Comic Book Review - Star Wars: Obi-Wan #2

Rob reviews Star Wars: Obi-Wan #2...

With the amazing Obi-Wan Disney+ series now behind us, we turn our attention back to Marvel's current Obi-Wan Kenobi mini-series. 

With the sandstorm on Tatooine starting to pick up the pace, old Ben Kenobi is still chronicling his old adventures within his journal. With just his thoughts for company, Ben takes us back to a time before 'The Phantom Menace'.

Issue #2 of this limited mini-series continues right where the previous one left off. Told mostly through Kenobi's memories so far the series has been a standalone story about his life with The Force. By having Kenobi as the narrator we not only get into the veteran Jedi's current mindset - we also see him lament his younger self's lack of wisdom and clarity. 

This issue focuses on the young version of the character we saw in 'The Phantom Menace'. Still, under the guidance of Qui-Gon Jin, young Kenobi is a far cry from the older - and much wiser version we saw during the Clone Wars, and the recent television series. As such we follow the nieve Padawan as he learns a valuable lesson about both The Force and the Light as he and Qui-Gon investigate a planet that's in perpetual darkness. 

Much like any other Star Wars project that's based upon the 'Skywalker Saga' there are bound to be small nods to the wider universe. Here we get a nice call-back to 'Rebels' as the older Obi-Wan recounts his fateful rematch with Darth Maul. It's quite poignant as we get to see Kenobi's regrets during the event, and how in Maul's dying breaths he possibly saw some clarity. Of course, this also ties into 'The Phantom Menace' as it also serves as a way to remind us of THAT battle on Naboo. 

While Qui-Gon is still a criminally under-explored character, it's great to see the wise Jedi Master back within these few short pages. Having the character appear within a comic really couldn't come at a better time - especially with Liam Neeson recently reprising the role. Both Neeson and McGregor had great chemistry during 'The Phantom Menace', and it's something that also translates well within this comic. Not only does Qui-Gon act as the wise Jedi he is, but he also doesn't over-shadow Kenobi in any way. As such we get to explore the Master/Padawan dynamic with Obi-Wan being able to come to his understanding.

The art style for this issue is very unique and does a brilliant job of building the atmosphere. Due to the planet being gripped in darkness artist Luke Ross uses plenty of soft linework to portray the feeling that the only light is coming from the Jedi's Lightsaber. Nolan Woodard adds to this with plenty of dark, brooding shadows, and a colour palette that gets dull as the situation builds. It all comes together to create a grand feeling of dread that heightens the tension between the characters and their current situation. 

Star Wars: Obi-Wan continues to go from strength to strength. Writer Christopher Cantwell is showing a great understanding of the long-standing character. It's great to delve into Obi-Wan's later solitude on Tatooine, and while we know how his story ends, this in-between is making for a compelling read. 

Rating: 9/10 

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