Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood #5 (of 6)

Story: Mike Richardson, Randy Stradley
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inks: Randy Emberlin
Colors: Dave Stewart
Cover: Dave Dorman
Editor: Diana Schutz

Kir Kanos is captured by the Zanibar on Xo and brought to Grappa the Hutt so he could arrange a deal between the Zanibar and the Empire. New Republic forces, led by Mirith Sinn, destroy Black Sun's cloning facility on Smarck, then proceed to rescue Kanos from Grappa's palce on Genon. Baron D'asta attacks the Imperial Council's seat on Ord Cantrell because they are holding his daughter Feena captive. reviewed 10/17/99 The Story SPOILER WARNING! A lot of stuff happens in this issue, which finally advances the plot of the series. All the sub-plots come together and some questions are answered. But what's a Crimson Empire review without pointing out some stinkers? In the cheap cameo department we have a one-panel appearance from Dengar. In the cheesy romance department we have Mirith Sinn kissing Kanos for no apparent reason. And in the plot hole department we have Black Sun not finding out what happened to their representative that they sent to Grappa's palace (the way Grappa covers up the fact that he killed him is quite clever, though.) The Art For some reason, the art is a bit worse than in the previous issue. The ships look awkward and the rest looks cartoony (more than usual, I mean.) On the plus side, I'm glad they got rid of Grappa's stupid monkey pet. Conclusions Some interesting things actually happen in this issue, if you followed it this far. But it still doesn't make the series worth reading. I can't figure out what good this series brings to the Star Wars universe. 6/10. Not Recommended.
"Jeff's Views" are copyright © 1999 by Jeff Boivin. They are e-mailed to Dark Horse Comics and archived on theForce.net. With the exception of Dark Horse Comics Inc, they may not be reprinted without permission. Titles, Cover images, Dark Horse Comics, and the Dark Horse logo are trademarks of Dark Horse Comics Inc. and its respective Licensors.