
Published: April 8, 2026
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Benjamin Percy
Artist: Madibek Musabekov
Colourist: Luis Guerrero
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Derrick Chew
The synopsis;
THE UNDERWORLD EXPLODES WITH SCUM AND VILLAINY AS MAUL LOOMS IN THE SHADOWS!
• Ruthless mercenaries are looking to unload IMPERIAL treasure!
• Crime lord DEEMIS will stop at nothing to get it!
• Will CAPTAIN LAWSON be able to thwart the exchange of the smuggled fortune?
The review;
With only this series actually being released for Star Wars in the last month, this feels like a really important issue. Dare I say it, it feels like the nineties, where there were only a few releases a year, rather than weeks, and the anticipation and excitement followed suit. Not only is there that playing a part in this release but also the fact that this week the actual series gets released on Disney Plus. I’m going to start by saying that I have purposely not watched the opening two episodes yet, as I wanted my review to be one without having any sort of notion form the show. Obviously, it will be the last time I will be able to do that as – to be frank – I’ll be heading straight to my television as soon as this review is written! The opening comic of this series from writer Benjamin Percy, was exceptional. Did it have Maul in? Not particularly and I didn’t particularly care. The story was that good, following a really run down world and the exploits happening in Blade Runner fashion that I was more than happy to be led down this intriguing path. Then add the amazing artwork from Madibek Musabekov and you had a comic that fell quickly in love with. This week I’m not sure where it’s going to head. Will we see more of Maul or is that where the show will slot into all of this? Only one way to find out…
Let me start with the obvious here, the story isn’t earth shattering in terms of how it affects Maul the character. Whether it has repercussions for the series is another matter, but I think this is more to showcase how law enforcement works on the planet of Janix and why it would appeal to Maul. Now you might think I have said all this as a negative but far from it. This story is exactly like the first: it’s engaging, funny, tension-building and isn’t bogged down by the grand political stage that we see in almost every other story. It’s refreshing. Not only that but it takes a different approach. The whole story – bar the last two pages – is narrated by Lawson. You very quickly get the ‘crime noir’ feel through the whole comic. It works; it really works. There is something here that is different and yet still very Star Wars. I said it last issue, I said it at the start, I don’t actually need Maul in this. I can really enjoy this story without the main villain because Percy writes it that well!
Lawson is the main character here and there is a lot of depth to him. Again, he is missing seeing his son and these little nods to that – as a parent – tug at the sentimental side of things. But he is also a man who puts the job first because he has to, he must keep the planet relatively safe. He is also not a naive optimist, he knows that there is always going to be crime, he will never eradicate it completely. However, he also knows how to manage it, to keep the different crime factions in check. It is this balance keeping that I think will be absolutely essential to the series. Maul is clearly going to upset that status quo that Lawson is fighting so hard for. And why does he fight so hard for it? Because if he doesn’t, something even worse comes: the Empire. Now in terms of the television show that leads to a lot of possibilities. Maul isn’t going to want the Empire there, but he is also going to want to mess up everything Lawson is trying to do. This makes me excited for the show and this comic sets all of that dynamic up beautifully.
I really like Lawson; he is someone who is very easy to relate to but I kind of feel that Two-Boots is going to always steal the show. His narrow, order-following mind is at a complete opposite of Lawson and in that, there lies the subtle humour that brims thorough any scene he is in. He is the yang to Lawson’s ying, and I really hope that dynamic is clear to see in the series. Percy doesn’t go overboard with it but on a level that I would put alongside Cassian and K-2SO.
If you have read enough of my reviews, you will know that I am a huge fan of Musabekov’s work, and have been for a long, long time. Here he does not disappoint. I loved his artwork in the first installment but this comic feels even better. There are no bright parts (perhaps with the exception of the train station), it all feels dull, grotty and unpleasant. He captures the spirit and the ‘crime noir’ feel perfectly. The city scape as Lawson is walking through it and the reflection in the recon droids lenses really struck me, as (no surprise) did the last two pages.
So, let’s talk about those last two pages. It’s the only time that the story diverts away from Lawson and focuses on Maul. Two pages, that’s it. It is a massive gamble to play the whole comic like this, where the story isn’t really about Maul and to have the main title of the series show up briefly. Yet, the story isn’t so well written, so engaging, that you can’t help but trust Percy to know what he is doing. You can’t help seeing the groundwork he is putting in to show you what Janix is like: at how there is a balance, at how Maul is going to upset it and how the Empire might get involved. Having Maul only show up for two pages though is also exquisite. You know there has to be some mention and this quiet end to the comic just brings a sense of foreboding that just adds to the whole atmosphere of the comic. You don’t feel disappointment; you feel excitement which is how I know Percy knows what he is doing. The two pages don’t give anything away, we know roughly that this was going to happen, but it works so well.
This is another really strong issue. Having not watched Maul yet I can’t say how much is relevant, but I would hazard a guess an awful lot. I’m actually glad I have read this first before the series as I feel I have a much better understanding of what is happening on the planet and the impact that Maul’s arrival will bring. It is a different sort of Star Wars story, but it stays true to the feel of the franchise while bringing something else to it. I can’t wait for the next instalment to land. Until then though, I’m off to my television!
Availability;
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter is a 5-part mini-series published by Marvel Comics. This issue retails at $4.99 and is available from comiXology and your local comic book store.
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