Darth Maul #4 Review

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Darth Maul, the bounty hunters, and a Padawan against the criminal underworld.

This review discusses plot details for Darth Maul #4.

Darth Maul #4

Writer: Cullen Bunn | Artist: Luke Ross | Colors: Nolan Woodard | Cover Artist: Rod Reis | Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna | Assistant Editor: Heather Antos | Editor: Jordan D. White

The Hunting Party Begins

In Darth Maul #3, Maul, assisted by Cade Bane, Aurra Sing, and others, successfully kidnapped the Padawan Eldra Kaitis. The crime boss Xev Xrexus just auctioned her off to the highest bidder. Then Maul and company assassinated the highest bidders and claimed Eldra as their own prize. However, Xev noted the treachery and sabotaged Maul’s ship. Xev then offered the lower bidders from the auction the chance to hunt Maul and the Padawan for a price. After a crash landing on the planet below, Maul and his companions fight to avoid the thugs that bought into Xev’s version of The Most Dangerous Game. Eldra and Maul agree to an uneasy truce to combat their enemies before fighting each other in Darth Maul #4.

Maul’s Motivation

Maul is fairly introspective in this issue. Throughout the pages, he contemplates his motivation for seeing this mission through. His overriding motivation is some measure of revenge against the Jedi. He will “see the Jedi pay for what they did to the Sith.” Maul’s desires are unusual for the Sith.

The current Star Wars continuity is still young. In the Legends novels, Darth Bane (not to be confused with Cade Bane) established the “Rule of Two.” The genesis of this rule stemmed from Bane’s observations that when the Sith shared power, none of them became powerful. In addition, the Sith typically fought each other, and their ability to defeat the Jedi was diminished. Therefore, Bane created a new order of Sith with the long goal of defeating the Jedi, mastering the Dark Side of the Force, and conquering the galaxy.

That version of Bane’s story is no longer canon. In this issue, Maul loses sight of the Sith’s goals. Maul’s perception is the Sith were a people. The Jedi persecuted and killed them. It is a different take on Star Wars history. It is doubtful Sidious would agree with Maul’s view. Maul knows this and remarks to himself that Sidious can never know what he did on this moon. In this way, Maul comes off as a petulant teenager disobeying his parents rules. He wants instant gratification. In essence, he wants a taste of the Sith’s ultimate victory now. He has no appetite for delayed gratification.

Splitting Up

Once on the moon, Maul splits his team in two. Bane and the other bounty hunters comprise one team. Maul is the other team. He intended to take his hostage with him. However, Eldra convinces him to free her as she can be useful in a fight. In addition, he planned to fight and kill her in battle anyway.

Maul had another goal as well. He wanted his battle with Eldra to be private. To Maul, this confrontation is a sacred rite. Furthermore, he will not allow it to be sullied by common thugs. In any event, he gets his wish. Eldra and Maul eventually defeat enough enemies that their duel may commence in private.

Conclusion

Darth Bane #4 is the penultimate issue of the series. Maul successfully maneuvered all the pieces in this game. Now, his duel with a Jedi awaits. One of the best parts of this issue is that Maul finally wields his lightsaber in combat. This was only teased in prior issues. Plus, he fights back-to-back with Endra. The two put aside their differences to survive Xev’s hunting parties.

The pieces are all in place now. Darth Maul #4 concludes with Eldra and Maul facing off. There are still other matters to attend to. Regardless of the outcome, Maul, Bane, and at least Aurra Sing need to get off this moon. Maul must dispose of Eldra. He will need an explanation for that too. Then again, his bounty hunter companions are financially motivated. They may not care.

A Note on the Cover of Darth Maul #4

I don’t usually spend much time talking about the covers of comic books. However, this cover reminded me of something, and it took me a moment to figure it out. It seems very much like the poster for The Last Jedi. I’m not sure if this is intentional or not. The red and blue colors of the cover are the same tones as the poster. In addition, the lightsaber blade splitting the faces of Maul and Eldra, although more symmetrical, is reminiscent of the poster as well. The obvious difference is the absence of a Rey like character on the Darth Maul #4 cover. Regardless, it is a great piece of art from Rod Reis.

Cad Bane and the Favorite Panel of Darth Maul #4

The addition of Cad Bane to Darth Maul is welcome. With the cancellation of The Clone Wars years ago, Star Wars audiences lost their best outlet for this notorious bounty hunter. Cullen Bunn remedied that with Bane’s inclusion. Plus, Bunn gets Cad Bane. Prior to the rise of Boba Fett, Cad Bane was the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. The best part is that Bunn gets Bane right. You can just hear Corey Burton delivering Bane’s Western-inspired lines. Bane is a fan favorite, and one of mine as well. Not to mention, Luke Ross does a great job drawing him. Therefore, a panel featuring Bane is the favorite panel for Darth Maul #4.