Star Wars: The Crimson Empire Saga

Star Wars: Crimson Empire #0-3

by Mike Richardson, Randy Stradley (Editor), Paul Gulacy (Illustrator)

Collects Star Wars: Crimson Empire (1997) #0-6, Star Wars: The Bounty Hunters - Kenix Kil #1, Star Wars: Crimson Empire II: Council Of Blood (1998) #1-6, Star Wars: Hard Currency, Star Wars: The Third Time Pays for All, Star Wars: Crimson Empire III - Empire Lost (2011) #1-6, Star Wars: Crimson Empire Handbook. The blood-soaked tale of the last surviving member of Emperor Palpatine's Royal Guard is now complete in one edition! From revenge to redemption, the story of Kir Kanos takes him from the deserts of Yinchorr, to the halls of Imperial power, and to the inner circle of the New Republic. Included are encounters with Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker, and Leia Organa Solo. An epic tale in one epic tome!

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

509 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2012

About the author

Mike Richardson is an American publisher, writer, and Emmy-winning producer. In 1986, he founded Dark Horse Comics, an award-winning international publishing house located in Milwaukie, Oregon. Richardson is also the founder and President of the Things From Another World retail chain and president of Dark Horse Entertainment, which has developed and produced numerous projects for film and television based on Dark Horse properties or licensed properties.
In addition, he has written numerous graphic novels and comics series, including The Secret, Living with the Dead, and Cut as well as co-authoring two non-fiction books: Comics Between the Panels and Blast Off!.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way back when, before the even the prequels, Dark Horse released a Star Wars series called Dark Empire. I still have the first issue. I didn't like it that much. Anyways, this is apparently the follow up to that series. I picked it up last year when it was on sale for a very, very cheap price after some other SW fans kept raving about it.

I'm honesty not sure we read the same blasted series because ugh.

Okay, I should note that part of the reason why I didn't like the Dark Empire thing was because clones - very few things actually look at the ramifications of cloning and the implications and issues (Apple TV's Foundation strangely enough is one of the few that actually does this in a good way). Therefore, clones usually get an eyeroll from me. So, there's that.

Anyways, Crimson Empire is about those red guys who look like they can kick butt but never did bloody anything but walk out of a room. Which I suppose is a good job if you can get it. Apparently, one of them betrayed the others so the sole surviving loyal is on the hunt for traitor dude and other dudes to wreck a bloody revenge. But it isn't really that bloody, and he isn't really that likable. And then there is the sole woman who goes into battle wearing a nice cleavage revealing suit because of reasons and who despite the fact that our "hero" killed her close friend and second in command and is an Imperial, falls in love with him because . . . . I have no idea why to be honest. And yes, Lucas put Leia in a metal bikini but that was when Jabba took her prison. Not prison Leia (and pretty much all the women in the films) do not dress like when going into battle.

Also the hero seems to get various personality transplants.

And I just don't care.

[Peter Derk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ah, Crimson Empire. The Star Wars tale that I remember reading in the grocery store every morning before school started. Not only did I re-read most of the issues without ever buying one, I became indignant when I saw they'd stocked Crimson Empire II pt. 1 before putting out the conclusion of Crimson Empire the first.

The audacity!

For those of you who aren't up on your Star Wars, these books are about the last of Emperor Palpatine's last Imperial Guards.

For those of you who are less up on Star Wars, these were the guys in red who never said a word and I think were mostly excused from rooms before big reveals.

For those of you who are even less up on Star Wars than THAT, these guys were like Stormtroopers but in red and they carried some kind of sword thingy.

For those of you... oh, fuck this shit. At this point there's no context anyway, so who cares?

It's always dangerous to go back and read stuff or watch stuff you enjoyed as a kid. For some reason, it's almost never how you remembered it.

But we all know that already, right? The danger there.

