Published: November 16, 2022
Rated: T
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Steve Cummings
Inker: Victor Olazaba
Colourist: GURU-eFX
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Paulo Siqueira, Rachelle Rosenberg
The synopsis;
• The mysterious syndicate CRIMSON DAWN and its leader LADY QI’RA have become the galaxy’s most wanted criminals, as EMPEROR PALPATINE realizes the scope of Qi’ra’s plans against him and moves to destroy her.
• But Qi’ra still has tricks up her sleeve, and with the help of the KNIGHTS OF REN and her many other allies, she will not go down without a fight!
The review;
It feels strange to think that we are so near the end of this epic trilogy. What began with War of the Bounty Hunters and continued with Crimson Reign, affecting every ongoing Star Wars series for the last two years, comes to an end in Hidden Empire. Not only that, but the man behind such a feat, Charles Soule, has also been working on The High Republic era with some of his fellow writers. I’ll be honest, I’m not quite sure how he does it. In the time since Crimson Reign, we have seen Qi’ra gain more power, having a far greater impact on the lives of the galaxy, enough for the Emperor to take note. but how will it end? We know the events of Return of the Jedi, that somethings can’t be changed. Yet Soule is the master of showing things from a different point of view, to make us reevaluate how we see scenes, characters, and events in the films we love so much. So, let’s dive in and see where he shall take us now.
For any vision to work, you need a great artist to bring that vision to the readers. Steven Cummings does an incredible job with the artwork in this issue. The facial portraits of the characters show so much emotion, particularly with the Emperor, this is crucial for getting across what Soule needs him to. The ship battles, the comm exchanges, Cummings never fails to provide a cinematic experience to Star Wars. And cinematic it should feel. Soule is creating (and providing) and grand tale, using the Archivist to explain everything. She is able to sum up everything for new readers (again beautifully illustrated by Cummings, who manages to do a double page spread of every Star Wars series with a few panels!) before moving onto the story at hand. The way Soule writes it, you know that this is on a scale that we can’t even imagine.
This is of course Charles Soule. He is never going to just tell a tale, there are going to be questions, so many questions. The first is who the Archivist is speaking to. She is communicating to two robed individuals. Jedi perhaps? Then there is an implication that the two characters have met Qi’ra and could have possibly helped her in her task. Doesn’t limit the choices down that much and also, we have no idea when this conversation is taking place. Thank you, Mr. Soule! Because the questions just won’t stop there, there is a lot surrounding the Fermata Cage, namely who are we expecting to be contained in there? An ancient Sith? This being Soule surely it has to be a Sith we know, but which one?
As the story continues, it is like a treasure trove of who’s who. We see Kho Phon Farrus from the Doctor Aphra series and I’m pretty sure the events of that current issue can in some way be explained by what we see here. We see the inclusion of Inferno Squad, which was a very pleasant surprise, as well as Maul (and that panel by Cummings – chef kiss!). Soule is able to bring all these different elements together in such an effortless way.
But the key to this issue are the characters, namely Qi’ra and the Emperor. They have a face off and we can really see these beings for who they are. Qi’ra isn’t after power, she’s following on from Maul. I love that Soule fills in this gap between now and Solo, of what happened within Crimson Dawn. Maul had a plan that Qi’ra is trying to follow, not for power, but freedom. Freedom for herself and the galaxy as a whole. Her intentions are good ones, she wants to help others escape the tyranny of the Sith. When we see the two hooded figures talking about how they could have helped Qi’ra, you can’t help but wonder why she wasn’t more open. Much like the infancy of the Rebellion that was composed of lots of different factions that had to learnt to join together, why did Qi’ra not think of joining them? The comic answers this explaining it was a matter of trust, which is completely understandable, but it creates such a hamper for her end goal. It’s a fascinating insight into her for both old and new readers and Soule does have to work a careful path of bringing new readers up to speed while not boring returning fans. Of course, he does this with practiced ease, always something for both sets of readers.
What made the biggest impression on me was the Emperor. We know he is all powerful, that he feels invincible, yet Soule dives deep into how the Emperor thinks. This is an individual with no fear, with one exception – not knowing. Through Qi’ra we see how the Emperor can actually be manipulated by the fact that he is determined to know everything, every outcome and every threat against him. When he doesn’t? Cummings captures these moments with precision, there’s no need to explain how the Emperor feels, you can see his frustration. It is very rare that we get to see the Emperor played the way Qi’ra does, and rightfully so, but when it does happen it is a thing to behold.
This is just the first issue, the starter to a very meaty series, yet it is one that delivers on so many levels. New readers wondering what’s happening will be pleased by the quick recap while experienced readers will like the new directions the series goes (and I’m sure liking a quick recap for themselves!). Soule answers but he also taketh away by providing questions that will (they will, right?) be answered by the end of the series. What has struck me every time about this trilogy is the cinematic feel to both the writing and the art and this issue is no different. This is what Star Wars is, and the different parts of the franchise are seamlessly drawn together, woven into a piece of cinematic vision that should entertain all fans. The wait for the next issue? Ok that won’t entertain any of us! It’s going to be a very long few week’s.
Availability;
Hidden Empire is a 5-part mini series published by Marvel comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available via the Marvel App, ComiXology and all good comic book stores.
