– Spoiler Review –
We’ve had literal darkness and a dark battle of the Clone Wars, but Obi-Wan #4 takes us darker still, showing how horrors in war affects the people who fight it, from the grunts to the Jedi.
The Clone Wars shows much of the eponymous war throughout its many seasons, but it didn’t always factor in the toll those battles took on its characters, though later seasons it started to dive into that a bit more. It also never quite reached the level of death one associates with a movie based off our real wars on Earth, so Obi-Wan issue #3 was a big change of pace, taking the Clone Wars into tough and bloody territory. By having issue #4 pick up a thread from the previous issue, not letting the horrors of something like the Battle of Abrion Bridge go by without consequences and fallout, it makes for the miniseries’ strongest issue yet, with some Apocalypse Now-vibes (right down to the art). Obi-Wan and Anakin, now seasoned in war and its many ups and downs (though seemingly set sometime before Maul reappears), are called on a secretive mission, revealed to them by Admiral Yularen in person: Commander Mekedrix, from issue #3 who fought with Obi-Wan at Abrion Bridge, has gone rogue, killing both sides indiscriminately, and it’s up to the famed pair to end his reign of terror.
Much of this issue is focused on the build up to the encounter, and rightfully so, as it’s these parts which make this such a great, depth-filled issue. In a way, it makes me think of “Twin Suns” from Star Wars Rebels, as the encounter between old acquaintances has less to do with the actual battle than everything before it. But #4 delves deeply not just into Obi-Wan, he is the titular character of the series after all, but also Anakin and Commander Mekedrix too. We see Anakin through Obi-Wan’s eyes, but also through his reactions to the mission and its parameters, as Yularen suggests the death of Mekedrix is a cleaner option, not only to end this before it takes more people’s lives, but also for morale and confidence in the Republic and its war efforts. Anakin’s reaction is swift and visceral, angry at the idea of Jedi being assassins (Dark Disciple, anyone?) and disturbed by what giving up on Mekedrix means for the larger battle they’re fighting for…to give up on him, to believe him beyond redemption, what hope do they have for the Republic, already fractured due to the war and its longevity, to mend once all is over? As they leave Yularen, Obi-Wan reiterates they won’t go there to kill Mekedrix, but they have to keep their minds open to it being the only course of action, while Anakin iterates that he doesn’t want to operate like the Separatists, choosing war and killing when they lost hope in the Republic. Considering what happens between these two after the war and the path Anakin takes afterwards, it’s such an interesting point for him to make and Obi-Wan to debate with him. We know from Obi-Wan Kenobi that he doesn’t give up hope on redeeming Anakin until their fateful duel in the show’s finale and by the time he talks to Luke he believes him to be more machine than man, so we get a glimpse of his hope for bringing some back from the edge as he tries to redeem Mekedrix when they meet, while Vader/Anakin’s response to Obi-Wan during their duel and later with Luke shows he no longer has hope someone can be redeemed unlike he does here. Does his actions within this issue and what happens with Mekedrix aide that feeling? I’d certainly say it could. Also, Anakin’s point about not wanting to operate like the Separatists, but feeling like an ‘ordered galaxy’ is a worthy goal, certainly feels ironic knowing what he’ll do to bring peace and justice to his new Empire in a few short years and I’m sure Vader often remember these moments, mournfully, as he swipes at rebels. There’s a set of two panels by the art team of Madibek Musabekov, Sebastian Cheng on colors, and Joe Caramagna with letters, which brilliantly displays the change in Anakin, from before the war to during the war, as we see him prior to Attack of the Clones, young and almost happy looking, to how he is now, the scar and a determined look to his face, knowing what may come but fighting like hell to stop it.