What was really interesting to me in reading this book was noting a few things about the Star Wars universe that I'd never noticed before. Here are a few:

-SILENCE!-
This has to be, hands down, the most uttered word in the Star Wars universe. You could hardly turn the fucking page without some poor sap being told to shut the fuck up. There were even moments when a character, answering a direct question, would get the response of SILENCE! I don't know why this has such a hold on these people. I don't know if I've ever been told to be silent, and I can't ever shut the fuck up.

-Cute Names-

It's like Stan Lee in the 60's. Kir Kanos. Kenix Kill. Carnor Jax. Mirith Sinn. Where are the dudes named Jim? The more I think about it, the more sure I am that Luke's parents were total asshole and that in their universe a name like Luke is our universe's equivalent to naming your son "Clamdigger."

-Darth Vader-

It makes sense. The dude is cool. But fuck me, in this timeline he's been dead for a decade. How is it that there's always a flashback that involves Vader? Or someone will say they were trained by Vader. By the way, Vader seems to suck at training because he's always slashing people and busting their eyes out and strangling them from across the galaxy. I mean, rather than using magic powers to crush someone's windpipe, maybe use some of the Force in the job interviews and hire some people who aren't total incompetent penis heads.

-Hutts Being Pieces of Shit-

Ever since we saw Jabba the Hutt, every Hutt is the same thing. A fat, crime boss asshole guy who gets in over his own head. There has to be one Hutt who decided to climb out of the gutter, right? Maybe has a family and goes jogging to keep the weight off? Isn't really interested in feeding subordinates to creatures? That must be the primary topic of discussion at Hutt family reunions, what kind of creatures they're feeding people to these days.

-Killing Subordinates-

This is the favored activity of every Star Wars baddie, from the lowest of the low all the way up. They just sort of...kill people. They never say, Hey, quit fucking up. They just push them off a cliff or stab them in the head. They also really enjoy fighting their "best man" hand-to-hand and then killing him. Which is a really weird way to run a company. Can you imagine if Google decided to kill their best programmers just to show everyone they could? What the fuck?

-Scarred-up Dudes-

It sort of makes sense, right? With the increase in technology, medical technology would come a long way too, which means people would be surviving some really fucked up shit. What hasn't made the leap is cosmetic surgery. Except possibly boob jobs. There seemed to be a lot of what I would assume are boob jobs. Speaking of...

-Aliens with Gross Faces and Hot Bodies-

Take a Playboy model, slap a crazy bug face on her, give her some fishnets, you've got a Star Wars character, no doubt.

-Live Music-

Seems that there's ALWAYS one of those weird guys who looks like a Sea Monkey wearing pants and a shirt playing some kind of clarinet around, but I've never seen anyone put on a musical recording. For people who have such a hard-on for music, you'd think they'd have figured this out by now.

Anyway, that's all very critical, and I'm sure a deep Star Wars fan could easily put away half of these points. However, a true Star Wars fan is also forced to defend the indefensible. There's a guy named Dash Rendar. What else can I say?

[Sud666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hardcover collection known as the Crimson Empire Saga is a collection of tales revolving around former Imperial Guardsman Kir Kanos. The first part of this large tome (it's 500+ pages) is the series that started it all- Crimson Empire.

