– Spoiler Review –
The Age of Republic continues with an issue focusing on Darth Maul, which takes place after last year’s miniseries and builds off of events set up by it, though you won’t have needed to read it to enjoy this issue. And compared to the Qui-Gon entry last week, this would’ve been a far stronger start for the Age of Star Wars maxiseries.
Maul, fresh off his own little side mission of killing a Jedi Padawan, Eldra Kaitis, still hasn’t been able to satiate his desire for action, so he’s found a more productive use of his time: building up underworld connections on Coruscant and using it to seek out more, less risky prey. Case in point, a thief with a connection to the Force that the Jedi missed, which he kills to satiate his bloodlust, but of course it’s not enough. Where the Maul miniseries from 2017 by writer Cullen Bunn focused FAR too much on Maul’s rage and bloodlust, becoming too repetitive issue after issue, Jody Houser’s script for Age of Republic: Darth Maul #1 takes a much smarter approach but keeps the same tone, offering more of the nuance we know Maul has since his revival in the two animated series, as Maul is more concerned about finally bringing down the Jedi Order and less concerned about getting to kill. That he’s building up his own criminal cartel foreshadows his work in The Clone Wars and Solo, but I loved how the one he’s running here is named after the padawan he murdered, the Kaitis Cartel.
Sidious is, of course, concerned even these less risky antics by Maul will undo all his hard work and twisting plans, and he decides to teach his rage-filled padawan a bit of patience with a return trip to Malachor. In the Maul miniseries’ second issue, ol’ Sheev forces the dust of the ancient dead down Maul’s throat, showing him a vision of those who were destroyed on the planet which teaches him a lesson about how the Sith are just as strong in the shadows as they were in the thousands. In this issue, Maul inhales more dead people dust and is given a far more intriguing and strange dream: himself as a Jedi Master! He realizes it isn’t right and gets more agitated about it by the second, eventually killing the innocents around him for calling him a Jedi, but he’s quickly overwhelmed by thousands of Jedi, awaking from the vision. This vision teaches him how if they strike now, the Republic’s faith in the Jedi and their numbers will be too much for them, showing him patience is as important for the Sith’s rise as is their reliance on their passions. In one issue, not only does Houser build off all the previous miniseries’ strengths, but she manages to do more for Maul as a character than it did in 5 issues, resulting in an Age of Republic issue which feels much stronger than the mostly solid Qu-Gon Jinn led start.
The connective tissue between the miniseries and this issue doesn’t end with the writing/story, but it continues with the art team. Luke Ross is both the artist for this issue and the miniseries, giving the entire “Ash” story in Age of Republic: Darth Maul #1 an epilogue feel to the events of the miniseries, as everything looks as dark, grimy, and yet vibrant as it did over a year ago, even if it’s a new colorist via Java Tartaglia. Ross’ artwork feels at home in the seedier parts of the Star Wars galaxy, so I was very glad in general to have him here, as it also helps set the tone of the issue alongside Houser’s writing.
Here are a few other things:
- What’s next for the Age of Republic in the new year? January focuses on Obi-Wan and Jango Fett, while a Special issue has stories about Captain Rex, Asajj Ventress, Mace Windu, and Jar Jar Binks!? February has Anakin and Count Dooku.
- I kinda wish they used the concept art sketch cover above to make Maul’s “Jedi” robes in his vision.
Age of Republic: Darth Maul #1 is a much stronger showcase for the new miniseries, as it not only complements material that has come before, but builds on it and strengthens it in return.
+ Trip (back) to Malachor
+ Maul using Kaitis’ name for his Cartel
+ Important lesson of patience
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
AGE OF STAR WARS Maxiseries Review
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