The Predator Sith – Star Wars Age Of Republic: Darth Maul #1 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Darth Maul, eternally eager to hunt the Jedi and bring ruin to their Order, has taken to working with criminal factions in the undercity of Coruscant. He works with a young thief named Zek Peiro who claims to be the best on Coruscant. Maul suspects that he is sensitive to the Force, and he aims to test that theory by partnering with Peiro on a job.
Star Wars Age of Republic: Darth Maul #1 pairs surprisingly well with the Age of Republic: Qui-Gon Jinn comic which was released last week. Both dive into the driving motivations of their respective characters, and Jinn and Maul are complete inverses in terms of philosophy. Maul is a predatory hunter and seeks to sew ruin and chaos into the heart of the Republic.
Qui-Gon is a peacekeeper through and through, and he has a distaste for the idea of the Jedi warrior.
There is something of a wrap-up when Darth Maul reports back to Darth Sidious and is chastised for his actions. He even inhales the ash of fallen Sith to see visions, further mirroring the Age of Republice: Qui-Gon Jinn.
Anyone who read Star Wars: Darth Maul by Cullen Bunn and Luke Ross will also find some familiar territory here. In a way, Age of Republic: Darth Maul is a summary of that miniseries in how it lays out the character of Maul.
Plus, Luke Ross is the artist on this comic too. He once again does an excellent job of bringing the bloodthirsty Sith Lord to life. During a portion of the comic, Maul wears a full mask, but we see the expression of his mouth and sharpened teeth in panels. This is a great touch, and it’s a little unnerving. Java Tartaglia’s color work is moody and oppressive too, suiting Maul and Sidious quite well.
Star Wars Age of Republic: Darth Maul #1 is another enjoyable read from this Age of maxiseries, and it paints a great portrait of Darth Maul for those who want to know more about the Phantom Menace villain. Jody Houser and Luke Ross once again prove to be a great team, and the book earns a recommendation. Feel free to check it out.
Star Wars Age of Republice: Darth Maul #1 comes to us from writer Jody Houser, artist Luke Ross, color artist Java Tartaglia, letterer VC’s Travis Lanham, cover artist Paolo Rivera, and variant cover artists Luke Ross with Nolan Woodard and Mike McKone with Guru-eFX.
