This is the first full-fledged canonical story that is set before The Phantom Menace featuring our favorite Sith in training and I wasn't disappointed. I was intrigued by the world building and the introduction of the new bounty hunter characters that Maul teams up with. The story line focuses on his desire to kill his first jedi and this desire actually cannot be quenched because death, even in the Sith, leads one feeling empty. This emptiness that Maul feels is at once despicable and understandable, as this emptiness (and the more morally grey actions of the Jedi upon his home planet) is what drives his murderous rage. I would love for Disney to actually take Maul's story here and develop it a bit further into a feature length spin-off film. I think this would be highly intriguing and successful. ( )

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/eih-C_1IyX8

Enjoy! ( )

Spring 2020;

This one went about as much as I thought it did/would. I've never been a big favorite of the character, but I've decided to start taking huge chunks out of the Disney Comic's Canon, now that I've nearly finished all the sideshows, and am not that far from hitting the 50% mark on having read all their new canon novels.

My only hand notes while reading:

Hmm. Well, okay. That was a thing. He's never been a favorite so I'm not surprised there was no deep-seated need of feelings attached to this mini-series. I did like our sassy, true believer padawan, even if the ending of their altercation was predictable, as was both it being set up by the emperor, and the deed not satiating the want, but digging the chasm ( )

Marvel’s Star Wars: Darth Maul collects issues no. 1-5 of Darth Maul, written by Cullen Bunn with art by Luke Ross, colors by Nolan Woodard, and letters by VC’s Joe Caramagna. It also features the brief story, “The Droid Problem,” written and illustrated by Chris Eliopoulos with colors by Jordie Bellaire. The main story takes place sometime before The Phantom Menace and focuses on Maul seeking out a captured Jedi Padawan, Eldra Kaitis, in order to battle her and sate his bloodlust. Darth Sidious trained him to become a force of rage and hatred, but Maul lacks patience and strategy at this point. Bunn writes Maul’s inner monologue to convey Maul’s single-minded quest to fight the Jedi, regardless of the careful plans Sidious has in set in motion. This plus Maul’s impatience in the final duel of Phantom Menace contrasts with Maul’s later appearances in The Clone Wars and Rebels in which he learned the wisdom of patience and strategy. This also shows Maul working with Aurra Sing and Cad Bane, though he hides his Sith identity from them. While the three do not partner together again, they all play significant roles in The Clone Wars and Rebels (except for Sing, who died sometime between Revenge of the Sith and Solo). The story resembles other non-canonical prequel stories of Maul before The Phantom Menace, such as Ron Marz and Jan Duursema’s 4-issue Star Wars: Darth Maul limited series from Dark Horse, Michael Reaves’ Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter novel, and Joe Schreiber’s Maul: Lockdown novel. Bunn’s story fills the gap in the canon left by Disney’s decision to move the aforementioned works to “Legends” status. Fans of Maul will find it a worthy entry in his story. This volume concludes with Eliopoulos’s “Droid Problem,” a cute story, almost jarringly so after the main narrative, but fun in its way. Marvel’s Star Wars: Darth Maul is well worth fans taking the time to read it. ( )