Rating: 
Summary: "Wipe them out...all of them" (3.5 stars)
Review: 'Darth Maul,' just to set the record straight, takes place several months before Michael Reaves' novel 'Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter,' and shortly after James Luceno's eBook 'Darth Maul: Saboteur.' While this comic is extremely impressive visually and fun to look at, in terms of plot and story it's severely lacking. There is a minimum of dialogue; the focus is on Darth Maul's killing ability.The plot is basic: Darth Sidious sends his apprentice Darth Maul on a mission to destroy the leadership and organization of vast, galaxy-spanning criminal syndicate Black Sun, in order to minimize the possibility of any interference with his plans. Darth Maul, of course, being one to never disappoint or fail his master, embarks on his quest in his new Sith Infiltrator full of the goodies we saw in Episode I. Even more so than most of Jan Duursema's work, this is an extremely visually impressive comic. There are plenty of imposing images of Maul standing there looking impressive and frightening, and more fight scenes than in any other Star Wars comic I believe. We get to see Maul go on killfests against tons of beings, as well as one on one fights with several others, including a Dathomiri Nightsister (one of the kind we saw in 'Infinity's End,' not the breed from 'Courtship of Princess Leia'). Unfortunately, although this book is great fun the first few times around, it loses re-readability because there is no real plot, and very little expository dialogue. In addition, by the time the end comes around, the constant "Maul against many" fights are beginning to get quite boring and predictable. To be fair, there were a few interesting scenes about the Sithly nature of the Force and how it compares to other Force users such as Jedi and Nightsisters, and there's a cool scene involving a telepath, but other than that it's just a bloodbath. In addition, there are several tie-ins to the other Darth Maul products - we see Oolth, who will later show up in the Michael Reaves novel, and are introduced to Hath Monchar, who we see in both of the other Darth Maul books. However, there is also one extremely unnecessary scene in this book which really doesn't fit the mood and detracted from my reading pleasure - a couple of pages with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan that have nothing to do with the story. I don't see why they were thrown in there, but it wasn't at all helpful to the "plot." Overall, this is a very well drawn comic with minimal plot. If you are a "Mauloholic," a Star Wars fan, or just like a good fight, this comic is for you, but if you don't read it, you're not really missing anything.
Rating: 
Summary: A great graphic novel!
Review: Before he moves the Trade Federation against Naboo, Darth Sidius decides that there is a potential interference that must be dealt with in advance, the crime syndicate known as Black Sun. And so, the Sith Lord dispatches Darth Maul to kill the leaders of Black Sun. With the inevitability of death itself, Darth Maul descends on Black Sun. Wow, what a great graphic novel! My son bought this book without me knowing, and boy am I glad that he did. It is non-stop action, with evil versus evil, and no quarter given or taken. There are many fascinating villains in this book, and even though there is not too much of a storyline, the level of action and the colorful baddies more than make up for that. Plus, I must mention that throughout the whole book, the illustrations are nothing short of excellent. My son is something of a Darth Maul fan, and this book is definitely the kind of book he wanted to see. He enjoyed it, reading it twice before he allowed his loving father to even touch it! He recommends it to you, and so do I!
Rating:
Summary: Few words, lots of action and great art work.
