Star Wars: Crimson Empire II - Council of Blood

Star Wars: Crimson Empire #2

by Mike Richardson, Randy Stradley, Paul Gulacy

Following the death of Imperial Guard turncoat Carnor Jax at the hand of the last Guard, Kir Kanos, the Galactic Empire suddenly finds itself devoid of a leader, and an Interim Council is assembled to rule the Empire until a new Emperor can be selected. But when Council members become targets for assassination, Kanos becomes the prime suspect and again stands at the center of a storm!

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Genres: Star Wars, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Comic Book, Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 1999

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

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just not as good as first volume, but the opening credits Star Wars movie style where a nice touch and when the X-Wing squadron attacks in the end you can almost hear John Williams' iconic theme in your mind while reading.

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great continuation of Crimson Empire. I liked Kanos before but now I'm in love with him *swoon*.

WARRNING: UNTAGGED SPOILERS (not only from this series)

OMG! THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF NOM ANOR!!! *fangirl moment*
Yeah, yeah I know it's a retcon but still the Nom Anor one of the best villains (in my opinion) in the Legends! That guy has cost me so many sleepless nights while I was reading the New Jedi Order. I had (okay still have) a fascination with the Yuuzhan Vong and especially their biotech. I knew that Anor appears somewhere in the CE series but still I was jumping up and down when it happened. That little cockroach! His schemes resulted in so many deaths of favourite characters and so many crying bouts from me. *sigh* I still can't get over Anakin's death.

So Kir Kanos is back and he's still after his vengeance mission. But this time he's playing it smart. He can't infiltrate the Council's place so he'll find another way to slaughter them. However there's a price on his head so he can't just waltz around the galaxy anymore so it's time for an alias. So he's pretending to be a bounty hunter and he wants to work with Grappa the Hutt. Mirith Sinn - the rebel commander from the first story arc (see I made an effort to learn her name this time around ;)) - uses her well known vendetta against Kanos as an excuse to infiltrate Grappa's operation.

Meanwhile the Council is playing power games and one by one the councillors get killed. They all think it's Kanos but this time he's innocent. Watching their scheming and inner power struggles is deeply disturbing. Would our politicians get so power hungry and so corrupt one day??? Anyway, there a lot more little plots all surrounding the Council and everyone is trying to influence it for it's own end, including the Black Sun syndicate and Nom Anor. So pretty much the councillors are screwed but their heads are so far up their behinds they can't even recognise it. They deserve the fate that befalls them.

One of Sinn's former lieutenants betrays her to Grappa and that results in yet another rescue from Kanos. So maybe he has a heart somewhere under that crimson armour :) I could definitely see the spars of attraction flying between Kanos and Sinn. I do hope they end up together.

The Zanibar gave me the creeps. I really don't like those zombie like freaks and their ceremonies. *shudders* But their planet seemed cool from purely scientific point of view.

Eventually Kanos manages to get to the Council with the help of Sinn (she saves him a couple of times along the way to even the scales) and he shows that he has a potential for goodness when he decides to spare some of the councillors. That, however, doesn't make him a friend of the New Republic and in the end despite Sinn's attempt at persuasion he leaves to pursue his own agendas.

Too bad that there's just one more story arc left :(

[Michael O'Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like so many sequels, this one, while mildly entertaining, was not as good as the first episode. It gets too caught up in minor subplots in which none of the characters involved are particularly likeable or engaging. This will probably be liked by those most heavily into the Star Wars genre, but not so much by others.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this one even better than the first. this collection had more intrigue and double dealing which I found entertaining. It was more than just a hack and slash comic. The characters are a little stiff but the comedy was good and I enjoyed the mystery behind the fight for council control.

[Callum Shephard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The odd thing about Crimson Empire is that, despite the cliffhanger ending, it was ultimately a complete story. Kanos had beheaded his arch-foe, the New Republic has claimed a world, and slipped back into the shadows to continue his personal war. While it was clear that the authors desired a trilogy, after such a definitive end it seemed like the sort of move which brings the likes of the Matrix sequels to mind.

Thankfully, it seems as if Richardson and Stradley took a long hard look at what worked with their first chapter, and asked one another "What can we do next that we couldn't do there?"

