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zare_i's review against another edition
4.0
First part of the story-line that will cross several time periods in Star Wars universe. [return]Very interesting story and plot makes Vector appealing to those that have not read (or are not familiar to the events) of Expanded Universe.[return][return]Recommended
lunchlander's review against another edition
2.0
All Star Wars comics are not created equal, and while there are things I like about all the Star Wars comics Dark Horse is currently publishing, I only pick up two of them in trade regularly.
So I was a bit annoyed that to keep following the stories without skipping a trade, I had to buy the trades for the other ones. Randy Stradley's intro admits that they came up with this crossover as a response to Secret Wars/Final Crisis, etc. and unfortunately, while the series may have hit its commercial goals, creatively it's a hit to the two books in this volume.
The Knights of the Old Republic story is not bad, exploring the origin of the Rakghouls (a legitimate KOTOR mystery) and furthering some of the story arcs of the characters, but it suffers from cartoony, exaggerated art that is not a fit to the story. The Dark Times story has great art, but has the same "shock value" excesses that put me off Dark Times in the first place.
Soooo... meh. I'm not entirely sure, but at this point I'd probably recommend that regular readers of any of the Star Wars titles just skip over Vector in favor of the next stories.
So I was a bit annoyed that to keep following the stories without skipping a trade, I had to buy the trades for the other ones. Randy Stradley's intro admits that they came up with this crossover as a response to Secret Wars/Final Crisis, etc. and unfortunately, while the series may have hit its commercial goals, creatively it's a hit to the two books in this volume.
The Knights of the Old Republic story is not bad, exploring the origin of the Rakghouls (a legitimate KOTOR mystery) and furthering some of the story arcs of the characters, but it suffers from cartoony, exaggerated art that is not a fit to the story. The Dark Times story has great art, but has the same "shock value" excesses that put me off Dark Times in the first place.
Soooo... meh. I'm not entirely sure, but at this point I'd probably recommend that regular readers of any of the Star Wars titles just skip over Vector in favor of the next stories.
jaredkwheeler's review against another edition
3.0
Star Wars Legends Project #16
Background: Knights of the Old Republic: Vector was released in four issues from January to May 2008. The trade paperback was released in January 2009. It was written by [a:John Jackson Miller|20028|John Jackson Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1612231658p2/20028.jpg] and pencilled by [a:Scott Hepburn|1953865|Scott Hepburn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Hepburn also pencilled 7 issues of The Clone Wars, along with various other things, mostly for Marvel (Captain Marvel, X-Men, The Avengers, Fantastic Four), but also some work on a "Dr. Horrible" comic, "Street Fighter," and "Thundercats."
A special note about Vector: I'm not reviewing all of it, because I didn't read all of it. Vector is a 12-issue timeline-hopping series that crosses four different ongoing (at the time) Dark Horse series: Knights of the Old Republic, Dark Times, Rebellion, and Legacy, with 4, 2, 2, and 4 issues in each series, respectively. So, I've read 4 of the 6 issues in volume 1, but I'm not hopping 4,000 years into the middle of the Dark Times series to continue it at this point. I'll get there when I get there. (I got there! And it only took me . . . *checks watch* . . . 5 years! You can read my review of the Dark Times issues of Vector here. *break* And here I am, 3 years later, with the 3rd Vector review!)
Vector begins sometime shortly after [b:Daze of Hate, Knights of Suffering|3840160|Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Vol. 4 Daze of Hate, Knights of Suffering|John Jackson Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403203829l/3840160._SY75_.jpg|3884992] (my review here), still 3,963 years before the Battle of Yavin. It references various Sith Lords from Tales of the Jedi (most notably Naga Sadow), and introduces a new character, the "Jedi Shadow" Celeste Morne, who will be the main protagonist of the other Vector comics as they continue into the future. Zayne and Gryph return as major characters, but most of the other significant players from Knights of the Old Republic appear only briefly or not at all.
Summary: The Mandalorians have smashed the Resistance on Taris, and Zayne and Gryph are scrambling to stay alive amidst the chaos of war and the horrors of the Rakghoul plague in the Lower City. More danger is headed their way, though, in the form of Celeste Morne, an agent of the Jedi Covenant dispatched by Lucien Draay to find an ancient Sith artifact of impossible power . . . and kill Zayne Carrick.
Review: Ambitious, but not up to par. I look forward to seeing more of Vector in future series, but there's just no denying that it feels like an interruption of the Knights of the Old Republic series, despite the best intentions of everyone who worked on it. A bit of the problem is that it kind of comes out of nowhere, leaving several threads dangling from the last arc. When it begins, enough time has passed that I don't get to see the conversation between Zayne and Gryph about the death of Raana Tey, though you can fill in most of the rest of the gaps through hints dropped here and there.
It's not really the writing, though. This is a fairly exciting story, and an interesting spin-off that makes clever use of elements that Knights of the Old Republic has had in play since the beginning. And Celeste Morne is a cool character who has a neat little arc over the course of these issues. I enjoyed all that well enough, and certainly impacts the direction that Zayne will take in future issues, so it's not like it's just irrelevant to the series as a whole. No, the problem is the art.
