• Star Wars Obi-Wan #3
    Star Wars: Obi-Wan #3
    WRITER:
    Christopher Cantwell
    Artist:
    Alessandro Miracolo
    Letterer:
    VC's Joe Caramagna
    Cover Artist:
    Phil Noto
    Publisher:
    Marvel
    Price:
    $3.99
    Release Date:
    2022-07-27
    Colorist:
    Frank William

Before Emperor Palpatine's hostile takeover of the Galactic Senate, the Jedi Council and the Clone Troopers fought side by side to free planets from the grasp of Count Dooku and General Grievous. Together the Jedi and the clones form a formidable team, but sometimes the tides of war can leave deep scars even on the strongest soldiers. As the once revered Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi now lives as a recluse on the sandy plains of Tatooine, reminiscing about his time on the blood-soaked battlefields. Written by Christopher Cantwell with artwork from Alessandro Miracolo and Frank William and lettering by VC's Joe Caramagna, Star Wars: Obi-Wan #3 takes the old man down memory lane.

As the sandstorm passes over Obi-Wan Kenobi's quaint accommodations, the usually reticent man starts to reveal the event that left a mark on his soul. Star Wars: Obi-Wan #3 begins at the height of the Clone Wars, just after the Republic suffered heavy losses at the hands of General Grievous in the Battle of Hypori. With morale already down, the intelligence brings news on a new mega-ion cannon commissioned by the enemy on the agricultural planet of Abrion Major. Obi-Wan Kenobi, a General leading the 212th Battalion, promptly takes up the mission. But in the midst of blazing blaster fires, the Jedi Master suddenly stops in his tracks before a magnificent sunrise and ponders his duties as a Jedi and a soldier.

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Star Wars Obi-Wan #3 Old Man Obi-Wan

The Jedi code mandates the use of the light side of the Force for defending the powerless and protecting the sanctity of life. But on the front line, where it is either do or die, the code often gets buried under the pile of bodies, with the Jedi becoming nothing more than a tool of war. Star Wars: Obi-Wan #3 presents this clash of ideologies in the backdrop of carnage, but not before a string of narrations warns the readers of the can of worms that is about to be opened. As always, the issue starts in a quiet, run-down style but quickly turns the clock to a time when the Jedi history was one war after another. Shrouded by death, Obi-Wan's conviction falters. Just as things begin to look grim, the Jedi General remembers the basic tenets of his being as he raises his lightsaber, this time to protect his battalion.

Alessandro Miracolo's line is crisp, and Frank William's colors are full of life and vigor. They are intense and virulent enough to create the chaos of a battlefield. Blaster fire comes in from all directions as lifeless bodies of soldiers and droids line the beautiful countryside, and those foolish enough to charge headfirst are greeted with more firepower. Miracolo forgoes facial resemblances of any actors and instead devotes his time to creating dramatic compositions. The colors are bright, often vividly lighting up the panels in soft tones. Using alternating dark and light shades, particularly a yellowish hue for the rising sun, Williams gives the book a cinematic sheen.

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Star Wars Obi-Wan #3 General Kenobi

Star Wars: Obi-Wan #3 reopens some old wounds that the wise Obi-Wan Kenobi has not been able to shake off in his years of solitude. From time to time, circumstances have tested the Jedi Master's resolve, but none has been more challenging than the Clone Wars. Now, as he looks back on the worst battle of his life, he remembers the answer to the one question he asked himself all those years ago. As the Battle of Abrion Bridge ends with a pyrrhic victory, Obi-Wan's younger self looks away from the darkness of the smoking battlefield behind and finds the answer in the sun: Light always prevails in the dark -- that is the Jedi way.