Empire comics start up straight after Dark Times, interweaving into the same era as the classic Marvel comics as well as the Newspaper strips. As such it includes the likes of Darth Vader and Princess Leia, connecting the older era of stories with the prequels.
There are standalone Empire comics with Boba Fett, but also standalones that touch on seeing the same event from different views. A stormtrooper, a clone, on the Death Star seeks to find an assassin even as the attack is under way. Events introducing Biggs Darklighter interweave with the radio drama and expand on its hints right up until his death. Leia’s adventures on Raaltiir from the radio drama are also worked on.
Luke Skywalker’s life crosses over with Anakin’s Skywalker’s experiences on Jabiim, as well as the Jedi’s role as General in the clone wars when he encounters a long lost clone. Han Solo, as is often the case in this era, goes on an errand for the Rebellion and gets into trouble.
As such, the Empire comic stories have a wide variety to them. They introduce new characters, like Luke’s old friend Tank, who went to the Imperial Academy but had different experiences. Nera Dantels, a smuggler captain, is introduced, and she will go on to more adventures. Deena Shan gives us a point of view on the heroes from the eyes of a recruit who signed up for adventure.
Janek Sunber ends the Empire series with the discovery that his childhood friends were on the side of the Rebellion.
Review:
Note there is some implied attempted sexual assault and manipulation in these. Just in case that concerns you. I consider it worth noting as that’s rare in Star Wars.
On the whole, I enjoyed how the Empire comic series showed stuff that was previously hinted at and how it intertwined with the Radio Drama. The series was unfortunately rather short. Each main character got touched on but not in any lasting way, except for Luke with Sunber and also the way he finds out hints of Anakin’s past. I loved seeing Commander Narra recognize Luke’s sense of wonder at visiting new worlds still.
I would’ve loved to see more of Commander Narra, since he didn’t die until they had the Hoth base established. Another I wondered at the lack of was Han and Chewie. They had one short arc but got left out of the rest of the series.
It’s understandable they spent so much time on other characters, given how full this era is, what with the Marvel and newsstrip arcs. Some of those were considered S canon but I appreciate how they respected that. Empire comics do have better art in my opinion, not least in that they give the characters a change of costume. Marvel, for some reason, always kept them in the first seen outfit from the movie.
Empire Comics continuity and Lore
Surviving characters and events from Empire comics continue in Star Wars Rebellion comics.
The Biggs Darklighter arc has some minor contradictions. It explains that he told Luke a slightly different story of his plan to defect. It also has a different reunion. The radio drama suggests he found out and gave him the flight tests to confirm to the Alliance command he should be given a ship. This may be because the scene with Biggs encountering Luke as they are about to launch was re-added to the A New Hope Special Edition.
Leia’s adventure does a fine job connecting both before and after the events in the Radio Drama. It adds content between her picking up the spy on Raaltiir, and returning to Alderaan.
Darth Vader is at full power now, but he has not forgotten his past. Despite his attempt to bury it, it’s shown that he does recall it (willingly or no). An attempt on his life is connected to events in Shadows of the Empire. The Jabiim story arc is recalled from Republic Clone Wars comics.
Vader’s recovery after the Death Star contradicts the West End Game books ‘Scoundrel’s Luck’ story, but that is S canon.
Tank is a new character but not a new name. Luke says to Uncle Owen in A New Hope “That’s what you said when Biggs and Tank left.” But the character has never been explored until now.
Deena Shan is NOT related to the famous ‘Shan’ family from KOTOR and SWTOR.
Empire Comics shows that modern stormtroopers are not Jango Fett clones, but instead, are combinations of individual recruits and clones from other templates.
Empire Comics includes an arc of the Vector crossover event from KOTOR comics that is followed up in Rebellion and ends in the Legacy era.
Commander Narra appears, in what may be the first look ever since he is mentioned in the Star Wars Radio Drama.
One catch of this era is the occasional confusion between Red and Rogue Squadron. Rogue Squadron at this point is a typo. At this point it was Rogue Flight, meaning it was a part of Red Squadron still.
