Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: Commencement was written by John Jackson Miller with art by Brian Ching and Travel Foreman. It collects issues 0-6 of Knights of the Old Republic.
Synopsis
Issue 2 cover
The Mandalorian Wars rage, lawlessness is on the rise; and while some advocate for the Jedi to take a more active role in the conflict, others, like the Jedi Masters on Taris, believe the Order should be focused on guarding against the return of the Sith. Zayne Carrick, Padawan to one of the five masters, relentlessly (but not necessarily effectively) pursues Marn “The Gryph” Hierogryph while his days as an apprentice draw closer to an end. Knighthood is not a foregone conclusion for him, however. Zayne is just not great at being a Jedi; which is a big part of what makes him such a great character. He’s not the Chosen One, at least not in any sense you would want to be. When his parents brought him to the Jedi enclave on Dantooine to be considered for training, he was found to have a “marginal” connection to the Force, but the masters there were impressed with his ability to form kinships. That, indeed, is Zayne’s true power: he is a sincere, good hearted person; and gosh-darnit, people like him.
Issue 3 cover
But Zayne’s minimal chances of becoming a Knight are reduced to zero when he arrives late to a ceremony to find his fellow apprentices lying dead at the feet of their masters. Zayne barely escapes their attempt to kill him too, and with Gryph (who he had finally managed to capture) in tow, finds himself on the run and taking the blame for the murders. Zayne’s descent, both literal and metaphorical, is steep as he journeys into the middle and lower parts of the city planet Taris; and Gryph, now considered an accessory to the crime by the authorities, serves as not only a light comedic foil to reduce some of the very high tension (he refers to Carrick as “intern”), but also as sounding board for Zayne as he considers what could have led the masters to such an unspeakable act. Could it be that they have turned to the Dark Side? Not likely, he decides, as their hatred of the Sith was well known; but Jedi aren’t supposed to hate-not even the Sith, he realizes. Gryph takes Zayne to meet Jarael and Camper, two Arkanian junkers he hopes can get them off the planet. Jarael is fiercely protective of Camper, who seems to be slipping into dementia. For reasons not yet revealed they have been living as nobodies, hiding from something, or someone. But no one can remain anonymous around Zayne Carrick; the two are sucked into the chase as law enforcement and the Jedi close in on him. He reaches out to the Jedi on Dantooine, but much to his dismay, Master Vandar seems inclined to think that Zayne may have actually done it. He speculates that he may have been tempted by the Dark Side in order to compensate for his well known shortcomings, and that Zayne may have actually deluded himself into believing that the masters did it. You can see that Zayne does indeed begin to doubt himself, that is, until he finds evidence, not only of the masters’ culpability, but their motivation.
Review
Issue 4 cover
The masters are part of a covenant, a group sworn to be on the lookout for, and prevent, the return of the Sith at any cost. They have a shared vision that one of the padawans will turn and bring about the downfall of the Jedi Order. So, cold blooded murder is committed in the name of the greater good. Betrayals, and broken trust, are important themes here. Zayne’s parents gave him to the Jedi with the assurance he would be safe. The people who were supposed to protect Zayne and his friends, to nurture and guide them, end up assuming the worst about them and killing them. You expect that you might meet your end at the hand of your enemies; but not your family. When Zayne is captured by bounty hunters and about to be killed by his master, Lucien Draay, it is Jarael, Gryph, and Camper who come to his rescue.
Issue 5 cover
Later, Taris has descended into chaos and the Jedi masters are recalled to Coruscant; before they leave they receive a message from their fugitive apprentice: he swears that he will hunt them down, and one of them will confess. In the end, Zayne Carrick, the failed Padawan, finds himself cast out of one family, but beginning to find his place in another. Commencement is an outstanding introductory arc to Knights of the Old Republic. While the series does serve as a prequel to the legendary video game of the same name, and is chock full of Easter eggs, you don’t have to have played it in order to follow the story; not at all, in fact. It stands on its own while also adding to the world-building of the game. The story pulls you in right off the bat and doesn’t let go. The art is exquisite, the characters are well written, and in the end you are eager to see what comes next for erstwhile intern Zayne Carrick.
Notes
This story takes place in 3964 BBY. To put it in perspective, the KOTOR game takes place in 3956 BBY; Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War takes place in 3996 BBY.
