Darth Maul seeks more out of life.
Darth Maul initially struck a chord with Star Wars fans because he was the coolest-looking villain in a galaxy far, far away. There wasn't much depth to Darth Sidious' first apprentice, but darned if he didn't leave an impression with his iconic tattoos and double-bladed lightsaber. It was only when Maul was brought back for The Clone Wars that the character gained real depth and pathos. There's a lot of unexplored ground still to cover with the character, which is why it's disappointing that Marvel's Darth Maul mini-series is shaping u to be such a straightforward, generic take on the Sith Lord.
If Marvel aims to shed more light on Maul's hidden years, the obvious choices would be to A) focus on his childhood and ties to the Nightbrothers, B) explore how he survived his near-death encounter with Obi-Wan in Episode I or C) bridge the gap between The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. This series chooses a fourth option, focusing instead on the period leading up to Episode I. The book cats Maul as a fully trained killer who's growing increasingly impatient waiting for Palpatine's plans to move forward. So when the opportunity arises to test his mettle against actual Jedi, Maul leaps into action.
Again, this is a hugely disappointing direction for the series, one that holds little potential to really surprise readers or cast Maul in a different light. The fact that Maul and his Master are lurking in the shadows at this point in the Star Wars timeline also limits what writer Cullen Bunn and artist Luke Ross can really accomplish here. The end result is a story that basically reads like a Disney-approved retread of the novel Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter, with Maul setting is sights on a handful of random Jedi characters cooked up exclusively for this comic. It's a very low stakes conflict that stands little chance of causing ripples in the larger Star Wars pond.
Which would be acceptable if the characterization were strong enough to shoulder the burden. It's not as if Charles Soule and Alex Maleev's Star Wars: Lando had much of an impact on the larger mythos, but it still ranks among the best of Marvel's Star Wars output to date. Sadly, there's little depth or flavor to Bunn's depiction of Maul. The script offers little insight into the character other than the fact that he's restless and yearns for the freedom to kill Jedi at will. The narration is bland and flavor-less, reinforcing the notion that Star Wars comics are better off without narrative captions at all.
If nothing else, Ross' art is solid enough. He delivers a very dynamic take on Maul, one who's almost always lunging, stabbing or generally looming over anything that gets in his way. Ross also bathes his pages in heavy shadows, which both fits with the general mood of the story and helps the sleek, shiny Prequel setting fall a little more in line with the dingy vibe of the Original Trilogy.
The Verdict
With so many options available to Marvel, it's disappointing to see Darth Maul playing it so safe with the character. This first issue offers little insight into the character and fails to build a compelling conflict around him. Whether the conservative approach was by design or mandated by Disney/Lucasfilm, either way fans aren't getting the Darth Maul flashback tale they deserve.
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