So I’m sure the big question on everyone’s minds is “Who doesn’t survive the final issue of Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir?” as this was written to be the end of the character arc for Darth Maul on Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While we know several Sith Lords (and their cyborg general) need to live on for Episode III, that leaves Darth Maul and Mother Talzin and the Shadow Collective wide open on the chopping block. Fear not, as I know the answer – and am not going to spoil it. I would recommend this entire series, so go get issue #4 (DarkHorse.com profile) today!

Summary: With the Jedi interupting the battle for control of the dark side, Maul has an unlikely new partner in Dooku. But as they say among the Sith, “the enemy of my enemy… is still probably my enemy.” Nope, Dooku is to be sacrificed in a ritual designed to fully bring Mother Talzin back to corporeal form. But then Grievous and Sidious stealthily arrive on Dathomir, ready to put a stop to Maul’s plan. And the battle begins… and I’m not going to say anymore.

Review: What an epic ending to this great series! This would have been one of the most awesome smackdown episodes had it been made as part of The Clone Wars. Again, kudos to Jeremy Barlow for adapting the screenplay to the comic and directing the action in this issue. The art team (pencils by Juan Frigeri, inks by Mauro Vargas, colors by Wes Szioba, and lettering by Michael Heisler) is on top form for this issue, capturing the menace of each of the characters as well as putting them into the heat of battle with lightsabers and Force lightning cranked up to eleven. I’d mention some of my favorite panels, but that would be spoiling the climax of the story. And another great cover by Chris Scalf, summing up the conflict in one masterpiece.

I wish there had been a little bit more of the wrap-up at the end, but it seems pretty clear where things stand. Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir is probably my favorite Star Wars comic of the year, and the final issue brings this tour de Force to a spectacular finish. Go get it!  

The Dark Side takes a break from in-fighting to repel the outside threat of the Jedi! At the end of the last issue, Maul appeared to have captured both Count Dooku and General Grievous, and now he’s ready to dictate terms to Darth Sidious. But the Jedi might just get in the way of his plans. Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: Darth Maul – Son of Dathomir #3 (DarkHorse.com profile).

Summary: With both Dooku and Grievous under his control, Maul tries to negotiate with Sidious, who would rather write off his minions than deal to get his pawns back. So Maul and Mother Talzin try to convince Dooku that switching sides is in his best interest, but during their talks, Republic forces led by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Tiplee arrive at the asteroid base, having traced the Mandalorians from the recent battle on Ord Mantell. With the Jedi closing in, Dooku decides to join Maul and the pair take the fight to the Jedi, now reinforced by Aayla Secura and Mace Windu. With Dooku’s clandestine help, Grievous escapes in the commotion. Tiplee is killed, the bad guys escape, and the Jedi report to the Chancellor that that Dooku and Maul might be the Sith Lords they’ve been seeking out all this time – even if there’s no answer to why they were previously fighting each other.

Review: With the style of this comic not like the style of the cartoon series, it might slip to the wayside that this is a continuation of the animated series – but then Tiplee’s appearance brings it back together (She was seen in the season 6 story arc about Order 66). The conflict so far in this series has been among various dark side groups, but in this issue, the Jedi finally also get into the action, forcing Maul and Dooku into a quick alliance of survival, though it seems unlikely that Dooku is willing to betray his master, even if he does know deep in his heart that his master would dispose of him in a second if a better apprentice appeared. Not sure if bringing in the Jedi into this conflict is what this story needed, but it does push the plot into a new direction: misleading the Jedi into thinking that they’ve identified the Sith Lords behind everything. And that could have some interesting consequences. 

The writing by Jeremy Barlow works great – he must have had some tough choices in deciding what to cut to translate from tv script to comic book page, and the art captures the action well.  There’s some good tension at the big revelation as Mother Talzin tells her side of the story of Sidious and Maul. I can hear Talzin’s creepy voice as I read her words, and that’s due to some great storytelling and artistry – with pencils by Juan Frigeri, inks by Mauro Vargas, colors by Wes Dzioba, and letters by Michael Heisler.

Beyond the pages with spectral Mother Talzin, some of my other favorite panels are of Grievous springing out of his jail cell and taking on the Mandalorians guarding him; and of course the battle between the Jedi and the Sith. Good stuff all around. Plus that cover by Chris Scalf: great likenesses and great lighting from the darksaber!

One more issue to go? Say it ain’t so!

The struggle for power between Maul and his former master intensifies in the second issue of Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir! Dooku and Grievous are out to catch Maul and Mother Talzin, but the dark side witch has her own trap to set. Some spoilers ahead as the battle of dark side vs dark side continues!

Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #2 (DarkHorse.com profile) ratchets up the tension between the rival dark side camps: Darth Sidious, Dooku and General Grievous; and Maul, Mother Talzin, and Maul’s coalition of criminals and mercenaries. Having been recently beaten at his base, Maul regroups his forces at Ord Mantell, and Talzin plots with him to set a trap for Dooku. The count, expecting to capture Talzin, finds instead a boatload of Nightbrothers waiting for him, while Maul leads a counterassault in space, disabling the Grievous’ droid army on the ground. 

Review: Plenty of action in this issue as the sides gear up for a battle, and then unleash their forces against each other, with Maul’s plan to trap Dooku and Grievous seemingly pulled off. But with Brother Viscus and most of the other Nightbrothers defeated, is the Shadow Collective enough to keep Dooku captured? The story, originally written to be part of a story arc on The Clone Wars, and adapted and written by Jeremy Barlow, only picks up steam as the issue goes along – we regroup from the previous issue and bam! I liked how we see how the Shadow Collective members behave in the heat of battle. There’s also some cool witty banter between Maul and Grievous that I can hear in Sam Witwer’s and Matthew Wood’s voices. 

I really liked the art in this issue – there’s some great pieces, as pencilled by Juan Frigeri, inked by Mauro Vargas, colored by Wes Dzioba, and lettered by Michael Heisler. The art style uses some thick lines at times, which works well for Maul and Grievous, but less well for Dooku. There’s a great shot of Grievous ordering the bombardment, and plenty of cool action scenes, in space, on the ground, and with lightsabers and dark side powers. Another cool panel is a first person point of view from Dooku’s perspective in the battle with the Nightbrothers, and the final panel of Maul being touched by Talzin also is quite solid.

The cover is awesome, balancing color and action. But then again I would expect nothing less from Chris Scalf.

You gotta get this series!