Marvel Announces Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Series Adaptation
Star Wars is giving the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series another go – this time as a comic book series. Marvel Comics will debut Obi-Kenobi #1 in September, it will be a six-issue miniseries that adapts the events of the live-action series on the comic page, one episode per issue. The creative team for Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi will writer Jody Houser and artist Salvador Larocca, with cover art by the likes of Phil Noto, Lee Garbett, and Taurin Clarke.
Both Houser and Larocca spoke to StarWars.com about the upcoming Obi-Wan series. Read those statements below:
"Adaptations are how I got my start in Star Wars comics, and I'm always excited to try my hand at another," Houser said. "Obi-Wan Kenobi introduced some fantastic new characters, as well as giving us new insight into old favorites, and I hope fans enjoy seeing a familiar story play out in a whole new medium."
"I'm very pleased to be back in the Star Wars galaxy," Larocca added. "After Darth Vader and the main Star Wars titles, now it's time for me to take on Obi-Wan! I hope all of you enjoy the series as much as I do!"
Star Wars has always adapted its onscreen projects into comic book form (as well as novels), so Obi-Wan (which streamed on Disney+ in 2022) is due for its comic book version. The larger span of Obi-Wan's life was also recently explored in a Marvel Comics series, also called Star Wars: Obi-Wan (2022). For fans of the character, there is also a long, extensive, history of other comic series and novels focused on Kenobi, who remains one of the most prominent figures in Star Wars.
What Is Obi-Wan (2022) About?
Set ten years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), the series follows Kenobi as he sets out to rescue the kidnapped Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) from the Galactic Empire, leading to a confrontation with his former apprentice, Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen).
In ComicBook.com's review of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the same problems I had with the live-action series may actually work much better on the page:
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+, and critics (like fans) were made to wait for the official two-episode premiere to learn what deeper story and Star Wars Universe connections we would get. Well, Obi-Wan Episodes 1 and 2 certainly do the job of setting up a clear story frame for the event series – but at the same time, the series feels like a somewhat jumbled mix of different Star Wars franchise pieces, rather than a bridge between them, as promised.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan (2023) #1 will be released in September by Marvel Comics.