New Obi-Wan Comic from Marvel Arriving in May
More exciting news for Obi-Wan Kenobi fans! This spring, Marvel launches a five-issue series which takes place in the weeks prior to the events of A New Hope. Written by Christopher Cantwell (Doctor Doom) and with art by Ario Anindito (The High Republic), this suggests readers will get a glimpse into the mind of the Jedi Master during the final days of his life. StarWars.com spoke exclusively to Cantwell about his approach to writing this iconic character and what we can expect.
Obi-Wan’s legacy can be felt from the prequels to the sequels. From brash Padawan to wise master, many of the lessons Kenobi learned along the way were passed down through the generations. Cantwell seems to be well aware of this and how much this character embodies the hope and strength of the Jedi. Here are his thoughts on the subject while speaking to StarWars.com:
What I love about Obi-Wan is that he is so much a character of patience and fortitude. He holds out hope and keeps that flame going even in the darkest times. He lost his Master, his best friend…he’s experienced a lot of grief. But he pushes forward. He waits on Tatooine for decades. He is the Buddhist concept of kshanti — patience — personified. He is able to hold onto the glimmers of light amidst the cloak of darkness. Every issue thematically deals with his ability to do that as a person.
Though this is the first series dedicated exclusively to Obi-Wan, he’s no stranger to the pages of Marvel. And neither is this time period. During the first run of Marvel’s Star Wars (2014), writer Jason Aaron gave us glimpses into the Jedi Master’s Tatooine exile through Luke’s discovery of his old journal. With the forthcoming Disney Plus series, Cantwell suggests we’ll be spending more time with an older Obi-Wan reflecting on all the days from the Clone War to his present. This is what he had to say about the series’ narrative structure:
The frame story of the entire series takes place just weeks before A New Hope begins. So here’s Obi-Wan, waiting and sensing that things are about to drastically change. There is going to be some culmination of his destiny. And — just like what happens for us all when we face some of our greatest challenges — he is really wrestling with it internally. It’s this wrestling that is in fact causing him to reflect on his past. He’s searching for strength and wisdom he’s gained over his lifetime, wanting it to reinforce his readiness to face his fate.
Obi-Wan also promises some familiar faces will return, from Qui-Gon to Anakin. Clone Wars fans will no doubt hope for some moments of reflection about his relationship with Satine Kryze. This series doesn’t suggest we’ll get any insight into what the Jedi Master will be up to during the forthcoming Disney Plus series, as it’s grounded in the original trilogy era (with flashbacks to the past). Since we still don’t have a premiere date, no one should count on any of those characters or events showing up. Still, this is a very exciting announcement. We now have a live-action series, a comic series, and two forthcoming novels dedicated to the legacy of Obi-Wan Kenobi. His fans are living in 2022!
Obi-Wan will also appear in the newly announced Star Wars Tales: Krrsantan #1, which will showcase the Wookiee bounty hunter’s many encounters with some of the biggest names in Star Wars. Make sure to head over to StarWars.com for the full interview with writer Christopher Cantwell.
Kyle Larson lives in Portland, Oregon. When he's not running trails, he's reading and writing.
