Comic artist and illustrator Jake Bartok’s latest the Force for the young farm boy, drawing Luke into the Rebel Alliance’s struggle with the Galactic Empire.
Obi-Wan talks about the days serving as a Jedi Knight guarding peace and justice in the Republic alongside Luke’s father, Anakin, until Vader betrayed and murdered him. At first, Luke wants nothing to with the rebellion or the all-but-extinct Jedi (even after Obi-Wan gives him his father’s lightsaber). However, after Imperial stormtroopers murder his aunt and uncle looking for R2-D2 and C-3PO, Luke tells Obi-Wan, “There’s nothing for me here now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.” It isn’t until Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back that Luke learns the truth about his destiny and heritage: his father is Darth Vader.
Following up on his series of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Check it out below:
Depicting Luke as “The Prodigal Son,” “The Scion of House Skywalker,” and “The last Jedi” aligns with his arc in the Skywalker saga, but picturing him with Excalibur honors his conception. George Lucas has often cited Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces as directly influencing Star Wars. The book examines the archetypal “Hero’s Journey” seen in myths such as the medieval world of Arthurian Legend. The one heroic myth that Luke most adheres to is that of King Arthur and Camelot. Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’ Arthur follows the story of King Arthur. In Book I, the wizard Merlin (an Obi-Wan-like figure) arranges a contest in which Arthur removes the sword from the stone (receiving the mythical Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake later on), proving his birthright as the king of Britain.
Like Merlin’s contest and search for the orphaned Arthur, Obi-Wan spends years waiting/watching over Luke on Tatooine because he believes him to be the “Chosen One” —the one to bring balance to the Force. Star Wars’ universe is a lot like classic myth and legend; there are heroes, mentors, prophecies, and people that need saving. Arthur possesses the magical abilities of Excalibur while Luke that of his lightsaber and the Force. Both heroes bring tranquility to their respective worlds, even if it’s only for a time. Bartok’s illustration is an accurate representation of Luke as the hero. It's called "Arthurian Legend" because of Arthur and the "Skywalker saga" because of the farm born and family we met in 1977.
Source: Jake Bartok
