Captain Lawson has his hands full as an illegal pod race returns to Janix. With this pod race, multiple things could and do go wrong. The mystery person behind it all has a plan that needs to be initiated, but under their own terms.
Creative Team
Benjamin Percy (Writer), Madibek Musabekov (Artist), Luis Guerrero (Colorist),
VC’s Joe Caramagna (Letterer), Derrick Chew (Cover Artist)
Carlos Lao (Designer), Mikey J. Basso (Assistant Editor), Mark Paniccia (Editor),
C.B. Cebulski (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Blood Gamble
Issue four of this five-part mini-series takes a turn and reintroduces the iconic but deadly sport of pod racing. Star Wars fans will remember pod racing from Episode One: The Phantom Menace. The sport alone is already highly dangerous when conducted outside of city limits. This race, however, is being run within the city of Janix.
Pod racing is very popular in the realm of gambling. That is just the case within this story. Because of the outlandish profits that pod racing brings, the city has no choice but to let the race take place. It’s going to benefit Janix in the financial end. It is when the race gets to be a little too dangerous that Captain Lawson cannot turn a blind eye anymore. Something is suspicious about one of the racers, and Captain Lawson now makes it his mission to figure out the root cause of the racer’s behavior.
At this junction of the story, readers will take a walk down memory lane with Lawson, back to his bounty hunter days. This is entertaining to witness because we know of Lawson’s past employment, but readers haven’t gotten to actually see him as a bounty hunter within this story. I believe that readers will have a better understanding of the person Lawson is and the way he is wired to operate.
The entire issue is action-packed, leaving no room for the reader to take a breath and sit back. The ending of this issue is where the plot from the comic book to the Disney+ show, Maul: Shadow Lord, starts to make even more connections. The high stakes of the pod racing make a large leap into something that Lawson is not expecting. What will come of this ending for the beginning of the final issue of this series? Can Captain Lawson contain what is really happening on Janix? You’re going to have to read this issue and form your own conclusions!
The Writing
Benjamin Percy needs to continue to write Star Wars titles! This man is a pure genius and knows exactly how to tell a compelling Star Wars story. I am still blown away at the fact that pod racing was the center focus of this issue. And the way the narration is split up amongst the panels sends the pacing into a cat and mouse game of fast to slow. Benjamin is one of those writers that just gets the intimate concept of Star Wars which makes him one of my top writers for Star Wars!
The Artwork
Madibek Musabekov and Luis Guerrero continue to bring the Star Wars lore to the art for this series! The most tranquil part about the art is the tone that he helps to set. Just having Maul in the title should give Star Wars fans the notion that this is going to be a dark story. The art replicates that to a tee! Dark surroundings and shading give the expected aura of criminal activity or harsh times. Then you get stunned by beautiful bright colors during high-action sequences of fighting or massive explosions. Your eyes will be astonished by what they see within this issue!
Variant Covers
Final Thoughts
As this story comes to a near close, it continues to bring iconic Star Wars elements into focus again. Which is highly entertaining to this Star Wars fan! As a prequel to the Disney+ show, this series does an amazing job of closing certain gaps between the two, allowing readers and viewers to make key connections to both. Fantastic read; I fully back and support this series and urge anyone who enjoys Star Wars to pick this up!
Overall Grade: 10/10
Links
Comic Book Reviews & Entertainment News: Nerd Initiative
Previous Maul Review: Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #3 – Friends in Low Places
Travis’ NI Portfolio: TravisComicHaven – Nerd Initiative
Travis’ Personal Content: Travis’ Comic Haven
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