Published: June 28, 2006
Writer: John Jackson-Miller
Artist: Brian Ching
Colourist: Michael Atiyeh
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Cover Artist: Travis Charest
The synopsis;
Something is rotten in the Jedi Council on Taris, but the only ones closest to the truth are a vagabond, a criminal, a droid, and Zayne, now in the custody of the same Jedi falsely accusing him of murdering his fellow Padawan. It’s going to take more than foolish bravery to get Zayne out of this one. Too bad that’s all he’s got!
The review;
Brought before the Jedi Masters on Taris as a traitor to the Order, disgraced former-Padawan Zayne Carrick fully expects to be executed for a crime he never committed. As the Masters monologue their twisted reasoning for framing Zayne, the unexpected happens – his friends manage a daring last-minute rescue. However, Zayne can never become a Jedi, and the prophecy of becoming a Sith looms over him like a shroud, so now he must forge his own path, but to where only the Force knows.
After five rollercoaster issues of Zayne running, hiding and trying to prove his innocence, Knights of the Old Republic #6 is the thrilling finale to this first story-arc. The game is up. Having turned himself over Zayne is dragged through the jeering-crowds lining the city streets of Taris and the double-page spread by Ching feels like something out of Medieval times; there’s so many characters drawn with such open hatred and it’s a very startling way to begin the story.
Startling is probably the perfect way to sum up this entire issue. Just when fans think that Jackson-Miller can’t throw in any more plot twists, he manages quite a few. When the Jedi Masters admit betraying Zayne they reveal themselves as a Covenant, charged with protecting the galaxy from the return of the Sith. This seems a bit contradictory considering they are the ones who have been murdering potential Jedi and is just more proof of how blinded they are by their own supposed infallibility. Maybe the High Republic era will bring back the idea of a Jedi Covenant, although hopefully a less twisted one.
Another surprising element is Zayne’s rescue. After the last issue it seemed his newfound friends were willing to leave Zayne to his fate, but thankfully it was a ruse. Distrusting, snippy Janael actually manages to be kind to the former Padawan for once and with some help from droid T1-LB they manage to slip through the Masters fingers. What is particularly enjoyable about this is that it matches Leia’s line of “Never underestimate a droid” so perfectly because if T1-LB hadn’t provided the schematics for the Jedi Temple on Taris, then Zayne’s rescue wouldn’t have been possible.
The dialogue throughout Knights of the Old Republic #6 is fantastic, yet the best part is when Zayne is fleeing and Jackson-Miller writes a tense yet sorrowful exchange between Zayne and Lucien, the Jedi who was once his Master. It’s a farewell in the strangest sense of the word. Lucien cannot kill Zayne but demands that he forget the Jedi ways, more convinced than ever that the former Padawan will become a Sith. However, in their final words the two know that the Force will bring them together again someday – as enemies. This is such a stark contrast to most of the relationship’s fans have seen between Masters and their Padawans, which is usually so friendly and supportive. It certainly makes us, the reader, wonder what kind of Jedi Zayne could have become if only he’d had a different Master.
With a dramatic finale comes yet another incredible range of artwork by Ching, and Atiyeh’s nighttime colour-palette only intensifies the somber mood for Knights of the Old Republic #6. There are so many different panels, from the aforementioned Taris citizens decrying Zayne, to the intense courtroom-like scenes among Zayne and the Masters, not to mention the incredible action sequence of Zayne’s escape. All of this is then contrasted against the tender reunion between Zayne and Gryph – and Ching even draws typically moody Janael with an ever so slight smile.
This “Commencement” storyline that started Knights of the Old Republic by Dark Horse Comics has been such an unusual, yet absolutely amazing, take on a Star Wars cat-and-mouse. Whether fans know anything about this Old Republic era or not really doesn’t matter because the story is so enjoyable, and you can’t help but feel for these characters as they go through their struggles. This concludes the Lockdown Legends reviews for this series, but fans could continue reading Knights of the Old Republic in their own time because if there’s one thing that Jackson-Miller delivers in Knights of the Old Republic #6 it’s an open ending – a very ominous one.
Availability;
The original Dark Horse Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series ran from 2006 to 2010, encompassing 50 issues. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #6 is currently available in digital format via the Marvel App, comiXology or by subscribing to Marvel Unlimited. A physical copy can be found in one of the many trade paperback releases from Marvel. Please check with Amazon UK and US or your local comic bookstore for availability.
