Is Empire's End Essential?

I picked up X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: Masquerade last week and really got back into grapic novels and comics (I used to get Star Wars Comic after TPM came out). So I decided to purchase Dark Empire and Dark Empie II off Ebay because I thought they'd be quite essential reads but when I saw Empire's End I saw they were at extrordinary expensive. Is it really rare or something? I don't really fancy shelling out that much money for it considering it doesn't have a great reputation.

Is it essential? Does it contribute anything to the EU? Is it a good read?

 

This may be of some use to you.

 

The Empire's End standalone TPB is so expensive because it's so rare. However, Empire's End is now included in the Dark Empire II second edition TPB, so that's probably the best way to get it.

But since you said you already bought DEII, I would say don't worry about it. In my opinion, Empire's End isn't essential. The plot and art are both weak, and it's only important because it contains the final death of Palpatine. You aren't missing much.

 

If you think that it won't nag at you that you didn't get EE, then don't. Seriously. If you're like me, it would nag away at you until you gave in and bought EE just because you have to have it (but that doesn't mean it's really worth having). Now I suggest you be the former and not the OCD collector like myself.

In truth although I find the art in EE interesting, it's quite different than DE. It's more colorful but less stylish and far less polished. Veitch probably wanted to do a DE III but settled with the obviously rushed EE.

 

I know how it feels, you've been through all of the Dark Empire saga and want to get those two ultrarare last issues just to see how it turns out. Well don't. I remember the elation I felt as I pulled the two original issues out of a box at some comic shop in the deep Arizona desert...elation that turned to disgust thirty minutes later after I had read them. It'll just let you down man.

 

You should search for rare things like the audio dramas... EE's actually better with actors voicing the characters. The thing that really hurts EE, IMO, is not merely that they rushed the conclusion of the story into 2 issues instead of 6... but that they couldn't keep Cam Kennedy on board to at least finish out the DE saga. Alot of people currently complain about the art, but the guy who did EE tried to imitate Cam's work but do it with more normal color schemes and a slightly more realistic look and it just doesn't work to round out the series. DE can stand on its own without DEII, DEII can stand with DE without EE. I'd like to see them let Veitch and Kennedy really give that a special edition and finish DE the way it was supposed to be finished honestly.

 

Don't expect good reading material if you get it. The reading age of the Empires are pretty low; not that they're actually bad comics.

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I think I'll probably skip EE. I know what happens and it hasn't had rave reviews.

 

Just curious, how expensive would an EE standalone TPB be? I know its been reprinted as part of DEII, just curious how much the original would cost. Though yeah, back when I first read it, it seemed ridiculously thin compared to the much thicker DE and DEII, and this was before I understood what limited series were and all that.

 

Saw two copies of EE tpb on ebay and they went for $67 and $87 at the buy it now price. So somewhere around there.

 

Empire's End. LOL. How ironic.

I have something even rarer in my possession. A manuscript for "Lightsider" the illustrated novel that takes place between DEI and DEII. It tells the story of Luke going on an adventure to an abandoned space station where Kam Solusar has been hiding out all these years. He and R2 get caught in this Force game where they have to solve the puzzle and overcome all these booby traps on the station. It also introduces all those dark siders that pop up in DEII and gives a back story for those brain/droid fighters.

It was pretty cool and makes DEII better in my opinion.

 

After re-reading Empire's End a few times (yes, I re-read it) it came to grow on me. It's definitely not a "must read" but it's a lot better than people generally make it out to be.

I picked up the EE trade paperback in a used bookstore for $5 a few years ago.

 

The question is, can you scan that and make it into a PDF and send it to me?

 

I think its essential at least if you want to see how the Dark Empire Story arc wraps up.

 

So, the answer to the original question is apparently, OOU, no not at all.

But IU, it is one of the most significant events in the history of the galaxy.

Kind of ironic....

 

fanboyskywalker,

I'm quite interested in knowing how you came by this "manuscript," especially considering I edited the final version (dated 8-25-97). There are only 5 known copies and I've accounted for them all, the owners of which would never make copies for anyone else, much less allow anyone else to read it out of respect for its author, Tom Veitch. Would greatly appreciate it if you could email me (mike.beidler@gmail.com) proof of possession and/or a description of its physical characteristics, e.g., number of pages, header/footer text, cover art, cover text, etc.

Intrigued,

Mike Beidler

 

Far be it from me to answer for "fanboyskywalker," but I'll take the chance anyway and "semi-officially" squash that request.

 

Yeah, definetly not going to send it to anyone. I was lucky to get it and don't want to create any waves with this.

Quest, I really didn't see the other post until today. Also, it's not fanfic. It's the real deal. But as I said in the other post (which I've now seen) it is currently in a box in another state. I know that sounds conveinent, but I have way too much SW stuff to drag it around everywhere with me.

Mike, it may not be the final version then. It doesn't have any cover art, it's just the story, basically. I will be more than happy to get you any proof you ask for the next time I can get my hands on it.

 

Also if you read Crimson Empire, which follows directly...

 

Crimson Empire does a better Empire's End than Empire's End, really. I read CE before EE, and the only reason I felt like reading EE after that was because the CE version of those events made it look interesting.

Man, that was a disappointment.