SW7N Review: Marvel’s Star Wars #7

BenIt turns out Obi-Wan Kenobi’s alone time in the Jundland Wastes of Tatooine was not the spiritual retreat Revenge of the Sith hinted it was going to be.

 

The titular series of Marvel’s recent onslaught of Star Wars titles takes us on a little detour between story arcs. For those of you who have been following along, a little item has been teased the last couple issues. Luke managed to get a hold of it after a brawl with Boba Fett in the last issue. We knew it had something to do with Obi-Wan, but now it’s clear to be his journal, and he wants Luke to know what he has been up to the past twenty or so years…

 

 

Journal

Journals and points of view have been a theme from very early in Star Wars conception. The original Star Wars novel gives a brief recount of how the Empire came to be in what Lucas called the Journal of the Whills. It’s nice to think that an Obi-Wan interlude between story arcs of this series involving the big three will be a regular thing and help add to Luke’s understanding of the Force by the time we meet him in TESB. I know I have been guilty of searching for any connection to the sequel trilogy, so let me just say I doubt Luke is going to whip this journal out in TFA and start reading it to Kylo Ren or Rey as the Ten Commandments. This journal is fully cemented in the time of the original trilogy and I believe the only implications it will have is if Obi-Wan pops up somewhere in Rebels or an Anthology film is devoted to the Jedi Master.

 

Tatooine

With all that in mind, this story finds us a very disillusioned Obi-Wan Kenobi. For the first time we are seeing the man Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not the Jedi. Not the heroic general. Just a man, trying to forget the tragedies and failures in his past, but stuck in the purgatory of his present, unable to focus on his task of training a young boy. The Jedi we all knew from the prequels and Clone Wars is almost nowhere to be found on the opening pages of this book. He wanders the edge of an outlaw planet in a conquered galaxy, not being able to ignore the fact that he must forget the man he once was to keep the galaxy’s last hope safe.

 

Goons

Tatooine is in the midst of a drought. It’s strange to think a desert planet would suffer such an ecological dilemma, but the moisture farmers are unable to collect little of anything to keep them alive. It doesn’t help that Jabba the Hutt has dispatched his goons across the planet to wring every drop of water out of them to add to his cache. The situation for Tatooines residents is a bleaker one than they are accustomed.

 
Luke

All Obi-Wan can do is try to focus on remaining the man he has chosen to become, “Ben”, and making sure young Luke Skywalker and his adoptive family is safe. There is no conversing through the Force with Qui-Gonn or Yoda. There is no master plan Obi-Wan is drawing up to overthrow the Empire and take back the Galaxy. Ben Kenobi wanders through the days with the singular purpose of keeping Luke Skywalker safe in the hope that he will one day realize who he is and what is capable of becoming.

 

That is essentially what this issue recounts through the journal of Obi-Wan. Luke, who we meet as a child, has gotten himself into a sticky situation and Obi-Wan must do what he can to save him. It’s a very brief, but touching, tale of the selfless life Obi-Wan leads to ensure the Jedi will endure. Obi-Wan is playing the long game, counting on the Force to bring Luke to him to begin training when it is time.

 

Cover

This issue requires no reading of any previous issue to get your bearing. If you are reading this you know all you need to. Jason Aaron and Simone Bianchi have put together a terrific issue that stands apart from anything we have seen so far. Obi-Wan conveys an almost Bruce Wayne/Batman duality in the ghosts that drive a haunted man to focus on the grey areas of selflessness as catharsis.

 

 
Pick this up as soon as you can. As a fan of Obi-Wan I hope this is just the beginning of the story they are going to tell regarding his Tatooine years.

 

 

You can order a digital copy at Marvel.com or at Comixology.comor visit the nearest comic book store.

 

+ posts

Kyle Larson lives in Portland, Oregon. When he's not running trails, he's reading and writing.

Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson lives in Portland, Oregon. When he's not running trails, he's reading and writing.

27 thoughts on “SW7N Review: Marvel’s Star Wars #7

  • July 30, 2015 at 5:10 pm
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    Please please please let this build up to a Obi-Wan vs Darth Maul movie!

    ~ Sincerely,

    every Star Wars fan ever

    • July 30, 2015 at 5:27 pm
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      I wonder if we could petition Disney/Lucasfilm to do an Obi Wan Anthology film?

