Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

PUBLISHED BY: Dark Horse Comics

AUTHOR(S): John Jackson Miller

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Commencement (2006)

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MY RATING: 8

Knights of the Old Republic: Commencement is a great start to a great series. I was pulled in from the beginning because of the way it starts out with a bang and takes a slightly different approach to a story than most other Star Wars tales that I've read so far. I'm ready for the next installment.

The characters start out a bit extreme. Zayne in particular seems overly clumsy (like a certain not-so-beloved Star Wars amphibian). However, after a while it becomes easier to identify with him as a hero much more like the rest of us. By the end of the graphic novel he's much better and his final line that concludes the graphic novel is both memorable and something that we say all the time. Excellent writing on John Jackson Miller's part.

Some elements of the plot did seem unrealistic and confusing. The motives behind the Jedi Masters' decision to kill their own padawans seem very weak and underdeveloped. It would take a lot more rationalization to do such a thing not to mention a large measure of evil. However, overlooking this fact the story is marginally original, interesting, full of well-written humor, and a nice blend of everything good in a graphic novel.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Flashpoint (2007)

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MY RATING: 9

Knights of the Old Republic: Flashpoint is a solid step forward in the series. I enjoyed it just as much as the first installment. The plot takes a different turn than Commencement which was slightly more personal and character based to set up the plot. Flashpoint however takes a slightly different approach setting up the social/political situation as well as the distant threat of the Mandalorians.

Additionally I really enjoyed some of the artistic and storytelling choices made to link the series to the events of Tales of the Jedi. The dialogue makes numerous references to the Sith Wars and Exar Kun, and the art makes several references to the older series through some Mandalorian designs and certain aliens that were first seen in Tales of the Jedi. I also thought the writing was well done, especially the incorporation of humor. Some parts are genuinely funny, in or out of the Star Wars universe. And that's not to mention the subtle but noticeable foreshadowing of Malak and the events of the video game, also named Knights of the Old Republic.

All in all, this is a quality graphic novel. The only possible complaint is that it's not too clear what role the main characters will take. But other than that it's a very enjoyable read and I look forward to the next installment.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Days of Fear, Nights of Anger (2008)

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MY RATING: 9

Knights of the Old Republic: Days of Fear, Nights of Anger has it's strength in storytelling. The artwork and dialogue remain much the same but the story makes some great advances. For instance, one of the best moments in the entire series is when Zayne has his vision of the destruction of Serroco. The emotional levels are perfect and the writing/editing fit well. Also the main characters are beginning to advance in the storyline, taking larger roles. Also, though not fully reached, Zayne's confessed objectives at the end of the first graphic novel are beginning to move forward and that's exciting.

The only thing that is getting difficult is that the characters and plot lines have split into multiple storylines which make things feel over complicated and somewhat difficult to follow. However, this is only a minor drawback and can be easily overlooked if you are good at following a story. Overall, it's a continuation of a good story.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Daze of Hate, Knights of Suffering (2008)

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MY RATING: 8.5

Knights of the Old Republic: Daze of Hate, Knights of Suffering is almost a perfect continuation of the third graphic novel. The only major difference is that the artwork in Daze of Hate is a little more cartoonish, but this is simply a matter of personal style and doesn't do much to add to or take from the storyline.

The writing is still really good with a great balance between emotion and humor. The ending is also very satisfactory and is one of the biggest steps forward in the progression of the story. I still find the excuses that the Jedi Masters have for killing their padawans to not be very convincing, but then again neither does anyone else. With that exception, this continues to be one of the better comic book series in the Star Wars expanded universe.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Vector (2009)

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MY RATING: 6

Star Wars: Vector is split into several parts that jump all over the Star Wars timeline. Although it is all part of the same story, the first part fits in seamlessly with Knights of the Old Republic which is why it is also labeled as the fifth installment in the Knights of the Old Republic comic series. John Jackson Miller is still the writer for this segment at least, and he continues to be a brilliant writer for the series. No complaints there.