The editor noted at the end of one of the issues that they wanted the art to set Vector apart from the rest of the series so far. Well, first of all, that seems kind of dumb when one of their stated goals for Vector is that it not feel like just a one-off gimmick. But, secondly, the art does stand out. It makes it seem like we've transitioned from a mature, quality masterpiece of graphic storytelling, into a cheap Saturday morning cartoon. There's a lot about this art style that I hate. For one thing, it's completely inappropriate to the seriousness of the story they're attempting to tell. The biggest problem, though, is the way the characters are drawn as ugly caricatures, particularly Zayne and Celeste.
Zayne is only recognizable from his signature outfit. His face has been transformed into an upside down triangle, with his chin protruding way down in a sharp point. Celeste is even worse because I don't know what she's supposed to look like in actual human terms, so there's just no way to imagine her any differently. Her face looks hideous from almost any angle (it seems to shape-shift as she turns her head), shaped so bizarrely that I don't know how it's supposed to exist in three dimensions. Her lower jaw juts out so violently that the rest of her face appears concave. Half the time, she looks like she's angrily chewing on so many marbles that they're packed into her cheeks, and the rest of the time she just kind of resembles a chimp. Her eyes, nose, and mouth are slapped on at strange angles that don't appear to line up with each other in any way. It's just incredibly distracting, and awful. Click here for one example of what I'm talking about.
Bad art can't destroy good storytelling, but this was an additional handicap that Vector definitely didn't need. Thank goodness they didn't turn the writing of this arc over to a different author, too, as a way of "setting it apart." I guess I should count myself lucky there. I'm glad to know, as well, that Hepburn will not be returning to either Knights of the Old Republic or Vector, and it's back to business as usual with the next issue.
B-
Background: Knights of the Old Republic: Vector was released in four issues from January to May 2008. The trade paperback was released in January 2009. It was written by [a:John Jackson Miller|20028|John Jackson Miller|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1612231658p2/20028.jpg] and pencilled by [a:Scott Hepburn|1953865|Scott Hepburn|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]. Hepburn also pencilled 7 issues of The Clone Wars, along with various other things, mostly for Marvel (Captain Marvel, X-Men, The Avengers, Fantastic Four), but also some work on a "Dr. Horrible" comic, "Street Fighter," and "Thundercats."
A special note about Vector: I'm not reviewing all of it, because I didn't read all of it. Vector is a 12-issue timeline-hopping series that crosses four different ongoing (at the time) Dark Horse series: Knights of the Old Republic, Dark Times, Rebellion, and Legacy, with 4, 2, 2, and 4 issues in each series, respectively. So, I've read 4 of the 6 issues in volume 1, but I'm not hopping 4,000 years into the middle of the Dark Times series to continue it at this point. I'll get there when I get there. (I got there! And it only took me . . . *checks watch* . . . 5 years! You can read my review of the Dark Times issues of Vector here. *break* And here I am, 3 years later, with the 3rd Vector review!)
Vector begins sometime shortly after [b:Daze of Hate, Knights of Suffering|3840160|Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Vol. 4 Daze of Hate, Knights of Suffering|John Jackson Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403203829l/3840160._SY75_.jpg|3884992] (my review here), still 3,963 years before the Battle of Yavin. It references various Sith Lords from Tales of the Jedi (most notably Naga Sadow), and introduces a new character, the "Jedi Shadow" Celeste Morne, who will be the main protagonist of the other Vector comics as they continue into the future. Zayne and Gryph return as major characters, but most of the other significant players from Knights of the Old Republic appear only briefly or not at all.
Summary: The Mandalorians have smashed the Resistance on Taris, and Zayne and Gryph are scrambling to stay alive amidst the chaos of war and the horrors of the Rakghoul plague in the Lower City. More danger is headed their way, though, in the form of Celeste Morne, an agent of the Jedi Covenant dispatched by Lucien Draay to find an ancient Sith artifact of impossible power . . . and kill Zayne Carrick.
Review: Ambitious, but not up to par. I look forward to seeing more of Vector in future series, but there's just no denying that it feels like an interruption of the Knights of the Old Republic series, despite the best intentions of everyone who worked on it. A bit of the problem is that it kind of comes out of nowhere, leaving several threads dangling from the last arc. When it begins, enough time has passed that I don't get to see the conversation between Zayne and Gryph about the death of Raana Tey, though you can fill in most of the rest of the gaps through hints dropped here and there.
It's not really the writing, though. This is a fairly exciting story, and an interesting spin-off that makes clever use of elements that Knights of the Old Republic has had in play since the beginning. And Celeste Morne is a cool character who has a neat little arc over the course of these issues. I enjoyed all that well enough, and certainly impacts the direction that Zayne will take in future issues, so it's not like it's just irrelevant to the series as a whole. No, the problem is the art.