      • July 30, 2015 at 6:06 pm
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        That would be awesome but unfortunately, these movie ideas are not up for discussion (movie studios don’t set up focus groups asking for ideas from fans and the public in general); even with how big social media has become in today’s world, outside input still isn’t sought out for movie story ideas.

        • July 31, 2015 at 2:29 am
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          I don’t want to give them story ideas, just convince them to make a movie with the Character! 😛

        • July 31, 2015 at 12:47 pm
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          Ant-man is here to prove you’re wrong, with all my respect. Basically the fans asked for it and they did have it 😉 Disney listen for their fans.

      • August 2, 2015 at 10:35 am
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        gather 150.000.000 and the people who payed can watch it for free. not so difficult.

    • July 30, 2015 at 6:50 pm
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      Nah, that’d fuck up the canon in a lot of people’s minds.

    • July 30, 2015 at 9:54 pm
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      But… Darth Maul died in Episode 1

      • July 30, 2015 at 9:57 pm
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        Watch The Clone Wars and read the Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir comic (both are canon by the way). This is why we can have Obi-wan vs. Maul in a movie format again.

        • August 1, 2015 at 12:39 am
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          The Darth Maul resurrection was as stupid as some of the now thankfully discontinued EU worse ideas……

  • July 30, 2015 at 5:25 pm
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    I guess this makes an Obi Wan Anthology film more difficult. 🙁 As much as I like this idea (of some in between story)I would prefer it in the form of a movie.

  • July 30, 2015 at 5:25 pm
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    This is exciting…Hopefully even awesome!

  • July 30, 2015 at 5:28 pm
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    first

  • July 30, 2015 at 5:39 pm
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    Is there anything in this that supports or contradicts the now-“Legends” KENOBI novel?

    • July 31, 2015 at 7:07 pm
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      I would say yes. As far as I remember, the Kenobi novel takes place shortly after Obi-Wan arrived on Tatooine. The comic makes it clear that nothing noteworthy has occurred since Obi-Wan arrived on the planet… and Luke appears to be somewhere between 7 and 10 years old. At the very least a big fight with the Tusken Raiders never happened.

  • July 30, 2015 at 6:09 pm
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    I heard he gets into a love triangle with Uncle Owen & Aunt Beru.

    • July 31, 2015 at 12:49 pm
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      It’s Beryl 😉

  • July 30, 2015 at 7:07 pm
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    This looks awesome,
    however the young Luke is creeping me out – like, on a “Gremlins” level.

    Obiwan looks cool though, he looks old and depressed / sociopathic – my favorite version of the character.

    I don’t think this proves OR disproves the Obiwan Anthology rumors — THAT’S THE POINT.
    Where better to “test the waters” than on the Comic Pages?

  • July 30, 2015 at 7:32 pm
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    wow its weird to see a kid luke. im excited for star wars #8. i wanna see how luke is gonna deal with the aftermath of boba fett and now vader knows him

  • July 30, 2015 at 7:36 pm
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    Further journal entries:
    1) Getting drunk at the cantina
    2) Playing catch w/ Jabba’s Rancor
    3) Hotwiring and joyriding a Sandcrawler
    4) Pulling pranks on the Sand People by soaking their face bandages in chloroform
    5) Supergluing Fode & Bede’s mouths together

    • July 31, 2015 at 12:51 pm
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      hahaa i loved the 2) LMFAO

  • July 30, 2015 at 9:23 pm
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    A Great, a flashback comic!

    • July 31, 2015 at 2:49 am
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      Like Kanan?

  • July 30, 2015 at 11:53 pm
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    We do need an Obi-Wan anthology movie. The best character of the Star Wars universe IMO.

    • July 31, 2015 at 2:57 am
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      I’m fine with getting his story through books and comics, however it would be nice to see Ewan McGregor back in the role.

      It would also be possible to use him in a live action TV show if the rumors are true and they use the ep3-4 era. I see that as a little more likely than an anthology film.

  • August 2, 2015 at 7:12 am
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    Obi Wan once thought as you do. We never got to see that played out. A story where Obi Wan makes an effort to save Anakin from his Vader persona would be cool.

  • August 7, 2015 at 1:02 am
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    i only read kanan but decided to get this one off version…brilliant stuff..love the art…hope they do more on obi wan..and yoda

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