What do you think?
Rate this book
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Vol. 7: Dueling Ambitions
Former Padawan—and former fugitive—Zayne Carrick is taking his life in a new direction. Along with his con-artist best friend Gryph, the beautiful, bold, and mysterious Jarael, and ex-Mandalorian warrior Rohlan, our bumbling yet lovable hero is ready to embark on the sort of adventures only possible in the Star Wars universe! In "Prophet Motive," it's a long-shot swindle gone wrong; in "Faithful Execution," it's a ghost ship and renegade droids; and in "Dueling Ambitions," it's combat sports and high-speed racing.
• Don't miss out on this action-filled collection of Knights of the Old Republic—it's the beginning of a new era for our cast of characters, and the perfect jumping-on point for new readers!
Collects Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #36-41
• Don't miss out on this action-filled collection of Knights of the Old Republic—it's the beginning of a new era for our cast of characters, and the perfect jumping-on point for new readers!
Collects Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #36-41
142 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2009
4 people are currently reading
452 people want to read
About the author
John Jackson Miller
344 books986 followersNew York Times bestselling author John Jackson Miller has spent a lifetime immersed in science fiction. His Star Trek novels include the Discovery – Die Standing, the acclaimed novel Discovery — The Enterprise War, the Prey trilogy, and Takedown. His Star Wars novels include A New Dawn, Kenobi, Knight Errant, Lost Tribe of the Sith, and the Knights of the Old Republic comics, available from Marvel as Legends: The Old Republic.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
He’s written comics and prose for Halo, Iron Man, Simpsons, Conan, Planet of the Apes, and Mass Effect, with recent graphic novels for Battlestar Galactica, Dumbo, and The Lion King. Production notes on all his works can be found at his fiction site.
He is also a comics industry historian, specializing in studying comic-book circulation as presented on his website, Comichron.. He also coauthored the Standard Catalog of Comic Books series.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 9, 2015
Bullet Review:
After how epic Volume 6 was, this just couldn't even try to top it. We get some funny scenes, good character development (some insight into Jarael!), but it's not enough to equal its predecessor. Also, a shame how Jarael has become virtually the only woman in KOTOR, what with the numerous well-developed women earlier in the series - thankfully, the end of this volume hints at another woman in the sidelines.
Also, the art goes pretty much everywhere. Bong returns with his goofy style; Dean Zachary arrives to give an interesting new perspective. I was glad to have Ching round out the volume and get back to KOTOR - and characters looking like themselves!
On to volume 8!
Full Review:
If you haven't read the previous entries of KOTOR and want to remain spoiler free, well, just stop reading here.
Zayne and company are finally free to go about their business, without having to run from Lucien and the Covenant. Gryph, Zayne, Jarael, Rohlan, and Elbee have decided to run their scams on the "bad guys" of the Core Worlds - the Star Wars "Robin Hoods" if you will.
The biggest reason I'm dropping a star is that this series of stories just isn't as good as anything in the earlier volumes. They are still better than most Star Wars comics I've had the misfortune of reading, but compared to "Vindication", they just don't quite make it.
The first comic is one where-in our ragtag team of misfits try to outscam a corporation selling futures on various planets. It was - meh. I liked seeing the Chevs and the Chevin (though, damn, why must the names be so gorram similar?!), but I couldn't really muster much interest. The second story was a bit more interesting, not because it's unique storyline (I pegged it from the onset), but because of Dean Zachary's art. It was a nice break from Bong's goofy lines. (Sidenote: Why do they keep asking him back?!)
The last story was perhaps the most insightful. It gave a lot of much needed character to our band - Zayne got a bit more depth as an avid swoop bike racer/fan and Jarael is FINALLY getting her backstory addressed (about gorram time too!). There were a few times I had to reread or reexamine panels to determine what was going on, but I can't say that is the comic's fault, more my fault for not paying more attention.
I mentioned above it was a bit sad not to see more women; most of the characters that appear are men (the Chevin overlord is male, the Chevs are mostly male, the last passenger on the ship in the second story is male, the primary swoop bike racer is male). At the end, we have a hint at a new female character, which I am excited about. JJM gets how to write female characters - exactly like men, maybe a few tweaks for different situations, but not your stereotypical "damsel in distress" or "weeping mother/wife".
While I rag on the lack of women, I can't say the same about lack of alien representation. This has been a sore spot for me about Star Wars EU - so many novels have maybe one or two extraneous alien characters, and one is usually Chewbacca. Not so with KOTOR! The cast is filled to the brim with aliens! In fact, on more than one occasion, Zayne is the only human in the panel - a welcome sight after so many other novels and comics that seem to exist in the Star Wars where there are only humans.
I gave this 4 stars, but this was more to show how it was not as good as the previous KOTOR books. I still would have no trouble recommending this to Star Wars fans and comic fans alike. And I am still excited about continuing the series - now that we've opened Jarael's story, I think we have a cool new storyline in the works!
After how epic Volume 6 was, this just couldn't even try to top it. We get some funny scenes, good character development (some insight into Jarael!), but it's not enough to equal its predecessor. Also, a shame how Jarael has become virtually the only woman in KOTOR, what with the numerous well-developed women earlier in the series - thankfully, the end of this volume hints at another woman in the sidelines.
Also, the art goes pretty much everywhere. Bong returns with his goofy style; Dean Zachary arrives to give an interesting new perspective. I was glad to have Ching round out the volume and get back to KOTOR - and characters looking like themselves!
On to volume 8!
Full Review:
If you haven't read the previous entries of KOTOR and want to remain spoiler free, well, just stop reading here.
Zayne and company are finally free to go about their business, without having to run from Lucien and the Covenant. Gryph, Zayne, Jarael, Rohlan, and Elbee have decided to run their scams on the "bad guys" of the Core Worlds - the Star Wars "Robin Hoods" if you will.
The biggest reason I'm dropping a star is that this series of stories just isn't as good as anything in the earlier volumes. They are still better than most Star Wars comics I've had the misfortune of reading, but compared to "Vindication", they just don't quite make it.