Synopsis

In the wake of Jax's death, the Empire's growing instabilities have led to a council taking power. Rather than a single dominant leader, a variety of generals, politicians, bankers and even aliens now have a voice within the Remnant. However, politics and backstabbing are still rife within this turbulent time. Despite his oath of vengeance, little has been seen nor heard from Kir Kanos in months, yet when Imperial leaders start to die with only the Royal Guard's symbol left at the scene, it seems as if his personal crusade is far from over. Amid this, operating on her own, Mirith Sinn has taken to hunting Kanos in a desperate attempt to bring him to justice.

The Good

A major strength of the original Crimson Empire was its apparent simplicity. Along with rapidly bringing the reader up to speed on current events within the first act, it was a streamlined experience. The focus was placed on a few key characters above all others, the full history of those involved was told through flashbacks and it led to a definitive final scene. Due to its nature as a sequel, Council of Blood couldn't quite follow that same format. It instead, rather than trying to rehash the same exact format, questioned what the previous book couldn't do and what they could build upon with a sequel.



The big point in its favour immediately is how the book broadens its focus without ever losing track of events. You have three major worlds with separate concurrent stories, and the comic bouncing back and forth between each of them in turn. This is used to build up the villains, but also to much more easily handle the complex schemes at work. Rather than simply killing the Dark Lord and leaving it at that, Crimson Empire took the opportunity to ask "What next?" With Jax dead, the Empire has left a massive power vacuum, and others beyond the Imperials and New Republic would seek to take advantage of that. We see multiple details of just how Jax was previously holding the Empire together and the problems his death creates with internal feuds flaring up, and enemies seeking to capitalize on his end.

While the actual politics in question is far from deep or truly detailed (look to A Song of Ice and Fire to see how well it can be handled in a fictional setting) it's enough to give the comic more substance than you might expect. The figures involved are big, bold or are presented to work through others so it's easy to follow, even when several separate conspiracies start to collide with one another. It's a "wheels within wheels" situation, closer to what you would expect from the Houses of Dune over star wars. Due to this, the sudden murders and the obvious threats on display, it sidesteps many of the immediate issues which turned people off the politics within the prequels.

Better yet, rather than discussing the actual actions themselves or outlining the possible threats, it manages to fill in the reader exactly as it's taking place. Depicting and fleshing out one after another after bombshell after bombshell is dropped, including a rather sinister figure who is seeking to further distabilise the Empire's power. One who will become very prominent later on in the New Jedi Order.

The switch from guerilla combat to cloak and dagger work is one which definitely benefited the story on the whole. While it admittedly lost the inherent simplicity of the original - and that's the last time we'll discuss that point to avoid hammering it into the ground - it gained far more substance for many characters to work with. This is most evident with Mirith Sinn, who is given substantially more to do here. Whereas the original comic presented her as an obviously competent figure but never gave her a chance to shine, here she's clearly among the New Republic's best agents. While her role is initially unclear, the fact she so easily adapts to her environment and only fails at one moment due to a turn of events no one could have predicted gives a far more positive impression of her skills. Furthermore, when she is involved in frontline fighting, she's obviously lagging behind Kanos but stands head and shoulders above almost everyone else. It's a great change of pace, and a fantastic way of utilising a skilled character without the protagonist utterly overshadowing them.

The comic's use of Kanos himself is certainly curious, as it seems not know quite what to do with them. Then again, that goes doubly so for Kanos himself. While he still has a clear objective and a goal in mind, much of the force which drove him is gone, and he's somewhat unfocused. It's actually a surprising moment of real life hitting the story, as Jax was the focus of his duty-bound hatred for so many years. With him gone, he lacks some of the rage which kept his determination going to the point where he questions a few of his life goals. It's not enough to redeem the character abruptly, nor even to add a lighter shade of grey, but it reflects somewhat on the "What next?" focus of the book. The impact of this on Kanos' life is evident even in the final pages, and it takes speaking for some time with Sinn before he comes to terms with the situation in question.



Of course, for all this, the book benefits from a massive amount of action. From running gun battles to starship engagements and airborne assaults on an enemy fortress, any time you start to adjust to a new status quo it throws something new into the mix. It helps to prevent the book from dragging and even when it seems to calm down for a time, you always know that something large, violent and likely explosive is going to come out of the woodwork. It's not utterly random nor even unheralded, but you can never quite tell just what might play out unless you're paying close attention to the comic's events. The heightened nature of the combat allows it to also be more evenly distributed throughout Council of Blood. So whereas we had two large battles during the second act of the first volume, here there's far more variety to the combat and intense fighting.

