Review: ‘Hidden Empire’ #1 Sets the Stage for the Final Showdown
The final chapter in the unofficial Qi’ra trilogy is finally here. Charles Soule’s Hidden Empire #1 graced comic book shelves this week, and I’m happy to report that there’s hope.
While Crimson Reign itself was a solid miniseries, it’s felt like Marvel has been spinning its wheels with its other Star Wars series the lion’s share of the year, despite the occasional great moment. Now, Hidden Empire arrives with a purpose. Issue #1 is dense and has a lot going on, but it sets the stage for the climactic showdown between Qi’ra and the Sith in grand fashion.
Spoilers ahead…
The issue begins with a recap from the Archivist via the orb that two unknown individuals stumbled upon back in Crimson Reign #1. With the scale Marvel has been going for with this ongoing saga between War of the Bounty Hunters, Crimson Reign, and everything in the ongoing series, it’s appreciated. Of note in the recap, we are again teased with the fact that this will not end well for Qi’ra.
Sadly, we know that’s true, and this issue begins to show certain choices Qi’ra makes that could lead to her downfall. Her goal remains the same despite it all: Empire or no Empire, the Sith must be eradicated if the galaxy can survive. However it’s the dread of what’s inevitable that carries this issue.
Maul’s influence once again continues to be present. The hourglass artifact that was found in Crimson Reign #5 is revealed to be the Fermata Cage, which is something Maul searched for back when Qi’ra was under his wing. Details on what the cage is would naturally be saved for later.
Now that it has been found, the Archivist and Kho Phon Farrus (refer to Doctor Aphra #26 for the reason why she’s now with Crimson Dawn) work with the Knights of Ren to unlock the cage’s secrets.
Elsewhere in a throne room though, Emperor Palpatine sits privy to Qi’ra’s schemes and sets his own plans in motion to quell her shadow rebellion. He meets with the heads of the crime syndicates, including the first canon appearance of the one and only Prince Xizor, and puts a swift end to the in-fighting by revealing its source, Crimson Dawn and Qi’ra. Darth Vader and elite forces — like the one and only Inferno Squad — are also put into action.
The gall to just casually include two big-time appearances (sorry Vader, you aren’t important). Fingers crossed both play a bigger role later in this series – we know Inferno Squad will appear in next week’s Revelations special.
With the players set and the stakes clear, the rest of the issue can get going. The Empire finds the Vermillion, Crimson Dawn’s flagship, and Qi’ra knows she is out of time. She is hailed by the Emperor himself, and the two have a chat that spans most of the issue. A lot of the conversation revolves around Maul and his ultimate failure that Qi’ra can’t accept. It’s a scene laced in false hope as we, the audience, know Qi’ra’s plight is foolhardy. She remains confident though, having a potential trump card in her back pocket with the Fermata Cage that would become a factor.
Qi’ra plays her hand, setting the Vermillion against the Star Destroyers that surround it. Soon after, the Emperor then likens her life to Maul’s as “not quite good enough” despite all the potential she may have shown. Qi’ra then moves to prove him wrong.
Stationed elsewhere, the Archivist and Kho are summoned to try and activate the Fermata Cage despite not being ready. The Knights of Ren are hooked up to a contraption meant to use their dark side energy and break open the cage. When turned on, the Knights of Ren receive an intense shock, and the cage is unleashed. Naturally, this is enough to cause a disturbance in the Force.
We then see a side of Palpatine rarely, if ever before seen. Looking shocked and petrified, Emperor feels that disturbance and demands to know what Qi’ra did. The Crimson Dawn leader then potentially overplays her hand in revealing what she found. The Sith Lord knows exactly what this means and proceeds to Force choke Qi’ra through their connection, refusing to believe this potential new threat.
Upon releasing Qi’ra from his grasp, the conversation continues. It is revealed that the Fermata Cage has the ability to use the dark side and freeze moments in time, even unfreeze what was frozen. Qi’ra reveals Maul sought the cage to do just that. Long ago, the cage locked away an ancient Sith Lord that Maul found. His goal was to free them and finally get his revenge.
Qi’ra states her intent to finish what Maul started no matter if it takes her own life. This speech happens in conjunction with panels displaying the implosion of the Archivist and Kho’s contraption along with the Vermillion plummeting into a Star Destroyer. The next page is fake-out city as we are meant to believe Qi’ra was onboard as it explodes, taking a Destroyer with it.
The fallout follows as Vader is tasked with finding the cage before it can be solved. The Knights of Ren meanwhile are understandably not too keen to continue being science lab guinea pigs. They leave of their own volition.
We also rejoin Qi’ra, shockingly alive and well, who says that despite these setbacks, all was part of the plan. It’s fine she says, everything is fine. Soule then goes full meme narrator mode as the Archivist’s orb narration sends us off.
Hidden Empire‘s greatest challenge is going to be making you care about the end result, as it’s already fairly clear what’s generally going to happen. Qi’ra can’t win. What I appreciated about this issue is that Soule doubled-down and used that to his advantage. Most of the issue focused on Qi’ra, and a lot of page time was spent adding to the impending dread that surrounds her ultimate fate at the end of this. He is making that the core of the story, which is the right approach. Combine that with the lore of the Fermata Cage and there are some tantalizing elements to look forward to. It’s inevitable that this mysterious Sith Lord will arrive, so what threat will they bring?
In terms of a setup issue, I can’t imagine Hidden Empire #1 being much better. Some character choices left me a bit baffled, and the art of Kho Phon Farrus had them looking like a totally different character from their appearance in Doctor Aphra. It’s not my story though, and it’s hardly the first time an artist has a different take on a character. Either way, if all the potential this issue tees up comes to fruition, Hidden Empire going to be a special time.
RATING: 8.5/10
Nate uses his love for Star Wars and movies in general as a way to cope with the pain of being a Minnesota sports fan. When he's not at the theater, you can usually find Nate reading a comic, listening to an audiobook, or playing a Mario video game for the 1,000th time.