The first comic is one where-in our ragtag team of misfits try to outscam a corporation selling futures on various planets. It was - meh. I liked seeing the Chevs and the Chevin (though, damn, why must the names be so gorram similar?!), but I couldn't really muster much interest. The second story was a bit more interesting, not because it's unique storyline (I pegged it from the onset), but because of Dean Zachary's art. It was a nice break from Bong's goofy lines. (Sidenote: Why do they keep asking him back?!)
The last story was perhaps the most insightful. It gave a lot of much needed character to our band - Zayne got a bit more depth as an avid swoop bike racer/fan and Jarael is FINALLY getting her backstory addressed (about gorram time too!). There were a few times I had to reread or reexamine panels to determine what was going on, but I can't say that is the comic's fault, more my fault for not paying more attention.
I mentioned above it was a bit sad not to see more women; most of the characters that appear are men (the Chevin overlord is male, the Chevs are mostly male, the last passenger on the ship in the second story is male, the primary swoop bike racer is male). At the end, we have a hint at a new female character, which I am excited about. JJM gets how to write female characters - exactly like men, maybe a few tweaks for different situations, but not your stereotypical "damsel in distress" or "weeping mother/wife".
While I rag on the lack of women, I can't say the same about lack of alien representation. This has been a sore spot for me about Star Wars EU - so many novels have maybe one or two extraneous alien characters, and one is usually Chewbacca. Not so with KOTOR! The cast is filled to the brim with aliens! In fact, on more than one occasion, Zayne is the only human in the panel - a welcome sight after so many other novels and comics that seem to exist in the Star Wars where there are only humans.
I gave this 4 stars, but this was more to show how it was not as good as the previous KOTOR books. I still would have no trouble recommending this to Star Wars fans and comic fans alike. And I am still excited about continuing the series - now that we've opened Jarael's story, I think we have a cool new storyline in the works!
April 2, 2015
John Jackson Miller on the script as ever, with Brian Ching, Bong Dazo, and Dean Zachary on the art work. The first story, Prophet Motive, is covered by Dazo, and sees Zayne and crew, returning after a well-earned holiday, taking on a Futures racket. This story definitely had a vibe of a more light-hearted, comical tale. The dialogue is a little less snappy, the antagonists a little less sharp. I can’t say I’m a big fan of this story. However I did like the setting and the basic idea – a remote astronomical observatory turned into a bustling Futures exchange. I’m afraid I can’t muster up much more to say on this one, since it struggled to hold my interest, but it did include an important moment that sets us down the path of exploring Jarael’s backstory, finally.
The second story, Faithful Execution, is short but sweet. Zayne and crew encounter a lost ship drifting in space and decide to investigate. It too contained a call-back to the previous generation and had our protagonists dealing with consequences in the present that were a fallout from historical events. The art was pretty interesting in this one; Zachary seems to have quite a realistic style which is enhanced by use of pastels and shading. Strangely though, I still feel like I prefer Ching’s style on this series – his renderings just so embody the characters, for me, that I always prefer his art.
The final story, Dueling Ambitions, takes up half the volume and Ching’s on the whole case, much to my delight. This is a cracking story. It doesn’t reach the heights of some of the previous volumes of course – in fact I would say that the tension levels in this seventh volume are at an all-time low since the series began – but it includes many of the elements we’ve come to expect from the KOTOR comic series; a carefully planned heist, everyone with their roles to play, spur of the moment twists, things going wrong, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat – all in all a thoroughly entertaining ride. In addition, this story continues the thread we’ve begun to unravel about Jarael’s backstory, and expands upon it a little, leaving us with a pretty big cliffhanger at the end of the volume.
Overall this volume is probably the weakest in the series so far, but still one I’m happy to keep in the collection and re-read.
8 out of 10
May 26, 2022
The amount of awesomeness and fun and entertainment this book gives you with all the star wars lore and characters and locations and pretty much everything, is just amazing! Great artwork, solid story!
July 19, 2022
Let's continue my most recent reread of the Knights of the Old Republic Comics with "Dueling Ambitions"!
And as much as I love this series, I can easily call "Dueling Ambitions" the weakest volume. After the grand spectacle that ended the Padawan Massacre storyline with Vindication, we've hit a bit of a slow patch with the first couple of story arcs in this volume. However, with the final story arc, the one which this volume takes its name, it ends on a very strong note that promises nothing but excitement for the last last leg of the series.
THE STORY: Three different story arcs are being told throughout this volume.
The first two issues (36-37) are for "Prophet Motive". After Zayne Carrick is determined innocent in the Padawan Massacre affair, he rejoins the crew of his friend and partner in crime, Marn Hierogryph. Marn makes sure he fulfills Zayne's condition of only going after organizations and people of questionable morals, they target the Raff Syndicate on Metellos 3. Jarael, Rohlan Dyre, and Slyssk remain on their crew as well.
The next story arc in issue 38 is a one-shot titled "Faithful Execution". While Marn is away preparing the team for their next job, the rest of the characters investigate a lost star yacht, only to find an evil force hiding there.
The final story arc goes from issues 39-41 and gives this volume it's name, "Dueling Ambitions". it covers the last three issues and follows the crew hitting a sports ring associated with Lhosan Industries chairman Jervo Thalien. Zayne and Rohlan find themselves joining the competition and helping out a Goethar Kleej, a fellow competitor and childhood hero of Zayne's.
THE BAD: Most of the slowness comes from "Prophet Motive" and "Faithful Execution".
Let's start with the former. This two-parter is meant just to get us reacquainted with our lead characters following the momentous events that just happened in the previous arc. Bong Dazo's artwork is underwhelming here- sure I'm biased because I've never been a fan of his style, but he's done much better before- especially in the story arc "Exalted". The disguise worn by Marn Hierogryph is also a bit suspect. I'm sure that Dazo was trying to channel what snivvians have previously looked like in the Original Trilogy, but still, Marn Hierogryph looks completely different here than he did before. Even if I could stretch my disbelief and assume Marn shaved his face and his hair grew back by the time we see him again in "Dueling Ambitions", the change in look is too much. But most importantly, the plot is an adventure of the week. While the characters are the same loveable miscreants that we have followed since the beginning, none of them get developed aside from a tease regarding Jarael and a moment where Slyssk gets to shine.
