Geek Syndicate
The Review:
COMIC REVIEW - Knights of the Old Republic: War # 001
This is the first issue in a five issue mini-series set during the peak of the Old Republic’s rule of the Star Wars galaxy. Specifically, this story is set about 3,963 years before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope). The main star is in this tale is Zayne Carrick, an ex-Jedi Padawan. Zayne has joined a militia group on his home planet and is now fighting in the war against the Mandalorians. If you are fan of the Star Wars comics, you may remember Zayne Carrick as the main character in the Knights of the Old Republic series that wrapped up recently. This series takes place soon after the events in that series. The issue is billed by Dark Horse as a great jumping on point for the Star Wars universe which is only partly true. You can read this issue without ever having read another Star Wars comic or book, all the information you need to follow the plot is there. However since there are no familiar characters from the films or even the games set in and around this time period, you might find it hard to get emotionally invested in the story. Because of this, the twist at the end of the issue has no weight to it and falls flat. There just isn’t enough here to make you want to follow Zayne into the next issue. On the other hand, if you have read the fifty issues of Knights of the Old Republic then perhaps you will already have connected with the character and that will be enough to push you through the remainder of the mini-series. The art is similar to every other Star Wars comic out there at the moment. It’s not the greatest but it is far from the worst art on display in the current market. The action scenes are vibrant and full of movement and the character moments are well presented with expressive faces and good pacing. Average art and average story lead to a very average Star Wars comic. Yes this is a jumping on point in a sense but there are much better jumping on points out there in Dark Horse’s Star Wars back catalogue. If you are a fan of the Old Republic time frame then you’ll likely enjoy this issue. Matt Pease Rating:
Writer: John Jackson Miller Penciller: Andrea Mutti Inker: Gigi Baldassini Colorist: Michael Atiyeh Cover Artist: Benjamin Carré Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
The Blurb:
If you’ve ever heard of the Knights of the Old Republic video games and comics but didn’t know where to start-this is it! The Republic and the Mandalorians are at war! Jedi are joining the fight, despite the non-interference stance of the Council. One Jedi, however, has found himself on the front lines against his wishes-the peace-loving Zayne Carrick has been drafted! • The return of one of the most popular eras in Star Wars video games and comics! • The perfect entry po int into the Star Wars galaxy!
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