Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Steven Cummings
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 2, 2022

I think I am going to have to reevaluate what I thought this mini-series is. Maybe it’s on me, but I kind of looked at this as more important than some of the regular line books (Aphra & Bounty Hunters, I’m looking at you), and maybe I came into it with higher expectations than I should have. Don’t get me wrong, some big things happen here, but it felt forced into this book a bit.

This is an Ochi and Deathstick issue where they are both sent on missions by Q’ira. Ochi is basically sent to punk the Emperor and while I love Ochi, this did feel like filler. Cool filler, but still filler.
Deathstick, on the other hand, gets sent to “take Cadeliah off the board.” If you have been reading Bounty Hunters, you know how big that is. But, if you are reading Bounty Hunters it might throw you off that it happens here. It makes sense for Q’ira to want Cadeliah, but still.

There is more going on with Deathstick, though. We get a quick backstory that ties her into the Deathsisters and the Clone Wars which was cool, but also see her hesitate about a job for the first time. It is obviously the beginnings of some redemption and that will surely involve Cadeliah down the line. Also, by the end, Ochi messes with the Emperor and gets a new droid sidekick and Q’ira gets her gal.

Overall, I still don’t see why we needed this mini when you’re grabbing plotlines from the other books and adding silly situations (Deez skipping breakfast – if you read it, you know what I’m talking about) to fill up page space Also, Charles Soule got more jokey than usual and it threw me off a bit. However, The art is fantastic throughout, and a special shoutout to Guru-FX for the great colors!

Final Thoughts:

Star Wars: Crimson Reign #2 gives readers a bit of bounty hunter action with Ochi and Deathstick, but having a huge plot point from the Bounty Hunters series happening here feels odd. It looks great throughout, but this series has felt smaller than I thought it was going to be, but maybe that’s me and my crazy brain hyping it up too much. Hopefully, there will be more to hook me in the next issue.

6.5/10