And this brings me to "Faithful Execution", the only issue in the entire series that I consider to be bad. It's not terrible- it further teases Jarael's mysterious depths and it is nice to see Elbee come back, but it suffers from the same underwhelming plot and villain-of-the-day that dragged down "Prophet Motive". Worse yet? It actually backtracks on one of Prophet Motive's most surprising developments .
THE GOOD: "Dueling Ambitions" is a return to form of sorts. While the first two issues start out slow (especially the first), things really pick up in the final issue. In fact, the 3rd issue is so good that it retroactively makes the first two issues better. We finally get more exploration into Zayne Carrick again, and his character flaws are integrated into the plot of this arc really well. I also love seeing Brian Ching return as the artist and he once again delivers expressive characters and amazing action sequences. And the plot is fantastic- it starts out as a more fun version of the weekly heists from "Prophet Motive" and "Faithful Execution". But it manages to do more with the characters . before taking a dark turn with some shocking revelations regarding Jarael- and the introduction of a terrifying new villain.
I also liked the artwork in "Faithful Execution" for its unique style.
THE CONCLUSION: "Prophet Motive" gets 3 stars. "Faithful Execution" gets 2.5 stars. "Dueling Ambitions" gets 4 stars. Hence, the final rating for Volume 7 is 3 stars.
"Prophet Motive" and "Faithful Execution" are a bit slow, and the latter is pretty disappointing given how great these comics can be. That being said, "Dueling Ambitions" makes up for many of the shortcomings of the previous two arcs in this volume. It does much more with both Jarael and Zayne Carrick, the side characters are memorable, and the artwork is amazing.
Is the series worth continuing after the Padawan Massacre storyline? I would say yes, despite the slow start with this volume. Having read the rest of the series, it does reach the heights of the Padawan Massacre again. You can trust me on that one.
And as much as I love this series, I can easily call "Dueling Ambitions" the weakest volume. After the grand spectacle that ended the Padawan Massacre storyline with Vindication, we've hit a bit of a slow patch with the first couple of story arcs in this volume. However, with the final story arc, the one which this volume takes its name, it ends on a very strong note that promises nothing but excitement for the last last leg of the series.
THE STORY: Three different story arcs are being told throughout this volume.
The first two issues (36-37) are for "Prophet Motive". After Zayne Carrick is determined innocent in the Padawan Massacre affair, he rejoins the crew of his friend and partner in crime, Marn Hierogryph. Marn makes sure he fulfills Zayne's condition of only going after organizations and people of questionable morals, they target the Raff Syndicate on Metellos 3. Jarael, Rohlan Dyre, and Slyssk remain on their crew as well.
The next story arc in issue 38 is a one-shot titled "Faithful Execution". While Marn is away preparing the team for their next job, the rest of the characters investigate a lost star yacht, only to find an evil force hiding there.
The final story arc goes from issues 39-41 and gives this volume it's name, "Dueling Ambitions". it covers the last three issues and follows the crew hitting a sports ring associated with Lhosan Industries chairman Jervo Thalien. Zayne and Rohlan find themselves joining the competition and helping out a Goethar Kleej, a fellow competitor and childhood hero of Zayne's.
THE BAD: Most of the slowness comes from "Prophet Motive" and "Faithful Execution".
Let's start with the former. This two-parter is meant just to get us reacquainted with our lead characters following the momentous events that just happened in the previous arc. Bong Dazo's artwork is underwhelming here- sure I'm biased because I've never been a fan of his style, but he's done much better before- especially in the story arc "Exalted". The disguise worn by Marn Hierogryph is also a bit suspect. I'm sure that Dazo was trying to channel what snivvians have previously looked like in the Original Trilogy, but still, Marn Hierogryph looks completely different here than he did before. Even if I could stretch my disbelief and assume Marn shaved his face and his hair grew back by the time we see him again in "Dueling Ambitions", the change in look is too much. But most importantly, the plot is an adventure of the week. While the characters are the same loveable miscreants that we have followed since the beginning, none of them get developed aside from a tease regarding Jarael and a moment where Slyssk gets to shine.
And this brings me to "Faithful Execution", the only issue in the entire series that I consider to be bad. It's not terrible- it further teases Jarael's mysterious depths and it is nice to see Elbee come back, but it suffers from the same underwhelming plot and villain-of-the-day that dragged down "Prophet Motive". Worse yet? It actually backtracks on one of Prophet Motive's most surprising developments .
THE GOOD: "Dueling Ambitions" is a return to form of sorts. While the first two issues start out slow (especially the first), things really pick up in the final issue. In fact, the 3rd issue is so good that it retroactively makes the first two issues better. We finally get more exploration into Zayne Carrick again, and his character flaws are integrated into the plot of this arc really well. I also love seeing Brian Ching return as the artist and he once again delivers expressive characters and amazing action sequences. And the plot is fantastic- it starts out as a more fun version of the weekly heists from "Prophet Motive" and "Faithful Execution". But it manages to do more with the characters . before taking a dark turn with some shocking revelations regarding Jarael- and the introduction of a terrifying new villain.
I also liked the artwork in "Faithful Execution" for its unique style.
THE CONCLUSION: "Prophet Motive" gets 3 stars. "Faithful Execution" gets 2.5 stars. "Dueling Ambitions" gets 4 stars. Hence, the final rating for Volume 7 is 3 stars.
"Prophet Motive" and "Faithful Execution" are a bit slow, and the latter is pretty disappointing given how great these comics can be. That being said, "Dueling Ambitions" makes up for many of the shortcomings of the previous two arcs in this volume. It does much more with both Jarael and Zayne Carrick, the side characters are memorable, and the artwork is amazing.
