Written by Jeremy Barlow
Pencilled by Juan Frigeri
Inked by Mauro Vargos
Colors by Wes Dzioba
Published by Dark Horse Comics
If you were annoyed by the romantic subplot of Attack of the Clones or the trade disputes of Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Darth Maul #1 is the cure for what ails you. It features Darth Sidious, Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and General Grievous all fighting and scheming for the chance to take out yet another contender to their galactic domination. The contender this time is Talzin, the leader of the Witches of Dathomir. Darth Sidious took Maul away from her a long time ago to train as his apprentice. There is a lot of backstory involving Darth Maul’s return, his allies, and past that is barely touched on and makes the story confusing at times. But writer Jeremy Barlow and artist Juan Frigeri make sure to not weigh down their story in exposition and instead pen an exciting prison escape/war story. There are plenty of big moments with lightsaber swinging and Mandalorians, Sith, and droids all locked in an explosive battle. The art team of Frigeri, Vargos, and Dzioba hits on the highlights of these battles while moving along Barlow’s script.
Even though Darth Maul #1 is sometimes weighed down by its own backstory, Barlow writes some entertaining and insightful interactions between the various Star Wars villains. These moments (along with the non-stop action scenes) are the highlights of the comic. Barlow gives each character a unique voice from Maul’s laconic rage to Dooku’s scrupulous, methodical realpolitik and General Grievous’ more realist approach to the Clone Wars. Frigeri’s art also add layers to these characters, especially with the protagonist Darth Maul. He goes from pain and agony to stone cold silence when Dooku tries to interrogate him and finally almost gleeful battle rage when he finally gets to start swing the saber around. In his work on Darth Maul #1, Barlow fills in the background of these villains, who were woefully underused in the Prequel Trilogy.
Before Darth Maul #1, Juan Frigeri had only illustrated one other comic (God is Dead), but he handles his pencils like a pro. With the help of inker Mauro Vargos, he nails the character designs for the various Sith characters, droids, and Mandalorians. Frigeri has a good sense for storytelling and keeps up with the pace of Barlow’s script while still having the big Darth Maul lightsaber eviscerating scenes that readers want to see. He uses inset panels to also streamline the story, like when the Mandalorians bust Maul out of prison. Colorist Wes Dzioba uses a bright and expressive palette for the explosions and force lightning bursts while occasionally utilizing a more subdued palette to show Dooku and Sidious’ cloak and dagger dealings in the background.
At its core, Darth Maul #1 is a series of big set pieces that also explores the relationships between the various villains in the Star Wars prequels. For readers who are unfamiliar with the Clone Wars TV show or the details of Darth Maul’s return, parts of the plot may seem confusing, but Barlow throws in enough battles and scheming to make it enjoyable for any Star Wars fans. Darth Maul #1 is a good EU story because it showcases interesting, underusing characters from the films while telling an action-adventure story. It is a pity that this is the last Star Wars series Dark Horse is producing.