Review: Few words, lots of action and great art work. The is a story set shortly before Episode 1. I place it at 33 years before NH. Darth Sidious sends Maul to decapitate the leadership of Black Sun. And so that there is no one left to reveal that the sith has returned, he must wipe them out, all of them. Yes the story is short on words, but the story is pretty good for darkhorse. It defineately passes with my ADHD son, who sat through two seasons of reading for me to go through the whole book. Sometimes, a comic does not hold his interest enough and it can take 4 or 5 sessions to do a 4 comic, 96 page TPB like this one. What that means is that the action was up to snuff for my son. The art work here is of the new processes employed by darkhorse. One BIG complaint. I have never had a Darkhorse TPB comic just fall apart. This one did and I was careful. Check the spines and glue jobs before buying, if you can. The story gets a 3 and the art a 4, for an average of 3.5. Since it fell apart, I'm rounding down to a 3. Does this comic add anything to our understanding of the SW galaxy? Not really. The story reinforces my thoughts about Maul, but adds no new insights. This is a recommended addition to your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Silent Sith
Review: For those who saw Episode I you will recall that Darth Maul was a dark side weapon with little to say. His character and performance as a dark Jedi was brilliant, the visual made the verbal less than critical. This may work in a movie but it does not work in a printed story of his exploits. The first eight pages of this work do not contain one word. Many of the subsequent pages are limited to the written form of the last verbal comment prior to the target becoming a member of Maul's body count. And that is what this compilation is about. The story is weak, offering just enough justification for Maul to go on a killing spree. There are some brief details that were worth noting such as his brief battle with a dark side witch from Dathomir. The opening also is fairly close to a training session featured in one of the novels. While this installment from Dark Horse is lacking as to a story, it is one of the strongest from the artistic aspect that really is the body of this work. The images are as good as any other Star Wars artists has produced, and for Maul fans there is every conceivable portrayal of this Dark Jedi that met his end much too soon in the theater.
Rating:
Summary: Both ends of the spectrum.......
Review: Here we have a combination of gorgeous art and almost no story whatsoever. Essentially, it's Darth Maul killing Black Sun and other people. ...And that's about it. There's not a whole lot of dialogue here, and a simple story as well. So it's hard to say much about Marz's writing because there's so little of it. Jan Duursema's art really made this book, though, with gorgeous and complex renditions of the virtually innumerable 'Maul slaughtering tons o' thugs' scenes. Nonetheless, most of the battles end up pretty boring in the end and it gets repetitious pretty fast. Some stuff is pretty cool, like a Dug Vigo with a monacle and the Nightsister bodyguard. Still, even those things have a bit of a tacked-on effect to them in an attempt to stave away the monotany of senseless slaughter. In the end, if you want to see Darth Maul kicking the living [expletive] out of a lot of people, then this is for you. It offers some insight into the character himself, but not a whole lot. This is Darth Maul engaging and killing countless foes at once. Repeated many times. I can't say I reccomend it, although it certainly is nice eye candy. If you want an Episode I-era comic with an actually good plot (heck, a plot period) check out Tim Truman's 'Outlander'.
Rating:
Summary: Both ends of the spectrum.......
Review: Here we have a combination of gorgeous art and almost no story whatsoever. Essentially, it's Darth Maul killing Black Sun and other people. ...And that's about it. There's not a whole lot of dialogue here, and a simple story as well. So it's hard to say much about Marz's writing because there's so little of it. Jan Duursema's art really made this book, though, with gorgeous and complex renditions of the virtually innumerable 'Maul slaughtering tons o' thugs' scenes. Nonetheless, most of the battles end up pretty boring in the end and it gets repetitious pretty fast. Some stuff is pretty cool, like a Dug Vigo with a monacle and the Nightsister bodyguard. Still, even those things have a bit of a tacked-on effect to them in an attempt to stave away the monotany of senseless slaughter. In the end, if you want to see Darth Maul kicking the living [expletive] out of a lot of people, then this is for you. It offers some insight into the character himself, but not a whole lot. This is Darth Maul engaging and killing countless foes at once. Repeated many times. I can't say I reccomend it, although it certainly is nice eye candy. If you want an Episode I-era comic with an actually good plot (heck, a plot period) check out Tim Truman's 'Outlander'.
Rating:
Summary: The Dark Side is Strong...........
