Star Wars: Darth Maul – Black, White & Red #2: Maul Unleashed

Star Wars: Darth Maul – Black, White #2 finds Darth Maul on another mission for his Master Darth Sidious to a mining colony. Unlike the previous issue, the main story is narrated by the doctor of the mining colony called The Remainders. As Maul makes his way through the facility, he encounters the other colonists who use various methods of attack forcing Maul to adapt his tactics as he progresses.

After fulfilling his mission and securing the facility Maul, as if speaking for the reader, inquires from Sidious the purpose of the mission, as there was no clear directive given from the onset. True to his established character, Russell captures Palpatine’s evil nature by having him reveal that the mission was not one with a strategic value but a test to teach Maul that he must be able to adapt and to see how he would fare against the various fighting techniques.

Russell deftly slips in some lighter moments such as the colonists arguing over vaporators and the moisture they capture and a droid that specializes in tumor identification but also makes candy. The only aspect of Maul that is missing is his internal monologue, which has come to define the character, and provides a look at his motivations and drive.

The artwork throughout the issue is stunning with the perspective of Maul’s ship entering the planet’s atmosphere, the splash page of Maul walking into the facility, and the use of red (as indicated by the title). Unlike the last issue, which liberally used the color red, this issue goes the opposite direction using it sparingly and it works well, providing accents to the story.  The only aspect of the art that was distracting was Maul’s tattoos which look more like 5-o’clock stubble, rather than the full-on black that is usually used to depict him.

Overall, Russell’s first foray into the Star Wars Universe is a success that will hopefully lead to him bringing his unique storytelling approach to the Star Wars mythos and continuing this story further by focusing on the lone survivor.