"Doctor Aphra #12: War of the Bounty Hunters: Party Tricks" by Alyssa Wong

"Doctor Aphra #12: War of the Bounty Hunters: Party Tricks" written by Alyssa Wong, illustrated by Minkyu Jung, Victor Olazaba, and Rachelle Rosenberg

This was a fun one for sure!! I'm also finally getting a feel for what this "epic crossover event" is going to look like. I accidentally read "Darth Vader #14" before reading this one and was confused by the fact things got out of hand rather quickly. Well, that's because more of the story is told in "Doctor Aphra #12." It's not that one happens after the other, but that one fleshes out the other. So it looks like we're going to be getting different perspectives of the same chain of events as this crossover event continues. For example, in DV14 and DA12 we see Jabba, Bokku, and Sly Moore (the Empire) in a bidding war for Han. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw another perspective of this scene in an upcoming "War of the Bounty Hunters" crossover event issue. Not too different from what The High Republic publishing program is doing. And not too different from what it sounds like they're planning on doing with "Rangers of the New Republic," "Ahsoka," "Book of Boba Fett," and "The Mandalorian"! I have to say, I really am a fan of this kind of interconnected storytelling. It gives you a fuller view of the overall story and allows you to tap into that whole "certain point of view" thing. I dig it. I know it took me awhile to get on board with this style, but I think I'm there now.

So Aphra and Sana as well as Just Lucky and Ariole are separately headed to the Crimson Dawn's auction of carbonite-encased Han Solo. We meet Crae, who Just Lucky and Ariole are there to assassinate and I feel like there is SO much more to his story than is being told! Also, maybe it's just me, but I don't think he looks very human...weird. Anyway, the two much younger men won't let Crae talk and explain himself so an epic fight breaks out. It seems like Crae may get his chance to talk after all though...I wanna know what's going on SO badly!!

Aphra and Sana on the other hand are at the auction as part of a scouting mission for their employer, Lady Domina Tagge. Aphra sees a Falleen with a necklace she can't resist slicing into (it has some pretty nifty data chips as beads--see below). The Falleen is named Xet and is a member of Black Sun. She thinks that Aphra is working for Ebann Drake, the distant cousin of Lady Domina whose dead body Sana and Aphra stole the invitation to the auction from. I'm guessing the robes they're wearing were procured on that ship of dead people from last issue. See an image of Xet talking to Crae and Aphra/Sana in their stolen robes below.

But the absolute best part of this issue was seeing Aphra be human!! I always love when she's vulnerable and shows the chinks in her armor. When she sees Vader entering the auction, she begins having a full blown panic attack and I can SO relate! Of course, she has more to fear than I do when I've had my panic attacks lol. But by the images she's seeing and the emotions she's feeling, this isn't just fear, this is pure anxiety attacking her. Poor woman...I really hope she makes it out of this alive...*PLEASE!!* See the arrival of Vader below:

One last thing before I go. A mysterious shrouded man approaches Aphra just before Vader arrives and she thinks he's an old clone...could it be Boba Fett hiding in plain sight??? As Aphra puts it, "I recognize your voice from those Battle of Coruscant holovids. You're one of the old clone soldiers." To which he responds, "No. I'm not. I'm someone else. Someone you want on your side." And then Aphra later sarcastically says, "What do you want, mysterious, absolutely unique and definitely not cloned stranger?" I hope we find out who in the world this guy is!

I'll leave you with an image of Crimson Dawn's flagship, the Vermilion, and an image of Qi'ra in all her glory starting the auction!

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Marie E. Wilson a.k.a. @AliaMorgaine