That's true to a point, but what's hammered over and over is that life in the Imperium sucks. There is only war. It's a militant, xenophobic, regressive, ignorant body that governs the swathes of mankind with an iron fist, forcing their worship and killing billions of its own people if it comes down to it...and it's arguably one of the most morally upstanding factions in the setting despite that.Here Comes Tomorrow said:The Imperium was never the underdog in 40k. It's always had the most guns, the most territory, the most resources and the most bodies but it's so vast and it has so many enemies that its almost impossible to effectivly defend
Even if the Imperium's the big boy, he's being picked on by everyone else and being bruised in the process.
That might suck for Guilliman, but it's a boon for the Imperium itself.and if anything 40k got MORE grimdark due to the return of Guilliman.
Think about it, Guilliman had the ENTIRE Imperium of man looking to HIM to fix everything and he hates what the Imperium has become. His only option is to fight a losing battle for something that is the antithesis of what he and his brother fought for.
Also, the art style seems to have undergone a shift recently - far more use of gold and blue for instance. There's a kind of resplendance in the Imperium now that wasnt' really there previously.