SPOILER Marvel's Star Wars: Obi-Wan & Anakin #1

Really awesome review man, can't wait to get my hands on this issue. Keep up the great work!

 

Oh boy. I don't mean to sound so negative, MARVEL... what the hell are you doing?? Who is supervising these comics?
I was looking forward to this title as the window into Anakin's apprenticeship. Obviously we don't have the full story and it's
too early to judge, but based on this first issue which should've been strong, I left empty handed.

1. The artwork is lazy! Under the surface of the colorful photoshop-painted backgrounds and effects like explosions, and snow storms,
there is very little substance. The ships looks interesting, granted. However, the artist isn't very good at depth of field, the
Jedi robes are very flat, there's no fluidity to fabric, which isn't simple to draw, and the action had no excitement.

2. The dialogues and writing in general is rubbish. The transition to "time before" really cut in the middle of the narrative and disrupted
whatever sense of exploration there was in the beginning. Anakin's & Kenobi's dialogue about the state of the Republic is childish, and
Palpatine exerting influence over MACE WINDU to tutor Anakin made me completely drop this book. This just, sucks! Not only it doesn't
feel like Star Wars, there's no logic behind basic arguments whatsoever.

So disappointed. Of all the MARVEL books my interest has dwindled to one single title, Kanan.
If things continue as they are I'll stop collecting altogether.

((

 

I respect your opinion, but I personally disagree with all 3. That's all I'll say on it, since I understand the sort of frustration, like I had somewhat with the Chewbacca miniseries and several times with the Leia miniseries. As for Kanan, I hate to break it to you, but it's been cancelled, ending on it's 12th issue.

@Kyle, I loved this start. The look of the two characters is very millennial, and fits well with both today and the early 2000's. I loved finally having more canon reference to Sheev guiding and influencing Anakin from a very early age, and seeing Anakin have problems early on was great. I like that especially, since he hasn't become a teenager yet, and once he does, the rebelling and even more reckless figure, that Obi-Wan has by then grown closer to but still instructs, is more easily understood. he just listens and apologizes, instead of questioning Obi-Wan, like he does in AOTC. Obi-Wan was characterized just like I believed he would for so many years. He's really trying to put the front of a great and wise teacher, but he also is flawed in that he is already mostly overlooking Anakin's flaws. I also loved the Darth maul training scene, a great connection to Anakin's analytical mind we see very clearly in TCW, and a good connection to TPM, which is just 3 years before. I can't wait to read the next 4, especially since it's great seeing peace-time Jedi use only the Force to survive, and with the two new characters being unaware of what Jedi even are, even though the Jedi received a message of help address to them. Way better than Outbound Flight, Jedi Quest, and the old canon of this very lightly touched era. Anakin from TPM to AOTC looks to be handled very well so far, as well as Obi-Wan. Anakin from TCW to ROTS was just as excellent. Now I wait for a Battle of Jabbim, Assaj Ventress/Grievous intro that's mashed together into a new canon novel or comic series that explains the transition from AOTC to TCW.

I know I wrote so much, but I'm just that excited after that great first issue!

 

Kanan is canceled? Oh man, that sucks! I really enjoyed it.

I worked at a local comic book shop in NYC for over ten years and I've touched on everything from Marvel, to DC, Vertigo, IDW, Image, etc. I guess my bar is pretty high when it comes to comis, coming from animation field myself. There is just so much versatility in art styles and writing. MARVEL could've done a far better job hiring the talent for Star Wars.

Even looking back at Ruka's SW run back with DarkHorse, the gap in quality is painfully evident. I'm in the middle of the Dark Horse Republic & Dark Times run, and those books are superior in every aspect.

 

The artwork is indeed an "acquired" taste. In some of the scenes on Carnelion IV, it is difficult to tell what is going on. The Dutch angles do not help either. The issue was frankly too short to say whether the series will be any good. Let's wait and see.

 

Great review! Just read it today and at first I felt sort of disappointed it was not something newer but as you said, it is quite interesting to see the period between TPM and AOTC: it is right to mention that the fall of the Republic and the Jedi order was not something it happened overnight... you can see growing issues as the comic goes. And the art is quite nice too.

 

I really like this issue... but I'm going to say right now that that maybe tainted later on by how the series progresses.
1) The art is amazing (did you see Mace! He looked great!),
2) I like what they seem to be doing with Anakin,
3) The relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin was well presented
4) Wait... was that Palpatine? What's he doing here? I like that guy! (First Lando and now here. He just seems to pop up all over the place, doesn't he?)

I'm kinda worried though that the story may not be up to snuff (how they resolve the final cliffhanger I think is really going to determine how I'll feel going forward), but for now, I'm on board.

 

I also loved this comic! The artwork was phenomenal, imho. I also really like that we continue to get to see Anakin's descent to darkside and the seeds that planted this at a slower and more realistic pace. The Clone Wars has already done a lot for this and here we get even more via this series opener. We see a bit that went into Anakin's drastic personality change between Ep. 1 and Ep. 2 (besides teenage angst). We see Anakin using the Force in anger after being mocked by his peers, highlighting how he felt like an outsider very early on in his time with the Jedi. Also, it was interesting learning that Anakin was already harboring the idea of leaving the Jedi Order for a long time.

 

This was a great opening issue and was really pleased with art and story so far. Although it is the 1st issue.

So in the opening crawl it states that the Jedi were peacekeepers for a thousand years. I remember Obi-Wan saying it was "for a thousand generations " in ANH. Was this a mistake? Was he exaggerating or maybe confused?

--- Double Post Merged, Jan 8, 2016, Original Post Date: Jan 8, 2016 ---

I hear issue 12 is the last.

 

I am saddened that Kanan is ending. I'd really rather learn more about a different (nearly) Jedi than Anakin. I almost would rather Qui-gon and Obi-Wan in some respects. But as others have already said at least we get a glimpse of a not so known part of Anakins journey.

Interesting thing about this comic is it sold out at my shop on the release date, I had to buy the e-comic. So it seems people have highly anticipated this series

 

The comic is really adding things to the storyline. The part where Obi says the Jedi is under the jurisdiction of the Senate is very telling. I thought they had more autonomy than that. It explains how the Jedi got trapped fighting a war. If the Senate tells the Jedi you need to lead our army and the Jedi say no they get labeled the rebel group that they got accused of being in the end anyway.

 

Art is gorgeous, Soule is writing it, one of my favorite time periods in the GFFA. This has home run written all over it.
The Lando series alone is reason to give it a few more issues, imho.

 

Finally finally got my hands on this. It was delayed in AUS due to shipment issues, according to my local. Really loved this comic! I have high hopes. I fully expect at least one issue to drop in quality art-wise, and another to be more of a plot-boiler than a plot-mover, but this looks like a really tight comic, with strong potential for a solid and dramatic finish.

 

Also it should/could expand on the mysteries of the force, which would be awesome.