Marvel Comics is diving deeper into the dark corners of the Star Wars galaxy with an official prequel to the upcoming animated series Maul – Shadow Lord, and it is sure to be a great lead in for fans eager to follow Darth Maul’s rise after Order 66.
After Obi-Wan Kenobi split him in two in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, George Lucas revived the character in Star Wars The Clone Wars, opening the door for one of the franchise’s most compelling villains to continue evolving.
Next year, Maul becomes the first major villain to headline his own show, and now Marvel is helping set the stage for that story.
The newly announced comic, Shadow of Maul, comes from Benjamin Percy and Madibek Musabekov, and serves as a prequel to Maul – Shadow Lord.
The series follows Maul as he looks to rebuild his criminal empire in the aftermath of the Jedi purge while plotting a revenge path aimed directly at the Sith who abandoned him. The synopsis reads:
“Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord will reveal Maul’s plan to rebuild his criminal syndicate on Janix, a planet untouched by the Empire. STAR WARS: SHADOW OF MAUL introduces this new setting and cast, including Captain Brander Lawson and his partner, a droid nicknamed Two Boots, as they investigate shadowy dealings on Janix.
Welcome to Janix, a neon-lit, shadow-soaked maze of a planet that lies beyond the reach of the Empire. Captain Brander Lawson is doing his best to navigate the law in a lawless territory. He’s joined by his partner, a droid nicknamed Two Boots, as they face off against scheming crime bosses…and as the looming threat of the shadow lord, Maul, nears!”
Percy has experience with the Sith assassin thanks to his work on Star Wars Darth Maul – Black, White & Red. He explained how this new project lets him stretch further into Maul’s world.
“My previous experience writing in a galaxy far, far away—Darth Maul – Black, White, and Red, Boba Fett – Black, White, and Red—was an absolute delight.
“But those were one-shots. Flirtations with the franchise. With Shadow of Maul, I’m able to share a more expansive story about one of my favorite characters, while also exploring a fresh angle on the Star Wars universe.”
He describes the comic as a gritty crime tale set inside a neon underworld. “It’s a story about cops, criminal syndicates, a neon-lit, shadow-alleyed city that hides many sins and secrets. I’m teamed up with an artist who’s already a Star Wars veteran and legend: Madibek Musabeckov.
“His art is gritty and grounded and perfectly matches the noir tone. We’ve been in close contact with Lucasfilm reading scripts and watching episodes of this fantastic new animated series and our story will serve as a prelude to what viewers will see play out on the screen.”
The five issue miniseries lands March 4, which also gives fans a hint about when Maul – Shadow Lord might arrive.