Another bonus in the book's favour is the artwork. While he was always skilled, Paul Gulacy seems to have settled into the exact tone of the comic's darker nature and has paid more attention to the finer details. You can pick out minute qualities, small signs of age and use on items, but without sacrificing bold style of the series. There is also a much broader variety of aliens on hand. Rather than having brief cantina-style appearances early on, the more prominent number of aliens here helps to make the galaxy seem more varied and ultimately fleshed out. The more subtle expressions and ability to convey a broader variety of emotions through the individual panels certainly makes the story all the stronger. As does the capacity to focus upon multiple figures within running battles over the more singular combat we had previously.

Unfortunately, while the tale took a few steps forward, there's no denying it took one or two back as well.

The Bad

You likely noticed that, for all the praise offered to the comic, little time was spent discussing Kanos himself. The truth is that, while he still plays a very prominent part, much of the time he is out of focus. In a Batman Returns move, the writing team seemed much more invested in exploring the shifting dynamic between the villains over the main character. As such it takes quite some time before he truly gets involved in the story, and even then it doesn't quite reach the legendary quality built up about him in the initial story. It's not that his skills have diminished or even that he's being presented in a worse light, but there are fewer opportunities for him to pull off the spectacular victories of the first tale.



Along with the above factor, another notable issue is that the story seems to skip a point in their development. Kanos' turn makes sense as outlined above, but some of Sinn's development takes place off-screen. While the book dangles the possibility of her vendetta over the tale for a time, she eventually admits that her hatred had died away some time ago. Yet, even counting for this or a few reasons she might have started to forgive Kanos, it's a stark contrast to the ending of the previous book. It's only made all the worse by that most frustrating of tropes, where the story tries to push a romantic link between the two leads. It doesn't come completely out of nowhere, but when combined with the previous events, it becomes egregiously out of place.

Another definite issue is how the comic can't decide whether or not it wishes to be a stand-alone chapter or leave events for later tales. While it quickly and quite satisfactorily ends a few key figures within the story, others disappear for another day. This certainly makes a great deal of sense in one case, but when it comes to others it has the story just peter out. There's little in the way of a truly climactic ending, and what we get is definitely rushed, bereft of the sense of finality it needs. Because of this, it lacks the impact of the previous book and fails to end on a high note, leaving the promise of more but failing to satisfy you.

Yet perhaps the most frustrating flaw the comic unfortunately suffers from a few idiot plot moments to try an encourage it to follow certain paths. These are largely minor or are handled in a way which either a character's overconfidence or inept nature could excuse them. On a few occasions, it becomes quite questionable though, such as one moment which treats Kanos as if he was unaware of the Empire's worst excesses of tyranny. Or at least those of Vader himself, which unfortunately contradicts much of what we saw in the first volume. This is partially thanks to the ambition of the book requiring such conveniences, but it's hard to justify or accept them when they create obvious problems rather than bypassing them. In fact, the only thing which does prevent these points from marking down the book further is thanks to the pacing diverting your attention away from them, or disguising them within some otherwise well executed scenes of character development.

The Verdict

While there are certainly a few apparent flaws with Council of Blood, the overall story still works extremely well. The fact that Richardson and Stradley didn't rest on their laurels, and understood the need to push to new boundaries without betraying what came before. Something which, to be honest, the franchise needs a lot more of these days. Overall, it had some interesting politics, dealt with the repercussions of the past events well, and the action was still solid despite a lack of a major duel. It set up events for new adventures with some interesting new players, and a strong final chapter overall. Unfortunately, we ended up with Empire Lost, but that's a rant for another time.

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is interesting to read older Star Wars comics and compare them to the more recent series. CEII has some cool ideas in it. The Empire accepting aliens makes sense and I really like the dark and grimy tone of the story. The plot also has a nice number of threads that build off each other well. Despite this, there are some odd things that keep this comic from being great. While I love the Grabba the Hutt, why does he have Jawas in his court and is not on Tatooine? There are also quite a few side characters that don't seem all that Star Wars-y to me. This may seem minor and it is, but they did make me stop and think which is never ideal. That and a few clunky lines of dialogue kept this from hitting on all cylinders. Ultimately, I think the more modern Star Wars comics (Dark Times, Legacy, and even KOTOR) are just stronger than much of the stuff in the late 90s. That could be due to their standalone nature, but whatever the case may be, Crimson Empire II is not a graphic novel I would recommend to other readers until they've exhausted all the newer options.

[Tibbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sixth comic series on my read-through of all the Star Wars legends books and comics.

It seems like Crimson Empire is following the same trajectory as Dark Empire. Both had first entries that were primarily style over and substance, followed up by second entries that attempted to have more intricate plots -- but all that either succeeded in doing was removing the very thing that made their first entry compelling in the first place.

To be clear, Crimson Empire II is nowhere near as bad as Dark Empire II. It's just...boring. The story has some interesting ideas, but many are half-baked. And there's no getting around the fact that I didn't care about anything that happened.

At least the art has improved. The artist still struggles with faces and perspective, but the colors are much more vibrant, the backgrounds are more interesting, and poses are lot more dynamic and consistent. In fact, some of the art here is genuinely fantastic -- especially landscapes and alien designs. The Zanibar are absolutely terrifying, and a lot of the more cartoony aliens in Grappa the Hutt's palace look way better than any human. It almost makes me wish the artist had leaned into the cartoony look for all his designs.

The story tries to have more substance, but it ends up discarding the brutal simplicity of the first Crimson Empire in exchange for half-hearted political intrigue and back-stabbings and crime lord dealings. The plot is basically a procession of scenes, some of which are cool, but without any forward momentum or clear stakes or energy. I rarely understood what the characters were trying to achieve at any given time or why I should care. Bizarrely, there are also barely any battles in this. It feels like the writer didn't understand the point of Crimson Empire.

Poor Kir Kanos is basically a side character in his own comic, having little to no influence on the plot. Mirith Sinn's quest for revenge against him is discarded almost immediately, and her sudden romance with Kanos feels very weird. Imagine kissing the guy who murdered your closest friend a couple weeks ago.

Like I said, there are good ideas. I don't know know what Nom Anor's deal is, but he's cool as hell and I hope to see more of him. Same goes for the Zanibar. Watching the council install a spineless figurehead at the head of the empire, only for him to gradually get too big for his britches was a very compelling idea, and easily the best part of the comic. But it still wasn't enough to make me care. There's no personal connection established between him and Kir Kanos, so Kanos' eventual revenge against him rang hollow.

Other than that, I struggle to remember much of anything about Crimson Empire II -- which is a problem because I finished it ten minutes ago. This comic isn't outright terrible, but it's very meh. 5.5/10.

[Jamieson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking place shortly after the first in 11 ABY in the Legends Timeline, the second Crimson Empire miniseries sees Kir Kanos working to bring down the Imperial Interim Ruling Council for their part in Palpatine's demise. However, not everything is that straightfoward as Kanos and New Republic Commander Mirith Sinn have to deal with a double-dealing Hutt, Black Sun and an alien Death Cult on an inhospitable world. Meanwhile, would-be Emperor Xandel Carivus is scheming and planning assassinations with the help of the mysterious Nom Anor.

The story's good, if a bit complex. The art's good too. While I enjoyed the first story more, this was still highly enjoyable and readable. The big draw for this however, is Nom Anor. Now if anyone has read the New Jedi Order series, they'll know that Nom Anor was a major player. His appearance here works within the context of that series, but was originally part of a much different plan. This was an alien invasion storyline headed up by Dark Horse, that was at times semi-similar to New Jedi Order and a times very different. (For more information see: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Dark...) That said, this was an enjoyable read that is definitely worth it.

[Micah Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes. The series takes a real left turn in to utter boredom in this volume. Where the first installment offered glimpses into secret military training, an intimidating new villain, and panels full of action so well rendered you can feel the bones breaking… this one offers council proceedings, a bunch of mob deals, some more political talk, and then that one shootout at the end. Where the first volume was a fun spectacle, this one was a painful drag.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot more convoluted than the first book, but perhaps even more enjoyable because of it. At no point did all the little strands get confusing and each little story arc had its place. There were some great alien designs and an interesting final chapter in the life of the Empire. Great stuff that was well illustrated.

