Star Wars: Age Of Republic - Obi-Wan Kenobi #1 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC - OBI-WAN KENOBI No. 1, March 2019

Disappointed Star Wars fans eager for an Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off movie featuring Ewan McGregor were probably still very relieved in January 2019 that “The Walt Disney Company” hadn’t yet committed to any ‘Silver Screen’ motion picture if Jody Houser’s narrative for this twenty-page periodical was indicative of the storyline the entertainment conglomerate might have been contemplating. For whilst the “author who wrote the 2017 comic adaption of the film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” certainly provides the book with a somewhat scintillating conclusion as Ben battles a formidable array of space pirates on the planet Dallenor with his lightsaber, the Jedi Knight’s confrontation with Hudso Shaku is frustratingly fleeting and follows something of a tedious tale about the titular character’s doubts as to whether he is suited to train an adolescent Anakin Skywalker in the ways of the Force; “Perhaps the Master is meant to be as much a student as the Padawan.”

Of course Ben’s misgivings as to his ability to make good upon his “promise to his dying master to train” Shmi’s son in the ways of the Force has arguably always been an underlying theme of George Lucas’ as to just why the prophesied Chosen One would eventually transform into the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Yet the Rod Parker Fellowship-winner’s story seems to take such great delight in portraying Qui-Gon Jinn’s former student as a distrustfully impotent teacher that Kenobi even has to be ‘told’ by Yoda to take his young apprentice with him on their first “quest” together, and debatably few of this publication’s 36,392 readers were subsequently surprised when the diminutive Skywalker, rather than the boy's bearded companion, ultimately bests the leader of the Krypder Riders by hurling a small scattering of stones at the back of his bird-shaped head. 

On the plus side to Issue One of “Star Wars: Age Of Republic – Obi-Wan Kenobi” however, artists Cory Smith and Wilton Santos do seemingly try to keep the future Clone Wars General constantly within the book’s spotlight, courtesy of some well-pencilled panels which quite delightfully capture the Scottish actor’s facial likeness. In fact, alongside Walden Wong’s inking and Java Tartaglia’s colouring, this “third one-shot in the comic book anthology series” is a rather visually enticing affair, even if the beak-faced inhabitants of Dallenor disconcertingly look far too cartoonish to be taken seriously as the antagonists of “Mission”.

Writer: Jody Houser, Pencilers: Cory Smith & Wilton Santos, and Inker: Walden Wong

Star Wars #7 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS No. 7, September 2015

Focusing upon the exploits of the wizard who “is just a crazy old man”, this "special one-off" stand-alone tale taken “from the journals of old Ben Kenobi” was the fourth highest-selling comic book of July 2015 and sold an astonishing 160,000 copies upon its initial publication. However whilst this magazine was somewhat surprisingly not the most popular of the “Marvel Worldwide” “Star Wars” titles for the month, that honour falling to the first issue of “Lando”, it was arguably the best written, with Jason Aaron’s captivating narrative of a Jedi “in hiding on Tatooine” making many of the science fiction series’ fans clamour for “Ben the forgotten hermit” to be awarded his very own strip.

Indeed, if the tense, quietly restrained violence and action of this twenty-page periodical is anything to go by then the Alabama-born author would certainly seem to have struck a potentially rich vein of future storylines depicting Obi-Wan’s adventures on the first planet in the binary Tatoo star system. Especially as this withdrawn, almost timid “Ben the relic” is a far cry from the laser-sword welding Army of the Republic General previously seen in the motion picture “Revenge Of The Sith”.

Fortunately despite it having ‘been years since he’s touched a lightsaber’ and having spent all of that time dwelling “far out in the Dune Sea, where nothing but womp rats and Tusken Raiders ever dared go”, Aaron still manages to give the former member of the Jedi Council plenty of enemies to fight, including a nod to the bounty hunters of “The Empire Strikes Back” with an early appearance of the “ambitious protocol droid” 4-LOM. These notable confrontations, such as Kenobi dispatching an entire speeder full of Jabba’s killers in order to protect Anakin’s young son, are full of suspense and also provide the disillusioned doubting protagonist ample opportunity to demonstrate that Qui-Gon Jinn’s Padawan is still more than capable of using the power of the Force; “There’s something out there, picking us off one by one! Shoot it!”

Just as well drawn as this comic book has been written, is the artwork by Simone Bianchi. The Italian graphic designer’s illustrations are incredibly animated and absolutely packed full of detail. In fact the Luccan art instructor’s representation of an almost destitute galaxy-weary Obi-Wan Kenobi is arguably worth the cover price of this comic alone, with the one-time Jedi Master’s aging appearance being a clever blend of both Ewan McGregor and Sir Alec Guinness' facial characteristics.

The regular cover art of "STAR WARS" No. 7 by John Cassaday