Darth Maul - Son of Dathomir pt. 1

Review

Star Wars: Darth Maul - Son of Dathomir #1

Script Jeremy Barlow

Pencils Juan Frigeri

Inks Mauro Vargas

Colors Wes Dzioba

Cover art Chris Scalf

Published by Dark Horse Comics

I've been waiting to get my hands on this comic ever since it was announced.
Season 5 of the Clone Wars left me totally excited with Maul's story ending with a cliffhanger but at the same time sad (RIP Savage).
I kinda imagined what would happen to Maul would be something similar to what happens to Starkiller in the dark ending (and dlc's) of The Force Unleashed 1 (probably because I know they are voiced by the same man, Sam Witwer). Let's see how it actually goes. I'm pretty sure there won't be a happy ending for Maul.

Spoiler warning!

The cover is awesome. What kinda looks weird is the pattern that all the droids have. Are they some new droid model or maybe it's just the artist's preference? Ah! and now to finally find out why Darth Sidious left Maul alive! Like I mentioned earlier I imagined something similar to Starkiller's fate, but this is not what I was expecting. Sidious wants Maul's resources over the criminal syndicates and black markets and to use him to get revenge on Mother Talzin. Here it comes! It seems they are again changing Maul's back story. It wasn't indisputably said, but this was the impression I got. (Please don't do that.) The back story we had so far told us that Sidious got Maul as a 1-year or so old baby from Maul's mother, because she wanted to hide him from Mother Talzin. Mother Talzin had nothing to do with Maul before he was 15, when she finally found out about him and tried to "steal" him back. But when Sidious arrived at the scene, she could sense that he was too powerful to be messed with and left Maul with him. Then she probably secretly kept an eye on Maul's progress.

Now, the Clone Wars series suggested that Count Dooku and Talzin had some history between them when Mother Talzin says "The only reason I am aiding in your search for a new assassin is because, long ago, you chose to help me. After this matter is resolved, I hope our paths never cross again." So those two definitely had a beef together! If there was no bad blood before, there certainly was after Dooku ordered Grievous to kill all the Nightsisters after learning that Talzin was helping Ventress in her personal quest to kill Dooku. But now this comic suggest it is actually Sidious and Talzin who has some quarrel together. Darth Sidious says "Maul came to me as a child -- A not-so-appreciated gift from Mother Talzin. Her spite for me runs deep.....And the time has come for me to deal with her" 

WHAT!? Not only is the Dooku/Talzin feud ignored and now all you want is to use Maul for is getting back at Talzin? Starting rant....3....2....1This doesn't make any sense to me. First, Maul has only met and spoken to Talzin once, back when she tried to get him back to Dathomir. Maul has no emotional connection to Dathomir except the fact that he was born there. Second. Yes, Mother Talzin restores his memories/cures his insanity and gives him new legs to walk with. And what happens then? Talzin disappears before Maul is fully conscious and does not speak to him at all. Maul would know nothing about Mother Talzin's part in this unless Savage hadn't been there to tell him that. And even after that Maul doesn't react in any way to this information, either he doesn't care (at the moment) or he doesn't remember who she is. It makes no sense why Maul would run to Mother Talzin for help. Unless he would suddenly be like "hmm, what was the name of that person my brother talked about, who helped me before? mother Talzin? if she helped me once they'll probably help me again!" or maybe Talzin inserted some false memories in him while he was being healed? (but that is kinda unlikely.....?) Where would Maul even know to look for her? He only knows one place on the planet and it seems kinda silly why Talzin would stay at the same place, unless of course she predicts that Maul would come searching for her. (but she couldn't predict the Sidious/Dooku scheme?) End rant.
I'll just have to wait for the next issue of the comic to get the whole picture. Not sure if I like where this is going.

Let's continue, we see two Mandalorians, Commander Saxon and woman named Kast breaking into the prison where Maul is being held, meanwhile Count Dooku and Maul exchange some words in a very short but entertaining scene. Dooku leaves when Maul refuses to give him the answers he wants. Dooku learns about the break in and sends squads of  droids to meet the intruders. Which also seems kinda strange if you think about it. In the end isn't that what they want, that Maul would lead them to Talzin? Why not just let the Mandalorians take him? Because it would seem too easy and Maul would suspect some kind of a plot? Or maybe they wanted to get the answers about Maul's criminal organization before they would "let him go"? The freeing of Maul and the escape itself are rather quick. Two rockets to a couple of walls and Maul and the Mandalorians are home free! Looks like someone installed a battle droids A.I. into the commando droid.

