– Spoiler Review –
Darth Vader arrives to bring Qi’ra’s plans to an abrupt halt, but Chanath Cha and her Orphans choose to get in the way. Will they stop him long enough to save Qi’ra’s schemes? Find out in our review of Hidden Empire #3!
I’ve been a big fan of Chanath Cha since she was originally introduced in Charles Soule’s Lando miniseries, a comic I cannot recommend enough for fans of Lando, noir, heists, or just plain good comics, and watching her journey in and out of stories has kept my interest just enough. Since she was included in Qi’ra’s collaborators, I couldn’t help feeling both elation she’d get a bigger role but also concern, as we all know Qi’ra’s plans don’t quite succeed like she’d want them to. So when last issue ended with Chanath and the Orphans ready to face off against Darth Vader himself, one of this series’ biggest plot armored characters, I was chilled but excited. If anyone could stand up to Vader and live to tell the tale, it would be Chanath and her team, as after all at least Chanath and her family stood toe-to-toe with him just long enough to impress him…and after her parent’s death, Chanath trained even more to the point Emperor Palpatine used her services (an attempt on her part to get to Vader, but it never materialized).
Since this is Hidden Empire and not Chanath and the Orphans, I’m not surprised the fight isn’t in focus as much, but it certainly feels like it wasn’t in it enough due to the issue having to focus on the entire cast and securing the all-important Fermata Cage. But what we do get is impressive enough, from Ladybright’s literal brightness giving them advantage enough to throw acid on him, buying them enough time to get the Fermata Cage onto their ship, Imara Vex’s pinpoint shooting, to Chanath using her family’s trademark bubble to keep Vader occupied. Since the Orphans care enough about one another, even a call from Qi’ra declining assistance isn’t enough for Ladybright to turn tail and run, despite Sear likely dead, Chanath by herself, and Imara lost to the jungle after falling off the ship, instead she tries to stay…only for the Archivist to tear her to shreds and take control. As she flies away, Kho Phon Farrus requests off, done with the whole operation, while Chanath looks on, her resolve against Vader failing. And the moment I feared comes to fruition, as Chanath meets her unfortunate end at Vader’s lightsaber, though at least she went out trying to fight him to honor her parents and seeing their mission continue. She has a ton of potential for future stories looking into her past, be it her time with Lobot way back in the day, other contracts for Palpatine, or even more time with her fellow Orphans before getting wrapped up in Qi’ra’s plans. I was very sad to see her go, but so far the losses in Hidden Empire hadn’t quite had a face to them yet, so it was bound to happen to someone we knew and someone on Qi’ra’s side. Goodbye for now, Chanath.
During the fight, Vader learns from Chanath’s reaction to mentioning Qi’ra’s death that she isn’t actually alive, a fact I’m still very surprised the Emperor or he ever considered was a possibility; I know her flagship was destroyed and she said it would live on without her, but I guess since Palpatine considers her to be so insignificant, it’s not too crazy for him to make such an assumption. Regardless of how they feel about her, she knows her own importance, telling a young Cadeliah (the heir to two rival crime syndicates on Corellia that sort of isn’t anymore) Chanath was a character in her story. It’s a cold moment, but a good reminder of how Qi’ra got this far, as she didn’t do it with smiles and warmth all the way, that’s for sure, no matter how good of a front she puts on for these side characters in her story.
The Archivist has the Fermata Cage and is bringing it to Qi’ra, meaning her plans are far from over, though we are definitely nearing the end, as only two more issues remain…
On art continues to be Steven Cummings, Guru-eFX on colors, and Travis Lanham lettering, a team which made my Top 3 Art Teams for 2022, so as you can imagine, I quite liked the art this issue. One of my favorite panels is an aftermath shot, as we see the Orphan’s ship reverse course all of a sudden, only later to see Ladybright destroy and strewn about the ship, the Archivist at the helm, Kho is shock at the debris in front of them. How did the Archivist dismantle Ladybright so thoroughly? She has on Kho’s Ascendant tech, which she must’ve stolen and then used to tear the droid apart. We didn’t need to see it, as the aftermath is more impactful anyways, especially in Kho’s surprised face and the Archivist’s determined look. I’m happy with how they handled Chanath’s death, as we see a saddened, sweating look to her face as she sees the Siroto reverse course, saying “Yes. Good,” and then the next panel is her face-to-face with Vader, his armor melted in places thanks to the acid, while she’s looking up now, resolute, almost happy, saying “This is good.” It’s anything but for her though, as Lanham’s SFX at the bottom of the panel tell us all we need to know about what we can’t see, though the next panel reveals the reality, a smoking hole in his chest as she falls away from Vader’s ignited lightsaber. There’s so much life and color to her and her outfit from Guru-eFX, and the imposing black of Vader’s suit, it shows the colorful, full life she lived but Vader’s color shows she ran into a great wall of death in the end. The panels of Vader submersing himself in the water and later reemerging after the acid’s been washed off are hauntingly cool, bringing to life a cover from Soule’s Vader run! Clutching his fist in anger, Vader calmly walks into the water nearby, a dark sunset on the rippling waves, and later the tip of his helmet breaks the surface, like a domed Jaws, revealing fresh damage to his suit from the acid but washed clean by the waters, a nightmare creature of 80’s horror past that just can’t be stopped.
Here are a few other things:
- Kho Phon Farrus leaving Crimson Dawn and their mission isn’t the biggest news if you’re already reading Doctor Aphra (Vol. 2), and if you aren’t, why the heck not?! Get on it, there’s a reason both writer and art team, and the series itself, made top marks in my 2022 Star Wars comics year-in-review!
- This issue’s Black History Month variant is Finn, as seen above, while issue #4’s Women’s History Month cover is Chanath, so we’ll see her again one more time!!
- Qi’ra’s story in the comics might be coming to a close, but the novel Crimson Climb has been announced which will chart her path of ascension in the Crimson Dawn ranks after Han parted with her on Corellia. It seems only to focus on the timeline of Solo: A Star Wars Story, so don’t expect this one to cover how she takes over the organization (but I imagine another book could be on the way for that).
Hidden Empire #3 moves pieces around the board in an action-heavy, yet still entertaining issue. RIP Chanath!
+ Chanath’s Final Fight…
+ Archivist’s Commitment
+ Send off for Chanath in art team’s good hands
– …though wish we got a little more of the fight
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.