Crimson Reign #2 by Charles Soule (4.5/5)

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 In the second issue of Crimson Reign, Charles Soule, once again, blows one’s socks off. Simply wow. At first, my main thought is that I would have liked to see more of Qi’ra, fighting, plotting, etc., but then I realized that she was fighting in this issue, just in a different way. She’s fighting by using the strengths of those close to her to make her stronger.

It was great having Ochi of Bestoon pull off a job on Coruscant, and Steven Cummings did an amazing job of making me tense up seeing the Imperial Palace, the former Jedi Temple, in Palpatine’s image. That one really hurt and gave me a moment to pause. Just wow. Although, it does make sense that Palpatine would take the former Jedi Temple as his seat of power, it was built atop a Sith shrine after all, and is a location of stronger power than even that of the Galactic/Imperial Senate.

This issue really sold for me just how well Qi’ra knows those who are loyal to her and what they are capable of, what makes them want to fight and kill. Qi’ra stipulates that there are three reasons why a person kills, and we have good examples of all of these: Faith (Jedi), Hope (Boba), and Joy (Vader). While she suggests that Ochi operates outside of this (Fear), Deathstick is closer to the second one. She is fueled by revenge, and believes that her life will be better when Palpatine is destroyed. Showing Qi’ra’s intelligence in this way is astounding and gives us more of a glimpse into the type of baddie that she really is. I don’t think she’s specifically a bad person, I do believe that she is fueled by survival, and knowing how people operate is key to that. I want more people to appreciate the complexities of Qi’ra and her character because she is so fascinating to me (and sort of relatable in a weird way).

I do have a feeling that each issue of Crimson Reign is going to make me love Qi’ra more and more, because that’s how it’s working already. I give this issue a 4.5/5 stars and I really cannot wait for the next issue to come out. If you are an Original Trilogy fan, a Solo fan, a fan of girlbosses, please read this comic series. It is nothing short of brilliance on not only writer Charles Soule’s part, but brilliance on artist Steven Cummings’ part. Simply wow.

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