Star Wars: Darth Maul (2017)

Star Wars: Darth Maul represents a limited run comic book series from Marvel. This series, brought to life by the writing of Cullen Bunn and the artwork of Luke Ross, debuted on February 1, 2017. The narrative centers around the character Darth Maul, unfolding before the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, which marked his initial introduction.

While it consisted of only five issues, with its storyline concluding upon the release of Darth Maul (2017) 5, Star Wars: Darth Maul was later expanded with a standalone sequel presented as Age of Republic - Darth Maul 1. This particular issue within the Star Wars: Age of Republic collection explored Maul's emotional state following the events of Darth Maul 5, continuing the saga of his intense desire to eliminate Jedi and bringing the character back to the world of Malachor, a location previously visited in Darth Maul (2017) 2.

Plot summary

Star Wars: Darth Maul takes place before the events of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, delving into the background and formative period of Darth Maul, a key antagonist featured in the 1999 prequel trilogy movie. Maul, under the guidance of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, is restricted from direct engagement with Jedi, leading him to focus on pursuing crime lords. Discovering a Jedi Padawan, Eldra Kaitis, in the clutches of one of these crime figures, he views it as an opportunity to assess his capabilities against a Jedi. The series illustrates Maul's struggle with the allure of the dark side of the Force, and even moments where he nearly turns away from it.

Development

Darth Maul was first revealed by USA Today on November 14, 2016. In the published piece, the writer Cullen Bunn—who collaborated with artist Luke Ross on the comic—explained that the series aimed to reconcile the various portrayals of Maul within the Star Wars canon, specifically the warrior seen in The Phantom Menace and the strategic mastermind in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. When developing the character prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, Bunn drew inspiration from the character's ultimate confrontation with Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi in the film; the duel showed Jinn calmly awaiting his encounter with Maul, while the Sith Lord paced with impatience. The comic provided a chance to cultivate the origins of that impatience and anger.

When creating the protagonist Eldra Kaitis, Bunn envisioned a character who would leave a lasting impact on Maul's life. He also had the chance to depict the dynamic between Maul and Sidious, revealing that Sidious is "not a very warm teacher." Through Maul's interactions with other characters, Bunn identified a compelling tension between dedication to the dark side and the light side of the Force. Consequently, a significant aspect of the story became Maul's commitment to the dark side, juxtaposed with his near temptation away from it.

The series' initial installment, Darth Maul (2017) 1, was released on February 1, 2017.

Media

Sources

  • Exclusive: Cullen Bunn Talks Marvel's Darth Maul Series – Plus a First Look at New Variant Covers on StarWars.com (backup link)
  • " Blaster " · — Star Wars Insider 171
  • "Infested" Episode Guide on StarWars.com (backup link)

Notes and references

External links

Appearances