Greetings again from the Diamond Retailer Summit, where I’m appearing for Dark Horse promoting Mass Effect — and where we finally made it public that, yes, the long run of Knights of the Old Republic is set to end with #50, the last issue of “Demon.”
We’ve been working toward the series’ climax for some time, getting pieces into place for the big finale — where we really have pulled out all the stops. Every question posed in the series (at least to my way of thinking) is addressed. I turned in the last script recently and was very pleased with it — it wraps things up for this incarnation pretty close to how I’d always imagined it. Dark Horse has given us marvelous support and creative freedom from Day 1 on this series — and we did everything to make sure things went out with a bang!
For fans of the KOTOR series for its long run, I thank you — and I can say I’m pretty sure you’ll really like where things wrap up for your favorite characters. This has been only one chapter in the lives of these characters; in Star Wars, you never know what the future holds.
From the past to the future: Wrapping up KOTOR clears the decks for a major project I’ve been working on for some time; as was mentioned in the Summit presentation, it’s just not quite ready to announce. There are several moving parts to this project, and there are waterfowl to get into their nice and orderly rows. I can’t say more about it now — but won’t be long, I assure you. It really will be something readers haven’t seen before! Stay tuned…
Holy crap! I'm very sorry to hear that the series is ending. I'm sure we'll get a satisfying conclusion that's been building for 4+ years, which is great. For me personally, though, KotOR has been the lynchpin of my Star Wars comic collecting (indeed, ALL my comic collecting), so I'll miss it sorely.
JJM, I'm sure we'll see you on other Star Wars products (and I'm looking forward to Mass Effect, too), but since you're announcing the end of the series, I'd like to say this: I've been reading Star Wars comics and books since 1977, and you're one of the Top 5 Star Wars writers ever (probably Top 3).
Thanks for the wild ride, and may the Force be with you in future endeavors.
–George
Thank you, for creating my favorite series in the Star Wars universe. Well, I'm probably too stunned to say enything else. You're one of my favorite writer. And I hope you will continue to write for Star Wars.
Anne from France.
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that this is happening, comic series have to end sometime. ToJ didn't last this long, ending with #35.
I hope this won't be the last we see of Zayne, the Gryph, Jarael and all the rest. It's been an entertaining 4 years and I thank you for it, JJM. I can't wait to see how it ends, it'll be a tough job to beat Vindication.
Gutted!
Really sad that such an amazing series has come to an end…
I'm slightly in shock!
Thanks for the good read you've given us though!
Hope Dark Horse has you on for another Star Wars title.
I for one want MORE KOTOR and would like to see this series go on for another 50 issues.
Thanks for the kind words, folks. Your support on this series has been wonderful. Don't stray far — my word processor is just getting warmed up…
I'm so sad to hear this. Knights of the Old Republic was the only Star Wars series that really captured the fun, adventure, character, drama, and dynamic of the films. It was the best Star Wars comic ever. All of the others have become insuferably dark, or just a joke. Most are set in time frames where we have a really good idea how things turn out. And the ones that aren't, are set in overly grim and dark eras, as if Star Wars feels it needs to be super hero comics in the 90's. This was the most free to explore the universe of the quality titles. I used to read everything Star Wars. Books, games, comics, etc. But I don't like much of the line anymore. With this… I'm out. I'm cancelling everything. Nothing's fun anymore. This book was the only shining light.
I want to thank you for a great comic, and I am so sorry this got canned while drek lives on. The absolute best Star Wars comic around. I will dearly miss it.
I'm so sad to hear this. Knights of the Old Republic was the only Star Wars series that really captured the fun, adventure, character, drama, and dynamic of the films. It was the best Star Wars comic ever. All of the others have become insuferably dark, or just a joke. Most are set in time frames where we have a really good idea how things turn out. And the ones that aren't, are set in overly grim and dark eras, as if Star Wars feels it needs to be super hero comics in the 90's. This was the most free to explore the universe of the quality titles. I used to read everything Star Wars. Books, games, comics, etc. But I don't like much of the line anymore. With this… I'm out. I'm cancelling everything. Nothing's fun anymore. This book was the only shining light.
I want to thank you for a great comic, and I am so sorry this got canned while drek lives on. The absolute best Star Wars comic around. I will dearly miss it.
I agree with everyone else… very sorry to hear KOTOR is coming to an end, although I do understand that all series have an optimum life-span. Always better to have things go out with a bang than a whimper (not that the series seemed to be heading along a whimperward trajectory!). I also agree that out of all the SW comics I have looked at, this is the only one that–for me–captured both the "romp" aspect of the films as well as a lot of good and nuanced emotion and character development.
You and the rest of the creative team in the art areas of KOTOR should definitely receive HIGH kudos. I will miss this series when it's over.
Thank you for the amazingly fun ride. 🙂
– Carolyn
I can't tell you how bummed I was to learn this series was ending. I've been a comics geek for a long time but of late KOTOR was the *only* book I refused to drop due to money being tight. Figures that as soon as my financial situation starts looking up the book would end.
