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Darth Maul is one of Star Wars’ greatest villains, and Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #1 is the kind of awesomeness you can only get from the galaxy far, far away. Written by Benjamin Percy with art by Madibek Musabekov and colors by Luis Guerrero, this issue is short on the Dark Lord but long on awesome Star Wars action, with gorgeous art. It’s one of those books that will make you happy that Marvel publishes Star Wars comics.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| A cool story that digs into the seedier side of the Star Wars Universe | Needed more Darth Maul |
| The art is fantastic and the best part of a great comic | |
| Percy knows how to tell a gritty, police story in the galaxy far, far away like he’s been doing it his whole life |
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #1 Shows Why Percy Is One of Marvel’s Best Current Writers
Benjamin Percy has long been Marvel’s best-kept secret. He was tapped to write Wolverine (Vol. 7) after doing the comic adaptation of the Wolverine: The Long Night podcast, giving him an A-list book not long after he made his way to the House of Ideas. His time writing the ol’ Canucklehead and X-Force proved how great he was; neither book was rebooted with a new number one throughout the five years of the Krakoa Era, and he’s been writing Marvel’s grittier characters ever since. He broke his teeth on Maul in Star Wars: Darth Maul: Black, White, & Red #1, and this issue shows that not only can he write stars like Wolverine and Ghost Rider, but also does a fantastic job with the Star Wars Universe.
Darth Maul is a storied character, and if you pick up this issue hoping to see some old-school awesome Maul action, you’ll be disappointed. However, you will get some great Star Wars action. The issue kicks off with Captain Brander Lawson being questioned about his latest case. From there, Percy takes us into the crime-ridden planet Janix, following Lawson and his droid partner Two Boots as they investigate a smuggling ring. This issue is a very well-structured crime comic; Percy is a pro at these types of stories. There are several cool twists and turns, Lawson is a fun character, and the action in the book is pretty exciting. The ending is perfect, setting up the rest of the story expertly.