Is the series worth continuing after the Padawan Massacre storyline? I would say yes, despite the slow start with this volume. Having read the rest of the series, it does reach the heights of the Padawan Massacre again. You can trust me on that one.
November 27, 2017
Now that the original story arc has concluded, the story-line has lost quite a bit of focus and has fallen into a more episodic format.
The minor overarching theme of Jarael's past and potential future barely gives enough to make a hook for more. Also, as before with this series, the artwork fluctuates wildly between each 'episode'.
The quality is pretty good, it's just inconstant.
Profit Motive featured a Chevin crime-boss and introduced the Chev slaves. I always found the Chevin a fascinating species and enjoyed seeing a bit more about them. The story itself was a little convoluted but was more amusing because of it. It features a pivotal scene with Jarael.
Score: Worth reading
Faithful Execution had what I would call a 'messy' art style that detracted initially, but as the chilling story unfolded, actually fit quite well. It made me think of the Firefly episode Bushwacked.
Score: Buy the book for this story
Duelling Ambitions was also a little convoluted, but with a more serious plot, it didn't work quite as well as in Profit Motive. Still, the action was exciting enough, but the whole thing did feel a bit of a set-up story for the next story-arc as revelations about Jarael's past finally come to the surface.
Score: Worth reading
The minor overarching theme of Jarael's past and potential future barely gives enough to make a hook for more. Also, as before with this series, the artwork fluctuates wildly between each 'episode'.
The quality is pretty good, it's just inconstant.
Profit Motive featured a Chevin crime-boss and introduced the Chev slaves. I always found the Chevin a fascinating species and enjoyed seeing a bit more about them. The story itself was a little convoluted but was more amusing because of it. It features a pivotal scene with Jarael.
Score: Worth reading
Faithful Execution had what I would call a 'messy' art style that detracted initially, but as the chilling story unfolded, actually fit quite well. It made me think of the Firefly episode Bushwacked.
Score: Buy the book for this story
Duelling Ambitions was also a little convoluted, but with a more serious plot, it didn't work quite as well as in Profit Motive. Still, the action was exciting enough, but the whole thing did feel a bit of a set-up story for the next story-arc as revelations about Jarael's past finally come to the surface.
Score: Worth reading
December 26, 2015
Star Wars Legends Project #18
Background: Knights of the Old Republic: Dueling Ambitions was first released in six issues from December 2008 until May 2009. The trade paperback was released in October that year. It was written by John Jackson Miller and pencilled by Brian Ching, Bong Dazo, and Dean Zachary. This is Zachary's lone Star Wars credit, but he has done a great deal of work for Malibu comics (I don't recognize any titles), as well as for DC (including Batman, Superboy, and Green Lantern). He also did a Johnny Quest title for Dark Horse.
Dueling Ambitions begins soon after the climactic events of Vindication (my review here, continuing 3,963 years before the Battle of Yavin. The whole gang is back, popping in here and there at various times as the stories move from location to location. One of the stories centers around a character referenced vaguely in passing several times during random previous issues, and Jervo Thalien, the head of Lhosan Industries, returns.
Summary: Finally exonerated of the murders of his fellow Padawans, and having left the Jedi Order behind him, Zayne Carrick is now free to travel the galaxy without fear. But with a partnership with petty crook Gryph, a friendship with the Arkanian offshoot Jarael, whose dark past is beginning to loom large, and an "association" with mysterious Mandalorian deserter Rholand Dyre, trouble is never going to be far away for our hero.
Review: A bit "meh" to be perfectly honest. Even at its best, this collection never feels like much more than pure filler, piecing together three fairly average and totally disconnected stories without doing enough to fill the void left by the end of the previous major arc. Oh, sure, you can see that they're pulling strings to set up the next major storyline, and each of the stories here drops some major hint about what's building for the future. But the stories themselves just aren't good enough, and the entire first half feels totally skippable. By far the best thing about these three stories are the brilliant puns that make up their titles!
In the two-issue "Prophet Motive," Gryph and company, sans Zayne, arrive in disguise to pull a scam on a large-scale land speculation operation that walks the line of legality and ethics. Bong Dazo's art for this story is strong, and overall the plot is fair, but the whole thing is majorly exposition heavy, making it one of the most over-narrated comics I've read, and confusing in a few spots, besides. In particular, I was baffled by a turn of events that unnecessarily saw Rholand and Jarael in deadly danger without an adequate explanation of why their friends didn't seem concerned with rescuing them . . . only to have Jarael suddenly manifest Force powers, which seemed to come way out of left field. Not sure where that's going, and definitely not sure I like it.
The single-issue "Faithful Execution" felt like a weird rip-off of the Firefly episode "Bushwhacked," and several things about the story made very little sense to me. Plus, at one issue, it was so short that it felt rushed and slight and kind of pointless. The art, by Dean Zachary, was really cool and fit the tone of the story well with its use of deep shadows and hazier lines, but it was such a massive departure from every other issue that I found it distracting and didn't particularly care for it. I'd love to see more of Zachary's work, just in a different context.
By far the best is the three-issue title story, "Dueling Ambitions," which sees the return of main artist Brian Ching, and offers a much better balance of character, humor, drama, etc. It suddenly felt like the series was back on the road to where it was supposed to be, it just hadn't quite arrived yet. The story is fun, but still feels a bit directionless, and a few details just rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like it was out of character for Zayne to be such an absurdly enthusiastic fan of such a violent sport (and strange that he seemed so into it, but had never once mentioned it before), and Gryph's schemes, influence, and machinations definitely bordered on being overpowered. Nevertheless, I end this book intrigued by the hook they planted at the end for the series going forward, and I'm confident that this minor misstep will soon be a distant memory.
