Nick Hughes

Opinion Editor

As some may know, “Star Wars” was bought by Disney a few years ago. What some casual fans might not know is that Marvel, also owned by Disney, started a “Star Wars” comic book line. There are a lot of comics currently out. One, recently released, is called simply, “Darth Maul”.

Some might be confused, is Darth Maul not dead? Cut in half by Obi – Wan Kenobi in Episode I? Well, that is true, but a lot has happened since then with Darth Maul. He survives the duel with Obi-Wan and has continued to be in various shows in the new “Star Wars” continuity. These include the shows, “Star Wars: the Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels”.

With the new comic, “Darth Maul”, the writers are telling the origin story of Darth Maul. This is exciting because this was a subject that was not dug real deep into in the old continuity. There were a few books and a couple comics, but Maul was the main character in only a few of these titles.

That all changes in this comic. Maul is the focal point of the comic and the story is told relatively well. There are some hiccups that could have been avoided, but it is really nitpicking at that point. The comic does what a first issue is supposed to do. It sets up the background of Maul. Without spoiling, it is sufficient to say that there will be a lot more comics featuring Darth Maul.

Maul is aggressive, brutal and all around what a Sith Lord should be. A new side of Maul was shown in the comics which reflects what has been seen in the Star Wars Rebels TV show. He is reflective, methodical, and relentless in pursuing his goals. The comic leaves the reader hanging in that regard. It is not really known yet what Maul is wanting to do. This is besides killing Jedi, but that is also a theme. Maul is restless, and wants to test himself.

The upcoming issues promises even more action and more gaps will be filled.
Grade: A