For Obi-Wan himself, the fact he’s able to consider keeping their options open, knowing redemption might be possible, shows how much the war and his familiarity with death has changed him too. Much of this comes through the narration from the framing story of Old Ben writing these moments out in his journal, but also his reactions to Anakin’s outbursts and thoughts, tempering the younger one’s optimism they’ll end this peacefully. When they finally get to Mekedrix, whose PTSD from Abrion Bridge has pushed him towards a warped view of the war and their place in it, Obi-Wan still hasn’t let the war take him too far that he can’t challenge Mekedrix viewpoints. Their debate (arguably better than the whole ‘Ship of Theseus’ moment in WandaVision) is my favorite part of the issue, as Obi-Wan’s counter to Mekedrix’s belief he serves death itself, the Jedi just one more pawn in death’s game as the Force is the wind of death itself, is to refocus his thoughts on the beauty of life itself, away from death and all they’ve witnessed. There’s a big wampa in the room, Mekedrix isn’t totally wrong when he says stuff like the Confederacy is unwittingly in service to death and the clones were created to serve death too, Palpatine easily fitting the role of death and having moved these two pawns into play, but the way he’s reacting to this truth without a real name and carrying out revealing it to others are obviously the terribly wrong way to go. But to refocus Mekedrix, to ground him back to service of life, Obi-Wan mentions the sunrise on Mekedrix’s home planet and how life gives such a beautiful view meaning while death doesn’t. It’s an interesting way to tackle Mekedrix’s mindset and, in a sense it works, even though he takes the easy way out with an assisted suicide, as he realizes Obi-Wan’s right and he’s been wrong since he broke. That it’s Anakin who spears Mekedrix with a lightsaber when he lunges at Obi-Wan with his clone trooper bone blade (it’s dark this issue, folks) gave me flashbacks to him killing Satine’s would-be killer in The Clone Wars’ “Voyage of Temptation,” though while that moment isn’t lingered on much, in this issue Obi-Wan not only tells Anakin he didn’t do anything wrong, he comforts his friend before they leave. It’s a touching, nice little moment to close out a dark, psychological issue, though its final panel isn’t the most hopeful one, Old Ben in shadow, worried about how long the light will last when it returns after the storm passes, metaphorically speaking of course. Hopefully the final issue can make a good case for him to be a little more hopeful about the future, but as writer Christopher Cantwell has proven over these first four issues, he can balance the space fantasy and more bombastic aspects of the franchise while still digging into the souls of these characters, so I suspect the finale will be a fitting encapsulation of everything he’s set out to do with the series.
It’s been almost 20 years since I saw Apocalypse Now in my early teens, and I have yet to see the Redux version, but many of its visuals have stuck with me, so from the moment Obi-Wan and Anakin are on the river boat, find themselves at Mekedrix’s outpost in an ancient civilization’s temple (a Sith temple here), and we see a bald, stockier Mekedrix mostly framed in darkness at the end, the reference was vividly clear (even a quick perusal of the movie, now on Netflix, brought the film’s imagery being used into stark focus). Madibek Musabekov’s art is new to me, as a few of the artists brought on to bring each issue to life in unique ways has been, but this has definitely been my favorite of the new batch of artists. Musabekov brings the weariness to Anakin and Obi-Wan’s every expression, so when they either smile at one another due to their famous banter or become angry/express sadness, it’s all the more clear how much these events are affecting them or hiding the truth of how the war has weighed on them both. The lush jungle visuals were refreshing, but the full page of Mekedrix’s layer in the old Sith Temple was a real standout moment for me, from the Aurebesh-laden sign (which thankfully the Jedi translate for those of us at home), the clone trooper helmets in the water, all the downed ships, and the firelit path makes for a haunting, unnerving visual that portends the less than happy ending. Sebastian Cheng’s colors offer a moody, swirling darkness over the entire scene, leaving everything cast in the spooky Temple’s glow compared to the torches, which barely pierce the oppressive darkness. I like how, before these scenes, the palette of Cheng’s work isn’t too dark, often bright, even sunny, so as the issue gradually moves into darkness with the jungle to the point there’s barely any light in the throne area, even having Old Ben in shadows in the final panel, explores and highlights a descent into darkness. Having the confrontation with Mekedrix be in scenes where basically only the three people are in focus, most of the background inside the Temple sparse or complete darkness, not only recalls the film this is all inspired by, but it focuses the action on the people, not the bigger war or conflict, and such narrow focus hammers home the deep discussion they are having about the larger war and their mental states within it. Caramagna’s lettering in Mekedrix’s final words, shaky, smaller and bigger letters in the same word, falling off the line from the previous word, showcases the fight Mekedrix has to explain his actions, to help ease Anakin’s mind for what he basically made him do, before he passes away from his wounds; it’s also at stark contrast to his often bolded, long-diatribe filled speeches in the panels before.
Here are a few other things:
- The final issue for the series is in a few short weeks, September 14!
- I just started watching Paper Girls on Prime Video, a comic I read through like crazy in 2020, and so far it’s been a pretty great adaptation! Cantwell not only executive produces the show, he’s written a few episodes, so if you’ve enjoyed his writing here it carries over to the show too!
Obi-Wan #4 is the miniseries’ best issue yet, digging into the psychological aspects of the Clone Wars the Saga hasn’t always taken the time to consider.
+ Obi Hindsight
+ Fog of war art
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.