Count Dooku orders General Grievous to attack Maul's organization, now named the Shadow Collective, and forbids him from killing Maul. I think it is rather funny how Grievous tells Dooku that they should have killed Maul because he is too dangerous to bee left alive. In one of the episodes in the TV series Dooku and Grievous were engaged in a somewhat similar conversation about Savage Opress. Grievous was almost amused how Count Dooku could even consider Savage as a threat. I guess what makes the difference in Grievous' mind is that Savage was working alone at the time and Maul has an army of Mandalorians (backed up by Black Sun and the Pykes).

Back at the Shadow Collective base we now learn that it was prime minister Almec (although it is hard to tell it actually is him, he is only shown through tiny holograms) who Maul left as a "ghost ruler" on Mandalore who is responsible for freeing Maul from the prison. Pre Vizsla's dark saber is returned to it's new owner. Maul keeps a brief speech about the incoming battle which the Mandalorians seem to be psyched about. He even calls them "my brothers" which shows he has at least a little respect for them, unlike those cat people from the previous comic Maul starred in Death Sentence, they were just cannon fodder. So Maul anticipated a battle would be inevitable, but did he know it would come so soon?
General Grievous arrives with the droid army and sends out every last one of them against the Mandalorians. He stays on a drop ship and worries if the droids even can win this battle in the end. Meanwhile Maul, equipped with the dark saber is fighting in the front lines along with his warriors. The droid army has energy shielded Destroyers in the lead. Maul uses Force Jump to get behind the Droidekas and then breaks their line with a Force Repulse.

Grievous doesn't take kindly to this and sends out his four MagnaGuards to fight Maul. And here is where it gets a little bit confusing. While Maul is fighting the Guard droids we can see this Mandalorian warrior yelling  "You cowards!" and running towards them as if he was angry that all four of them are attacking Maul all at once (although Maul handles himself just fine). Now first I thought this was Commander Saxon from the beginning, who bust Maul out from prison, but the armor doesn't match. Even though I guess there is no good reason why a Mandalorian couldn't have more than one armor. All I want to know if this is Commander Saxon or just some random dude. For whatever reason Grievous personally bothered to end the poor guys life. Perhaps it would make more sense if the guy actually was Commander Saxon, maybe then showing the guy's death would actually have some significance. Maul quickly finishes off the MagnaGuards and charges Grievous. Unfortunately we don't get to see them duke it out properly since Grievous informs Maul that he is loosing, his Mandalorian troops have been killed. But Maul still has one ace up his sleeve and that is called an airstrike. Some Mandalorian Fighters fly over and drop bombs all over the battle field. Then lady Kast (the other one of the prison break duo) arrives with a ship and hovers it above the maulgrievous standoff. Maul makes his escape à la Qui-Gon and is forced to retreat. After the battle is over Grievous speaks with Dooku via hologram and covers the losses on both sides. The Count commends the general for a job well done. Then there comes the reminder of their true intensions, Maul is only lead to believe that they are after him, while their actual target is Mother Talzin. Maul is the bait to draw her out. Our good ol' general then asks "Why would she risk herself so? What value does Maul hold for her?" An excellent question! That is precisely what I would like to know. (Just don't make Mother Talzin his actual mother, please.)We'll just have to wait and see for now.

What I liked:
+ That it was made in the first place.
+ The art, any close-up on a character is gorgeous.
+ Watching Maul making his own decision is more fun than watching him take orders.
+ No Jedi.
(+ Shirtless Maul)

What I didn't like
- Changing Maul's back story.
- Confusion about certain sequence and dialogs
- What could have been interesting dialogs between characters are always cut short.
- How Dooku gets off scot-free, even though he is in big part responsible of the whole situation.
(- No mention of Savage)

Next: Dooku vs. the Nightbrothers!

What the plot feels like.