Review: I bought this book with low expectations; I find the Darth Maul character very interesting, so I picked up the book for a quick fix of my 2nd favorite Sith Lord. WOW, was I surprised!!! There isn't much story to speak of (Darth Sidious dispatches Maul to knock off the organized crime empire Black Sun, of Shadows of the Empire fame, so they can't interfere with the blockade of Naboo), but writer Marz nails Mauls character, delivering an unstoppable juggernaut of a baddie, and artist Jan Duursema's work is astounding. She captures the fluidity of movement that Ray Park brought to the character in the film, and I spent a lot of time just lingering over her beautiful pencil work. The climactic battle between Maul and a "Nightsister" is wonderfully depicted as well. Memo to Dark Horse, Marz and Duursema: SEQUEL PLEASE!!!! P.S.- Sith fans should check out Dark Horse Comics Star Wars Tales #9, featuring the battle we've all wondered about: Darth Vader vs. Darth Maul!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The Dark Side is Strong...........
Review: I bought this book with low expectations; I find the Darth Maul character very interesting, so I picked up the book for a quick fix of my 2nd favorite Sith Lord. WOW, was I surprised!!! There isn't much story to speak of (Darth Sidious dispatches Maul to knock off the organized crime empire Black Sun, of Shadows of the Empire fame, so they can't interfere with the blockade of Naboo), but writer Marz nails Mauls character, delivering an unstoppable juggernaut of a baddie, and artist Jan Duursema's work is astounding. She captures the fluidity of movement that Ray Park brought to the character in the film, and I spent a lot of time just lingering over her beautiful pencil work. The climactic battle between Maul and a "Nightsister" is wonderfully depicted as well. Memo to Dark Horse, Marz and Duursema: SEQUEL PLEASE!!!! P.S.- Sith fans should check out Dark Horse Comics Star Wars Tales #9, featuring the battle we've all wondered about: Darth Vader vs. Darth Maul!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Top-Notch
Review: I couldn't possibly praise this book enough. I've read a lot of star wars graphic novels, and very few deliver the goods. Not so with "Darth Maul". Name something, and the book delivers. Character? Dead on. Plot? Not a slow moment. Art? Perfect. In the world of star wars, there is a severe lack of character-driven material. Almost all the promising stories fall victim to this oversight. However, Marz gets the Maul character perfectly, the dialogue is kept to a minimum, and maul is painted as even more cold, calculating and deadly than we had any idea of. Most poor or disappointing comics rely on tired dialogue and action. Marz on the other hand, uses character, plot and visuals to drive the story, and the results are amazing. Also, the series had covers by the master himself, Drew Struzan. Most star wars books are lucky to have the poor-man's Struzan, Dave Dorman. But Maul astoundingly has managed to get the worlds greatest poster artists to paint all 4 covers. This book successfully makes you realize how dangerous and powerful maul really was, and allows you to enjoy the end duel of The Phantom Meance much, much, more. Like just about everyone, I was disappointed by TPM - This book definitely helps. So chances are you should check it out. This is a must-own for star wars fans. Marz stays true to the character and takes you on a wild ride.
Rating:
Summary: Top-Notch
Review: I couldn't possibly praise this book enough. I've read a lot of star wars graphic novels, and very few deliver the goods. Not so with "Darth Maul". Name something, and the book delivers. Character? Dead on. Plot? Not a slow moment. Art? Perfect. In the world of star wars, there is a severe lack of character-driven material. Almost all the promising stories fall victim to this oversight. However, Marz gets the Maul character perfectly, the dialogue is kept to a minimum, and maul is painted as even more cold, calculating and deadly than we had any idea of. Most poor or disappointing comics rely on tired dialogue and action. Marz on the other hand, uses character, plot and visuals to drive the story, and the results are amazing. Also, the series had covers by the master himself, Drew Struzan. Most star wars books are lucky to have the poor-man's Struzan, Dave Dorman. But Maul astoundingly has managed to get the worlds greatest poster artists to paint all 4 covers. This book successfully makes you realize how dangerous and powerful maul really was, and allows you to enjoy the end duel of The Phantom Meance much, much, more. Like just about everyone, I was disappointed by TPM - This book definitely helps. So chances are you should check it out. This is a must-own for star wars fans. Marz stays true to the character and takes you on a wild ride.
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