Star Wars: Obi-Wan #1 previews his young life before the series created by Deborah Chow. The show premiered on Disney+ on May 27th. We have the older Obi-Wan reflected on his time before his exile on Tatooine, twenty years ago. The Marvel comic book features a cover by Phil Noto that has the Alec Guinness Obi-Wan in the background with the twin suns of Tatooine, the bearded, adult Ewan McGregor Obi-Wan with his blue lightsaber to his side and of course Darth Vader with his Sith lightsaber at an angle, a great composition. “Youngling’s Challenge” is by Christopher Cantwell, he previously wrote for Iron Man, the artist is Anrio Anindito, who also provided art for Star Wars: The High Republic. Out in the Western Dune Sea, there is the Obi-Wan now Ben Kenobi, thinking about memories of rain that he had seen when he arrived on Tatooine twenty years ago. So this is right before Star Wars (1977).
Anindito’s likeness of Alec Guinness is spot on in a close-up. This prologue is rendered in an illustrative style. We see again the twin suns, Tatoo I and Tatoo II, and parts of the planet including the Jundland Wastes and a familiar moisture farm. Ben feels the coming of the sandstorm and also his destiny. He looks at his eopie, Akkani, thanks, thanks Cantwell for giving a name to his mount that is always around since RoTS, but was unnamed. He wonders if the people are ready, not just on Tatooine, but for the coming Rebellion that will reach even the Outer Rim. Ben takes a book from his shelf and begins writing. This is a nod to the comic book interlude, “From the Journals of Old Ben Kenobi” that was in Star Wars #7 (2015), 15 and 20, both in 2016. The artwork within his Ben’s hut becomes hard edged, his shadow looms as his writes, and he feels the cold.
Then, suddenly he wakens as a youngling back in the Jedi Temple. This appears to be before he becomes apprentice to Qui-Gon Jinn. Anindito’s artwork changes for this part to gentle, almost cartoony lines to capture the youthful Obi-Wan. He looks around for his roommate Gehren Rand. Then, he goes out to the rooftop where he sees his friend sitting on the edge and holding herself. She has short, blonde hair and no Padawan braid. This is her first appearance making this an important Star Wars comic book. His fellow Jedi has watched over him during their training. Gehren tells Obi-Wan about her nightmare, a shocking, red panel of a man, almost demonic. He asks if she has talked to Master Yoda about the vision which she knows will come true. Obi-Wan says they are going to Ilum soon, this is Jedi test seen in The Clone Wars episode, “The Gathering” (2012) where younglings find their lightsaber crystals.
Obi-Wan doesn’t want her to go and mentions that she is needed by Kybuck Clan, very cool, the youngling Jedi initiates are divided into clans in the Jedi Temple. We saw Bear Clan trained by Yoda in AoTC. This is the first mention of Obi-Wan’s clan. Gehren leaps from the Jedi Temple to the Coruscant streets! Obi-Wan breaks the Jedi Temple code and leaps, a great scene with young Obi-Wan’s gritted teeth and wild leap! In an alley, he meets with a Rodian, like Greedo, and his gang! Obi-Wan reaches out with the Force and uses his Jedi mind trick. The Coruscant underworld should be well aware of the power of the Jedi. The gang mocks him and starts to attack, but they are bashed around by Obi-Wan’s Force pushes! Still, he is knocked down by a helmeted bully.
Obi-Wan is saved by Gehren leaping down on the street tough. The rest of the gang is told to stand down by their leader, a Zabrak woman named Nodrus. She is recognized by Gehren. Obi-Wan on reflection knows that he later found out that Nodrus was part of the Black Sun organization. This group was created in the Legends novel, Shadows of the Empire (1996). It entered canon with “Eminence”, the 2013 episode of The Clone Wars. Gehren wants to go off-world transported by Nodrus’ people. Obi-Wan wonders about payment and Nodrus holds up Gehren’s necklace that she had hid in her room, made of valuable Eadun silver. Obi-Wan wants to go along with her, but the threat of Nodrus’ gang puts them in danger! A bittersweet story with some action. It has shades of Solo (2018). A great, contained story flashback in Star Wars: Obi-Wan #1!
Five Lightsabers out of Five!
#ObiWanKenobi, #ChristopherCantwell, #ArioAnindito, #Akani, #GehrenRand, #Ilum, #KybuckClan, #Nodrus
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