The only post Jedi all original Star Wars concept to emerge thus far, Crimson Empire explore the mystery behind the Emperor's Crimson Royal Guard, the training one endures to become the Emperor's elite, and the power struggle two years after the Emperor's ultimate demise (in the ghastly Empire's End mini-series).
The great thing about Crimson Empire is it doesn't use any theatrical characters throughout the story, save for a brief appearance from Wedge Antilles. Richardson and Stradly have created their own little pocket in the Star Wars universe, which hopefully isn't perverte (like all things Star Wars have since become) by glutting the market with all things Crimson and giving other writers the opportunity to expand upon the ideas they've created (the kiss of death).
Paul Gulacy, a once great and highly underestimated talent has let himself slip some since I last observed his work. Inconsistent facial renderings and improper use of shades and blacks are the main problems he's dealing with. Of course you could put the blame on inker Russell, but he's typically consistent with his brush work, and usually adds rather than detracts.
The best facet of Crimson Empire is the heavy usage of computer coloring and computer generated effects for planets and starfields (although they tend to stand out a bit from the normal hand-drawn rendering). I espcially liked the purple starscapes instead of the traditional black ones. The slight difference made the book that much more unique.
One of the better recent Star Wars reads.