B-
Background: Knights of the Old Republic: Dueling Ambitions was first released in six issues from December 2008 until May 2009. The trade paperback was released in October that year. It was written by John Jackson Miller and pencilled by Brian Ching, Bong Dazo, and Dean Zachary. This is Zachary's lone Star Wars credit, but he has done a great deal of work for Malibu comics (I don't recognize any titles), as well as for DC (including Batman, Superboy, and Green Lantern). He also did a Johnny Quest title for Dark Horse.
Dueling Ambitions begins soon after the climactic events of Vindication (my review here, continuing 3,963 years before the Battle of Yavin. The whole gang is back, popping in here and there at various times as the stories move from location to location. One of the stories centers around a character referenced vaguely in passing several times during random previous issues, and Jervo Thalien, the head of Lhosan Industries, returns.
Summary: Finally exonerated of the murders of his fellow Padawans, and having left the Jedi Order behind him, Zayne Carrick is now free to travel the galaxy without fear. But with a partnership with petty crook Gryph, a friendship with the Arkanian offshoot Jarael, whose dark past is beginning to loom large, and an "association" with mysterious Mandalorian deserter Rholand Dyre, trouble is never going to be far away for our hero.
Review: A bit "meh" to be perfectly honest. Even at its best, this collection never feels like much more than pure filler, piecing together three fairly average and totally disconnected stories without doing enough to fill the void left by the end of the previous major arc. Oh, sure, you can see that they're pulling strings to set up the next major storyline, and each of the stories here drops some major hint about what's building for the future. But the stories themselves just aren't good enough, and the entire first half feels totally skippable. By far the best thing about these three stories are the brilliant puns that make up their titles!
In the two-issue "Prophet Motive," Gryph and company, sans Zayne, arrive in disguise to pull a scam on a large-scale land speculation operation that walks the line of legality and ethics. Bong Dazo's art for this story is strong, and overall the plot is fair, but the whole thing is majorly exposition heavy, making it one of the most over-narrated comics I've read, and confusing in a few spots, besides. In particular, I was baffled by a turn of events that unnecessarily saw Rholand and Jarael in deadly danger without an adequate explanation of why their friends didn't seem concerned with rescuing them . . . only to have Jarael suddenly manifest Force powers, which seemed to come way out of left field. Not sure where that's going, and definitely not sure I like it.
The single-issue "Faithful Execution" felt like a weird rip-off of the Firefly episode "Bushwhacked," and several things about the story made very little sense to me. Plus, at one issue, it was so short that it felt rushed and slight and kind of pointless. The art, by Dean Zachary, was really cool and fit the tone of the story well with its use of deep shadows and hazier lines, but it was such a massive departure from every other issue that I found it distracting and didn't particularly care for it. I'd love to see more of Zachary's work, just in a different context.
By far the best is the three-issue title story, "Dueling Ambitions," which sees the return of main artist Brian Ching, and offers a much better balance of character, humor, drama, etc. It suddenly felt like the series was back on the road to where it was supposed to be, it just hadn't quite arrived yet. The story is fun, but still feels a bit directionless, and a few details just rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like it was out of character for Zayne to be such an absurdly enthusiastic fan of such a violent sport (and strange that he seemed so into it, but had never once mentioned it before), and Gryph's schemes, influence, and machinations definitely bordered on being overpowered. Nevertheless, I end this book intrigued by the hook they planted at the end for the series going forward, and I'm confident that this minor misstep will soon be a distant memory.
B-
October 19, 2011
Sometimes, commenting on comic volumes feels like commenting on a single chapter in a book.
July 18, 2019
Prophet Motive –
Writing: John Jackson Miller
Art: Bong Dazo
GR: 3 Stars
Amazon: 4
As always Gryph is scheming. He shows up at an exchange where everything is being traded on regarding planets and moons that will only be able to be visited after the war the Jedi/Mandi war is over.
Gryph is pretending to be a law professor and Jarael shows up as some kind of scavenger or something with Rholan in tow pretending to be from some planet that has already been sold and he want's to be paid for it. Basic scam.
Turns out the whole exchange is basically a scam being run by other criminal elements and the boss of the exchange recognizes Gryph.
Jarael and Rholan are caught and taken away to be killed off when the sun comes up. Zayne shows up from his “vacation” to save Gryph and free the slaves who run the place for the boss.
While the sun is coming up, baking the two of them alive, Rholan encourages Jarael to use the force powers she has inside to break them free.
Nice artwork, and I especially like where the story is going concerning Jarael and why Zayne was on some vacation.
Faithful Execution -
Writing: John Jackson Miller
Art: Dean Zachary
GR: 2 Stars
Amazon: 3
As the war rages on, the unaffected rich folk take cruises in Republic space that was thought to be safe. A ship called Hot Prospect goes missing, and Zayne decides they should go looking for it. When they find it, they also find everyone dead with the exception of a lone Bimm and his droid.
Elbee, who has not spoken in weeks befriends the droid as they were built in the same factory.
Not going to go further because it would give away too much, but the story is cool and the artwork as well, yet it was fairly predictable.
Dueling Ambitions -
Writing: John Jackson Miller
Art: Brian Ching
GR: 3
Amazon: 4
Goethar Kleej, the greatest Swoopbike tournament winner ever has just announced his retirement.
Zayne is a huge fan and they show up to watch some of the games, and as it turns out he gets in on an amateur run and does really well.
Gryph of course means to scam the place out of money, and naturally the place isn't on the up and up. In Goethar's retirement speech (which was edited) he tells everyone about how he was kidnapped and that's that way with all the lower levels in the farm teams. This gets his young son entered who isn't anywhere near ready for it, and Goethar comes out of retirement to protect him.
Meanwhile, Rholan leaves the ship as he's become obsessed with protecting Jarael and gets caught and they threaten to turn him over to the Republic. Gryph says that Jarael brought him and that he's dressed like that for the entertainment value. He's then put into the tournament as well.
Jarael has a strange dream about people from her past and not being truthful to everyone after Camper saved her, and what he saved her from comes at the end, and it's a biggie.
I really enjoyed this story, and the art is for the most part nice, but the way that Zayne is done is just weird which is a shame.
