Star Wars: Hidden Empire (2022-2023) #2

Star Wars: Hidden Empire (Single Issues)

by Charles Soule, Paulo Siqueira (Cover Art), Steven Cummings (Artist)

The plans of Lady Qi’ra to use an ancient Dark Side weapon known as the Fermata Cage to destroy the Sith are falling apart, and she has lost many of her primary resources and allies, with Darth Vader drawing ever nearer. Can she salvage victory from certain defeat?

Genres: Star Wars, Comics, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels

22 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 7, 2022

About the author

Charles Soule is a #1 New York Times-bestselling novelist, comics author, screenwriter, musician, and lapsed attorney. He has written some of the most prominent stories of the last decade for Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm in addition to his own work, such as his comics Curse Words, Letter 44 and Undiscovered Country, and his original novels Light of the Jedi, The Endless Vessel, The Oracle Year and Anyone. He lives in New York.

Reviews

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Empires need enemies. They need a justification for all those weapons… For all those soldiers. A reason for their subjects to be afraid, so the people will tolerate a level of control they would never otherwise allow. Palpatine was very good at finding enemies.”

Hidden Empire 2 continues the final chapter of Charle Soule's Qi'ra trilogy. Qi'ra has openly declared war on Emperor Palpatine and is forced on the run while her trusted operative known as the Archivist is trying to summon an ancient Sith that has been trapped in time.

I am so excited about this series and even though this issue was not as good as the first one in this book, I still really liked it. Charles Soule has done wonderful things with Qi'ra as a character, and I just cannot wait to see how her story ends. I'm also super intrigued by the Fermata Cage and this Sith suspended and trapped in time. I love it when Star Wars gets super weird and fantastical, and this is definitely one of those moments. So cool.

I am also happy to see Kho Phon Farrus in this story, as they are a character I really came to love in Alyssa Wong's Doctor Aphra story. They are also not only a cool character in terms of personality and story, but also in terms of design: I love their species and look. There are other characters from other on going comics in this series as well. There are people who are gonna play a big role that have only really appeared in the Bounty Hunters comic, for example. That can be a bit tough sometimes because I might not have read the comic they appear in, so when they appear, I don't really have a clue who they are or what their story is. Luckily Wookieepedia is always there to clear things up!

Cannot wait for issue 3!

[Elwin Kline · Rating 1 out of 5]

"I did not like it." - 1 out of 5 star rating.

This really isn't doing it for me.

As a whole, there is way too much foreshadowing going on versus just letting things flow naturally. Everyone from Qi'ra, Palpatine, Vader, you name it - they are just spelling out every move and thought, play by play. Hard dislike. "I'm coming to get you now!"

The whole all powerful mysterious ancient alien artifact thing... it's just super lame to me as well. A giant hourglass, inside of a glass bacta tank... that somehow alters space time... the whole thing is pretty dumb. Also upon use, it has to be jumped to a new location. How the hell is a Grandma (the Archivist) moving this thing around without a squad of Wookiees or a team of load lifter droids... I mean seriously...

I hate to say, but this thing is also loaded with nothing but 'Girl Bosses'... and not even good ones at that. More like, Act 1, Story Mode Girl bosses... with literally the only male representatives being Palpatine and Lord Vader.

If you are going to go the Girl Boss route, give me damn Real Girl Bosses. Such as, the likes of Doctor Aphra, Mara Jade, or even Suralinda Javos... not this crap.

I hope this has a drastic improvement in the remaining three (3) issues. Regardless, thankful that this is a short one with only five (5) comics total.

Onward.

[Marius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into Exile I Must Go

While Qi'ra is on the run the Archivist still experiments with the Fermata Cage. Kidding around with Force related objects is never a good idea as it will bring other Force sensitive beings on your track. A filler issue without much new information. One big and decent reveal. I still very much enjoyed watching both sides arranging their figures on the battlefield. Very cool artwork with many iconic characters. Solid cliffhanger. 4/5

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really enjoying the plot to destroy the Empire. If there was one flaw in this issue it would be that Kho Phon Farrus sounded too happy, not herself, at least not in line with the Aphra her. Oddly she reminded me of Willow from Buffy...

[Adam Barrett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda campy character Kho Phon Farrus I can't stand. Totally unnecessary, the Archivist could have done the activation by herself. Dumb. The interaction between the two is boring. Like wasted valuable pages in the series. Only good part was when she shocked the crap out of the Knights of Renamed.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit of a drop-off.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

#2 – The Dawn Fleet – “PALPATINE was very good at finding enemies.”