The story starts after the events described in the now-classic Dark Empire I & II. The Emperor is finally dead and there are no more clones for him to embody. The Ruling Council of the Empire was complicit in his death by having his clone bodies destroyed. One of Palpatine's Guard, Carnor Jax, was involved in those machinations and now he stands poised to become the new Emperor. One of the last surviving Guardsmen Kir Kanos opposes him. The rest of the story revolves around the conflict between Jax and Kanos. Along the way we are treated to a close up look at how the Imperial Guard were recruited and trained. To serve the Emperor is not an easy calling. The story has some great cameo appearances by Darth Sidious and Darth Vader who are involved in the selection of final candidates. Along the way of this epic duel between the traitor Jax and the loyal Kanos- we are shown corrupt Imperial outposts and your usual requisite of unwashed, full of angst, proto-socialist rebels who support the New Republic. The true story still revolves around Kanos' quest to find justice for his fallen Emperor.
At the end of the CE story, we get a solo-one shot of Kanos spending his time as a bounty hunter and still fulfilling the motto "Thus die all traitors" as he works his way through an Imperial backwater.
The next story is the Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood. This series is not nearly as good as the first CE, but it's adequate. Kir Kanos, in his guise of bounty hunter Kenix Kil, has some adventures with Grappa the Hutt and a defunct Imperial Interim Council. Kanos spends far too much time away from hunting down traitors and, to my taste, far to much of the story is focused on the New Republic and the Interim Councils machinations. The Council is looking to find a new Emperor in the wake of Jax's death and the New Reublic is still, well, hunting down Imperials. In between this mess, we have Grappa the Hutt and Black Sun running a scam which replaces key figures on the Council with clones who will be more amenable to Black Sun's agenda. Again, not a bad story- but it didn't have the epic nature of the first CE. It was essentially a New Republic-Imperial Council-Black Sun story with appearances by Kanos. The Imperial Guardsman in him comes out in the end when he again lives out his motto of "Thus die all traitors".

There are two one shots that serve as filler between the main stories. In one awfully illustrated short story, Kanos settles scores with a surviving member of the New Republic scum from the first CE storyline and the second one-shot is ubiquitous Rebel-scum Mara-Sin (who has been a character from the first CE arc) blathering about how "THIS TIME" she is going to kill Kanos (as opposed to the three or four other times she has tried to kill him, plus the time she actually SAVED his life, plus the two or three times Kanos saves her) to Rebel-Scum Leia. This leads directly into the third of the CE arcs. Crimson Empire III: Empire Lost.
This last story is close in quality to the original and centers on a group calling itself the Imperial Remnant that wants to destroy both the New Empire and the New Republic. This story has some classic famous characters such as Leia, Luke and Solo. Instead of some obscure part of the SW story, it focuses on main characters from the original SW story. Kanos continues on his quest for traitors but is also coming to terms with the fact that the old Empire and Emperor are gone and no more to be had. He decides to throw his lot in with Mara Sinn and help to take down the new head of the Imperial Remnant who fancies himself to be the next Emperor.

The entire series is quite good. CE I & III are both 5/5 material. The CE II and one shot stories were in the 3/5 range. But, put all together it is a truly great tale of one of the Emperor's loyalest troops. The artwork is excellent for the most part (the one shots need some work) and the story has appearances from some of the most famous of SW characters. A tale that should be enjoyed by any fan of SW. It is a welcome addition to my SW collection.

[Eric Mesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as Star Wars stories go, it was OK. It goes along with Dark Empire in the immediate aftermath of Return of the Jedi. Everyone's making their power plays after Emperor Palpatine's death. I haven't seen Star Wars VII so I don't know what direction Disney has taken the franchise, but what I like about these pre-Disney Star Wars canon stories is that they show that rebellion is not just overthrow the Emperor and then everything is fine. There's still an entire bureaucracy with some inertia and people who were doing just fine under the old system and would like to have it stay, thank you very much.

This particular story is about one of the dudes in the red costumes - the elite guard for the Emperor. It turns out that someone paid off the doctor who made the Palpatine clones to make them defective so he could be come Emperor. The royal guard, having sworn allegiance to the Emperor take this as offensive as if he'd killed the Emperor. So one guy decides to go after this traitor. His path intersects with the New Republic, but it's a pretty boring story of little consequence. Skip it or read the original comic (I heard the audio book).

[Ill D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A not so long time ago, and within a galaxy not so far, far away (∞) a little boy used to be the biggest Star Wars fan ever. His monomania grew with each release of the aggrandized (to some bastardized) Special Editions of the Trilogy. Intergalactic worlds populated by equally fantastic characters bound by an eternal mythic structure gave delight to his young eyes. Delight gave way to supreme ecstasy with the discovery of the rapidly expanding EU (Expanded Universe) for his puerile consumption.

Thousands of pages of increasingly commercialized literature/video games/ and most importantly comic books were consumed with a religious conviction that thinly bordered on obsession. Electrified laser swords danced alongside the ever onslaught of blaster fire and the ever present seductions of the Dark Side within the young boy's mind daily.

While others grew into more age appropriate likes and interests as they grew older, namely sex and drugs, the young boy's mind remained enraptured/fenced (in) within the mental sandbox of George Lucas' design. While his peers experimented with drugs, alcohol, pornography, and premarital sex, he remained steadfast in his devotion to this otherworldly realm.

In was during this time that the first and second issues of Crimson Empire were released. The first cast a great story populated by equally great characters: Kir Kanos, the betrayed Imperial Guard, Mirith Sinn, the young rebel leader, Carnor Jax, the betrayer, alongside a bevy of other great illustrated actors were thoroughly enjoyed. It remained for many years, one of his favorite comic book series in the Star Wars canon.

Months became years. And years became decades. Further movies, comics and, especially video games, set within this realm came and went. Although still enjoyable, the cracks of reality and the encroaching enclosures of social life decayed what was once a feverish faithfulness to Star Wars, and more importantly what it represented. A Black and White morality play that was suffused with predictable Paladins that would only fight for good (Skywalker) and Black Knights (Vader) that served only evil, seemed unwieldy at best and downright puerile at worst.

Exams came and went. As did girlfriends. Forms were filled and the journey of college was undertaken. Although the occasional comic or movie that was re-watched trickled forth, Star Wars remained more or less in the background. Issues of politics and religion flew to the front and the dreamworld of youth was more or less forgotten.

Still within the the same galaxy yet, more recently than a long time ago a random trip brought the grown up child face to face with what was Crimson Empire III. Svelte fingers delicately lifted the surprise from a shelf at the local public library. A cool smile grew alongside further pleasant discoveries: the rest of the series was neatly stacked adjacently. And they were checked out with delight.

Once again, the delights of youth were enjoyed once more. Older, and hopefully wiser eyes raptly sped through the first two offerings. Kir Kanos still presented a unique character within a well forged narrative that blended quite well the Post-Dark Empire (I/II)/ Empire's End series that preceded it. Betrayal, lies, and suffering were depicted alongside good character development that made for an enjoyable reread.

Crimson Empire II offered a similarly pleasant read. Although marred by some suspect character development and equally suspect decisions of artistic design, it generally retained the flavor of the first. While not necessarily improving on the first, it certainly did not dip beneath the quality of the first. Kanos still remained a somewhat elusive figure not driven by simplistic morality nor suffused with a heart of gold but, remained a self interested soldier still dedicated to his Oath of yore.

With whetted lips, Crimson Empire III was peeled open. Inky illustrations graced fingers first, then eyes next. Whetted lips began with a smile. Then they flat-lined after about the second issue.

While not awful, or bad in any particular way, Crimson Empire III was a bit of a let down. For a series that was resumed more than a decade later (that had undergone it's own development hell) the lack of originality and fresh new characters left a stale impression in aged eyes.

Mirith Sinn had been reduced unbelievably enough, to a mere body guard for Princess Leia. Not only did this not fit her character but, the ensuing character development suffered as well. Far from the confident/tough squad commander of yore her new role seemed a mis-match at best.

Kir Kanos' development toward the anagrammed bounty hunter Kenix Kil (which began nicely enough in Crimson Empire II) had degraded slightly. With a predictable and unoriginal full circle toward the red-armoured figure of before, it seemed as if the character wasn't given any room to grow or develop at all. Kir Kanos felt static more than anything.

Other depictions of stock Star Wars characters seemed merely to drive sales more than anything. Boba Fett showed up in the intro for nothing more than a cheap hook. As did the Skywalker progeny and Solo as well, they simply followed their roles. The filler of characters was compounded by the filler of action. Larger panels gave less room for thematic development instead, narrowing in on somewhat dully predictable action.

Needless to say the third offering is, somewhat sadly, the weakest and most disappointing. Again, for a series that was finally picked back up again about ten years later one might have hoped/wished for some fresh ideas to have percolated up to the surface during that decade. Instead it was just more of the same with some slightly updated artistic sensibilities.

Conversely, what made (makes) Crimson Empire so much fun was (is) the sheer uniqueness of the series at every level and the potential that freshness (could have) offered. Kil wasn't driven by morality but by his own sense of duty and the history that forged it. Likewise, the character of Mirith, even though a Rebel, was driven by her own convictions and equally shaped by her own personal history.

It was this existential veneer that made the characters believable but, more importantly, likable as well. Furthermore, it was really cool to see the characters grow in change some what in Empire II. Both were feeling somewhat unfulfilled with their previous commitments and wished to leave it all behind. Although vocalized somewhat in III, Mirith's character development doesn't quite veer of in that direction. Neither for Kil, who completes another predictable full circle to be a bounty hunter again.

In either case, Crimson Empire I and II remain solid reads within the Star Wars Canon. Flawed sure but, still fun reads with equally fun characters and stories that can be reread for continued enjoyment. Crimson Empire III not so much. Maybe if Sinn and Kir had jetted off together towards another adventure. Or perhaps some terrible fate had left one dead, there might have been some long lasting impression for the reader to enjoy. In stead, the the last two issues moved the story way to abruptly to care about. No pretty pink bow to tie it all up neatly neither.

But alas, too much time off the burner left the narrative ossified, resulting in a stale presentation at all levels. What could have been was in the past. The first two should be savored as the proper dishes they truly are. But, the third feels more like an appetizer served at the wrong time during a meal.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow, in the decade that this little bricklike omnibus has been sitting in my piles, waiting to be read, it has become worth over $300.00. Yikes.

Anyone want to buy my copy?

[Declan O'Keeffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Crimson Empire 1. reading the legends comics in mostly release order for the very first time, this was so unique and one of the best legends comics I've read thus far.
2 and 3 fell disappointingly flat for me.


On reread along with the Audiodrama. CE1 is still a lot of fun. 2&3 still do not stand up in comparison.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Repetitious, and far to many indistinguishable villains.

[Jedi Sunni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crimson Empire #1

Great start and seems to have a good tempo. With just enough story structure and action to make this engaging. The darkside shows how heartless they really can be. I give this issue a 4.6 out 5.0.

Crimson Empire #2

The story starts to pick up with the introduction of some new characters and a peek at the back story of Kanos. The Empire still hot on his tail and not all of his new friends are friendly. I like the art work and the story line continues to evolve. I give this issue a 4.5 out of 5.0

Crimson Empire #3

Well, we get more great action scenes and the slow death of an empireal general. I have also enjoyed the cover art up to this point with its amazing detail. I like how each issue gives you just enough to keep you interested in that issue but there's always a little cliff hanger at the end. I give this issue a 4.2 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire #4

Well this continues to be a interesting story line. I like the way the story is unfolding. There is still enough action keep me focused but it the addition at the end of this issue that excites me most. My rating for this story is 4.8 out of 5.

Crimson Empire #5

It appears to be a setup for the ultimate throw down. The crazy thing is that with star wars your not always sure who will prevail. Oh and how can I forget there are star destroyers and super star destroyers. My rating for this issue if 4.3 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire #6

I thought this was a pretty good finale and it gave me a good look at what the future might hold. We have a very unique story line with evil versus evil and evil appearing to help good. The question is can evil ever really help good? Which will be answered in this issue. My rating for this issue is 4.7 out of 5.0.