Writing: John Jackson Miller
Art: Bong Dazo
GR: 3 Stars
Amazon: 4
As always Gryph is scheming. He shows up at an exchange where everything is being traded on regarding planets and moons that will only be able to be visited after the war the Jedi/Mandi war is over.
Gryph is pretending to be a law professor and Jarael shows up as some kind of scavenger or something with Rholan in tow pretending to be from some planet that has already been sold and he want's to be paid for it. Basic scam.
Turns out the whole exchange is basically a scam being run by other criminal elements and the boss of the exchange recognizes Gryph.
Jarael and Rholan are caught and taken away to be killed off when the sun comes up. Zayne shows up from his “vacation” to save Gryph and free the slaves who run the place for the boss.
While the sun is coming up, baking the two of them alive, Rholan encourages Jarael to use the force powers she has inside to break them free.
Nice artwork, and I especially like where the story is going concerning Jarael and why Zayne was on some vacation.
Faithful Execution -
Writing: John Jackson Miller
Art: Dean Zachary
GR: 2 Stars
Amazon: 3
As the war rages on, the unaffected rich folk take cruises in Republic space that was thought to be safe. A ship called Hot Prospect goes missing, and Zayne decides they should go looking for it. When they find it, they also find everyone dead with the exception of a lone Bimm and his droid.
Elbee, who has not spoken in weeks befriends the droid as they were built in the same factory.
Not going to go further because it would give away too much, but the story is cool and the artwork as well, yet it was fairly predictable.
Dueling Ambitions -
Writing: John Jackson Miller
Art: Brian Ching
GR: 3
Amazon: 4
Goethar Kleej, the greatest Swoopbike tournament winner ever has just announced his retirement.
Zayne is a huge fan and they show up to watch some of the games, and as it turns out he gets in on an amateur run and does really well.
Gryph of course means to scam the place out of money, and naturally the place isn't on the up and up. In Goethar's retirement speech (which was edited) he tells everyone about how he was kidnapped and that's that way with all the lower levels in the farm teams. This gets his young son entered who isn't anywhere near ready for it, and Goethar comes out of retirement to protect him.
Meanwhile, Rholan leaves the ship as he's become obsessed with protecting Jarael and gets caught and they threaten to turn him over to the Republic. Gryph says that Jarael brought him and that he's dressed like that for the entertainment value. He's then put into the tournament as well.
Jarael has a strange dream about people from her past and not being truthful to everyone after Camper saved her, and what he saved her from comes at the end, and it's a biggie.
I really enjoyed this story, and the art is for the most part nice, but the way that Zayne is done is just weird which is a shame.
June 20, 2025
Prophet Motive is another one of KOTOR's low stakes stories. Reminds me of the issues featuring Adasca, and not just because Bong Dazo's involved. A functional low-stakes story to take some time off the previous arc's intense action.
Faithful Execution is a one shot par excellence. A horror mystery featuring extremely moody art by one-time SWEU contributor Dean Zachary, it's a series standout. My one gripe might actually be JJM's writing for once; his predisposition towards approachable, never utterly dire storytelling clashes just a bit with the art and plot. As a result, it never quite reaches the zenith of its potential, though I do find it rather excellent.
Dueling Ambitions confuses me. It's a better story than Prophet Motive, it's a good story in fact. Solid art, fun character drama, and finally a move towards the real post-Covenant story. The problem is that KOTOR was inexplicably cancelled following its 50th issue, and this was clearly NOT planned. We've now spent six issues having these low-stakes adventures to build up to the main attraction, but that will have to be dealt with in just nine issues plus a five issue sequel miniseries. Dangerously slow pacing considering what was to come, although the team couldn't have known.
Oh, and Rohlan? Now that's a dead mystery. It's kind of fascinating how JJM's basically taunting the reader with what they've already guessed so long ago. But I do hope we get a "reveal" soon.
Faithful Execution is a one shot par excellence. A horror mystery featuring extremely moody art by one-time SWEU contributor Dean Zachary, it's a series standout. My one gripe might actually be JJM's writing for once; his predisposition towards approachable, never utterly dire storytelling clashes just a bit with the art and plot. As a result, it never quite reaches the zenith of its potential, though I do find it rather excellent.
Dueling Ambitions confuses me. It's a better story than Prophet Motive, it's a good story in fact. Solid art, fun character drama, and finally a move towards the real post-Covenant story. The problem is that KOTOR was inexplicably cancelled following its 50th issue, and this was clearly NOT planned. We've now spent six issues having these low-stakes adventures to build up to the main attraction, but that will have to be dealt with in just nine issues plus a five issue sequel miniseries. Dangerously slow pacing considering what was to come, although the team couldn't have known.
Oh, and Rohlan? Now that's a dead mystery. It's kind of fascinating how JJM's basically taunting the reader with what they've already guessed so long ago. But I do hope we get a "reveal" soon.
July 2, 2017
This volume of KotOR features "Prophet Motive" parts 1 and 2, "Faithful Execution," and "Dueling Ambitions" Parts 1-3. "Prophet Motive" Gryph, Zayne, and Jarael have a long-running plan to dismantle a shady auctioning syndicate that utilizes slaves. When their plans are found out, Gryph and Jarael must disguise themselves, and their Mandalorian friend finds himself in a bind for refusing to remove his armor. In these issues, Jarael demonstrates a potential to use the Force, and Rohlan pushes her further to utilize these newfound powers. "Faithful Execution" is a short issue featuring unique art by Dean Zachary, art that makes the characters appear softer, rather than having the sharp angles. This issue involves Zayne and crew coming across a ship of suffocated people, with a lone survivor and a droid. When Zayne suspects the droid of the murders, the real murderer comes forth when Jarael is in trouble. In "Dueling Ambitions," Zayne finds himself face-to-face with one of his childhood icons in a dueling arena, excited to race and be a part of the duels, even though they can be very deadly. When the truth is revealed, that those in the duels are slaves that are forced to fight and race, Zayne makes it his ambition to free them, but he also learns Jarael's secret of the past!