Anyway, thanks for such a great book. It had been too long before KOTOR came along that I found myself getting really excited about going to the comic shop to pick up the new issue of a series. KOTOR also really boosted my interest in SW and I'm a happier geek for it.
Thanks, JJM. I hope that we'll see the KOTOR cast again somewhere and I'll be sure to checkout whatever it is you're working on next.
"As it is, all things must indeed come to an end….."
On a personal level, 2009 has been a year of loss, but this loss is different. When I turn the last page of issue fifty I will not only close a single issue and end a series, I will be putting to rest Knights of the Old Republic as a whole, something that I have held very near and dear to my heart since 2003.
When the setting of the MMO was announced last year i knew I still had the comic book series and its band of iconic characters to still look forward to. Back in 2006 I found the series as something KotOR related to keep me happy until KotOR 3 came out, it had been two years and I was missing that era. It quickly grew into something more than a "story-filler" however, as I found myself making late trips to a comic-book store and asking for single issues come the holidays.
Not since 2003 had I been so immersed in a world that I could never really set foot in, yet it seemed that I was running along side Zayne, out to clear my name. Knights of the Old Republic 3 never arrived but at this point I did not care, I had found a new love in the KotOR time frame.
Years passed, and I became a college student, unfortunatly too busy to keep up with Zayne on a monthly basis, having to by up four or five issues at a time to catch up with the events of the Mandalorian Wars.
My original approach to the comic had almost done a one-hundred and eighty degree turn on itself. Instead of wanting to see characters from the game in the comic, I now wanted to see characters from the comic in a third game that I knew will never be.
It would require many more pages to talk about Knights of the Old Republic as a whole and its effect on me. The comic book series was able to keep my love for the KotOR name alive and even make it stronger than it had been before.
Here I sit today though, the announcement of a new Star Wars MMO exciting everyone but myself, and the final thing which truly still is KotOR is coming to an end. It is naive of me to think that these things can last forever, so I bid a found farewell to the thriteen year old middle-school kid who purchased a copy of "some Star Wars RPG" from a Lexington GameStop, as well as a 16year old high schooler who picked up a new comic book title sharing the same name of his favorite videogame. Ah, the memories…
In closing, I would like to bid you a very fond farewell too Mr. Miller, as well as to say thank you. Thanks for letting me; run with a renegade Padawan, help rescue a few Jedi on Flashpoint, fight with the Republic on Serroco, and many more adventures. I will look for your future work if I find myself in a comic-book store after issue 50, and hope for nothing but success for my favorite comic-book author. Plus who knows, maybe I will see you at a future Star Wars Celebration.
Sincerely a fan,
Austin Conway
P.S. The force will be with you. Always….
Wow! Thanks for that. But hang in there — I haven't unplugged the keyboard just yet!
When I heard that the KOTOR comic series was ending on Oct. 23rd it made me sad since I had to wonder why nothing was put up past "Demon" for an issue or story arc. KOTOR's comic series gave a lot of fans hope even though the MMO "TOR" was being released instead of a KOTOR 3 which the comic helped deal with that and give some great history and additional lore to that time period.
I honestly belive its a big mistake ending the series when its still got a lot of rich story left to explore. "What will happen with Jarael's ability to use the force ?" "What would Zayne do if thrust into the Jedi Civil war ?" These are just some things that people want to know.
I doubt my words will change anything but its a waste to kill off the series now seeing as things in "Demon" will just rev people up for what happens next in the story.
I suppose that its another KOTOR 2 in the fact its incomplete and could have been so much more, seeing as the fans are supporting the comic it makes no sense to just end it at 50 issues.
We haven't even learned about the weird force ability Zayne has. The reversal of fortune. We need to delve deeper in that. Plus I wanna see a jarael and Zayne love relationship. SPIN OFF COMIC!!! PLEASE =)
This and Red robin are the ONLY 2 comics i'm reading
John I don't know how to thank you so much for the first comic book series I ever subscribed too. I was never a true fan of star wars. I liked the movies but that as far as I really went. Then Bioware made Knight of the Old Republic and I was a star wars fan from then on. Then all of a sudden a year or two ago I was in Barnes and Nobles and saw first three trade paper backs of Knight of the Old republic and I bought them without even looking at what it was about. That how much I loved KOTOR 1 and 2. Then I got home and started reading…… I was not disappointed Zayne rose up to be a favorite of mine Just like Revan and The Exile. In a way Zayne was the 3 chapter of KOTOR that Bioware never released. I started ording the comics and just now found out that it is ending. I'm saddened, excited, happy, and many other emotions all in one. Thank you for a great run you talented bastard! sorry to see it go! I have one last think to thank you for I play star wars table top and I want to thank you so much for the KOTOR Campaign guide! Good luck on your future endeavors. May KOTOR come back, and may the force be with you.