Grittier take on a traditionally more lighthearted series...

books:


	• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Volume 3: Days of Fear, Nights of Anger John Jackson Miller Dark Horse, 2008 - 144 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Grittier take on a traditionally more lighthearted series...

I enjoyed the first two graphic novel installments of this series, but found them a bit corny. Our hero, a Jedi Knight, seemed to be a cross between Christmas Vacation's (1990) Clark Griswold and one of the Three Stooges. In this book we see a darker turn, one placing the storyline firmly into the adult camp. Good job! I'll definitely check out the next graphic novel of the series, as I think the growth in both the Jedi and the story make it worth understanding in more detail.

Third time's not the charm

This third volume of John Jackson Miller's KOTOR is not quite as satisfying as the first two. The humor's still there, as is a bit of well-scripted pathos, but the second half of the book becomes wordy, the conceptual work is a bit campy, and the story remains incomplete. If you're buying this volume as a stand alone, be aware the conclusion is in Volume 4.

Miller opens with a farewell, the Arkanian drifters Jarael and Camper saying fare-thee-well to the fugitives, padawan Zayne Carrick and Snivvian hustler Gryph. With no plan and no place to go - and no interest in paying full retail - Gryph hires a dim-witted Trandoshan to liberate private transport. Making orbit just as the authorities arrive, the trio don't realize they're piloting a provisioning ship (a mobile restaurant) until they fly right into the middle of a military convoy headed for the front. Unable to escape the armada, they follow to the planet Serroco, where Gryph sets up business and finds to everyone's surprise that while the Trandoshan may not be such a great criminal, he knows his way around the kitchen. But just as soon as things start looking up, the Mandalorians arrive and with them a Force vision of the future, a planetary inferno for the population of Serroco. To save them, Carrick has to convince the Republic forces to move off. And to do that, he has to turn himself in.

"Days of Fear" has all the elements that have made KOTOR such a remarkable series: humor, an emphasis on character over plot, cinematic storytelling, and beautiful art. It also offers one of those rare moments in comics, a scene that honestly evokes a warm feeling of sympathy and compassion. By "honest" I mean that the scene plays naturally. There is no special lighting, no large panels or exaggerated composition, no long-winded exposition - nothing to set the reader up, to say "Hey, here comes the emotional bit!" The scene is played low-key and for that it has all the more impact. Truly one of the best moments in comic books in recent memory. There is perhaps only one thing missing from this story and that is some background on the galactic political landscape. There's a war going on but we don't yet know why.

The second story here, "Nights of Anger," pales in comparison, though certainly not from lack of ambition. It finds Jarael sneaking back to her home world of Arkania in search of medical treatment for her mentor and traveling companion, Camper. Along for the ride is stowaway Mandalorian deserter Rohlan, who may yet turn out to be their savor after Arkoh Adasca, president of Arkania's planetary consortium, Adascorp, holds all three hostage. While they wait for Camper to be treated, Miller fleshes-out the history of his Arkanian drifters, genetic outcasts from a society valuing knowledge - and its application - above individual lives. Camper was himself a leading member of this society, a brilliant scientist conducting ethically suspect research for Adascorp. He has all these years been sought by the same to finish work on a project that will allow Arkania's rulers to intimidate the Republic into submission. To coerce Camper, Adasca needs Jarael. What he doesn't need is a troublesome Mandalorian, one who appears to be every bit as clever with a microscope as he is skilled with a blaster.

The plot is rather simple in summation, but what makes it work is the detail - and plenty of it, which comes to us courtesy of a panoply of talking heads. Presumably readers can look forward to a little more action in the concluding chapters, but to get there we have to put up with the set up, which includes some flinch-inducing camp. Arkania's two genetic groups are known as the Purebloods and the Offshoots, names that could have come straight from a 1970's Jack Kirby comic, as could the universe's new super-weapon, mammoth space-faring worms that eat everything in their paths.

The art in this volume is anything but Kirby-like, even Kirby-esque, though the work in the final two chapters may remind anyone familiar with 70's-era comics of Neal Adams. Harvey Tolibao is an incredible talent and I hope to see him doing more Star Wars in the future. The same is true of Dustin Weaver, who brings a clean Japanese anime influenced style and a great talent for depicting facial expression. Weaver covers two chapters in this volume, and the other third is provided by Brian Ching, a fellow who started out as the regular penciler for this book but whose work is looking more irrelevant with each passing volume. Not that Brian's work is bad, just that it suffers by comparison. At least to these eyes.

This volume not the best place to start reading this series. But with only two previous volumes, and both of them far better efforts than this third, you really should start at the beginning. You'll have fun reading your way here.

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The Next Chapter

Zayne Carrick's luck may be bad but the Republic's and the Jedi's is even worse. The war takes a turn for the worse as the Mandalorians continue their advance and the Republic's forces can't even slow them. And to show just how weak the Republic is a third player appears with weapons of incredible potential and apparently no scrupples at all.
Zayne's group breaks apart as its members head in different directions, and straight into catastrophe. It is as if there was no end to the destruction, stupidity and death in this series as the players play their games.

This series follows rather closely the guidelines set by the KTOR games. Since Lucasfilms were heavily involved in their development I have to wonder if George Lucas has gotten sick and tired of the Jedi. I mean, the only ones who are doing any good are almost Sith in their motivations, tactics or discipline. I am not surprised Malak and Revan fell to the Dark Side with the Jedi Masters watching their navels while war ravaged the galaxy. The Republic being a disgrace of a mockery of a joke of a government didn't help either. Who would bother being loyal to such a government?
I am eager to get the next volume, just for laughs.

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Fun read

As a person who had never read these comics before, I thought they were great. Especially since they lumped them all together like this. I'm sure it will be a while before they make an Omnibus out of them, but all in all the storyline was good and the artwork was enjoyable as well.

Set back in the Mandalorian Wars, really right at the beginning, it has all new characters and races and is quite entertaining. It'll take a couple of hours to read it, but is thoroughly enjoyable. I recommend it.

Also, get Volumes 1 & 2, however I don't know when 4 is coming out... but, as Qui Gon said... "Patience my young padawan..."

If you like the Knights of the Old Republic games, you get to see the characters Malak and Revan before they went bad...

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Getting Better and Better

I can only say that as this series goes on, it just keeps getting better and better. The story line does not disappoint and the art is just amazing.

I would definitely suggest that a Star Wars fan buys this book. You won't be disappointed.

Zayne Carrick joins forces with the same Masters who murdered his fellow Padawan in a desperate attempt to save the galaxy from the Mandalorians! Arkanian Lord Adasca holds the Republic and the Mandalorians hostage, offering a weapon of unrivaled power to the highest bidder, but not even Zayne and his former Master Lucien Draay can stop Adasca from unleashing unthinkable devastation in pursuit of profit. Then, back on Taris, Zayne finds himself allied with Master Raana Tey in a mission against the marauding Mandalorians - but Tey may be more interested in destroying Zayne than she is in saving the planet!

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