Having the different artist in one of the issues was an interesting and pleasant twist, and this new arc of Zayne, Gryph, and Jarael's adventures shows promise. For the first time, I am extremely eager to see what happens next in this series, especially where Jarael is concerned.
Having the different artist in one of the issues was an interesting and pleasant twist, and this new arc of Zayne, Gryph, and Jarael's adventures shows promise. For the first time, I am extremely eager to see what happens next in this series, especially where Jarael is concerned.
October 25, 2021
The combat chemistry that Jarael and Rohlan have is neat. Jarael using the force is awesome. It seems as though Zayne has become more in tune with the force so he might make a good teacher for her.
I knew there was something off about Toki when he first appeared. I just didn't expect him to be a sith. Zayne was too quick to strike Kayo but too slow to engage Toki. He should have shot to kill Toki. Zayne was disarmed and Toki would've killed him if it hadn't been for Rohlan’s brutal effectiveness. Zayne must learn that he is not a great duelist yet and that his honor is not worth his life.
Goethar Kleej is an interesting character. He’s a father fighting for his and his son’s freedom. That was a great thing to see. Hopefully, his leak will shut down The Crucible’s slave operations.
Jarael being a former slaver was also a huge surprise. I wonder what Zayne and the others will think of her now?
I knew there was something off about Toki when he first appeared. I just didn't expect him to be a sith. Zayne was too quick to strike Kayo but too slow to engage Toki. He should have shot to kill Toki. Zayne was disarmed and Toki would've killed him if it hadn't been for Rohlan’s brutal effectiveness. Zayne must learn that he is not a great duelist yet and that his honor is not worth his life.
Goethar Kleej is an interesting character. He’s a father fighting for his and his son’s freedom. That was a great thing to see. Hopefully, his leak will shut down The Crucible’s slave operations.
Jarael being a former slaver was also a huge surprise. I wonder what Zayne and the others will think of her now?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2017
I hope this is not the beginning of the series going downhill... This was the weakest of them all and had to knock it down to 3 stars.
Prophet motive was OK, but had no feel of being Star Wars. Running a con on an organization selling planets off.
Faithful Execution was just odd. Not bad, just not great. Finding a Sith on a ship.
Dueling Ambitions was the best section of it with the "Running Man" type of thing. The only thing I didn't like was Carrick's art work. Everything and everyone else were good. Hopefully the tale end of the book will be good for things to come.
Prophet motive was OK, but had no feel of being Star Wars. Running a con on an organization selling planets off.
Faithful Execution was just odd. Not bad, just not great. Finding a Sith on a ship.
Dueling Ambitions was the best section of it with the "Running Man" type of thing. The only thing I didn't like was Carrick's art work. Everything and everyone else were good. Hopefully the tale end of the book will be good for things to come.
July 12, 2018
Gryph's face is drawn without fur in "Prophet Motive," so I couldn't even tell it was him until it was mentioned that it was him. Thankfully, the art was better in "Faithful Execution," which was another side adventure but was an interesting read. "Dueling Ambitions" is the real meat of this volume, and it even includes a revelation about Jarael. So overall this volume feels like a transitionary volume, but I'm sure things will pick up in the next one.
January 12, 2023
Given how mind-blowingly brilliant Zayne's exoneration arc was, I admit to feeling a little trepidatious about what was coming next. Obviously, this new phase of the KOTOR comics will never be as brilliant as what came before it, but so far it seems it will be enjoyable in its own right. This is largely due to how likeable the characters are.
October 4, 2017
After wrapping up the main storyline, I wasn't sure where this was going to go, but this was pretty interesting. Also, once Dueling Ambitions starts, we finally start getting some answers about Jarael's past.
January 10, 2021
So the plot thickens, and we're getting more into what Jarael's backstory is. I'm glad, although the "every guy in the story is in love with the one mysterious woman" bit does get a bit old. Did a nice job of moving on after the "padawan murder" arc, so we'll see where this takes us.
January 31, 2025
Zayne is free of being framed for the murder of a bunch of Jedi. Now the former padawan and his friends are acting like robin hoods across the galaxy. It's all surprisingly good stuff. I like that Zayne is typically the only human as Star Wars really should be.
July 1, 2017
Aventuras independientes con un final que promete nuevos giros para uno de los personajes. Una de las cosas que más me gusta de esta serie es su ambientación sucia de los bajos fondos de ciudades.
May 14, 2018
Relleno innecesario.
December 31, 2018
所以要开始讲 Jarael 的故事了
August 16, 2021
4🌟/5🌟 Další zábavné volume. Ten zvrat mě překvapil a uvidím, jak se to bude vyvíjet dál.
July 22, 2022
more like 3.5 stars? art changed a couple times and i still can’t decide if i like it. several rather disconnected stories. the only important plot point was revealing more info about jarael.
March 9, 2025
Good fun, lots going on and a bit of build for what's coming up
December 22, 2025
8/10 GREAT
December 13, 2015
Behind the Glamour of Professional Sport
28 July 2012
Pretty much once I got to this graphic novel the series begins to degrade. Zayne Carrick and Gryph have cleared their names and are now free agents travelling the Republic looking for whatever adventure they might come across. Jareal and Rodan are still with them, as well as a silent robot named Ebee. However the stories simply did not have the same panash as the first few stories did.
The main story involves a sporting event that is very popular in the Republic: speedbike duelling. Basically the competitors are given speedbikes and they rush around a course attempting to defeat their opponents and win the tournament. All seems to be above board, and despite it being a full contact sport, most of the weapons have been worked so that no injuries are caused, or so it seems.
As Zayne becomes involved in this sport he discovers that there is more to this game than it first appears. He meets one of his sporting heroes who has apparently retired until he discovers that for these guys retirement is not an option. They are not the sporting heroes that we know but slaves who have been sold to the sporting association, and the whole idea that it is not a blood sport is simply propaganda put out by the association.
