Marvel Announces New Obi-Wan Star Wars Series
The Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi will headline a new five-issue Star Wars miniseries in May. Star Wars: Obi-Wan comes from the creative team of writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Ario Anindito and features the adventures Obi-Wan later chronicles in his journals. These same journals were later found by Luke Skywalker during Jason Aaron's run on Marvel's Star Wars series. Fans will get to follow Obi-Wan from his time as a Jedi Initiate, a Padawan, a Jedi Knight during the infamous Clone Wars, and finally as a Jedi Master.
StarWars.com announced the new Star Wars: Obi-Wan miniseries along with covers for the first issue. The site also spoke to Christopher Cantwell about writing the younger version of the character, which prequel character turned out to be his favorite and more.
"And when it came to Obi-Wan at this age…I looked to my own eight-year-old son. I love seeing the world through his eyes because it reminds me of what it was like when I was his age," Cantwell said regarding Obi-Wan as a child. "I very much tried to tap into that. There's this idea in the first issue of being small in a massive universe. Every kid feels that way. I also wanted to make sure I got all the details right…and there are LOT of details to get right when it comes to Star Wars.
Each issue of Obi-Wan will display him at a different stage in his life. The writer detailed how Obi-Wan is able to remain optimistic despite all of the different tragedies he's endured. "What I love about Obi-Wan is that he is so much a character of patience and fortitude," he said. "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."
When it came down to choosing his favorite prequel character, Cantwell admitted it's hard to choose just one. "Writing Yoda was surreal. Getting that speech pattern right isn't as easy as it sounds. And I've always loved Qui-Gon. He's my favorite part of the prequels and such a fascinating character. Anakin proved trickier, because he's as multifaceted as a diamond," he said. "But it's been a joy touching upon them all, and also playing with some beloved alien species and even creating a couple new characters that I think integrate well into the larger universe. I mean, I'm answering this question while my original Darth Vader head case full of my old Kenner figures sits behind me. Who doesn't dream of bringing those to life?"
Finally, Cantwell discussed Obi-Wan's massive appeal to fans, and why that has lasted for over 40 years. "Obi-Wan is the classic sage. He is the first teacher to enter the Star Wars story. He is frustrating in his guidance at times, but his wisdom is hard-earned through emotional, personal experience. He's also just a veteran in the truest sense of the word. He lived through probably some of the most difficult times in the Republic and the Jedi Order, and almost narrowly died a few times in the process. He's seen some horrible things firsthand. But like I said, there is a virtue about him that allows him to continue to be a light in the darkness. He carries the flame of hope within him. Obi-Wan never gave up in all his years of living. He didn't even give up afterwards. Now that's dedication to the light side."
What do you think of the new Obi-Wan series from Marvel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!