Star Wars: Darth Maul #1 Review: Rage of The Apprentice
Bred on hate, fear, and anger … steeped in the ways of darkness … and trained to kill. Darth Maul’s time as apprentice to Darth Sidious has long been cloaked in shadows, but at last we will reveal his tale of revenge.
Star Wars: Darth Maul #1
Art: Luke Ross
Colors: Nolan Woodard
Cover Art: Rod Reis
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Cullen Bunn (Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, The Empty Man, Hellbreak ) with illustrator Luke Ross (Utopia, Jonah Hex: Full Face of Violence, John Carter: World of Mars) come together to bring one of the most vicious individuals in Star Wars to life, Darth Maul. The story begins in Star Wars: Darth Maul #1.
Darth Maul is the apprentice of Darth Sidious. Maul is anxious to get his hands on a Jedi, while his mentor is looking at the large picture. Slowly, but surely, Maul is getting tired of waiting and is ready to go out on his own.
The issue begins in a jungle. A couple of bounty hunters are in the jungle looking for someone when a Rathtar appears and eats them. Maul comes to the rescue, not because he wants to save the bounty hunters, but because he craves and feeds off of violence.
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Maul compares himself to the Rathtar because they are very similar. They both hate others, strike fear in hearts of many, and thrive off of anger. Maul explains that there will never be too much violence for him. There will always be more bloodshed calling his name.
Darth Maul reasons that he’s becoming reckless because he’s not able to do what he feels he was placed in the universe to accomplish—kill Jedi. He envies the Rathtars because they have what he doesn’t, true freedom.
After Maul conquers the Rathtars, he visits two Jedi in the city of Coruscant. Maul doesn’t interfere with the two Jedi, but they sense his presence enough to look for him. However, Darth Maul stays in the shadows as he waits for the right opportunity to sleigh a Jedi.
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Immediately, after his brief encounter with the two Jedi, his master scolds him. Darth Sidious explains that the time to attack the Jedi is approaching and that Maul’s brash behavior is starting to annoying Sidious. Sidious also adds in, if Maul ruins his plans, the Jedi will be the last thing that Maul has to worry about.
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Darth Maul is sent on a mission by Sidious to rescue his allies on the planet of Kellux. Maul takes on the team with ease due to his ship’s cloaking ability and the bombs he has. Once he arrives at where the prisoners are, he kills the guards.
One of the guards told him information about how there is a Jedi-Padawan prisoner on another planet. Maul kills the informant and then kills the people he was supposed to rescue. Maul has his sights set on the Jedi-Padawan. He finally has a Jedi he can test his skills against.
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Bunn and Ross are a dynamic two-punch combo. Bunn wrote an incredible story that immediately drew readers in, while Ross delivered a slam dunk with the artwork. The art of the issue goes right alongside a story.
A warrior who knows his true calling and is anxious to grasp his destiny yet he is unable to because of a higher power.
The Bottom Line: Bunn has set up an amazing series of plot devices that will pay off in the long run. Maul going after the Jedi prisoner will get back to his master and things will not end well with that situation. Also, readers see the stark contrast between Maul and Vadar—all the latter wanted to do was please the empire, Maul, on the other hand, is eager to strike out on his own.