You always remember your first Star Wars comic book. I was sat in my bedroom, on my bed, staring at this graphic novel that I held in my hands. Not just any graphic novel, but my very first one. I hadn’t really been into reading American comics. I’d always read the Beano and the Dandy growing up, moving onto books, but hadn’t read a proper graphic novel, never brought a proper graphic novel up to this point. Yet here I was, with my hands finally grasping one. Why had I brought this one? What had convinced me that I wanted to read this? The incredible cover by Dave Dorman, showing a royal guard with all his armour on display, looking the epitome of cool. It could be no other than Crimson Empire. My very first graphic novel. It’s true what they say, you never forget.
As I sat and read, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The story, the art, it was so Star Wars but about a piece of Star Wars that up until now, meant very little. The royal guard had done very little in Return of the Jedi. They did nothing but walk and stand, their full potential never revealed. Yet this story would change all of that. They would go from being left to the shadows, to showing just what incredible warriors they really were. We would see their training, their skill and their utter devotion to the Empire. It was one of the first times we as fans really got to see things from the point of view of the Empire.
Not only that, but the format used would be one that would stay with me forever. If you’ve read my previous reviews, you will know the love I have for the TV series Lost. Yet predating that show is Crimson Empire, and the first time that I really experienced a story being told through flashbacks. It was new, it was unique, and it really gripped me. Because just like Lost, Crimson Empire is focused on character, not just the action. You get a sense of our anti-hero, who we can sympathise with even if he has chosen the wrong side. It’s a format that’s easy to copy but almost impossible to do effectively.
And yes, those covers, those Dave Dorman covers that graced almost all of the early Dark Horse comics were so cinematic that you couldn’t help but be drawn in. These covers were the image of Star Wars for fans of the nineties. They captured the spirit of Star Wars. In one picture, Dorman was able to say so much. It’s hard to believe that these covers, that this series is twenty-three years old.
Even today, Crimson Empire stands as one of the very best stories ever written for Star Wars. There is a reason no one has bothered to revisit the royal guards. There is a reason why the action figures of the royal guard wear the armour designed in this series. There is a reason it was turned into an audio drama. It is superb. So, if you have not yet read it, or simply haven’t picked it up in some time, then I invite you to join me as I review this series. I can say with absolute certainty, you will not regret it.
Published: December 7, 1997
Rating: Rated T
Writer: Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley
Penciler: Paul Gulacy
Cover Artist: Dave Dorman
The synopsis;
Kir Kanos is the last surviving member of the elite Crimson Guard. He’s on the run — and the Empire will stop at nothing to destroy him. Featuring flashback appearances detailing the unknown pasts of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.
The review;
There is always so much pressure on a first issue. It is designed to introduce us to the key players, to establish the groundwork that will help carry a story on until its end. Being Star Wars, it all begins with an opening crawl, a crawl to help establish where the reader is in terms of the timeline. Here, it relates facts from the Dark Empire series and how they impact on this story. When I first read this comic, I had not read Dark Empire and I never felt that it impeded my enjoyment. Rereading it now, I still agree with this. Of course, it helps to fill in the blanks, but it’s nothing that Richardson and Stradley are not able to briefly explain. It also tells us the shape of the Empire, that there is a power vacuum that is trying to be filled. I have always liked this notion, that after the Emperor is killed (whichever time it is!) there are always a whole array of individuals who are trying to take control. The Empire was only at one when they had a strong, fearful leader.
After an incredible opening, which feels like the beginning of television show before the opening credits descend, we are taken to the planet where most of the story will take place, Phaeda. This planet is incredible. It’s incredible because no one has ever heard of it, it never makes appearances and is linked in no way to anything else in Star Wars. It is a planet that really is the furthest from the bright centre to the universe. It’s what Tatooine should have been. It would have been so easy for Richardson and Stradley to place this story on a planet already in the Star Wars films, or to utilise one in the Dark Horse arsenal, but they decide to create one that is completely independent.
