"Doctor Aphra #13: War of the Bounty Hunters: Guest of Honor" by Alyssa Wong

"Doctor Aphra #13: War of the Bounty Hunters: Guest of Honor" written by Alyssa Wong, illustrated by Minkyu Jung, Victor Olazaba, and Rachelle Rosenberg

This was an overall enjoyable issue although it didn't seem like all that much happened...except for our 4 protagonists getting in hot, hot water! Yes, as is standard for the "Aphra" comics, things go very, very bad. And I am so here for it, forever intrigued by Aphra's abilities to get out of terrible situations!! The series continues on with both storylines, both taking place on the Vermilion, Crimson Dawn's ship: 1) Ariole and Lucky trying to assassinate their old mentor, Crae, and 2) Sana and Aphra escaping the auction now that Vader has joined the party. 

We start off with Aphra recovering from her PTSD-fueled anxiety attack of last issue, Sana pulling her up and pushing her forward as they run to escape the main auction room. Their plan? Find the Falleen whose necklace Aphra bugged and see if they got anything good enough to provide to their benefactor, Lady Domina Tagge. They quickly discover that the woman isn't just a member of Black Sun, but that she's also a secret Crimson Dawn spy!! And all the data they were able to scavenge from her necklace and her droid is encrypted with Crimson Dawn cyphers. You'd think this revelation and all the associated information would be enough to convince Aphra that it's time to run...but let's face it, our favorite rogue archaeologist is never satisfied and she proposes that while everyone is distracted by the auction, she and Sana explore the Vermillion (Crimson Dawn's flagship where the auction is being held). Anyone smell a REALLY bad idea?? Needless to say, the hunt for more treasure does not pan out as Aphra had hoped... (Check out the image below of Aphra and Sana after the former told her ex about how she created an ice planet diversion for Vader to keep him off the tails of the Rebels. Sana believes her, unbelievably...yet also thankfully since it is true! Also in regards to this panel, apparently proximity to Sana can still make our girl blush with the best of them!!)

Ariole and Just Lucky are still fighting Crae but their old mentor is winning handily. Crae tells the two boys, "The Sixth Kin is a sinking ship. Wen Delphis is ambitious, but as her power grows, so does her paranoia. I watched her eliminate the people closest to her. One by one. It was only a matter of time before she turned on me, too." Okay, so if that was a situation I was in, I'd want out too!! And quick!! Unfortunately Ariole and Just Lucky will not listen and will not stop attacking, leading to the arrival of Deathstick! The Crimson Dawn bounty hunter seems chummy with Crae, which could only mean one thing--he's also working for Crimson Dawn! It's starting to seem like everybody's on their payroll...

Things are looking pretty darn bad for all 4 of our main characters. And now that they are indisposed for the foreseeable future, I wonder if Vader will ever find Aphra, the woman who left him trapped and tattered in an icy wasteland that was NOT Hoth and nowhere near the Rebels. (Tython to be exact--something I still have a hard time reconciling with "The Mandalorian" since the Meridional Ice Caps appear to be saturated with the Force...so why did the Jedi build a temple in the barren desert-like part of the planet and not this Force-heavy icy part? Were there two temples?? I don't feel like I've ever heard of two temples on one planet before. Maybe there were two foci in the Force?? Also, Aphra specifically says "ice planet" but what we see in "The Mandalorian" is definitely NOT ice. I'm flummoxed...) I can't wait to see what tricks Aphra has up her sleeves this time around!!

I'll leave you with a picture of Qi'ra battling Vader as Sana and Aphra escape, Aphra making the comment that all you can hope for is Vader hyper-focusing on his mission and that the mission isn't you!! Well in this panel at least, the mission is most definitely Qi'ra, although we know he drops her pretty quickly once he hears Skywalker is on the way...

This comics crossover event continues to impress and I am super pumped for the "Crimson Reign" announcement!! How will Crimson Dawn play into the last waning days of the Empire?? We'll be finding out soon enough!