The suggestion is that the only actual game that anybody is interested in is what we would call the Grand Final. In fact that is what many of us are interested in these days. Here in Australia the AFL Grand Final (just like the Superbowl in the United States) generally attracts high ratings (as well as a full house at the MCG), however only die hard supporters watch the other games. So is the case here, as it is suggested that the only people that are interested in the other events are gamblers, who will pretty much bet on anything.
The same is the case here because gambling has become such a big industry. One can pretty much bet on anything from the winner of an election, to who will win a particular seat, to who will kick the first goal in the match, to, I reckon, which fly will land on the bread slice first. As I have said, if there is an element of chance, then you can place a bet on it. I will say more about slavery when I look at volume 8.
28 July 2012
Pretty much once I got to this graphic novel the series begins to degrade. Zayne Carrick and Gryph have cleared their names and are now free agents travelling the Republic looking for whatever adventure they might come across. Jareal and Rodan are still with them, as well as a silent robot named Ebee. However the stories simply did not have the same panash as the first few stories did.
The main story involves a sporting event that is very popular in the Republic: speedbike duelling. Basically the competitors are given speedbikes and they rush around a course attempting to defeat their opponents and win the tournament. All seems to be above board, and despite it being a full contact sport, most of the weapons have been worked so that no injuries are caused, or so it seems.
As Zayne becomes involved in this sport he discovers that there is more to this game than it first appears. He meets one of his sporting heroes who has apparently retired until he discovers that for these guys retirement is not an option. They are not the sporting heroes that we know but slaves who have been sold to the sporting association, and the whole idea that it is not a blood sport is simply propaganda put out by the association.
The suggestion is that the only actual game that anybody is interested in is what we would call the Grand Final. In fact that is what many of us are interested in these days. Here in Australia the AFL Grand Final (just like the Superbowl in the United States) generally attracts high ratings (as well as a full house at the MCG), however only die hard supporters watch the other games. So is the case here, as it is suggested that the only people that are interested in the other events are gamblers, who will pretty much bet on anything.
The same is the case here because gambling has become such a big industry. One can pretty much bet on anything from the winner of an election, to who will win a particular seat, to who will kick the first goal in the match, to, I reckon, which fly will land on the bread slice first. As I have said, if there is an element of chance, then you can place a bet on it. I will say more about slavery when I look at volume 8.
March 2, 2016
The first story in this book is very weak. One of the weakest in the series and it feels like a massive drop in quality after the ending of the previous one. Only a single small detail is introduced that has any significance at all. You could easily sum it all up in five words or less without leaving out anything remotely relevant.
Next there is a very short story that is somewhat better, but again completely pointless. Based on just these two parts I would rate the whole book one star.
When I first read the series, this point was where I stopped, coming back to it only months later when I heard new things about cool stuff that is happening later.
But the second half consists of a third story and that one is again a really strong one. Zayne, Gryph, Jarael, and Rohlan all have important roles and there is even room for a major temporary ally and two decent villains. That's what we want to see.
It also is the start of the second major storyline that dominates the rest of the series.
Next there is a very short story that is somewhat better, but again completely pointless. Based on just these two parts I would rate the whole book one star.
When I first read the series, this point was where I stopped, coming back to it only months later when I heard new things about cool stuff that is happening later.
But the second half consists of a third story and that one is again a really strong one. Zayne, Gryph, Jarael, and Rohlan all have important roles and there is even room for a major temporary ally and two decent villains. That's what we want to see.
It also is the start of the second major storyline that dominates the rest of the series.
May 18, 2012
Zayne Carrick est maintenant libéré de toutes les charges qui pesaient contre lui. Il est libre comme l'air et décide de rejoindre ses amis plutôt que l'Ordre Jedi. Il voyage à travers la galaxie en quête d'aventures et d'opportunité d'argent. Lors de ses voyages, il fait face à des criminels, un ancien Sith et des esclavagistes. On en apprend plus sur le passé trouble de son amie Jarael.
Jusqu'à présent, c'est le tome que j'ai le moins aimé de la série KOTOR. La première histoire était ennuyante, la seconde sur l'ancien Sith était correcte et celle sur les esclavagistes était bonne. Le sentiment d'urgence des débuts de la série n'est plus là et ça fait une grosse différence dans l'ambiance. J'espère que ce tome était l'introduction à quelque chose de plus gros.
Jusqu'à présent, c'est le tome que j'ai le moins aimé de la série KOTOR. La première histoire était ennuyante, la seconde sur l'ancien Sith était correcte et celle sur les esclavagistes était bonne. Le sentiment d'urgence des débuts de la série n'est plus là et ça fait une grosse différence dans l'ambiance. J'espère que ce tome était l'introduction à quelque chose de plus gros.
January 17, 2016
This volume features three stories that mark Zayne Carrick's first foray into the universe as a free man. This is a new starting point for this series and has sort of turned it into a Star Wars version of the show "Leverage." The characters are still compelling and new secrets start to come to light here.
My favorite story was the second, "Faithful Execution," which actually plays like an episode of "Firefly." The group decide to investigate a lost Luxury liner for loot and to unravel the mystery. A creepy and fun story that brings a few characters some great moments.
The other stories are fun, but less exciting. Lots of small things happening to the characters that are pulling me forward here.
Still a good recommendation for Star Wars fans!
My favorite story was the second, "Faithful Execution," which actually plays like an episode of "Firefly." The group decide to investigate a lost Luxury liner for loot and to unravel the mystery. A creepy and fun story that brings a few characters some great moments.
The other stories are fun, but less exciting. Lots of small things happening to the characters that are pulling me forward here.
Still a good recommendation for Star Wars fans!
January 17, 2011
Short story collection following Zayne and his friends after the final events in Vindication.
Interesting stories - but almost all of them are mere background builders except the last one that seems to pave the way for the next multiple volume story line.
Interesting stories - but almost all of them are mere background builders except the last one that seems to pave the way for the next multiple volume story line.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews