Source Material #417 - Darth Maul (2017, Marvel)

This week, Jesse and Mark head to a galaxy far, far away to break down Darth Maul (2017), written by Cullen Bunn with art by Luke Ross. Set prior to The Phantom Menace, this Marvel miniseries explores Maul during a time when the Sith are still operating in the shadows—long before the galaxy knows their return is imminent.Restricted by Darth Sidious and ordered to remain hidden, Maul is consumed by one thing: the need to hunt and kill a Jedi. When he discovers that a captured Padawan is being auctioned off in the criminal underworld, he sees his opportunity. What follows is a violent detour through bounty hunters, double-crosses, and a deadly survival scenario that forces Maul into the open—testing both his restraint and his loyalty to his master’s grand design.Mark and Jesse debate whether expanding Maul’s story adds depth to the character or strips away the mystery that made him compelling in the first place. Does the book successfully explore the psychology of a Sith apprentice? Or does it lean too heavily on familiar Star Wars tropes? From Cad Bane’s appearance to Maul’s brutal first Jedi kill, the hosts unpack what works, what doesn’t, and whether this series truly earns its place in the larger canon.