Published: June 26, 2024
Rated: T
Writer: Erica Schultz
Artist: Leonard Kirk
Colours: Andres Mossa
Cover: Sara Pichelli
The synopsis;
CRISIS OF MAUL! • DARTH MAUL is fiercely loyal to his master, DARTH SIDIOUS, and a true believer in the Sith. • But will a mission to a remote moon change his mind? • ERICA SCHULTZ (Hallow’s Eve, Amazing Spider-Man) and LEONARD KIRK (Sabretooth) bring you a crisis of Master and Apprentice!
The review;
Direct – Pichelli
Variant – Marquez
Variant – Sequiera, Rosenberg
It was a concern of mine at the start of the series that having a single writer and artist per issue might change the dynamic of the format set by Vader: Black, White and Red too much. The variety that the afore mentioned series offered was fantastic but it also meant that if you didn’t like a style, there was plenty more for you. Maul on the other hand, meant that with a single different vision each issue, that if you didn’t like something, that was it. It’s what I would call a gamble. Two issues in and it’s a gamble that has paid off. The first issue was a great one to get the ball rolling (or should that be heads?!) and the second was off the scales. The artwork, the story, the general atmosphere really pushed my expectations of this series to even higher grounds. So now it is time for a new writer and artist: Erica Schultz and Leonard Kirk. Schultz is well known for her work on Daredevil, and I think the jump from that to Maul is an easy one, keeping the character in the shadows. Kirk has worked on numerous projects but most notably for this review, he worked on the Darth Vader: Black, White and Red. I’m really pleased to see him back and I can’t wait to delve into how he brings Schultz’s story to life. The expectation for this issue is extremely high, I wouldn’t want to be following issue two! So, let’s find out if the duo are up to the task in The Mission.
Variant – Romita Jr., Hanna, Menyz
Virgin Variant – Romita Jr., Hanna, Menyz
Let’s start with the art by Kirk: it is superb. Every issue has incredible artwork, but each utilises it a little different. Kirk opens a scene that – although the lower levels of Coruscant – reminds me so much of Gotham City. As you continue through the story, this similarity to the Dark knight really comes through again and again because of Kirk’s use of shadow. The way he captures Maul with Shadow, using the red to bring out his face is just fantastic. You can tell that Kirk knows what he’d doing with drawing something for using three colours with. Not only that, but the several double-page action scenes guide you through the movements flawlessly. It is a real pleasure just to gaze at the artwork within this issue.
To the story itself and it all centres around Maul finding a person called Coir Cion. This character works really well for two reasons. The first, is that we don’t know this character and neither does Maul. Like us readers, Maul wants to know what is so important about him. Schultz uses this as a steppingstone; to show us that Maul is more than just a weapon. He doesn’t just want to kill, to follow his master’s commands blindly, but that he wants to know the reason he is doing it. When the prequel films came out, in the Expanded Universe, Maul was always portrayed as this single minded being. Now I’m a huge fan of the Expanded Universe but I have to say, after the release of The Clone Wars and Solo, writers are providing more depth to Maul. He is used by Palpatine as a weapon, but he is so much more, a prisoner of his master. Reading it here, you Schultz is able to bring Maul’s frustration of wanting to be more throughout the story. Sidious doesn’t want Maul to be too much more, he doesn’t want him getting ideas above his station. Here we see the thoughts, the hesitation, the need to understand coming through. All because we have a character we don’t yet know.
As the story continues, Schultz reveals that Cion has information on a senator. It isn’t difficult at this stage to understand who that is and fit the pieces together. Schultz isn’t trying to hide the fact – even confirming it several pages on. Of course it is Palpatine. It makes obvious sense why Maul needs to go sort this out. What Schultz does do different to the other writers so far in this series, is give us a glimpse into Palpatine the senator. It is easy to forget this side of the Sith. If you’re writing a Maul story you are of course going to focus on Maul. Yet it was refreshing to see scenes with Palpatine doing his machinations. Not only do we see Mas Ameeda doing work for Sidious, but we also see how Palpatine is able to manipulate other senators while keeping himself distanced at the same time. I really enjoyed seeing these glimpses – and I emphasis the glimpse – of these political moments. It makes them intriguing and not taking away from the pace or action of the story.
There are a couple of other little pieces that Schultz does that I really like. The first are the probe droids that Maul has. In The Phantom Menace, we see them working for Maul to find the Queen of Naboo (or at least we think so). Here, they actually have a different purpose. They are here to spy on Maul, to ensure that he completes his master’s requests. It’s interesting to see that Palpatine feels he needs to keep tabs on Maul. The other thing I really liked was how Schultz points out that if you are a force user, the galaxy assumes you are a Jedi and nothing else. There is no other option in the mind of the galaxy. An interesting observation by Schultz by itself but when tied into The Acolyte that is showing how the Jedi almost stamp out other force users, it creates a unique and interesting take on what the Jedi are doing.
Let’s be honest, the expectation from the previous issue was going to hard to meet. That said, the writing and artwork in this issue certainly meets that standard. The artwork is incredible and really utilises the format of the ‘Black, White and Red’ to perfection. The writing follows a much different atmospheric story to the previous issue, and this really helps it shine. This isn’t look for spooky, horror-esque qualities. This story is thought provoking, looking at the Sith, and Maul’s place within it, at a deep level. Because of this we don’t only get to see Maul but Sidious and his Senator facade as well. It is a unique take and Schultz should be proud to have taken such a different approach with this issue. In fact, it’s what this whole series is about. To meet the high expectations set so far is no easy task and yet Schultz and Kirk do it with ease. Another great story and another great reason you should be reading this series!
Availability;
Darth Maul: Black, White and Red is a 4-part mini-series from Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available from ComiXology and your local comic book store.
