Star Wars. Obi-Wan - Droga Jedi

Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) #1-5

by Christopher Cantwell, Ario Anindito (Ilustrator), Jacek Drewnowski (Translator)

Gdy Obi-Wan Kenobi spędza swoje ostatnie dni na odludnej pustyni Tatooine, wykorzystuje czas na notatki i refleksje nad kluczowymi chwilami w swoim długim, heroicznym życiu. Zapisując stare, oprawne w skórę dzienniki w swojej pustelniczej chacie, przypomina sobie przełomową przygodę na Coruscant, z której ledwie uszedł z życiem, kiedy miał jedynie osiem lat. Ale to był raptem początek jego niewiarygodnej podróży w roli Jedi! Oto nieznane opowieści o Obi-Wanie Kenobim jako młodziku w zakonie, o próbach, którym był poddawany w roli padawana, a później rycerza, o wojnach klonów i o najwcześniejszych wyzwaniach, z którymi musiał się zmierzyć, gdy był już prawdziwym mistrzem i użytkownikiem Mocy.

Genres: Star Wars, Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Marvel, Graphic Novels Comics

120 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2022

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not have high hopes for this book, but I am glad to say I really enjoyed it. I was much better than I thought it would be. I love the artwork and very good stories.

During a sandstorm, Obi Wan is given time to process his memories and experiences and contemplate the purpose as a Jedi. The contradiction of wanting to preserve life but being forced to take it on too many occasions.

I like that the book's stories are their own. There are quick reminders of the biggest moments as single panels. This lets the book's stories be the main message. These are five stories from five very different points of Obi Wan's life to this point. The book finishes with a varient cover gallery.

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection where each issue is a short story. Obi-Wan is on Tattooine and he reflects on different eras of his life in this collection.

This easily surpassed my expectations as I wasn't expecting a lot when I found out this was different short stories. I thought each issue and story would be too short to really delve into the story. I could not have been more wrong. We get different stories from Obi-Wan being a padawan to being a Jedi to his solitary life as he watches over Luke. Yes we get appearances from notable characters that were there during these different eras of his life. What really impressed me is the atmosphere. The somber loneliness just poured off the pages as we get a true reflection of what his life has been like being a member of the Jedi Order. That was not the only aspect that impressed me. The artwork was terrific. The different portrayals of Ewan McGregor and Alec Guinness was on full display as well as the action and the landscapes. The fourth story was not exactly my cup of tea and probably why I am not giving this a five star rating. Everything else was on point.

This is most likely my favorite short story comic collection that I have read from this universe. It just added to the characterization of this character with an overall pervasive atmosphere. I believe this is a one off which somewhat saddens me. I want more. The writing, the illustrations, and the colors were just terrific.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ageing Obi-Wan meditates on his life's experiences in his hut in the Jundland Wastes while awaiting a sandstorm. We get a loosely connected anthology of vignettes related to a Jedi's place amidst conflict and chaos, and a variety of talented artists to bring them to life.



Decent, though not terribly groundbreaking. The story cribbed straight from Heart of Darkness was a particular low point.

[Mols · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love obi-wan so much and i was so incredibly excited for this run. that being said, it fell short in many ways. the stories themselves weren’t that interesting and the appeal of making obi-wan content is to find out something new about him as a character. the first one was by far the most interesting and they kind of tapered off as the run continued. i’m happy i own these single issues but i can’t say i’d recommend buying a trade.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better art than several of the other Star Wars comics I've read of late, though there could have been more emotion in their faces. The vignettes are fine. Not bad.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple premise: Obi-Wan, soon to go on his adventures with Luke, reflects back on his life during a sandstorm. He questions his life's purpose, and shows us scenes from his life we've not seen before.
The execution on this was fantastic. I would read this again.
Highlights:
- The artstyle here really shows a knowledge of the subtle movements and glances that Alec Guinness and Ewan MacGregor have while in character.
- Flashback story 1 - Padawan Obi-Wan follows his friend Padawan Gehren into the streets of lower Coruscant when they attempt to leave the Jedi Order
- 2 - Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon visit a planet that has plunged into darkness and they work to correct it, having to rely on the Force stronger than ever.
- 3 - Obi-Wan and Commander Cody fight at the bridge battle on Abrion Major, attempting to shut down a Separatist Ion Cannon
- 4 - Mekedrix, a leader at the Abrion Major campaign, has gone rogue and Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent to bring him in on charges of terrorism and murder.
- 5- Obi-Wan takes a break from journal writing and gets caught observing a standoff between Imperial Stormtroopers and Tusken Raiders.

