KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC – VINDICATION PART 3 (ISSUE 34)
February 10th 2009 01:27
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: Dark Horse
Production Team: John Jackson Miller – script, Brian Ching – art & cover art, Michael Atiyeh – colours & cover art, Michael Heisler – lettering
Cost: AU $7.95/US $2.99
Apparently there has been some talk on Dark Horse forums about whether or not Zayne Carrick, the protagonist of the Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) comic series has any connection to the Skywalker family more commonly known to ‘mainstream’ Star Wars fans, the official stance from DH is that their isn’t. Still after having seen Brian Ching’s artwork depicting Anakin Skywalker in the Clone Wars series of graphic novels and his work on Zayne Carrick here in the KOTOR line I have to admit I still cannot get past the fact that there is a visual similarity between the two characters. Maybe I’m just seeing something that isn’t there or maybe its something to ponder if I ever get the chance to talk to Brian at some stage in the future, you never know, stranger things have happened.
After having finally arriving on Coruscant to attempt to clear his name with the Jedi Council and the Republic Zayne Carrick instead finds himself confronting the bigwigs behind the shadowy Jedi Covenant in the heart of the Draay mansion, the home of his former master Lucien Draay. Unfortunately things go decidedly pear shaped very quickly and rather than finding himself trying to bring to justice those who framed him Zayne and his comrade Gryph are exposed to the real mover and shaker behind this somewhat bizarre conspiracy. All of this occurring whilst the Republic fleet takes aim on the mansion and systematically begins bombarding it and the surrounding area whilst operatives of the Jedi Council attempt to storm the mansion and bring the Covenant and its members to justice. Not the most conducive environment for seeking a resolution to something.
How could such a sad and sorry state of affairs have occurred? Conspiracies always have a way of blowing up in the conspirator’s faces, just look at the whole Watergate affair, and due to their secretive nature it’s hard to tell whether or not all of the conspirators share the same agenda wholeheartedly. Now you’d think that in a group where the ability to use the force would allow someone to test the loyalty of their fellow conspirators without so much as a by your leave or the other conspirator noticing that wouldn’t be a problem. Enter someone grafted to an ancient and bizarre Sith artefact that can cloud force users perceptions and you begin to have some serious problems, this is precisely the nature of Haazen, one of the movers and shakers in the Covenant. Grafted into the Yoke of Seeming after his treachery in the aftermath of the Exar Kun war Haazen reveals himself as the mastermind behind all the machinations that the Covenant has been undertaking.
You have to admire his audacity, this is a guy who for a very long time has been planning and laying the groundwork to achieve just the results that are currently occurring. And unlike some such as Darth Sidious he has not let himself become completely blinded to his own views of the future, or that of others, nor is he averse to using more mundane means to bring about certain ends that he desires. The orbital bombardment has been brought about not through the use of the force but through the simple expedient of politics, money and misdirection. It seems that the Vanjervalis corporation sold a program to the Republic fleet that would allow maximum efficiency and coordination of their fleet’s firepower when engaged in combat, what no one knew was that their was a hidden line of code written into the program or the fact that company that designed it was owned entirely by the Covenant. It is this hidden line of code that has allowed Haazen to divert the fleet’s firepower wherever he desires.
There is a way to break the chains hold, which Admiral Karath in orbit around Coruscant swiftly realises but is none too happy about the outcome. It’s always a pain when the fleet has to loose a major capital vessel in order to prevent further chaos and carnage, especially in a time when the Republic is at war with a relentless foe. But scuttling the Swiftsure, the Admiral’s flagship, will take time and in the interim Haazen hopes to bring about the completion of his sinister agenda. Although the precise nature of this agenda is somewhat vague, it does seem to have something to do with Haazen himself wielding both sides of the force and at the same time directing both Jedi and Sith keeping both in balance and in constant competition.
For the role of training and leading his Sith armies he decides that Lucien, the son of the woman he once loved all so many years ago will be an appropriate Sith Lord. But what to call his nascent Sith disciple, he ponders several names one of which is Darth Sion, a name to match the fact that Lucien has let himself be guided by illusions throughout his life. At first Lucien is hesitant, but as Haazen points out to him he is a Draay and they take everything and he will take this mantel of Sith Lord, it’s in his character. Accepting the bloodshine lightsaber that Haazen throws to him is but a single part of Lucien’s slippery slide down to the dark side, there is a final catalyst that is needed to completely tip him over the precipice and into the embrace that is the dark side. And in traditional time honoured Star Wars fashion it is something so simple, so mundane that sees Lucien Draay, former Jedi Master and Jedi High Councillor fall.
