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Hello there! Padawan J here, the resident Star Wars expert from the ODPH! And this week I’m going to be reviewing the latest issue in the Darth Maul: Black, White & Red from Marvel & Greg Pak!
The Black, White & Red series from Star Wars/Marvel is one of the more unique series out there. They’ve only done two runs of it, with Darth Vader being the other one they’ve done. And the uniqueness comes from the fact that the stories are separate from any ongoing stories or anything we’ve ever seen or read.
It comes from the fact it only uses the three colors in the title, black white & red. It’s one of the most unique series on the shelves, and one that’s a ton of fun to read. And with that said, let’s jump into it!
Star Wars Darth Maul: Black, White & Red #4 by Greg Pak (writer), Luca Pizzari & Will Sliney (pencils), Luca Pizzari, Will Sliney, Jay Leisten & Roberto Poggi (inks), Andres Mossa (color artist), E.M. Gist (cover) is another great entry in the series from the entire team. And it again shows a side of Darth Maul we’ve not really seen before in any depiction. It’s a really unique look that I think adds a lot of depth to the character.
The issue focuses on Darth Maul being sent on another mission from Darth Sidious after completing another one. In the mission Maul has completed he was a little overzealous with his bloodlust, and killed everyone. Sidious feels he needs to teach Maul a lesson in control. And he sends him to the Sith temple on Ah Re Won, where he will meditate in stillness and quiet until Sidious arrives.
What follows is anything but silence, and it’s honestly pretty hilarious. Maul honestly tries his best to follow his masters orders but if it can disturb him and annoy him, it does. Hammering metal all day? Yep. Local wildlife stomping through the forest? You got it. A rambunctious pirate prince hunting party making an absolute racket? Arr matey! You can tell as you read the issue that it’s really annoying Maul and it’s fun to read and watch Maul handle each situation.
My favorite part of the issue is the different issues that pop up, breaking Darth Maul’s peace and quiet. And seeing Maul in a series of situations that are the polar opposite of his natural tendencies at this stage in his story (keep in mind this is BEFORE The Phantom Menace) is really interesting to see.
FINAL POINT: The artwork in this issue is top notch, and honestly is the selling point of the issue for me. Darth Maul is a great character but seeing the whole story told in only three colors is awesome. The story is a ton of fun to read, and one of the more unique Star Wars comics you’ll read this year. The ending also is one of my facorites that I’ve read recently. Once you get to the final panel you’ll see what I mean, I don’t want to spoil it for you. It’s a great read that any Star Wars fan can get into, and it’s one that I think every Star Wars fan should pick up this week. And that also goes for comic fans, you don’t need to be a diehard Star Wars fan to appreciate this story. Do you know who Darth Maul is? Well then you’re good to go! I cannot recommend this issue enough!
SCORE: 8.5 out of 10
Thanks for checking out my review on Nerd Initiative. For more of my content, check out ODPHpodcast.com, follow me on Twitter, and check out more of my reviews here on Nerd Initiative: https://nerdinitiative.com/author/padawanj/!
