STAR WARS: OBI-WAN #1/ Script by CHRISTOPHER CANTWELL/ Art by ARIO ANINDITO/ Colors by CARLOS LOPEZ/ Letters by VC’S JO CARAMAGNA/ Published by MARVEL COMICS

Basing a series around an established character in a work of collaborative fiction is a tricky prospect. There’s little a writer can do to generate suspense when a character’s past is well chronicled and their final fate is already known. Thankfully, this first issue of Star Wars: Obi-Wan manages to be entertaining by offering a strong character study of the man who mentored Luke Skywalker.

The first issue opens with an aged Obi-Wan on Tatooine, reflecting on his life and recalling an adventure from his days as a Youngling at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Comparisons to The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles are perhaps inevitable, but it is a firm foundation for the series to come and Christopher Cantwell spins a solid tale.

The artwork is similarly sound. Ario Anindito does a fair job of capturing the appearance of Obi Wan from the earliest Star Wars films, but also makes the action sequences engaging. Colorist Carlos Lopez does much to add depth to the finished art, with fantastic lighting effects throughout when paired with Anindito’s inks. The lettering by VC’s Joe Caramagna is also good.

I think most Star Wars fans will appreciate this new Obi Wan series. It may not offer any bold insights into the series’ first Jedi, but it is still a good series, with fantastic artwork and an enjoyable story. And that is no small thing.