Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5 – Advent of Shadows

The final issue of this prequel series is upon us! Lawson is on another mission which uncovers a deeper crime within the one that has taken over Janix City. He will do whatever it takes to protect his new home from the shadow that engulfs it…

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

Advent of Shadows

We have officially arrived at the conclusion of Star Wars: Shadow of Maul with the release of this fifth issue. This is a great prequel series to the hit Disney+ show, Star Wars: Maul Shadow Lord. Within this issue readers will connect all of the final dots that take off within the show. The series as a whole, gives watchers the necessary backstory needed to comprehend the beginning of the show. Which is why fans of the show should pick up this series!

This final issue starts off with a glimpse into Lawson’s past as a bounty hunter. During these panels Lawson starts to develop an emotional connection to the planet Janix, naming Janix City his new home. While he never truly had a home while being a bounty hunter. I personally feel like certain demographics of fans could relate to this feeling. It takes me back to when I went off to college. I made a great decision on where I was going to attend, and it ultimately was my home away from home.

Lawson is starting to get a bit irritated with a certain member of internal affairs within the police department in Janix City, Mr. Ruhl. Captain Lawson and his partner, Two-Boots, are off on a side mission which entails secretly following Ruhl. Something is off about Ruhl, and Lawson was justified in following him around the city. This is when readers get to see the shady dealings of a decorated internal affairs officer. Also giving Lawson plenty of ammunition for the next time they come across one another.

It is towards the end of this final issue that readers get to see our beloved Maul in action. Things take a turn for Ruhl as he is unwillingly thrown into the middle of a battle between a crime syndicate and the Shadow Collective. Readers will be thrilled to see the amount of action on display by Maul and his Collective. Once the smoke settles, Lawson arrives of the scene to witness the carnage left behind. Which places him in the center of a moral battle within himself and who he finds left behind…

The Writing

Benjamin Percy brings this eventful prequel to a glorious and fulfilling conclusion. I have stated before in previous Shadow of Maul reviews that Mr. Percy is one of the best Star Wars writers of my time! The way he crafts a storyline and plot to bring out the most of Star Wars lore is phenomenal. After watching the show and getting the feel of the tone of that series, this prequel series matches that tone perfectly! Readers will be entertained with the amount of drama, mystery and action within this entire five-issue series!

The Artwork

Madibek Musabekov and Luis Guerrero bring the beautiful look of the animation of the television series to the panels and pages of this series. The art within this issue is glorious in regard to capturing the tone of the crime and deception within the story. Just as Mr. Percy captures the full lore of Star Wars, this artistic team matches that level of professionalism! One aspect of the art within this issue that I enjoyed was the bright coloration of backgrounds within panels to highlight the scenes. Another facet of this issue is the astonishing visual details surrounding Maul as he yields his lightsaber. Outstanding work!

Variant Covers

Final Thoughts

Shadow of Maul is a dynamic prequel comic book series to a streaming television series! The authentic Star Wars lore and backstory generated for this series is lucrative to the start of the television show. With this final issue giving fans a deeper understanding into the moral compass of Captain Lawson and his newly grounded roots to Janix City. Maul makes his necessary appearances within this series just as he does within the television series. When Maul graces the panels and pages, he demands your attention and you willingly submit to his presence! This is an amazing series, and every Star Wars fan should have this within their collections.

There is one minor detail that I would like to shine some light on, which has no effect on the overall grade that I give this review. Within this final issue there are a total of twenty pages that contain the actual story. On top of those twenty pages are an additional twelve pages of full spread advertisements for upcoming Star Wars comic book releases. I am all for advertising products that are going to be hitting shelves soon. However, I personally feel that this was overkill and took away from the story itself. A majority of the time these ads were every other page. A suggestion I have, would be to combine all of the ads for upcoming titles to a single page at the back of the book. This would help to keep the readers’ focus on the story rather than interrupting the story every other page constantly. Again, this is my personal opinion regarding the advertisements within this issue.

Overall Grade: 10/10

Links

Comic Book Reviews & Entertainment News: Nerd Initiative
Previous Maul Review: Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #4 – Blood Gamble
Travis’ NI Portfolio: TravisComicHaven – Nerd Initiative
Travis’ Personal Content: Travis’ Comic Haven

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