This Volume is a great bridge of Obi-Wan from the end of his series to his place at the beginning of Episode IV. An absolute must read for Star Wars fans.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting episodes in Obi-Wan's past. We see him as a youngster in the Temple, on assignment with Qui-Gon at a mining colony, during the war with Cody in a particularly bloody engagement, with Anakin some time later dealing with a rogue soldier from that engagement, and as an old man rescuing a stormtrooper after his squad took on some Tuskens. The episodes are framed by Kenobi in his home, thinking back over his life, and intuiting that his long watch over Luke is coming to an end.
It's a little broody, and Kenobi gets a chance to say his signature phrase at one point, and it was actually kind of nice to see him and Anakin together.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

More like this please, so much more like this.
A wonderful combination of action and meditation, uncontaminated by references to anything Disneyfied.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Jedi's Purpose is a gorgeous, simple look at Obi-Wan's history as he readies himself on Tatooine for the coming storm (namely, helping Luke achieve his destiny). Each issue is a self-contained story: Obi-Wan saves a fellow padawan, only to see them lost; Obi-Wan leads an impossible attack on a Separatist base; Obi-Wan and Anakin hunt down a twisted former hero of the Republic.

Are you noticing a theme? These aren't your typical Star Wars stories, all goodness and light, easy choices and thrilling lightsaber duels. These are complex little vignettes with twisty, hard resolutions. Obi-Wan's led a difficult life and A Jedi's Purpose nicely reveals that. Really superb Star Wars stuff - more like this, please.

[ashlabooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Obi-Wan - Die Bestimmung eines Jedi

Der Sammelband zur fünfteiligen Miniserie von Christopher Cantwell und @arioanin

Die Handlung:

Ein verheerender Sandsturm trifft die Wüste Tatooines. Der komische Einsiedler Ben Kenobi zieht sich zurück in seine abgelegene Hütte und reflektiert in der Einsamkeit die Vergangenheit. Eine Vergangenheit in der er ein Symbol für Frieden und Gerechtigkeit in der Galaxis war...

Meine Meinung:

"Obi-Wan" ist wie nahezu jede Kurzgeschichtensammlung eine Mischung aus Gutem und weniger Gutem. Besonders positiv fallen die atmosphärische Rahmenhandlung sowie Teil 2 (Obi und Qui-Gon müssen gegen ein Monster in der Finsternis einer Mine bestehen) und Teil 4 (ein durchgedrehter Klon muss von Ani und Obi gestoppt werden) auf. Alle anderen Hefte sind ganz nett aber nicht mehr. Alles in allem ist es definitiv gelungen zusätzliches Material zu unserem Lieblings-Jedi zu liefern, welches jedoch keine wirklich neuen Erkenntnisse liefert. Die Zeichnungen sind sehr ansprechend und vereinen CW 2003 und Realismus.

Fazit:

Ein kurzweiliger Zeitvertreib, der jedoch keine Pflichtlektüre ist!

Werbung: Vielen lieben Dank an @paninide / @starwarspaninide für die Bereitstellung des Rezensionexemplares!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

4
A mixed bag. Some really good and some just ok stories. A missed opportunity.

[Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This seems to be a very underrated Star Wars story! It collects five issues of Cantwell’s Obi-Wan series. In this story an older Kenobi, just before the events of A New Hope, reflects on his career and journey as a Jedi, considering how Jedi became warriors during the Clone Wars. Obi-Wan considers the purpose of a Jedi. Are they soldiers who kill to establish order, or are they preservers of life (spoiler alert: Kenobi decides on the latter option). Each issue is a short story set during different periods of Obi-Wan’s life, but wow are they good! Initially, it took a bit for this approach to take off for me and to see the bigger, overarching theme through all the stories. I also like how this graphic novel so personalizes the clone troopers as well as later storm troopers. One drawback is that each issue has a different artist, so the artwork in some issues is better than others. Still super great!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4

And fight again we would. And again. I needed to watch the sunrise. I needed to remember—to believe—that it still could. … I needed to know that light could still prevail.

…Light can still prevail.

They will NEVER make me hate you, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

This has five illustrated short stories and each story has a different art-style because it’s a different artist each time, so that was pretty fire. #2 and #3 I liked the most, and #4 looked the oddest. Regardless, #3 was my favorite—I’m a sucker for any Clone Wars content, and it was sad asf.

