– Spoiler Review –
As the sandstorm threatens to take over Obi-Wan’s hovel in the deserts of Tatooine, the old Jedi’s ruminations take him down a dark memory in a stylish, entertaining read for Obi-Wan #2, which also included Qui-Gon Jinn!
Whereas the first issue’s flashback took place in Obi-Wan’s youngling years, Obi-Wan #2 centers on a mission he took as an older Padawan to Qui-Gon Jinn, something I’ve been excited for since this series was announced and even more so in the wake of the return of the king himself just last week! Christopher Cantwell’s writing of the Jedi Master doesn’t disappoint, capturing his aloofness and spirituality with ease, to the point I could hear Liam Neeson speaking the lines (and not because he just inhabited the role again and will once more in this year’s Tales of the Jedi animated series), the sage-ness of his confuddling words lost on us as Obi-Wan tries to parse through their truths. In fact, Obi-Wan’s parsing through a lot of truths this issue, as he and his Master arrive on a moon that should have light but instead is so dark they can tell it’s due to something unnatural. Their lightsabers can barely light the way, and begin shorting out, while their modified binocs only offer so much help in the low visibility. It’s a spooky issue, drawn to perfection by Luke Ross and team, and the web of intrigue, and its ultimate answer, are a fun mystery to propel the issue and offer an intriguing lesson about the age-old fight between darkness and light.
Compared to where I was in my first comic reviews for this site in 2015, I feel like I’ve come a long way in how I discuss the different aspects of an issue, especially with how I talk about art. I know I could still do more, so when I say this next part, I don’t want it to sound like I’m downplaying all the art in comics I’ve enjoyed so far. Obi-Wan #2’s art, drawn by Luke Ross and colored by Nolan Woodard, with lettering by Joe Caramagna, is absolutely brilliant from beginning to end, and essential to this issue’s atmosphere, story, and lessons in a way I don’t always see or might not always appreciate. Look, no comic would work without the art, but without it here, without the work this team provided, this story wouldn’t have the same impact, its reveals and surprises the same weight, if Ross and Woodard didn’t provide something unique and layered. The issue doesn’t start out terribly bright, the sandstorm on Tatooine about to overtake the planet’s twin suns, Obi-Wan’s hovel lit lightly by candles and full of shadows, and even his initial memories of his showdown with Maul in Rebels is dark since it happened at night, and panels later when the mission alongside Qui-Gon starts, it’s all darker tones. The thing is, as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon get deeper into the situation and its mystery, it only gets darker every page, or at least feels that way when reading. The dim light of the lightsabers, how thin their blades are, the shadows even in the darkness, and the scary, yet scared way the ‘monster’ in the dark is depicted despite the shades of black drenching the pages are all done in a way I’ve never really seen before. An entire issue in mainly black colors, so capturing the gamut of greys and blacks to add dimension and make it possible to tell what’s happening in a panel yet leave us somewhat confused so we feel the Jedi’s own confusion, like some impressive HDR work on an HDTV, is a tall order but Ross and Woodard made it look easy. What I really loved was how this perpetual darkness messes with our eyes reading from home, helping the blinding, searing white, bright light Obi-Wan experiences when he saves the day hurt our eyes, it’s so sudden, our eyes so used to searching these dim panels the explosion of white causing us to cover our eyes like looking into the sun after being inside, shades down or something. It’s one thing to sell us on the total darkness of the situation, it’s another to have us feel the change as well, an impressive, memorable feat serving to highlight the medium’s flexibility and uniqueness. Even the lettering by Joe Caramagna assists with the issues’ darkness and isolation, as when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon separate, his older self’s narration hovering at the edges of the panels, only hindsight filling in the shadows around him. Even when there is a lot of dialogue, it doesn’t distract from what the art team is doing, while the reserved SFX gives the station they are investigating an eerie silence.
Be it the opening with him remembering Maul to this story in the darkness, I liked the lesson Cantwell was having Obi-Wan regale in his journals. In the end, Obi-Wan points out something his Master has said before, you can’t have light without shadow, the darkness, and the message contains multitudes for the Saga as whole, if not Obi-Wan as well. It’s pretty fitting, considering the recent arc for Obi-Wan on the TV show, but also for how in the issue, consumed by the shadows and darkness, Obi-Wan’s able to find the light even more naturally when he lets go and lets it help him, suggesting to never give up, to never lose hope, regardless of how dire it might seem, something we can take to heart in these unprecedented times as rights, specifically women’s rights in the devastating Roe v Wade reversal, are stripped away by a conservative few who, for some reason, can’t help but believe only their views are valid despite the breadth of diversity in the world, let alone the United States.
Here are a few other things:
- We now know what the remainder of the miniseries’ will be about. Issue #3, out Jul 27, deals with a tragic battle in the Clone Wars. Issue #4, August 31, will see Obi-Wan and Anakin fighting to return someone from the heart of darkness. And lastly, issue #5 on September 14 won’t be a flashback at all, but rather a “present” set story of him helping a stormtrooper!
Obi-Wan #2 delves into the darkness to find the light ahead, with subtle yet impressive artwork that fits the themes and messes with readers to make its revelations and lessons more impactful.
+ Magnificient feats with art leading the story
+ Lesson on the never ending battle of light and shadows
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor.
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