The final issue of Knights of the Old Republic – War has Zayne Carrick getting caught up between Jedi and… more Jedi!
Zayne Carrick has one more ruse up his sleeve as he pretends to lead a group of Republic troops disguised as Mandalorians against Dorjander Kace and his Jedi serving the Mandalorians as they attack the Jedi enclave on Dantooine. But will Carrick’s luck hold? Or can he make his own luck? It’s the fifth and final issue of John Jackson Miller’s Knights of the Old Republic – War.
Dorjander Kace’s ruse to use the captured Reciprocity to land his Mandalorian Knights at the Dantooine Jedi school has paid off, and he’s all set to kidnap the younglings to turn them into the next generation of Mando Jedi. Zayne Carrick, in his hijacked Mando frigate, catches up to Dantooine, and in their armor, Carrick and Dallan Morvis trick Kace into turning the kidnapped children over to them to return to Mandalorian space. With Zayne’s luck, it works – almost. And in the end, we get a powerful statement — what lines are too far to cross in war. We also get an end coda that I wasn’t expecting – Zayne, fresh from this mission, gets a little breather, and a new job.
This ‘War’ arc is a rare blend – it has the action we’d expect, but is also full of wit and heart, much like its protagonist. Zayne, once the cruel victim of fate, has learned to overcome his luck by planning contingencies, but keeps true to his own values, and eventually makes a big difference. Miller plotted out a great story, and while I think my favorite part was the ruse in the fourth issue, the ending hits the mark. There is perhaps a bit more denouement than I was expecting, but perhaps as a final wrap-up for some of the characters, it is needed (and there’s a meta joke, depending on what happens next with this series). Andrea Mutti is in good form in this issue – there’s the obligatory animal-scurrying-in-the-foreground shot, but a surprisingly neat close-up shot in a duel between a knee and a chest. Something a little different. I like. Carrick and Morvis get a few great hero pose shots.
Overall, this power droid is quite pleased with this issue, and the complete story – Miller knows how to make great characters we can care about, and fit them into a plot smartly.
Note to my regular readers: You’ve probably noticed that in the past few weeks, some of the reviews have slipped from their street date, due to a demanding work schedule. This is likely to continue for the next few weeks until this project wraps up, but I should be back on schedule in June. Just hang in there!