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A review by jaredkwheeler
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Vol. 6: Vindication by Alan Robinson R., John Jackson Miller
5.0
Star Wars Legends Project #17
Background: Knights of the Old Republic: Vindication was first released in seven issues from May to November 2008. The trade paperback was released in April 2009. It was written by [a:John Jackson Miller|20028|John Jackson Miller|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1272316895p2/20028.jpg] and pencilled by [a:Brian Ching|20024|Brian Ching|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png], [a:Bong Dazo|53981|Bong Dazo|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png], and [a:Alan Robinson|233669|Alan Robinson|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png]. In addition to a single issue apiece of Knights of the Old Republic and Legacy, Robinson has drawn for an incredibly eclectic range of stories, most of which I haven't heard of, but most of which also looked intriguing enough to check out.
Vindication picks up not long after [b:Vector, Vol. 1|4692999|Vector, Vol. 1 (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic #5, Star Wars Dark Times #3)|John Jackson Miller|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347699646s/4692999.jpg|4743602] (my review here), 3,963 years before the Battle of Yavin. Most of the major characters are back (at least briefly), but again the focus is on Zayne and Gryph. The Jedi Knight formerly nicknamed "Squint" has begun calling himself "Malak." There is a brief reference to Jedi Master Vodo Siosk-Baas. Most of the action takes place on and around Coruscant.
Summary: Revelations by the Jedi Shadow Celeste Morne have given Zayne Carrick the key to exposing the rogue actions of the Jedi Covenant. Now he just needs to collect the evidence and somehow deliver it to the Jedi Council, but his old Master Lucien Draay has a seat on the Council now, and his reach is long. This will not be easy. One thing's for sure, though: Zayne is done running. He's going on the offensive.
Review: The best arc yet from a series that has already surpassed all of my expectations several times over. Explosive action, galaxy-changing events, shocking revelations . . . It's all here. This is the story that Knights of the Old Republic has been building towards for the past several hundred pages, and it is epic and supremely satisfying. I love that Miller has reached the point where it's time to resolve the central conflict of the series so far, and he doesn't just stretch it out, he goes for it, even though this isn't the end of the series. He doesn't tie everything up in a neat little ribbon, but there is definitely a sense of completion, and of brand-new adventures ahead. Fantastic.
A few weeks ago (after I finished reading [b:Dark Lords of the Sith|390086|Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars Tales of the Jedi, #5)|Tom Veitch|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1174372740s/390086.jpg|2372028], review here), I speculated at some length about the issue of the Jedi basically not doing enough to prevent other Jedi from falling to the dark side and doing a bunch of crazy, evil stuff. This series, which is very much impacted by the events of Tales of the Jedi a few decades earlier, is like a direct answer to my questions, in the form of a brilliant story. The Jedi have recognized that more could and should have been done to prevent the tragedies perpetrated by Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma during the Sith War, and they've swung to the opposite extreme, with equally devastating consequences. There's a great moral here (heck, there are several) about the pernicious nature of the dark side, and of evil in general, and why it will never just go away, never just not be a threat.
Standing in the starkest possible contrast to this fairly dark theme, Zayne Carrick is easily one of the greatest heroes of all of Star Wars history. He is so absurdly righteous that, if he didn't have other flaws (like his lack of skill in combat), he would be in danger of being somewhat flat. But then, the tortured emotional toll that results from the choices that are forced upon him, or (even more) from the evils that he is powerless to prevent no matter how hard he tries, make him incredibly rich and incredibly relatable as a character.
So many times during the series, Zayne is faced with a situation that 99% of protagonists would handle completely differently, and we would never question their heroism. But when Zayne goes the other way, reaching out a hand of forgiveness, reconciliation, and salvation to his enemies, time after time, even as they scream for his blood, it's instantly obvious that he is in the right. His moral compass is unfailing, and he follows it relentlessly, regardless of the obstacles or consequences to himself. And that is ultimately his greatest strength, and the source of his power and success.