It is here that we meet our anti-hero, Kir Kanos. This mysterious character is first introduced to us cloaked, walking around, minding his own business. Whenever I read this series, I can’t help but compare him to Strider from The Lord of the Rings. He carries far more weight than his shadowed form would have you believe. In this issue, we learn very little about Kanos. We know that he has a grudge with the Empire, and although hints are dropped, we can’t be entirely sure what his motives are. What we do know is that he is an extremely capable fighter with an amazing weapon. Few weapons can live up to a lightsaber, yet Kanos has one. Richardson and Stradley made the right decision to improve the weapons in this comic, as I’m not sure how threatening a force pike (the weapon the guards have in Return of the Jedi) would be. Apart from this, Kanos is very much kept in the dark (both literally and figuratively), leaving the reader with an array of answers that are just begging to be answered.
The other character that is firmly established is Carnor Jax, the latest in a long line of villains. From the outset, we know that this villain has force powers. How strong we don’t know, and one could argue that here we go again, another force user. In the nineties, there were lots of repetition in terms of villains, the super weapon of the week, powers that they might have. It was why Thrawn was such a breath of fresh air. Yet with Jax, even though he has some force powers, it doesn’t take away from how utterly cool he is as a villain. At his heart, he doesn’t appear to be a force user, but a schemer. He makes plans, long plans, much like the Emperor or Thrawn, and tries to calculate any problems that may block these plans. He also has a colour switch with the royal guard costume, so although may look familiar, is very striking and original. It acts as a perfect opposite to that of the regular royal guard.
With these two characters introduced, Richardson and Stradley then present the wow moment, the moment when, as a first-time reader, my jaw hit the floor. A flashback to the days of royal guard training, a look behind the curtain to how intense their training was. Not only that, but actually seeing that these weren’t guards who stood around all day, that they were the elite of the elite. And like in all good myths and legends, this was once where Kanos and Jax were brothers. The flashback scene in this issue is there for two reasons. The first is so the reader can see Jax beating Kanos. The villain is (or was) stronger. The second, it allows Richardson and Stradley to bring back two huge characters. The first being the Emperor, who almost has a compassionate tone when speaking to his cadets.
The second is Vader and what an entrance. Everything about Vader works beautifully. From the well-paced panels that tease us as Vader descends the ramp, to his utter ruthlessness with the cadets. There is no doubting which Vader is here, this is the one from A New Hope, from Rogue One, he is without mercy, even amongst cadets from his own side. The flashbacks are fantastic at establishing why the royal guard should be feared, but also to see some favourites back in action.
With all of this, the art really helps to move this story forward. Richardson and Stradley leave a lot of the story to be told without words by Gulacy. As mentioned, the Vader scene where he descends the shuttle ramp is done incredibly well, really drawing out the moment. Gulacy does this a lot, he never rushes through the panels and you really feel those character moments that he is able to show you. It is very much in the Star Wars style of filming. Not only that, but Gulacy does some incredible ship designs on the planet of Phaeda. It is him who shows us this planet and gives us a sense that it is the back end of nowhere. The design on Yinchorr, particularly the Squall, is also very impressive. He uses shadows incredibly well, hiding lots of detail to give a real sense of mystery. I could easily draw comparisons to Batman and the work done by Tim Sale. Although this is very much done in panels, with a narrator over the top, you never get a sense that this is an older comic, it still holds up today.
I feel like I could go on and on, there is a lot in this issue. There is a cinematic quality to this issue that you almost feel like you’re watching a movie. The angle of the artwork in the panels, the very clear characters, the action, even though this is a first issue, it’s already there. When it finally ends, it’s with a shake of the head of wanting to know what is next, because the story is nowhere near told and so many questions need answering. Even rereading it again for the umpteenth time, I’m drawn into the artwork, the writing, everything about this story. You will not find a better opening issue than this, even twenty-three years on. All I can say is, thank goodness we’re looking back to this story, it means the wait time for the next issue are a lot, lot less….
Availability;
Star Wars: Crimson Empire I was a six-part series originally released by Dark Horse that ran from 1997 until 1998. It also spawned two sequels. It is currently available in digital format via the Marvel App, comiXology or by subscribing to Marvel Unlimited. A physical copy can be found in one of the many trade paperback releases from Marvel. Please check with Amazon UK and US or your local comic bookstore for availability.