As usual when reading this particular comic I was gripped by the unfolding action and drama. You read one of these comics and frankly it is almost like you were watching it on the big screen or small screen there is such a cinematic feel to the whole affair. Still I suspect that even with all the revelations and action unfolding we have only seen the tip of the proverbial iceberg, there is more excitement and action to come just with this particular section of the KOTOR saga, let alone the series as a whole. Well worth getting your hands on and enjoying…the force is strong in this one…
Production Team: John Jackson Miller – script, Brian Ching – art & cover art, Michael Atiyeh – colours & cover art, Michael Heisler – lettering
Cost: AU $7.95/US $2.99
Apparently there has been some talk on Dark Horse forums about whether or not Zayne Carrick, the protagonist of the Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) comic series has any connection to the Skywalker family more commonly known to ‘mainstream’ Star Wars fans, the official stance from DH is that their isn’t. Still after having seen Brian Ching’s artwork depicting Anakin Skywalker in the Clone Wars series of graphic novels and his work on Zayne Carrick here in the KOTOR line I have to admit I still cannot get past the fact that there is a visual similarity between the two characters. Maybe I’m just seeing something that isn’t there or maybe its something to ponder if I ever get the chance to talk to Brian at some stage in the future, you never know, stranger things have happened.
You have to admire his audacity, this is a guy who for a very long time has been planning and laying the groundwork to achieve just the results that are currently occurring. And unlike some such as Darth Sidious he has not let himself become completely blinded to his own views of the future, or that of others, nor is he averse to using more mundane means to bring about certain ends that he desires. The orbital bombardment has been brought about not through the use of the force but through the simple expedient of politics, money and misdirection. It seems that the Vanjervalis corporation sold a program to the Republic fleet that would allow maximum efficiency and coordination of their fleet’s firepower when engaged in combat, what no one knew was that their was a hidden line of code written into the program or the fact that company that designed it was owned entirely by the Covenant. It is this hidden line of code that has allowed Haazen to divert the fleet’s firepower wherever he desires.
There is a way to break the chains hold, which Admiral Karath in orbit around Coruscant swiftly realises but is none too happy about the outcome. It’s always a pain when the fleet has to loose a major capital vessel in order to prevent further chaos and carnage, especially in a time when the Republic is at war with a relentless foe. But scuttling the Swiftsure, the Admiral’s flagship, will take time and in the interim Haazen hopes to bring about the completion of his sinister agenda. Although the precise nature of this agenda is somewhat vague, it does seem to have something to do with Haazen himself wielding both sides of the force and at the same time directing both Jedi and Sith keeping both in balance and in constant competition.
For the role of training and leading his Sith armies he decides that Lucien, the son of the woman he once loved all so many years ago will be an appropriate Sith Lord. But what to call his nascent Sith disciple, he ponders several names one of which is Darth Sion, a name to match the fact that Lucien has let himself be guided by illusions throughout his life. At first Lucien is hesitant, but as Haazen points out to him he is a Draay and they take everything and he will take this mantel of Sith Lord, it’s in his character. Accepting the bloodshine lightsaber that Haazen throws to him is but a single part of Lucien’s slippery slide down to the dark side, there is a final catalyst that is needed to completely tip him over the precipice and into the embrace that is the dark side. And in traditional time honoured Star Wars fashion it is something so simple, so mundane that sees Lucien Draay, former Jedi Master and Jedi High Councillor fall.
As usual when reading this particular comic I was gripped by the unfolding action and drama. You read one of these comics and frankly it is almost like you were watching it on the big screen or small screen there is such a cinematic feel to the whole affair. Still I suspect that even with all the revelations and action unfolding we have only seen the tip of the proverbial iceberg, there is more excitement and action to come just with this particular section of the KOTOR saga, let alone the series as a whole. Well worth getting your hands on and enjoying…the force is strong in this one…
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