Comic Review: Star Wars: Obi-Wan (2022) #4

We return to Tatooine for the 4th issue of Obi-Wan as Ben finds himself hunkered in the dungeon of his hut, waiting out a violent sandstorm that he can hear tearing apart his home outside, while he ponders on the ageing cracks within, himself included. As the power gives out and alone in the dark, his minds casts back to the era of the Clone Wars as he remembers the destroyed world of Atraken, blighted by the Separatists in a vicious attack. His only comfort was his kinship with Anakin, but even that has descended into times of quiet contemplation as they both hold back the dark tide, of the war and destiny.

Pulled from the front lines, they are sent to a secret location to meet Admiral Yularen, their mission shrouded in mystery as Yularen tells Kenobi of an old ally, Commander Mekedrix of Roon, who the Republic believe has gone rogue, killing soldiers and operatives on all sides. Yularen tells them they need to deal with him, inferring that they believe he is beyond hope – the terrors of war have fractured him beyond return – and that he needs to be eliminated, to protect the Republic. Anakin is outraged, angrily telling the Admiral that the Jedi don’t assassinate, and wisely pointing out the parallels between this request and the actions of the Separatists.

Clearly Ben doesn’t want to kill, remembering his own actions as he saw his master Qui-Gon slain before ending – or so we all thought – Darth Maul. On the swamp world of Ando they find Mekedrix’s holdout, the armour of dead Clone Troopers strewn among the wreckage of downed Republic Gunships. Captured by Mekedrix soldiers hiding in the swamp, they are led to the castle, which Kenobi notes was an old Sith stronghold, and they are met by Mekedrix who is clearly lost. He holds a sword made of the bones of a dead Clone Trooper and makes his case, that he is an agent of death, what is the point of war, of life. Kenobi counters – to see a sunset, he says, you need ‘the light of a star, the sky of a world. And a life to observe it‘. Wise, eloquent words which clearly resonates with Mekedrix, who leaps to attack as Anakin’s Jedi ‘muscle memory’ kicks in and his lightsaber springs to his hand, running Mekedrix through to his end.

We finish as Ben wonders how long the light will shine, on him and the galaxy, concluding a deeply impressive issue. With pinpoint art by Madibek Musabekov and colouring by Sebastian Cheng, Christopher Cantwell gives us a tale that wouldn’t feel out of place in the Devilworlds issues from Dark Horse, its vibe very much in keeping with the UK short stories in that 2 issue collection, brought together later as the Wild Space Omnibus. It may use the Family Guy ‘power cut’ device to take us back to an earlier time, but this delves deep into the motivations of Anakin, the hopelessness of the war (especially knowing as we have for many years that Palpatine was playing both sides) and the wisdom of Kenobi, an attribute every bit as powerful as his skill with a lightsaber.

Excellent work all round, and a reminder that short stories like this can shine a light on the Star Wars galaxy every bit as powerfully as any longform book or crossover series.

 

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