Star Wars: Crimson Empire
Whether or not you consider yourself a true Star Wars fan, there are many stories available that go beyond the movies. Even though the new owners of the franchise have elected to discount many of these stories, in various forms, as canon, this should not stop you from exploring these continued adventures. Take for instance the first Star Wars novel: Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, by writer Alan Dean Foster, which hasn’t been considered canon for decades because George Lucas went another way with his creation. The story was to take place between episodes four and five. I think that the story is fascinating for what it is, but that’s because I’m a Star Wars fan. Take another example: Crimson Empire which is a series of comic books written by Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley in the late 1990’s. Though I do not have an extensive background with many of the Star Wars Expanded Universe stories (or as they are called now Star Wars: Legends) this is by far one of my favorites. When I first read the story I was attracted to it because it centered on one of my favorite soldiers in the Star Wars universe: The Imperial Guards. The story itself was an awesome treat. I enjoyed it because it gave a back-story to these characters bringing life to them where in the movies they may not seem so lively. The entire tale itself is a trilogy but the part I enjoyed the most was the first arc. This story focuses on two members of the Imperial Guard: Kir Kanos and Carnor Jax after the events in Return of the Jedi. Without giving away too much of the details, this story is very much an action/revenge story with the principle of honor and duty being explored within the confines of the Empire. There are rebel fighters that get into the middle of things as well and of course not Star Wars story would be complete without an appearance or two from Darth Vader. That being said, the final battle between Kir Kanos and Carnor Jax alone is worth the price of admission because it takes place over twelve pages. It’s one of the best one-on-one fights I’ve seen in a comic book to date. The events here propel the characters foreword into the rest of the trilogy, which I also recommend even though it took until 2011-12 for this story to finally be told with the release of the third and final part to the Crimson Empire trilogy. This is around the time that I came across a fantastic quote by storywriter Mike Richardson: “I patterned Crimson Empire after the Japanese tale of the forty-seven Ronin – not in the story itself, but in the quest for revenge. How I see it in the first Crimson Empire series is that it deals with laying out the ground work and its interaction with the initial characters, with actually somewhat of a tragic ending to the first series. I see it as a trilogy: the second part being the quest for Luke Skywalker – for his part in the death of the Emperor; the third part, the revenge on the ruling council. It’ll be a story-cycle that takes them through personal discovery, great adventure, and intrigue in the Empire itself. And ultimately the opportunity for revenge, where Kir Kanos finds himself.” It’s specifically this thought process put into the writing and execution of the storyline that I found so enjoyable. It’s exactly what I think a writer should do when they put words on paper. After all is said, this story is something that shouldn’t automatically be counted out because it doesn’t fall into the category of current canon, which itself could change again one day. Regardless of your extent as a Star Wars fan, this is a fantastic story, which deserves to be read and contemplated on different levels.
Star Wars: Issue #10
In this new line of Star Wars comics, we step back in the timeline a little bit. Since Disney took over, they have rearranged some things. This new main line of the comic is one that so far is full of adventure and great art as the now called “legends” line was.
We follow Luke and other main characters along on their journey to discover the force, to make sure the Jedi race does not run out and to save the galaxy from Darth Vader. Vader, whom has a special interest in Luke but does not know why is trying to piece together who Luke is and why he has such a strong connection to the force.
Now, enough backstory. I am currently on issues 10 of this series. So lets dive in to it a little deeper. First, we find Luke in a very interesting situation and at the mercy of Jabba the Hutt. Luke must relay on his skills, well his some what skills to get him out of it. His allies find out that he is in trouble and are racing to help him but it seems that they might not make it in time. All Jabba knows is that Luke could be the last remaining Jedi and to entice him to go along with his plan, there is mention of access to the Jedi equipment that was taken over when they first fell.
They plot of the main line is fantastic and the sub lines that have been created connect to it in small ways so there is no need to read the main line or the sub-lines should you only want to focus on one of them. This is a great feature of these newer comics that the old ones did not offer. As most of you know, I love reading and getting to know a character in more depth then the surface level we are given most of the time. These sub-lines give you just that, a chance to get to know certain characters more.
The art in this line is great as well. Each panel is very detailed and the art really brings the story to life for the reader, which is what you want! The dark or light tints to the panel also help in the story telling as it shows if it is a serious point or a more light hearted on.
Overall, the new line, ever though we take a step back in the timeline, is fantastic and is worth reading, as well as , the sub lines should you have time to read both. By reading them all, you get a way better understanding of the storyline that Marvel is trying to explain.
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