Star Wars: The bounty hunters - Kenix kil #1

To watch Kanos exact his revenge with such cunning is truly remarkable. I love how the writer constructed this piece and the art work is pretty nice as well. My rating for this issue is 4.5 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire II: Council of blood #1

Much has transpired since the death of Jax with the council deciding on a new leader and new bounty hunter on the scene I'm not sure what to expect next. I will say there is quite a bit of intrigue and a good storyline to build upon. My rating for this issue is 3.5 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire ll: Council of blood #2

I can't wait to read on! I am currently reading on kindle fire and the art work is really solid and I am so enjoying the storyline. I just love the Hutt's and what they bring to the story. My rating for this issue is 4.7 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire ll: Council of blood #3

with revenge on the horizon some serious information has leaked to grappa the hurt, but will his sloppy moves and quick temper lead to his down fall. I am also finding the back ground characters quite enjoyable. The art In this issue remains consistent as well. My rating for this issue is 4.3 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire ll: Council of blood #4

On the run from Zanibar, there looks to be a relationship being forged that could blossom into a romance. There some exciting fight scenes as well as interesting creatures. The story line continues to develop as we get to know the characters. my rating for this issue is 4.2 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire II: Council of blood #5

The story is really starting to heat up. The council is extremely volitile, with very weak leadership. Our hero may have stumbled upon a love interest of sorts. The most intriguing piece of this story is the Hutt's involvement, which I very much enjoy. My rating for issue is 4.5 out of 5.0. I really enjoyed this issue.

Crimson Empire II: Council of blood #6

Another big moment takes place in this issue with the death of a key member of the empire. Kanos is as cold in this issue as he is in any other. What I don't understand is how his allegence lies with a dead emperor. Whst will he do after his revenge is exacted? I guess time will tell as I read on. My rating for this issue is 4.3 out of 5.0.

Dark Horse Extra #21-24/Dark Horse Presents #1

The story as well as the art in the first story was unique, the Art alone in the next issue is breathtaking. The details are unbelievable. The last story to me is star wars meets the punisher, Vigilante justice seem to be to overwhelming theme here any ways. My rating for this issue is 4.3 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire lll - Empire Lost #1

Wow this book keeps getting better. We get a surprise visit from one of my favorites which gives me something yo look forward to in the next issue. Kanos also takes out several bounty hunter in another display of just how lethal he can be. My rating for this issue 4.5 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire lll - Empire Lost #2
The plot thickens! Kanos is back in his royal guard garb ready to exact his vengence. The Empire is changing but who is really behind all of the moves being made. Then there is Sinn who seems to still be fighting her own demons. There are multiple event that are taking shape at this time. My rating for this issue is 4.2 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire lll - Empire Lost #3

The story just keeps getting better with the appearance of Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker. This is seems to be setting up really well for a grand finale. Our main character even seems to be going through some changes. The details in the art has stayed consistent. My rating for this issue is a 4.7 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire lll - Empire Lost #4

This is a very short issue so not much to talk about here. There was a near disaster with a young Republic captain and Kanos is expected of treachery. Oh, and a huge explosion. My rating for this issue is a 4.2 out of 5.0.

Crimson Empire lll - Empire Lost #5

There are has been some strategic moves made in this issue that could lead to this war continuing for extended time. A very important person seems to have been killed which adds to the turmoil. My rating for this issue is a 4.4 out 5.0.

Crimson Empire lll - Empire Lost #6

This was a great ending to a very good novel. This novel actually took me over a year and a half to read which is not indicitive of how well written this story was as a whole. This had all of the elements you look for in a story even the element of surprise. It was action pack with really good character development. My rating for this issue is a 4.8 out of 5.0.

[Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine. A lot of this feels like it was from the 90's. I haven't read many Star Wars comics, but if you want to read one about a minor character's adventures, this might be an okay one to check out. It follows a former Imperial Guard after the death of Emperor Palpatine. At first he goes out for vengeance on the Emperor's enemies, then becomes a bounty hunter, and then helps out the rebels because he likes one of the members. I'm not even sure if it's canon anymore.