It’s also funny seeing Anakin in #4 be so upset about having to potentially murder this guy when he’s shown time and time again in the Clone Wars to not gaf. It’s likely because the guy was once a hero, but 99% of the time is Anakin thinking in black or white. And then purely on “accident,” Anakin impales Meledrix. Bro has the force! How do you accidentally impale this guy?? It was almost a 2v1!! Yolo. Anakin was mentioned and present, so I don’t really care.

Also funny seeing Ahsoka show up for one singular panel. Justice for Ahsoka, but it’s an Obi-Wan book, so I’m getting greedy.

AND Yularen tells Anakin & Obi-Wan that Mekedrix must be dealt with because “wider knowledge of his war crimes could be damaging to the Republic.” ANOTHER confirmation that war crimes do exist within Star Wars, and if they have some kind of Geneva Convention, then this also declares Anakin & Obi-Wan as war criminals because they’ve done their own fair share of war crimes in the Clone Wars—multiple false surrenders, torture of prisoners, prob etc. This joke has been run into the ground but idc. It’s funny.

Anyways, this was a neat read. I’m on the hunt for others I can find at a HPB.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Com o sucesso da série live-action de Obi-Wan era óbvio que a Marvel/Lucasarts iriam colocar à venda alguma história com o personagem. Esse encadernado é capitaneado pelo escritor Christopher Cantwell, que foi responsável por uma elogiada fase do Homem de Ferro e a arte é de diversos desenhistas, incluindo os brasileiros Luke Ross e Adriana Melo. A história em quadrinhos começa muito bem, mostrando a infância de Obi-Wan em uma excursão a Coruscant, mas os dois capítulos seguintes não são assim tão bons, melhora um pouco nos dois últimos capítulos, a lado de Anakin Skywalker e quando era Ben Kenobi em Tatooine, em que tutelava Luke Skywalker. Essa não é um leitura que você precisa mesmo ler, a não ser que seja um grande fã de Star Wars e/ou de Obi-Wan Kenobi.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10:
Seeing Obi-Wan recount his teachings through the years is so awesome and it really brings together the long-running history of this famed Jedi. We see him as a Jedi Youngling learning from Master Yoda, a Jedi Padawan under Master Qui-Gon Jinn, a general to Commander Cody and the 212th Battalion, a Master to Anakin Skywalker, the man to put Maul out of his misery, and eventually, another victim of Darth Vader.

There’s truly a lot that’s covered in this 5-issue collection, but it can all be boiled down to two lessons Obi-Wan shares:

“Light and shadow. Shadow and light. Always wrestling with each other. Neither the victor.” - Qui-Gon Jinn

“My Master taught me to provide help. Render aid. Protect life. Preserve it. That is a Jedi’s purpose.” - Obi-Wan Kenobi

[Himanshu Karmacharya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Go for it only if you are a die hard fan of the titular character.

The comic book follows Obi-Wan Kenobi in the planrt of Tatooine, as he reminisces about his past life, many decisions that he made, some he was proud of, some he regretted. We get to see many adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi in different stages of his life in a form of anthology, but rarely any of them are memorable.

Overall, this is not a bad book, but it fails to achieve something remarkable.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Star Wars: Obi-Wan - A Jedi's Purpose collects issues 1-5 of the Marvel Comics series written by Christopher Cantwell with art by Ario Anindito, Luke Ross, Alessandro Miracolo, Madibek Musabekov, and Adriana Melo.

Set shortly before A New Hope, a major sandstorm is about to rock Tatooine. Settling in for the oncoming storm, Obi-Wan Kenobi recounts events from his past. Tales include Kenobi as a Jedi youngling/initiate all the way to his exile on Tatooine.

I wish there was a little more to this collection. I don't believe there is much in here to remember or that adds to the mythology of Obi-Wan Kenobi, one of the greatest Star Wars characters. I think exploring Obi-Wan's time as a youngling and Padawan would have been interesting and him reflecting more on those times.

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

My library had a star wars display up for May because they’re #cute like that
I picked this up just to flip through it but when I tried to put it back it kept falling on the floor
I swear to god i tried like 5 times and could not get it to stand upright
I was so embarrassed I was like okay i guess i HAVE to check this book out 😳 (Good cover story right)

Anyway
“I miss him to this day. Even though he eventually tried to kill me. So it goes with my friends, it seems.” My shayla 😭😭😭 This dude has suffered so much.

