Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #1-4

Author: Jeremy Barlow

Time: 19 BBY, during the Clone Wars, after "The Lawless" (The Clone Wars Season 5 Episode 15)

Place: Stygeon, Zanbar, Ord Mantell, Dathomir

This comic book is in a weird place. It's considered Canon, but only due to technical reasons. It is not a Marvel publication, and all the other Dark Horse Comics publications are considered part of Star Wars Legends. So how did this book slip into the new canon? Because it is an adaptation of an unproduced script of the Clone Wars television show, and that show is Canon.

The serial nature of The Clone Wars really lends itself to comic book adaptations. The show is mostly made up of story arcs that take place over a few episodes at a time, just like comic story arcs would. I can see this four-issue comic book as four separate television episodes.

In the show, Darth Maul was resurrected and formed a criminal syndicate called the Shadow Collective. Darth Sidious realized that Maul could be a problem, so he killed Maul's brother and captured Maul. At the start of the book, he's holding Maul in a secret prison on Stygeon.

Sidious's plan is to draw out Mother Talzin, the leader of the Dathomir Nightsister witches and Darth Maul's actual mother. Turns out Mother is pretty angry. Talzin taught Sidious the Nightsister magic because he promised her that she would be his right hand... then he betrayed her and took her son with him. Grievous was supposed to kill her when he invaded Dathomir, but he failed.

Two Mandalorian soldiers, Rook Kast and Gar Saxon, arrive to rescue Darth Maul. They succeed and take him to Zanbar, a secret base for the Shadow Collective.

"Whee!!!"

Grievous follows them and attacks Zanbar with his droid army. Darth Maul is forced to retreat. He talks with his mother (using magic and/or telepathy). They decide that he should go to Ord Mantell to set a trap for Sidious. Talzin will send Nightbrothers to help. The trap works, and Maul is able to hold Grievous and Count Dooku hostage. 

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the Jedi notice that something fishy's going on between Maul and the Separatist army. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Tiplee decide to investigate. Obi-Wan is on edge because Maul murdered the Dutchess Satine, Obi-Wan's lover (if the Jedi were allowed to have lovers, of course).

Darth Maul asks Dooku to join him against Sidious. He thinks their strength combined can defeat him. Dooku uses the Force to set Grievous free. When he sees that the Jedi are about to confront them, he agrees to fight against them with Maul. And he kills Tiplee. Oops.

Ouch.

Maul and Dooku escape to Dathomir. Mother Talzin appears and explains that she used her own life force to resurrect Maul. Now she needs to siphon the life force of someone else to return to the physical plane. She begins to drain Dooku when Grievous and Sidious arrive. 

Talzin possesses Dooku's body for the fight, but she's no match for Darth Sidious. She is able to hold him off for a while so that Darth Maul can escape. Finally, Grievous gives her the ol' double lightsaber through the chest. 

Well, that didn't last long.

Random: Darth Maul has one emotion: "AARRGGH".

Is Darth Maul being tortured by Sidious or happily shredding his enemies to pieces? Who knows!

Final Judgment: 3.5 out of 5 Nightbrothers. I really liked Mother Talzin, but she didn't really do anything. I wish they could have let her shine (and show herself a real threat to Palpatine). But it was, overall, an enjoyable reading experience.