Dennis takes a look at the first entry from the Journal of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “The Last of His Breed.”
This review and commentary contains general spoilers for issue #7 of Star Wars.
Star Wars #7
Writer: Jason Aaron | Artist: Simone Bianchi | Colorist: Justin Ponsor | Letterer: VC’s Chris Eliopoulos | Cover Art: John Cassady & Laura Martin
This week’s issue of Star Wars takes a detour from the core story line (so, yes, the big twist from issue six will remain a mystery for a few more weeks) in order to bring the reader an excerpt from the Journal of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “The Last of His Breed.” This journal was the book Luke found in the case left behind in Obi-Wan’s hut in issue six, and the opening text indicates it was deliberately left behind for him.
Within the first few pages, this book establishes an immediate break from the traditional cinematic style of the series. After arriving in town, Obi-Wan walks away in frustration from a confrontation between an innocent civilian and a gang of thugs collecting Jabba’s water tax, Obi-wan starts an internal monologue conveyed through thought boxes. Prior to the Kanan series, the new Marvel Star Wars titles had avoided this traditional comic tool in favor of a style that more closely resembled the shots from the Star Wars movies. However, this style is perhaps more reflective of the fact that Luke is reading a journal entry, and the thoughts Obi-Wan conveyed therein are not set in the present. Furthermore, Obi-Wan is often secluded in many parts of this book, he has nobody to talk to, and when he does address the long dead Qui-Gon Jinn in his meditations, nobody answers.
In some ways, this story is a Star Wars western in much of the same style as the Kenobi novel by John Jackson Miller. Tatooine stands in for the classic dusty, old-western town. Jabba’s minions stand in for the black-hat-wearing gang of outlaws. Kenobi is the reluctant stranger that doesn’t want to and can’t get involved in the local affairs of the town; however, by the end of the tale, he finds his conscience leaves him no choice. Obi-Wan notes early on that as difficult as it was to become a Jedi, it was harder to stop being a Jedi, much like the classic Western theme of the retired lawman that has witnessed too many atrocities over a long life of service and only wants to retire to a quieter life away from trouble and the ills of society, but circumstances conspire to draw him back to righting the wrongs that plague the society around him.
One of the best features of this issue is the examination of both the characters of Luke and Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan laments that Owen Lars will not let him train Luke in the ways of the Force, but that will not keep him from performing his sworn duty to protect Luke from harm until such time he can become the “New Hope” of Star Wars. Over the years, he didn’t so much forget what it meant to be a Jedi, but was beaten down by the misery of living a solitary life on a desert planet where one misstep would put himself, Luke, and so many innocents in trouble. He had fallen into despair, and it wasn’t until he witnessed an act of bravery by Luke that he found a renewed sense of purpose and his faith in the future of the Jedi was restored.
The glimpses of Luke are minimal, but they speak volumes. Luke, a mere child, stands up to Jabba’s minions after they have repeatedly over-taxed the people of Tatooine on their water to the point they couldn’t provide for themselves. Anakin’s bravery from The Phantom Menace shines through his son. Anakin dreamed of one day coming back to Tatooine and freeing the slaves, but as a boy he was powerless to do anything. Padme’s determination also shone in Luke. She was never one to idly stand by while innocents suffered around her, and neither was her son. Given that, one has to wonder happened to Luke in the time between this comic and A New Hope. It wasn’t until the Empire pushed Luke too far by murdering his Aunt and Uncle that he agreed to join Obi-Wan on his crusade to rescue Princess Leia. Although he had desires to escape to the Imperial Academy, Luke was firmly tethered to the family farm and didn’t dare defy his uncle.
It is easy to appreciate how carefully Aaron wrote this book. This book is but one entry in Obi-Wan’s journal that he eventually leaves behind for Luke. At one point, Obi-Wan notes that his days were filled with monotony, and yet, they should have been busy with training “the boy.” He writes that he doesn’t blame Owen for not letting him train Luke, after all the last Skywalker he trained was gone. There is no mention by Obi-Wan of Darth Vader. This is critical in order to preserve Vader’s reveal to Luke that he was his father in The Empire Strikes Back. The care that Aaron took in writing this story ensures that this journal can be revisited by Luke and the creators of this series to tell future tales of Obi-Wan without jeopardizing the canon that lies ahead.
Overall, this story was an excellent diversion from the primary plot line of the series. The introduction of Obi-Wan’s journal was a clever method by which the occasional Obi-Wan Kenobi story could be interjected into the series. Simone Bianchi and Justin Ponsor were the “guest” artist and colorist, respectively, for this issue, but their work was perfect for the setting and story. Although this issue may not have had the flash of a lightsaber in terms of the classic Star Wars swashbuckling style of action, it was expertly told and holds great promise for future excerpts between story arcs.
Favorite Panel:
The art in this issue was an interesting change from the issues that preceded it. The fantasy-cinematic style was replaced with a grittier style with neutral hues that better suit the setting of Tatooine. Bianchi and Ponsor did an excellent job portraying a miserable, lonely, and desperate Obi-wan that so badly wanted to help those around him, but feared creating bigger problems through his actions. The application of a brown and beige palette expertly displayed a world that was baked and burnt up, and similarly, the use of blue and purple hues during the climax went far in establishing a setting of darkness and mystery. With all that said, Obi-Wan’s moment of triumph in which his faith in the future of the Jedi is restored as he ignites his lightsaber for the first time in years is hands-down the best panel of this book.
Dennis Keithly is a graduate of the University of Missouri, North Texas attorney, husband, father of two, and co-host of Starships, Sabers, and Scoundrels. In addition to Star Wars, Dennis is a fan of science fiction, fantasy, and super heroes in general. When not engaged in fictional universes, Dennis is reading a good book or watching the NHL, football, or studying the NFL draft.