[Alexander Röck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great sequel to the first volume, but not as good as the first one. Focuses a lot more on the politics side of things, which is interesting, but because of that kanos doesn't really get much of an arc untill very late in the story

[Zachary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty decent story, I like that Kir Kanos isn't just a copy of the Man With No Name anymore. The Zanibar are a welcome addition to the Star Wars universe, helpfully kept mysterious throughout the story.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another strong putting with these characters. This time the political intrigue is dialed up, as the remnants of the Empire jockey for positions of power, all while outside forces are attempting to exert control of their own. Enjoyable and fast paced, another solid Star Wars entry.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story even though I'm unfamiliar with most of the characters and locations. I really liked the artwork done around Nom Anor.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The same as the previous installment. The quality is consistent.

[Matthew Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not enough Kir Kanos. And romance was shoehorned in.

[Jake Blaha · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Richard Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the first run. Kanos and Mirith are still great, the weird blue aliens are unnerving

[Zare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I was thinking whether to buy this book or not for quite some time now - taking into account all the harsh critics it got.[return][return]Finally I decided to go with it and believe me - it was worth it. Story starts where the previous story arc finished. After Karnor Jax was killed in duel with Kir Kanos, Empire was left leaderless - or better yet they have a ruling Council buy they bicker and are generally uncapable of coming to any common ground.[return][return]Suddenly mysterious murders start to take place and one by one leaders of the Council are getting killed. Of course main suspect is again Kanos (after he publicly declared Council as traitors to the Emperors cause). But thats not everything - we have Black Sun criminals working on taking control of Imperial council [and to achieve that they work with the Hutt crime syndicate]. And of course there we have a mysterious alien Nom Anor (of the later Yuuzhang Vong fame) also plotting around Imperial Council....[return][return]Lots of twists and turns but nevertheless interesting story. Unfortunately it feels like it was left to hung unfinished - hopefully third part will get finished sometime in the future.[return][return]Art is so-so, great at times and not so great at other, but generally acceptable.[return][return]Recommended.

[Jaime K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry, but I feel like yawning after this.

Kir Kanos is still after the Empire's Interim Council...and Black Sun is messing around with affairs throughout the galaxy.

Feena D'asta has a strong hand on the council, but Xandel Carivus forces his way to the top.
It surprises me how many aliens are on the council. I'm glad that it's brought up how hard they worked to get any positions. There is less xenophobia it seems, which is almost odd.

Nom Anor is running the show with regards to Carivus, which is odd and a bit tough for me to follow. I don't know why the Vong care so much, but maybe it's Nom Anor being himself. This is also before the YV War, so he's all secretive even while using his name.

D'asta is taken by Grappa the Hutt, who is playing Black Sun, some species named the Zanibar (which are ultra creepy), the Imperials, and anyone else he wants. Oh, Hutts.

Mirith Sinn goes to save D'asta. Along the way, Sinn and Kanos save each other back and forth. The romance between them is odd and feels forced.

I just couldn't really get into the story for some reason.

[Jonathan Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good Star Wars comic series. Slightly more interesting than the original Crimson Empire series, but strangely, much less focused on Kir Kanos and his vendetta. Hopefully, with the upcoming Crimson Empire III run, they will put Kanos back in the spotlight and address his growing inner turmoil over the true nature of Palpatine's Galactic Empire.

[M Pereira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable graphic novel. I was very surprised at the appearance of Nom Anor, whose presence is not explained but later makes sense in the star wars expanded universe plotline. That's a very nice preamble to a new storyline, in the year when Episode I began to introduce another world of intrigue in the election of Palpatine as chancellor

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone is trying to take over the Empire by manipulating the Council. A Hutt is hiring bounty hunters, and making deals with Black Sun.

An interesting take on the character, now a bounty hunter, but still serving the Empire in his own way. This book is more about the situation than being character led. Still a good read.

[B. Reese · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this because it tied in Nom Anor prior to his NJO appearance.

This story i don't think is as good as the first. Couldn't tell who was who or why I should care about any of the characters.

Down the garbage chute, flyboy!

[The Third Place A Teen Library]

SW ce v.2

[Leo Matoush · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Interesting if nothing else to see the first appearance of Nom Anor.

[Andrew Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rising Tide

In the middle chapter of the Crimson Empires series we see that as much as Kir Kanos might want to preserve the Empire, he might not have a choice but to blow it up.

[Eulercauchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, wasn't too terrible.

[Samuel G Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy sequel

An excellent follow-up indeed! I particularly loved the presence of Nom Amor. Continuity fun and a lot of great sub-plots, characters, and action.

[Cristhian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Muy poco que ver con el volumen uno y peor aún, se intenta hacer un símil con la política y los concilios del Imperio Romano