Having finally gotten the motivation to check out more Star Wars related content, related to the movies or the extended universe, I decided to start with the series detailing the most famous Zabrak in the universe- the iconic Sith Lord Darth Maul. Written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Luke Ross, this is a five issue miniseries by Marvel comics, that comes in at just under 120 pages combined. So, I read it in one go and decided to review.
The setting and timeline isn't the most exciting for fans already familiar with the movies/character. It's set just before the events of Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, instead of potentially a lot more interesting time periods and events they could explore. What this does is handicap the amount of character development or story/plot having events with major consequences. However, for new readers, it is a pretty good look into Darth Maul's mindset, his motivations and beliefs, and although the character work is still overall shallow, there's enough for you to identify with him.
Maul is still apprentice to Sith Lord Darth Sidious here, and while Sidious has carefully laid plans and is extremely patient about them, preferring to sit in the shadows and wait, Darth Maul is a lot more restless and dissatisfied with having to lie low. Indeed, many times throughout the book, he internally questions his master's motives and wonders if that's really a path true to the Sith code.
Maul is fueled by an intense hatred for the Jedi, and a burning desire for revenge, a fire stoked all too well by Sidious who sees the potential in him, and yet asks him to not reveal himself to any Jedi or engage in direct confrontation in order to keep the existence of the Siths a secret. So, when Maul gets sent on a mission to assist some trade partners of Sidious, he silently betrays his master on getting some intel about a young Jedi padawan captured by a mob cartel, who's being auctioned off to the highest bidder. Maul wants to test his abilities and satiate his bloodlust against a Jedi, and seeing this opportunity, he sets off on his own to find this padawan and fight him/her. On the way, he's joined by the bounty hunting group of Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, Vorhdelio and Tek Tek.
The story turns into an action adventure from this point, with several obstacles falling into the way of Maul and his group, while they try to maneuver their way out of the auction with the young Jedi- Eldra Kaitis in tow. Unexpectedly, Maul makes some self discovery along the way and comes to realize that vengeance might not be his only driving force- the thrill and excitement he feels might be an even more powerful motivator.
The art is the biggest strength of the comic book. The action scenes are extremely well drawn and designed, you can always make sense of what's happening, no two action scenes are the same, and the different acrobatics used, the lightsaber duels, the way the bounty team plays dirty, and the use of the Force in fights are all done well and will give the reader the needed adrenaline rush. The peak of the book comes when unexpectedly, the Sith ends up teaming with the Jedi to take out some common enemies, giving us this glorious panel:
Overall, first time readers or casual fans would still have a pretty good time with the series. It's nothing deep or introspective, but a fun ride from start to finish. I wish we could get something with more depth or a story set in a more interesting time period with more scope, but there are still enough interesting elements here to make it a solid recommendation for a one time read.
Rating: 7/10.
I'll try reading another series tomorrow- probably something related to Darth Vader, or maybe a story from the Rebellion's side.
Tags: @Darth_Felflame
Zabraks: @Darth_17 @Darth_berries @Darth_Bitzy @maruberry @Darth_Lixo
The setting and timeline isn't the most exciting for fans already familiar with the movies/character. It's set just before the events of Episode 1: The Phantom Menace, instead of potentially a lot more interesting time periods and events they could explore. What this does is handicap the amount of character development or story/plot having events with major consequences. However, for new readers, it is a pretty good look into Darth Maul's mindset, his motivations and beliefs, and although the character work is still overall shallow, there's enough for you to identify with him.
Maul is still apprentice to Sith Lord Darth Sidious here, and while Sidious has carefully laid plans and is extremely patient about them, preferring to sit in the shadows and wait, Darth Maul is a lot more restless and dissatisfied with having to lie low. Indeed, many times throughout the book, he internally questions his master's motives and wonders if that's really a path true to the Sith code.
Maul is fueled by an intense hatred for the Jedi, and a burning desire for revenge, a fire stoked all too well by Sidious who sees the potential in him, and yet asks him to not reveal himself to any Jedi or engage in direct confrontation in order to keep the existence of the Siths a secret. So, when Maul gets sent on a mission to assist some trade partners of Sidious, he silently betrays his master on getting some intel about a young Jedi padawan captured by a mob cartel, who's being auctioned off to the highest bidder. Maul wants to test his abilities and satiate his bloodlust against a Jedi, and seeing this opportunity, he sets off on his own to find this padawan and fight him/her. On the way, he's joined by the bounty hunting group of Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, Vorhdelio and Tek Tek.
The story turns into an action adventure from this point, with several obstacles falling into the way of Maul and his group, while they try to maneuver their way out of the auction with the young Jedi- Eldra Kaitis in tow. Unexpectedly, Maul makes some self discovery along the way and comes to realize that vengeance might not be his only driving force- the thrill and excitement he feels might be an even more powerful motivator.
The art is the biggest strength of the comic book. The action scenes are extremely well drawn and designed, you can always make sense of what's happening, no two action scenes are the same, and the different acrobatics used, the lightsaber duels, the way the bounty team plays dirty, and the use of the Force in fights are all done well and will give the reader the needed adrenaline rush. The peak of the book comes when unexpectedly, the Sith ends up teaming with the Jedi to take out some common enemies, giving us this glorious panel:
Overall, first time readers or casual fans would still have a pretty good time with the series. It's nothing deep or introspective, but a fun ride from start to finish. I wish we could get something with more depth or a story set in a more interesting time period with more scope, but there are still enough interesting elements here to make it a solid recommendation for a one time read.
Rating: 7/10.
I'll try reading another series tomorrow- probably something related to Darth Vader, or maybe a story from the Rebellion's side.
Tags: @Darth_Felflame
Zabraks: @Darth_17 @Darth_berries @Darth_Bitzy @maruberry @Darth_Lixo