Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars: Darth Maul
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Cullen Bunn, Chris Eliopoulos
Artist: Luke Ross/Chris Eliopoulos
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2017
Star Wars: Darth Maul #2 Variant
Reprints Star Wars: Darth Maul #1-5 (April 2017-September 2017). Darth Maul has been trained in the shadows. Under the tutelage of his master Darth Sidious, Darth Maul has become a Sith, yet he hasn’t quenched his hunger to kill a Jedi. When Maul learns about the proposed sale of a Jedi padawan, he finds himself teamed with Cad Bane and Aurra Sing’s bounty hunters in a quest to fulfil his desires…but Maul could find an unlikely ally when he discovers he’s been led into a trap.
Written by Cullen Bunn, Star Wars: Darth Maul is a five issue limited series. The collection features art by Luke Ross and a short story from the first issue written and illustrated by Chris Eliopoulos.
Darth Maul was one of the best parts of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Despite much malign for the film by fans, Darth Maul was a shining point and with a true fighter played by Ray Park portraying him, he brought real fighting to the Sith and Jedi that had only been talked about. Here, Darth Maul starts to get more of a backstory…and it makes his death in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace even worse.
The story can be broken into three parts. Maul first learns about the auction, the auction, and then the fight for survival on the moon. All three parts have their merits and introduce different aspects of Maul. The first part shows how driven he is and is intense hunger to kill a Jedi. The second part demonstrates his cunningness and his intelligence in finding a way to get ahold of the Jedi. The third part shows how ruthless Maul is…Eldra gives Maul plenty of chances for an out, but he sees to have nothing but the desire to kill. It is a decent story and moves fast.
Star Wars: Darth Maul #4 Variant
I love the addition of Cad Bane and Aurra Sing. They are also fun fringe characters in the Star Wars Universe and I wish that they would be more developed (I’d like to see a Star Wars: Bounty Hunters film of some sort with the expanding of the Star Wars saga on the screen). I would have read a whole comic with just their team of mercenaries.
The art for the series is also solid. Luke Ross has an easy task in that the character’s style and look has gone through multiple artist renditions. Though Ray Park is the actor behind the make-up, it is the make-up that takes center stage on the character and that gives Ross more freedom for the visuals…plus, Maul’s fluent movement and fighting style allows him almost a martial arts style.
The series is a fun, quick series. With a character that has so much potential, Darth Maul could have even been longer. There were tons of suggestions that Darth Maul survived his “death” in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but Darth Maul was never seen again in the film series (the character had some extra life in the animated series). Until we get more Darth Maul, this will have to suffice.
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