The editor noted at the end of one of the issues that they wanted the art to set Vector apart from the rest of the series so far. Well, first of all, that seems kind of dumb when one of their stated goals for Vector is that it not feel like just a one-off gimmick. But, secondly, the art does stand out. It makes it seem like we've transitioned from a mature, quality masterpiece of graphic storytelling, into a cheap Saturday morning cartoon. There's a lot about this art style that I hate. For one thing, it's completely inappropriate to the seriousness of the story they're attempting to tell. The biggest problem, though, is the way the characters are drawn as ugly caricatures, particularly Zayne and Celeste.
Zayne is only recognizable from his signature outfit. His face has been transformed into an upside down triangle, with his chin protruding way down in a sharp point. Celeste is even worse because I don't know what she's supposed to look like in actual human terms, so there's just no way to imagine her any differently. Her face looks hideous from almost any angle (it seems to shape-shift as she turns her head), shaped so bizarrely that I don't know how it's supposed to exist in three dimensions. Her lower jaw juts out so violently that the rest of her face appears concave. Half the time, she looks like she's angrily chewing on so many marbles that they're packed into her cheeks, and the rest of the time she just kind of resembles a chimp. Her eyes, nose, and mouth are slapped on at strange angles that don't appear to line up with each other in any way. It's just incredibly distracting, and awful. Click here for one example of what I'm talking about.
Bad art can't destroy good storytelling, but this was an additional handicap that Vector definitely didn't need. Thank goodness they didn't turn the writing of this arc over to a different author, too, as a way of "setting it apart." I guess I should count myself lucky there. I'm glad to know, as well, that Hepburn will not be returning to either Knights of the Old Republic or Vector, and it's back to business as usual with the next issue.
B-
lischa3000's review against another edition
4.0
Volume 5 of Knights of the old republic
I absolutely loved to follow the epic journey of Zayne Carrick. I simply swallowed the series whole.
I absolutely loved to follow the epic journey of Zayne Carrick. I simply swallowed the series whole.
rltinha's review against another edition
4.0
A arte do Scott Hepburn é grotescamente próxima daquilo que de menos airoso se avista na BD nipónica (e nem a impecabilíssima coloração de Michael Atieh salva os painéis de um aspecto pacóvio-juvenil).
O segmento Knights of the Old Republic acaba por ser salvo pela presença de artefactos Sith, redenção de um «vilão» pelo sacrifício, praga ainda mais cool que zombies e os constantes planos de Marn Hierogryph para a obtenção de proveitos pessoais de pendor económico (mesmo sob apocalipse iminente).
Já a arte do Douglas Wheatley nutrida com as cores de Dave McGraig dotam de toda uma qualidade vintage o fecho de 3 milénios de esforço anti-sith, acomodando num mesmo segmento narrativo os (por aqui muito queridos) Marn Hierogryph e Bomo Greenbark, dando ao Lord Vader um tratamento gráfico à altura.
O segmento Knights of the Old Republic acaba por ser salvo pela presença de artefactos Sith, redenção de um «vilão» pelo sacrifício, praga ainda mais cool que zombies e os constantes planos de Marn Hierogryph para a obtenção de proveitos pessoais de pendor económico (mesmo sob apocalipse iminente).
Já a arte do Douglas Wheatley nutrida com as cores de Dave McGraig dotam de toda uma qualidade vintage o fecho de 3 milénios de esforço anti-sith, acomodando num mesmo segmento narrativo os (por aqui muito queridos) Marn Hierogryph e Bomo Greenbark, dando ao Lord Vader um tratamento gráfico à altura.
wyrmbergmalcolm's review against another edition
4.0
What a brilliant series this is! A noteworthy cross-over event that linked four comic runs at the time. This volume is four parts Knights of the Old Republic and 2 parts Dark Times. My main issue with this story, as with any crossover event, is that it happens in the middle of another story arc already in progress. Little explanation is given as to why what is going on where it is going on because that has already been established in the main story arc. But like I said, I have this issue with all crossovers. The Dark Times segment possibly suffered more in this regard as the crew of the Uhumele suffer a significant death, which out of context is somewhat meaningless, particularly if you’ve not read the Dark Times series. Anyway, Zayne and Gryph were on top form causing mayhem everywhere they go which matched the somewhat zany artwork of the Knights of the Old Republic portion of the tale. The Rakghoul hoards made for a thrilling enemy with a unique look and feel to other alien hoards. I was reminded of the Chrysalids from UFO: Enemy Unknown. I also liked how the story explains the Rakghoul plague that featured in the original Knights of the Old Republic game, which was a mystery in the bowels of Tarsis that never got solved.
crowmaster's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting way to link the old republic jedi with other generations.
quoththegirl's review
2.0
Eh, pretty uninspiring. Confusing in parts, and the art was odd--one character's face consistently looked malformed, which I'm pretty sure wasn't what they were going for. There were one or two redeeming moments that bumped it up to two stars.
venerablemonster's review against another edition
2.0
Useless and contrived generational crossover for Star Wars comics. A huge misfire by Dark Horse. Thankfully, it was brief.
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