[Michael Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was younger, I loved the Dark Empire comic series so much I can barely even describe it. At that time I was absolutely ravenous for anything Star Wars. I read everything I could get my hands on, and it wasn't ever enough. Dark Empire was one of my favorites.
Crimson Empire is ostensibly a continuation of the Dark Empire I and II series. It tells the story of Kir Kanos, the last remaining Imperial Royal Guard. The Royal Guards are among some of the coolest designed characters in Star Wars, but very little is known or has been written about them. That's one of the things that makes this series unique. Kir Kanos is still loyal to the Emperor and has vowed to hunt down and kill those responsible for his death. It's a fun story, and this is a great package. It contains Crimson Empire I, II, and III, as well as two side stories and a handbook. You really get your money's worth. Aside from that, I enjoyed reading about that era again, characters like Nom Anor, Leia being Chief of State, and the young Solo children were fun to return to.

[Tyler Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good. I loved seeing everyone after all the events of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. I laughed at to many peoples deaths. There were so many that deserved it.

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regardless of how you feel about it, Tom Veitch's Dark Empire was a highly influential comic series for both Star Wars and the comic scene in general. Though I found it lacking in anything worth really getting excited about, the fact that I was able to read a series I had hear about so often as a young Star Wars fan, and be able to count myself among the many who almost claim it to be a right of passage for all fans, was a pretty cool experience.

The same kind of things can be said about Crimson Empire, even down to it's influence and relative importance in the Star Wars comics heritage. I didn't find this series to be anything amazing (again, I will always compare any Star Wars related comics to the fantastic Legacy series), but I'm glad I was able to procure a digital version and read the entire saga in one fell swoop.

The complaints I have with Crimson Empire are similar to those I had with Dark Empire. There's a cool story running throughout, and there are quite a few good scenes of action and the setting of the panels makes for some great angles that would translate well to film, however, Stradley and Richardson really aren't all that amazing of authors. Somehow, they make an ex-imperial royal guard's tale of revenge and redemption drag on far too long, and place him in situations that only further the plot for more issues. The supporting characters, from their own actin to their desires and motivations are weak and seem just penciled in as a way to get Kir Kanos from one place to another. Even the bad guys, Canor Jax and Devian, and Nom Anor fall victim to being less than perfect villains who are far too easy to kill or dismiss.

On the plus side though, Crimson Empire is miles better than Dark Empire in terms of its panel placement and illustrations, especially in the last installment. Paul Gulacy's realistic sketches and great use of light and shade made for a visually impressive conclusion.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Crimson Empire takes place after the Emperor's death and before Rise Of Skywalker made a big ol' mess of things. Divided into three sections, the reader follows the story of Kir Kanos, a former personal guard of the Emperor's. (Ya know, those guys dressed all in red who never said or did anything in the movies.) In the first section we learn a little bit more about the royal guards as Kanos swears to avenge his fallen leader. The second section has what is left of the Imperial council taking over a luxury resort and sitting around and talking. At least in the last section our original SW gang finally makes an appearance as Kanos learns to let the past die and moves on with his life.

The artwork was... inconsistent, to put it nicely. The aliens were done alright but the humans, yeesh. Most of the humans had the same faces, and those faces and heads would sometimes be disproportionately larger than the body. I theorize the artists were devoting most of their time and attention to the gravity-defying breasts of the female characters. That's not how boobs work, boys.

I mean, look at this:

[Robert 'Rev. Bob' · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad for a Legends series, but the timeline seems to be a bit wonky with respect to a certain figure. In these comics, he appears thirteen years after Yavin, but in the novels, he shows up twenty-five years after. I suppose it's possible that he really was skulking about for a dozen years between those appearances, but that seems like a long time for him to essentially go dormant.

As for the main storyline, it's serviceable enough. Palpatine's last remaining royal guard's adventures make him a target for just about every faction in the post-Jedi galaxy. The New Republic doesn't like him because he's loyal to Palpatine's Empire, the criminal element wants to collect the bounty on his head, and the assorted Imperial remnants either don't trust him or want him to join them as a potent symbol of their prior status. Those factors combine to make him a human Macguffin, someone who always ends up reacting to the machinations of the big players.

