Knights of the Old Republic: War #3

Writer: John Jackson Miller
Penciller: Andrea Mutti
Inker: Pierluigi Baldassini
Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
Letterist: Michael Heisler
Cover Artist: Benjamin Carré

Zayne’s homeworld of Phaeda is in his hands. However, like Dorjander Kace says “You can’t win a war on stun.” Zayne has his hands full in this issue trying to keep the Mandalorians from unleashing a slaughter. Yet the battle for Phaeda takes a turn as the plot sets its sights on another world from Zayne’s past. And speaking of Zayne’s past, readers will get a little bonus in this issue with some familiar faces.

John Jackson Miller does a great job of rolling the ball forward in KOTOR: War #3. We’ve seen where Zayne is now in the war. We’ve seen some new sides to the Mandalorians. Yet this issue took what felt to be the first big scoop into some serious plot development. Dorjander received some really good fleshing out between this issue and the last one. While Zayne’s role hasn’t changed much, Dorjander’s has significantly deepened. I also like how his character has not turned into a villain, but simply a motivated person on the other side of the conflict. It makes him a much more captivating individual.

I liked this image of Zayne deep in thought. Later on Dorjander strikes a similar pose that created a nice symmetry between the two panels.

Beyond Kace’s story, there were some nice elements thrown in from the side characters. Most notably was the return of some old friends whose role fit in seamlessly with the plot without stealing the show. While I’d love to see more of them, I’m also sure we haven’t seen the last of them. With the heightened focus on Zayne and Dorjander, it makes sense to keep the cast small.

A vivid, colorful shot of space that avoids the typical black curtain with white dots.

Another side character that really added a lot to the story was Kra’ake. If Sornell represents the softer, sympathetic side of the Mandalorians, then Kra’ake is definitely the flip side of the coin. In his one brief scene, he reminds the reader that the Mandos are not exactly civilized beings. The Mandalorians are warriors. They can be brutal, they can be savage, and they can lust for battle. Trying to minimize the damage with them is a monumental affair.

The artists took a different interpretation of the Bith, at least to me, it looked different from what I'd seen before. I liked the variation.

The artwork in this issue took a huge upswing. Some of the panels in #3 looked really good. There were plenty of nice space shots with excellent coloring. Instead of the typical drab background, the art adds a nice nebula-space cloud feel that adds color to the panels. Other shots portray some great character stills. On page two there’s an image of Zayne in the captain’s chair deep in thought. Later Dorjander takes that role and it creates a nice symmetry. There’s also a lot of shadow work in faces that flows nice with the tone of the story. As an extra bonus, the artists throw in some nice alien art, too.

So far this is my favorite issue of this arc. Maybe I’m just warming up to it, but I felt the story was really flowing good at this point. The artwork was visual pleasing and is looking better than ever. Together, the story and visuals made KOTOR: War #3 a true joy to read. I give it a 5 out of 5 metal bikinis.

Reviewed By: Skuldren for Roqoo Depot.