Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin #1 (Marvel)
From March 2016
writer: Charles Soule
artist: Marco Checcetto
Charles Soule, otherwise known as one of my favorite new writers of the past few years, very easily. I was crushed when he left DC for Marvel, but relieved when I saw him work on quality projects at his new home, including the excellent Lando Calrissian mini-series. So here he is again, bringing his trademark grasp of character back to Star Wars and...characters as depicted and depicted in the prequel era???
The horror! Except for someone like me, who inexplicably likes the prequels, and is happy that not only is Marvel dipping its toes into those waters, but allowing someone the caliber of Soule to not only do it for them, but do it brilliantly.
As if there was ever any doubt.
The relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker is one of the most important ones in all of Star Wars lore. Their hellacious fight in Revenge of the Sith was long a part of franchise legend, even before the movie ever existed, and its sequel in A New Hope leant the very first movie considerable emotional depth. And yet, their relationship was otherwise one of friendship. Obi-Wan was the one person, besides Padme, who took Anakin seriously, warts and all. So Soule can be comfortable allowing Anakin to voice the same kinds of doubts and theories that would lead to Darth Vader we'd previously only seen between him and Padme, and Obi-Wan accept it in stride.
The best part, the big twist, of this issue however, is the Jedi ending up on a world that has no place for their kind, and in fact has no idea what a Jedi even is. It's an irony that the Jedi-heavy prequels alienated fans, while the Jedi-light originals, and The Force Awakens, have been such fan-favorites. One would almost venture to assume that it's Jedi the fans don't like. They like their lone wolves, thank you very much.
So putting a couple of prequel-era characters into a situation ripe for that kind of storytelling is yet another sign of Soule's genius. I love that guy. He might actually get some readers to be okay with the prequels. Such a feat is worthy of a Jedi.
The Jedi were just one of many problems with the prequels. I don't know if this was really necessary; the Clone Wars series covered a lot of Anakin-Obi-Wan ground already.
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