“Welcome to the natural end of valor.” Chills. Welcome back Joseph Conrad.

Overall a fun read, I love the narrative framing and the short-story set up with different artists. 10 more of these plz??

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very ehhhhhh, which is disappointing when it’s about one of my favorite Star Wars characters. I wanted it to be awesome, but it didn’t add anything to his character, and it was sometimes distracting when it felt like the art didn’t really look like him or the way he acted didn’t seem like him. The only part I kind of liked was that it included his scene with Maul from Rebels.

[morgan ☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"For none of us is alone. Even in our darkest hour."

I don't know something about this just didn't click for me. The fourth issue was my favorite of the bunch, I guess I just wish there was more of Obi-Wan and Anakin interacting, or Yoda for that matter. Instead this felt like mostly discussion of the impending sandstorm, with an afterthought to the cool flashbacks.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

i would marry obi-wan kenobi

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting. And sad. Always sad.

[Mayumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coletânea muito bonita de histórias em que Obi-Wan Kenobi reflete sobre sua vida, como ela se relaciona com a Força e, principalmente, qual seu propósito de vida, em particular como Jedi. A tempestade de areia que está vindo faz Obi-Wan refletir sobre seu papel, e a diferença entre o que ele acha que é, o que deveria ser, o que ele queria que fosse... Gostei muito.

[Joseph Bateman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a must read. Think there's better stories they could of done. Example. Qui gon and obi wans mission where obi meet satine, falls in love but stays as a jedi could of been told. Obi and cody first meeting could of been told in story where obi and cody battle grievous for the first time, with obi being made master and given a seat on the council at the end. New cannon story of obi wan and anakin first meeting with ventress. Anakin getting his scar from her and ends where anakin is knighted. Even a story where obi protects luke from a threat could of been told that would of made this a must read and 5 star for the importance of story told. However despite this not being a must have. Its still enjoyable and i don't feel like i wasted my money. I would read it again, just not often. But if the storys i mentioned were told instead of the ones contained . Then i would say it would be a book that would be on my mind for the amazing content, rather than being on my mind more for what they could of done better. The writing sometimes feels like the writer is over doing certain dialogue. Like he's trying to sound more intelligent. Certain panel didn't need to be there. That all being said there is a message the writer is trying to put across. A lesson to learn that these stories show obi has relearned/reminded off when times have got tough that it dose succeed in doing

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really just a series of short stories about Obi-Wan at different stages in his life. The first is set when he's a youngling, the second as a Padawan under Qui-Gon, the third and fourth are both set during the Clone Wars, and the last is set late during his time on Tatooine. The first three are fine. Nothing very exciting, but at least they fit the character. The fourth story is really good. It would have made a fine episode of The Clone Wars cartoon, it fits the character and the themes of the series so well. The last issue is also really good, and it does an excellent job of showcasing Obi-Wan as an old man. The last few panels are particularly powerful. Overall, worth a read for Obi-Wan fans, but not earth shattering.

[Ahdom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obi-Wan is my favorite character, so any stories that highlight any part of his journey, I get excited about. No huge reveals in this one, but it's a really fun anthology from different eras in the Star Wars timeline, that tell of some of his exploits. If you are a fan of the character, it's a fun read!

[Jennalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** (3.5 stars, probably, but I'm rounding up to 4 because my own review convinced me. lol). I started reading these as single issues when they came out, but saved the last two issues to read together.

The artwork is great throughout (I wasn't impressed with issue #4...the artist didn't really have the characters' expressions and facial features down, in my opinion, so they looked a bit wooden. But the rest were filled with lovely art, and the issue covers are all fabulous!). I had some minor nitpicks throughout. Issue #1 shows Obi-Wan as a child, worried about losing his only friend when she leaves the Jedi. I spent most of the issue thinking his friend was male before I realized she was female, her name "Gehren" was too close to the name of another SW legends character ("Garen") who was also friends with Obi-Wan, and I was baffled as to why Obi-Wan felt so alone at the Jedi Temple. It's an interesting perspective with a lot of room for character exploration, but I needed a better explanation and rationale for it. Basically: show me why Obi-Wan feels alone and like Gehren is his only friend, don't just tell me me he feels this way. Granted, that's hard to do in one issue, but maybe that's why I struggle with the storytelling in single-issue comics. The lessons Obi-Wan learns in this issue and the plot itself were great, though. I think that issue was a strong start to the miniseries, and I adored the ending with Obi-Wan and Yoda, but the premise felt a bit...off. And Issue #5 fell a bit flat for me. I appreciate that it was showing Obi-Wan's innate compassion, that what it means to be a Jedi is, above all, to preserve life, even the life of an enemy. That fits so well with Obi-Wan's character. But for some reason, the way it was written and drawn, I felt like I was missing something. It felt like they were hinting that the stormtrooper's identity was somehow important, or maybe that he was a character we should recognize... but then nothing. He's just a random stormtrooper. Which, okay, that fits with the theme and the message--every life matters and saving any life is an act of kindness and compassion that embodies the Light. It just felt like the issue was building up to something else, at least to me... maybe because we'd already explored this theme of preserving and valuing life for the past two issues, so this was a bit of a re-tread of the same ground, just with an older Obi-Wan in a post-Order-66 time period... so I guess that's probably the point? To show us that even after Obi-Wan has lost everything, he's still the same compassionate person. I just wanted a tiny bit of something more from this issue, I guess.

But nitpicks aside, I particularly loved issues #2 and #3, and the whole miniseries is a great examination of what it means to be a Jedi and what makes Obi-Wan Kenobi who he is. The conclusion is pretty simple: it's about seeking the light even when everything seems (or literally is) dark and hopeless; it's about preserving life, showing compassion and kindness even to people who seem utterly alien to you or who are literally killers or soldiers for the enemy. The two issues set in the clone wars really show that Obi-Wan knows that being a soldier isn't really what a Jedi is meant to be, but with the galaxy crumbling and the Jedi stuck between a rock and a hard place, being involved in the war, while certainly a struggle, is also the best way they can work to preserve life and light in a darkening galaxy. So, thematically, I loved every bit of it.

This miniseries is not adding anything new or exciting to the Star Wars world; it is a character study and an exploration of what it means to be a Jedi. On that level, it works beautifully. Just don't go in expecting anything more dramatic or flashy than that. These issues are small "slice of life" scenes. Granted, the life of Obi-Wan Kenobi is more exciting than the life of pretty much anyone else in real life, so a "slice of life" for him is far from dull. But the moments in these issues aren't the most pivotal or exciting moments in his life. They are "ordinary" and show how those ordinary moments all demonstrate who Obi-Wan really is and what the Jedi really believe. Which is also a nice message: we can all seek to promote compassion and hope even in small ways.

[CzasoStrefa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obi-Wan Kenobi to jeden z najbardziej rozpoznawalnych bohaterów Gwiezdnych Wojen. W filmach w jego rolę wcielali się Alec Guinness i Ewan McGregor. Teraz dostajemy komiks poświęcony legendarnemu Mistrzowi Jedi.
Mamy okazję ujrzeć kilka historii z jego życia i lepiej poznać tego, który szkolił Anakina Skywalkera.
Zobaczymy każdy etap jego drogi, jako Jedi.
Opowieść zaczyna się na Tatooine, bo gdzieżby indziej. Niby Coruscant to stolica Galaktyki, ale najlepsze akcje zawsze dzieją się na jakimś wysuszonym pustkowiu. Cóż… właśnie tam ukrył się niejaki Ben Kenobi po rozkazie 66, aby chronić chłopca imieniem Luke. Dwadzieścia lat temu upadł Wielki Zakon Jedi, rządy zaczęło sprawować Imperium Galaktyczne, a Obi-Wan musiał zwrócić się przeciw własnemu przyjacielowi.
W czasach, gdy był młodzikiem, miał przyjaciółkę. Jednak Zakon Jedi nie okazał się jej powołaniem. Musiała odejść dlatego, że męczył ją koszmar. Widzę tu nawiązanie do Zemsty Sithów, jednak nasz główny bohater był wtedy dzieckiem. Nie wiele mógł zdziałać, mimo to próbował. Mistrz Yoda natomiast nie wykazał zmartwienia, że dziewczynka sama opuściła świątynię, a później planetę. Nie próbował z nią rozmawiać inaczej niż „to tylko sen”. W III epizodzie, Anakina również skazał na śmierć. W dodatku z ręki własnego mistrza. Czyli jak dobić dwóch za jednym zamachem. Historia być może niewiele wnosząca, jednak warta pewnych przemyśleń.
Ahh Wojny Klonów. To były czasy. Walka u boku Skywalkera i jego uczennicy Ahsoki, awans na Mistrza i Generała, przyjaźń z Komandorem Codym… Ale to tylko marna łuna światła, na tle przytłaczającego mroku. Obi-Wan wcale nie cieszył się kolejnymi sukcesami. Wisiało nad nimi fatum śmierci. Każde zwycięstwo pochłaniało niezliczoną ilość ofiar po obu stronach konfliktu. Wojna sprawiała, że stracił przyjaciół i sam odbierał życie, którego jako Jedi powinien strzec. Jak znaleźć równowagę?
Przyznam szczerze, ten komiks wywołał we mnie mieszane emocje. Znacząco różni się od innych ze świata Gwiezdnych Wojen. Nie ma tu akcji, solidnej walki na miecze świetlne czy blastery. Dostajemy szerokie pole na swoje przemyślenia. Każda z historii zasługuje na przeanalizowanie, zastanowienie się „co by było gdyby”. Widzimy, że za sarkazmem Obi-Wana kryje się również mrok i pewien ciężar. Anakin, mimo iż często arogancki, nie był zły, wręcz przeciwnie. Chciał być jak najlepszy. Na takiego wychowali go Shmi, a potem Kenobi. Co więc poszło nie tak?
Jeśli jesteście wielbicielami Gwiezdnych Wojen, koniecznie sięgnijcie po ten komiks. Pozwala on spojrzeć na uniwersum raz jeszcze, przemyśleć parę spraw i być może czegoś nas nauczyć. Przybliży do Obi-Wana Kenobiego, legendarnego generała i Mistrza Jedi, który tak jak każdy, musiał wypełnić swoje przeznaczenie. Jak tak naprawdę wygląda droga Jedi?

Więcej na: CzasoStrefa

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

0 BBY.
Shortly before 'A New Hope', Obi-Wan Kenobi finds himself housebound by a sandstorm on Tatooine and takes some time to reflect on his past. We see him as a youngling, as the Padawan of Master Qui-Gon Jinn and as a General of the Clone Wars, before discovering what he has become in exile thanks to an encounter with an Imperial Stormtrooper.

I'll admit to being annoyed that Marvel keeps churning out anthology-style comics when what they should really be doing is giving us some properly-told miniseries (honestly, Dark Horse were so much better). But, if I have to read a collection of vignette stories like this, I'm glad that they all focus on my favourite Star Wars character; Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The author has done a good job of picking timeframes for these stories too.
We've never really seen Obi-Wan as a youngling before, so that was some interesting new ground to cover, and I always enjoy seeing a story featuring Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's iconic Master/Padawan dynamic. The two Clone Wars stories are cleverly conceived too, with the first showing the early days of the war when Obi-Wan is still struggling with the role of General and the second showing the latter days of the war when you can all but feel his weariness, with his bond with Anakin being almost all that's supporting him. The conclusion of the framing story then brings things to an appropriate end when Obi-Wan is faced with a Stormtrooper of the Empire but remembers what his true purpose as a Jedi is.

Far better than I expected it would be, this book is an excellent exploration of some key periods in Obi-Wan's life and I was also impressed to see numerous EU ('Legends') references which showed that Cantwell is well-versed in the lore of Star Wars.

* More reviews here: https://fsfh-book-review2.webnode.page *

[Rob Vitagliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the premise of this was very promising, as I've often wondered what Kenobi did during all those years in his desert exile. While this doesn't exactly answer that question, he recalls some of his adventures while waiting out an immense sandstorm, and five of those stories are collected here. The art in the first few pages is excellent, then it becomes childish in the first story, which fits with the action, but left me feeling very underwhelmed by the whole thing.

The second story improves, a dark horror tale that's eerily similar to one in Charles Mann's "Tales of the Dark Side" that I just listened to recently, about a wolf like being attacking its fellow crew after it loses control. The art and the dark color palette make this one more interesting.

The third story involving a Clone Wars battle and the cost of the war was my favorite tale of the book, and showed the darker side of the conflict often portrayed with some silliness in the show.

The follow up to that story is a Star Wars take on Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and the film "Apocalypse Now" which apparently turned off some readers, but I found it pretty interesting.

The final story involves Obi-Wan showing mercy to an injured Stormtrooper, and while it illustrates the moral code he follows well, I didn't know what to make of the story as a whole. I wondered if this trooper ends up coming back and being one of the ones that kills Owen and Beru, or if we never see him again.

Overall, this didn't blow me away, but I enjoyed it, and I thought Christopher Cantwell captured Kenobi's voice pretty well throughout the stories.