The end of an arc in the main Star Wars book means it’s time for another foray into the journal of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Artist Mike Mayhew returns to team up with Jason Aaron as we jump in our ship and head back to Tatooine.

In theory, the Obi-Wan interludes are about Obi-Wan watching Luke growing up but as we reach the third one, it’s becoming clearer that they’re really about Obi-Wan and Owen Lars and the tenuous relationship between them. Don’t get me wrong: young Luke is enthusiastic and adorable and a breath of life on the page. The shaky and ever evolving understanding between Owen and Obi-Wan is something entirely different. Almost two decades pass between the trilogies and it makes sense that things between them wouldn’t be static. I’m intrigued to see where else this might go especially if Beru gets to play more of a role. (By the way, the flash of her being a total bad ass in this issue was AWESOME.)

Mike Mayhew’s facial expressions are probably the strength of his work in this book. They tell stories entirely on their own on his very polished and pretty pages. I wasn’t overly fond of how Black Krrsantan looks more like King Kong than a wookiee in the face on one page but that’s a relatively minor quibble. That said, Mayhew definitely knows how to frame a heroic shot.

The more the Star Wars team publishes these Kenobi Interludes, the more I enjoy them. They continue to be a palette cleanser of sorts between arcs but in the most positive way. It’s a nice way to take a deep breath and let it out again before we dive into our heroes’ next adventure.  That said… bring on the stormtroopers!

Star Wars #20: Jason Aaron/Writer, Mike Mayhew/Artist, Chris Eliopoulos/Letterer, Jordan White/Editor, Heather Antos/Assistant Editor