A+
Background: Knights of the Old Republic: Vindication was first released in seven issues from May to November 2008. The trade paperback was released in April 2009. It was written by [a:John Jackson Miller|20028|John Jackson Miller|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1272316895p2/20028.jpg] and pencilled by [a:Brian Ching|20024|Brian Ching|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png], [a:Bong Dazo|53981|Bong Dazo|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png], and [a:Alan Robinson|233669|Alan Robinson|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-d9f6a4a5badfda0f69e70cc94d962125.png]. In addition to a single issue apiece of Knights of the Old Republic and Legacy, Robinson has drawn for an incredibly eclectic range of stories, most of which I haven't heard of, but most of which also looked intriguing enough to check out.
Vindication picks up not long after [b:Vector, Vol. 1|4692999|Vector, Vol. 1 (Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic #5, Star Wars Dark Times #3)|John Jackson Miller|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347699646s/4692999.jpg|4743602] (my review here), 3,963 years before the Battle of Yavin. Most of the major characters are back (at least briefly), but again the focus is on Zayne and Gryph. The Jedi Knight formerly nicknamed "Squint" has begun calling himself "Malak." There is a brief reference to Jedi Master Vodo Siosk-Baas. Most of the action takes place on and around Coruscant.
Summary: Revelations by the Jedi Shadow Celeste Morne have given Zayne Carrick the key to exposing the rogue actions of the Jedi Covenant. Now he just needs to collect the evidence and somehow deliver it to the Jedi Council, but his old Master Lucien Draay has a seat on the Council now, and his reach is long. This will not be easy. One thing's for sure, though: Zayne is done running. He's going on the offensive.
Review: The best arc yet from a series that has already surpassed all of my expectations several times over. Explosive action, galaxy-changing events, shocking revelations . . . It's all here. This is the story that Knights of the Old Republic has been building towards for the past several hundred pages, and it is epic and supremely satisfying. I love that Miller has reached the point where it's time to resolve the central conflict of the series so far, and he doesn't just stretch it out, he goes for it, even though this isn't the end of the series. He doesn't tie everything up in a neat little ribbon, but there is definitely a sense of completion, and of brand-new adventures ahead. Fantastic.
A few weeks ago (after I finished reading [b:Dark Lords of the Sith|390086|Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars Tales of the Jedi, #5)|Tom Veitch|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1174372740s/390086.jpg|2372028], review here), I speculated at some length about the issue of the Jedi basically not doing enough to prevent other Jedi from falling to the dark side and doing a bunch of crazy, evil stuff. This series, which is very much impacted by the events of Tales of the Jedi a few decades earlier, is like a direct answer to my questions, in the form of a brilliant story. The Jedi have recognized that more could and should have been done to prevent the tragedies perpetrated by Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma during the Sith War, and they've swung to the opposite extreme, with equally devastating consequences. There's a great moral here (heck, there are several) about the pernicious nature of the dark side, and of evil in general, and why it will never just go away, never just not be a threat.
Standing in the starkest possible contrast to this fairly dark theme, Zayne Carrick is easily one of the greatest heroes of all of Star Wars history. He is so absurdly righteous that, if he didn't have other flaws (like his lack of skill in combat), he would be in danger of being somewhat flat. But then, the tortured emotional toll that results from the choices that are forced upon him, or (even more) from the evils that he is powerless to prevent no matter how hard he tries, make him incredibly rich and incredibly relatable as a character.
So many times during the series, Zayne is faced with a situation that 99% of protagonists would handle completely differently, and we would never question their heroism. But when Zayne goes the other way, reaching out a hand of forgiveness, reconciliation, and salvation to his enemies, time after time, even as they scream for his blood, it's instantly obvious that he is in the right. His moral compass is unfailing, and he follows it relentlessly, regardless of the obstacles or consequences to himself. And that is ultimately his greatest strength, and the source of his power and success.
A+