There’s nothing like Marvel/Disney synergy, which is the case with Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #1, out this week. A prequel to the April Disney+ series Star Wars: The Mandalorian – Shadow Lord, the series is written by Benjamin Percy, who has already shown he can write Darth Maul well. The series aims to establish key characters while also establishing a cop-drama narrative, with Darth Maul as a major Star Wars legacy touchstone.
Titled “Broken Law,” Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #1 is a good start to a sort of police procedural tale set in the Star Wars universe. Captain Brander Lawson has a chief to answer to, as well as investigators after fellow cops are dead and missing. Between Lawson and the bustling city of Janix, like something straight out of Blade Runner, the noir undertones are present.
The story opens in an interrogation room in police headquarters, where Lawson is being questioned. It’s safe to say things aren’t going well for Lawson at the start, suggesting they’re going to go sideways. After the two-page opening, the story shifts to a week earlier, when Lawson is conducting some investigative work in a seedy bar.
How smooth is that?
Credit: Marvel
The art by Madibek Musabekov, with colors by Luis Guerrero, captures the city’s shining lights and the dark corners of the alleys well in this scene. The bar is practically more shadows than light, with a Dutch angle here and dramatic angles on a convo between Lawson and the bartender that feels intense. It’s safe to say Lawson is a determined cop, especially determined not to die when monstrous aliens are let loose on him. Musabekov does a great job with these alien threats, giving them many teeth, gross mouths, and long, sharp legs.
Like any good Star Wars, Percy infuses Lawson’s droid Two-Boots with a deadpan personality that jives well with the threats on it and Lawson’s life. There’s ample levity added thanks to the droid.
As far as the deeper mystery, there’s good attention put on three members of Lawson’s new squad who are forced on him. One can start making assumptions that one or all of them will backstab Laweson at some point. There’s an ominous, deadly scene to cap things off before the cliffhanger, establishing that nefarious things are afoot.
This book has many of the Star Wars staples – a droid, freaky aliens, a great setting in Janix – however, it is short on Jedi and Sith. Yes, Darth Maul does appear, but it’s so quick that you’ll need to pick up issue #2 to see how he factors into the story. Stay patient and it won’t bother you, but I imagine many will wonder why Darth Maul isn’t more front and center.
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #1 succeeds as a focused, noir-leaning police drama set in the galaxy far, far away. Percy builds tension through Captain Lawson’s mounting pressure, while Musabekov and Guerrero deliver moody cityscapes and gnarly alien threats that give the book texture and grit. The procedural framework helps it stand apart from more Force-heavy Star Wars stories, and the squad dynamics promise complications ahead. Maul remains largely in the shadows for now, but the atmosphere, character work, and visual punch make this a strong opening chapter that justifies the ride.
You must be logged in to post a comment.