Zuckuss to the cause. He looks awful!! (see below) The poor guy is extremely upset about losing his partner 4-LOM to reprogramming (all the droid wants to do now is kill Zuckuss). I kinda feel bad for the guy. After T'onga says she needs the "best Findsman in the galaxy" on her side, Zuckuss joins up as well.

With the main "Bounty Hunters" storyline still going strong with T'onga and Losha's mission to reunite Cadeliah with her family, I feel incredibly grounded in this series. There's plenty of "War of the Bounty Hunters" action with Dengar and Valance as well, creating a fabulous connection across comics. I cannot wait to see what happens next!! Full disclosure, I just realized that I bought the "War of the Bounty Hunters" series' first comic after it released so I haven't been getting the "War of the Bounty Hunters" issues delivered to my Comixology...meaning I'm two issues behind on that mini-series. Goodness this is just SO much to keep up with!!! The checklist at the end of each issue that's a part of this crossover event is helpful but as soon as a new month comes around, it dumps the previous month, making it incredibly difficult to see the bigger picture...I need a full on infographic with a timeline lol. Now that I am caught up with all the necessary purchases, my next review will be of "War of the Bounty Hunters #2". I'm excited!