Star Wars: Darth Maul Comic Review ⸺ Part 1 of 5
Set prior to the events of the Phantom Menace, the latest Darth Maul comic series gives us a glimpse into the mind of the fearsome Sith…
The latest Darth Maul comic run ended with a clash this past week, with a showdown between Maul and an over-matched Jedi apprentice. What brought Maul to the point of disobeying his Master’s wishes of staying hidden? Let’s take a look at what made the Sith apprentice impatient enough to go against the wishes of the powerful Darth Sidious.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Released on February 1st, 2017 by author Cullen Bunn, the first issue picks up with Maul hunting Rathtars (have you heard of the Trillia Massacre?) on the planet of Twon Ketee. Maul mows them down with ease, but his bloodlust is not satisfied. He must kill a Jedi. He must kill all of the Jedi.
The scene then shifts to Coruscant, where Maul is stalking a pair of Jedi just for sport. The duo then senses a dark presence, but can’t quite put their lightsaber on what it is.
Darth Sidious then schools Maul in the art of patience, telling him not to expose them before his plans are ready. Sidious then praises Maul’s talents but threatens him with a severe punishment if he disobeys again.
Sidious then sends Maul on an errand-boy mission to the Kellux system, to aid the slimy green grubs of the Trade Federation with their struggle against space pirates. Maul comes to the aid of the Trade Federation with the help of his Sith Infiltrator, The Scimitar, destroying the pirate threat. Maul then discovers from one of the pirate survivors that a Jedi Padawan had been captured and is up for grabs to the highest bidder.
Maul then disposes of the pirate and decides to turn on the remaining Trade Federation survivors, not wanting to leave a trace of his actions that could lead back to his master. Plus, treachery is the way of the Sith.
The comic concludes with Maul salivating over the thought of killing his very first Jedi, which will be introduced in issue #2.
Darth Maul issue #1 ( and the entire series) is a must read for any Star Wars fan. It starts off by diving into Sith lore and also the relationship of a Master and Apprentice. You get inside the mind of Maul and discover his motivations behind his actions.
Here are three little Easter eggs that I enjoyed aboutthis issue:
Rathtars
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Introduced in The Force Awakens, Rathtars are very dangerous, just ask Han Solo. Maul is able to dispose of these vicious creatures with relative ease, displaying the killing machine he really is!
The Works
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Introduced at the end of Attack of the Clones with a meeting between Darth Sidious and Darth Tyrannus, The Works reappears again in this issue. Located in the abandoned industrial zone of Coruscant, it is a perfect location for Sith Lords to have secret meetings. According to the Star Wars: Locations visual dictionary, Darth Sidious had secret Sith artifacts hidden in these buildings at the time of The Phantom Menace (and also in this comic run). Once again, showing the attention to detail that the Star Wars Story Group at Lucasfilm provides.
Sith Infiltrator: The Scimitar
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
First appearing in the Phantom Menace, and later again in The Clone Wars, The Scimitar, the personal starship of Darth Maul, is seen in action. It has a stealth feature, which is a perfect accessory for the shadowy Sith. Darth Sidious later uses it for himself during the time-frame of the Clone Wars and possibly beyond.
Next: Our Guide to Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Want to learn more about Darth Maul? Stay tuned tomorrow for part 2 of our review of this brilliant comic.