Comic Book Review - Star Wars: Obi Wan #1

Rob reviews Star Wars: Obi-Wan #1...

As Disney+ subscribers gear up for the next instalment of the Star Wars universe's television outing, the folks over at Marvel are also getting in on the act. Whilst the Obi-Wan Kenobi television series focuses its story on the Jedi Master's solitude on Tatooine, this Marvel mini-series is a sort of what comes after. 

Set before the events of 'A New Hope', 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' aims to relive pivotal moments of the character's past that weren't shown within 'The Skywalker Saga'. And if issue #1 is anything to go by, the Jedi Master had a lot going on before he became instrumental in the rise and fall of Darth Vader. 

Written by Christopher Cantwell, Obi-Wan Kenobi #1 sees the ageing Jedi preparing for an incoming sand storm. With a seemingly endless amount of time as the storm rages on, old Ben recounts a time in his life when he was a youngster who was still learning the ropes at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. 

Before I delve into these events it's worth mentioning that Cantwell has captured the character's voice incredibly well. As the whole story is told via an internal monologue, within each narrated scene you get a real sense of familiarity as if Alec Guinness or Ewan McGregor are narrating it to you. As such this understanding of the character gives everything a deeper meaning as regardless of when you first met Obi-Wan (Original or Prequel) this is the character you know. 

As I mentioned, this story takes place within the character's past on Coruscant. One of his fellow younglings is troubled by a vision of his Father and as such is attempting to get back home. Not willing to see his friend succumb to the villainy that prowls the underbelly of the planet, Obi-Wan heads off to hopefully bring them back to the Jedi Temple. 

Obi-Wan's journey through Coruscant's underbelly gives a different look from what we've seen in the films. The Coruscant we see here is dark and gritty, and as far away from the vast city-scape above. To keep it all feeling like "Star Wars", Cantwell introduces a few familiar species to this underbelly. Early on in the adventure, we see the characters confronted by the usual suspects of Rodian's and Transdoshan's but it all comes to a head when a menacing Dathomirian gets involved. It's clear here that the duo are in way over their heads, but it also allows Cantwell to get a clever use of Force powers into the mix.

For fans of the phenomenal Star Wars: The High Republic, it's great to see Ario Anindito and Carlos Lopez back for another adventure in the Star Wars Universe. Much like that seen within 'The High Republic' - Anindito and Lopez perfectly capture that distinct Star Wars feeling, whilst giving a fresh take to these characters and locations. 

While the majority of this issue deals with the young Obi-Wan, the scenes on Tatooine are a perfect call back to the Original Trilogy. Anindito has done a fantastic job in capturing Alec Guinness's likeness, and along with Cantwell's script, it brings the character to life. Lopez also brings a lot of colour variation to this issue. There's a great transition of colour as we go from the barren sand-filled deserts of Tatooine to the gleaming halls of the Jedi Temple, to then descend into the murky heart of Coruscant. 

Overall Star Wars: Obi-Wan #1 is a brilliant addition to the wider universe. This issue does a great job of bringing the character's past into the light in a pretty impactful way. While it's too early to say if the situation delt within this opening will come back to haunt the Jedi, it's arguably a safe bet to say that it will. With issue #2 bringing back Qui-Gon Jinn, I'm fully on board with what Christopher Cantwell is crafting.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev