Do you remember those red-robed guys who guarded the Emperor in Return of the Jedi? They don't get much screen time, but it turns out that they're pretty awesome. Crimson Empire is the story of one of them- Kir Kanos- but to some background is necessary to understand the context.
Background
The initial "Expanded Universe" Star Wars stories centered around events after Return of the Jedi. The Rebels have won, but a large chunk of the galaxy is still under Imperial control. Another comic series, Dark Empire, filled us in on some happenings in that corner of the galaxy during this time. Emperor Palpatine is back- turns out that he figured out how to make clones of himself before his demise in ROTJ- and causing trouble. In Dark Empire, Palpy keeps hopping between cloned bodies as they wear down- being clones, they have some genetic defects which reduces their lifespan. The Rebels finally defeat all of the cloned Palpatines, thanks in part to Carnor Jax- a former guardsman of the Emperor who wants to claim the throne of the new Empire. Another guardsman, Kir Kanos, learns of Jax's role, and brands him a traitor to the Empire, swearing vengeance. Okay; back to the review.
Crimson Empire
The Crimson Empire arc is the story of Kir Kanos- a former guardsman for Palpatine- out to bring justice to those who had a hand in the (cloned) Emperor's demise. His first target is Carnor Jax- another former guardsman, Jax seeks the throne of the new Empire for himself. Kanos takes him down, and then sets his sights on the rest of the new Empire's ruling council- a body full of corruption and greed. As Kanos makes enemies in the new Empire, he has to go underground, and turns himself into a bounty hunter named Kenix Kil. In that role, he pursues his ultimate objective: bring enemies of Palpatine, Rebel or Imperial, to justice.
The Crimson Empire saga is a collection of a collection. There are four main stories, all revolving around Kanos looking for justice. I really enjoyed these stories. The art is only average at best, but the story is good, and I liked the characters. Kir Kanos was especially satisfying- he's an Imperial, but an honorable one, so you find yourself rooting for him as he seeks his goal. If you like the original Star Wars movies, you'll probably like this- though I'd recommend reading Dark Empire first.
Rating (overall): A
Crimson Empire I: A
Kenix Kil: A
Crimson Empire II: A-
Crimson Empire III: A
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