Star Wars: Crimson Reign # 1 2021 NM-

Star Wars: Crimson Reign #1 is the first issue of a five-part canonical miniseries released by Marvel Comics. While it first appeared in December 2021, its collected trade paperback and most secondary market listings are dated to 2022. Written by Charles Soule and illustrated by Steven Cummings, it serves as the second chapter in a trilogy focused on the resurgence of the criminal syndicate Crimson Dawn. 

Plot and Setting

Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the story follows Lady Qi'ra as she executes a grand plan to topple the Sith and end the Emperor's rule. 

• Sowing Chaos: Qi'ra orchestrates a shadow war within the criminal underworld, manipulating syndicates like Black Sun and the Pykes into fighting each other to create a power vacuum.
• The Hit Squad: She dispatches several key allies on high-stakes missions, including the Knights of Ren, the assassin Deathstick, and the Force-blinded Ochi of Bestoon.
• The Archivist: Qi'ra tasks an ally known as "The Archivist" with finding surviving Jedi, such as Yoda, to use as potential leverage or bait against the Empire. 

Core Characters

• Lady Qi'ra: The leader of Crimson Dawn and former associate of Han Solo, now a formidable master of deception.
• The Knights of Ren: A band of masked dark-side warriors who serve as Qi'ra's elite enforcers.
• Ochi of Bestoon: A relentless Sith assassin who has been forced into Qi'ra's service.
• Imara Vex: A bounty hunter who makes a notable appearance and later appears in the Star Wars: Hunters game.