It's not a bad story, but his tendency to get drawn into so many key nexus points wore thin to me after a while.

[Rocky Sunico · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great example of some of the crazy even campy heights that the Legends story explored with seeming unbeatable characters like Kir Kanos, a former member of Emperor Palpatine's Royal Guard. It's like he was written with the characterization that the Royal Guardsmen are awesome and so he became the best personification of that awesomeness. Despite all the odds and somehow becoming the most wanted man alive by both the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant. This collection gathers all his stories and it's a mixed bag with some interesting art, but on the whole, it's still a lot of fun.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say this one was pretty decent, above average at the very least.
I found the artwork leaps and bounds ahead of "Dark empire", and the story did kept me interested the whole way through. Though the single comic in the middle was incredibly out of place and was a major drop in quality. Luckily it was just one issue out of a series so it doesn't detract from the rest of the story beyond being a bit jarring.
Overall this one isn't anything that blew me away, but still a solid series I'm happy to add to my shelf.

[Joran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This trilogy isn't necessary to read, but I thought I would anyways, and I think I liked the third one the most, the first one second, and the second was all over the place and made almost no sense. It is cool to see immediately what happened after Dark Empire, and Kir Kanos training flash backs were pretty sick. I loved his dark past. The villain in the first and third comic were great, and my favorite character in the second one would have to be the Hutt character. He was just...really funny sometimes with how bad he treated people and selfish he was.

[Marco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Least creative thing in Star Wars since episode 9

I know a lot of people complain about how Disney has “ruined” the canon of Star Wars. Well those people obviously haven’t read anything like this from the old canon. It’s lazy, uninspired and cliche. The art is also awful, every woman looks the same and the characters you know look like a melted version of who they’re meant to resemble

[Szilver · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Crimson Empire is an actually interesting story, which expands the Star Wars lore very well, with an interesting protagonist. 9/10
The Council of Blood is rather boring because it overcomplicates a story that doesn't not need that. 5/10
The Empire Lost is once could be interesting but chooses to be a boring fan service and not really caring about it's realy main characters. 7/10

[Steven Shinder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I should’ve known something that kinda had Dark Empire in its backstory wouldn’t be as good. Strangely, I got more invested when the OT characters popped up in the last third, but Leia’s dialogue sounds too proper at times, and there’s no way a fakeout death for Luke is gonna convince readers.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An epic collection

Nothing compares to the great first story but the conclusion of the story sets up the events of the entire collection. The art varies from old school sci-fi to modern day Marvel house style.

[Jamie Manley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was really good. I’m a huge fan of protagonists on the “wrong side”, so this was really cool for me. I liked the relationship between mirith and kanos, I just wished there had been a less open ended conclusion to their story. And wedge showing up with lusankya was awesome. 4.5 stars.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 well written and fast paced story arcs! There are some other bits that have been included that add very little of value, but I suppose are technically part of the saga. I went into this with fairly low expectations, but I was very pleasantly surprised!

[Christian Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

This was the first saga I read on my phone in the Kindle version and it was a great read. The transitions from scene to scene add some suspense and dramatization. Highly recommended!

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty awesome collection of graphic novels for those who can't get enough Star Wars. It spells out the fate of Emperor Palpatine's famed personal guards after his demise. Artwork is quite well done and the story line doesn't drag on. The book itself is a work of art in it's own right.

[Justin Yost · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first couple graphic novels are pretty decent when it's just Kir fighting Jax but after that they just get boring and so caught up in the sweep of history everything is lost.

[Mr A Dhanani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quality

I love these comic books. Good storylines and nice animations
I like the different takes on what happens after Endor. This is well worth the read

[Jake Scholl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved this series as a kid, however it hasn't aged too well. Try the Kevin J. Anderson Star Wars comics instead, or the excellent ones Marvel is putting out.

[Isaac Carreon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Brilliant characters