The art however did not please me at all. Scott Hepburn who did the pencils has not worked on past issues of Knights of the Old Republic and it seemed disjointed as a result. Additionally the storyline is darker than what we've had so far, but the artwork does not reflect that. It's cartoonish, lighthearted and a very very deep contrast to what comes next. It didn't work at all.

Overall though, the story is good and it's a great start on a great crossover. However, without reading the rest of the respective comic series, it might not make as much sense.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Vindication (2009)

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MY RATING: 9

Knights of the Old Republic: Vindication is the conclusion of this particular story arch in the series. And with a few exceptions, all of the loose ends are tied. I really enjoyed this conclusion to the story arch. Most of everything good that I've mentioned before are still present. Additionally the comic adds a sense of heightened suspense and drama which makes sense because it is the end of the story which has been building up for some time. The artwork works well with the story as it is a bit darker and more realistic.

The only issue I have with this story is that the resolution seems abrupt, and unexpected. It's a little difficult to see how the original prophecy that got Zayne in so much trouble, has anything to do with what ends up happening. However, it was pretty cool to see the reveal that Master Lucien will eventually become Darth Sion from the second Knights of the Old Republic game. I'm not really complaining though because this was a good comic. I would recommend it.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Dueling Ambitions (2009)

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MY RATING: 5

Knights of the Old Republic: Dueling Ambitions is actually quite different from the previous graphic novels in the series. Instead of one longer storyline it takes the form of several short stories. This improves a little later but for this particular graphic novel it's not as fun. After the huge epic galaxy changing ending to the first story arch it seems a little juvenile. It's almost as if the story they meant to tell had been told but it was still popular so they had to come up with something new, quick.

The artwork doesn't seem to reflect this idea however. Despite the more lighthearted feel to the story the artwork is much darker, sort of the opposite problem of Knights of the Old Republic: Vector which was dark with lighthearted artwork. The only exception to the idea that it's too episodic is the fact that there are several recurring themes, like the mysterious past of Jarael, which does add a certain intrigue and continuity to the randomness of the graphic novel. Overall, it's got a few problems but the writing remains brilliant. It just might seem a little disappointing when compared to the previous story arch.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Destroyer (2010)

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MY RATING: 8

Knights of the Old Republic: Destroyeris similar to it's predecessor in that it is episodic like a collection of short stories. However, each of theses short stories are much more closely related to the overall story arch. The ending is very passive but much more emotionally intense and characters building. The story is well fabricated especially the way The Crucible worked to break Zayne. It was well done.

Other than that there isn't all that much to say about this particular graphic novel that hasn't already been said before. The plot and writing are good, the artwork is fitting and consistent with what we've seen before, etc. The only new thing is that there is a good deal of progression with other characters towards the situations we see in the Knights of the Old Republic video games. Particularly with the characters of Revan and Malak.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Demon (2009)

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MY RATING: 7.5

Knights of the Old Republic: Demon is not my favorite of the Knights of the Old Republic comics but that is not for any really important reasons. It did answer a lot of questions that have been rolling around for a bit, like why Rolan cares so much about Jarael. This pretty much ties up all of the loose ends that have been hanging around and in that sense it does a good job of ending the series. On that note the graphic novel also sets up the appropriate characters for the Knights of the Old Republic video game, especially Revan and Malak.

The artwork is dark and considerably muted which is consistent with the storyline. However, the story of Jarael's past with slavers and trying to breed the Force into certain individuals didn't really appeal to me. Plus I thought the plot twist at the end did not make much sense. The entire story arch didn't seem nearly as exciting or important as the previous arch. However, I did like how this particular graphic novel made several references back to the Tales of the Jedi comic series because the two series have not had much in common so far despite the fact that they occur just a few dozen years apart. So not my favorite comic but with a few good perks.