Darth Maul continues to be one of the most enduring Star Wars characters from the prequel trilogy, largely because of how mysterious he was. Throughout the entirety of The Phantom Menace he barely speaks a full sentence, and proves to be a formidable opponent for both Qui Gon Jinn and a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. The fact that he was killed off in the same film (sort of) makes his popularity all the most fascinating.
But what of Maul's past? It's a subject that had been explored some in earlier Star Wars comics, but those tales have since been washed away when Disney acquired the Star Wars license and proceeded to wipe out the franchise's extensive expanded universe. Now, slowly but surely, Disney is building Star Wars from the ground up once more, and that means a new Darth Maul prequel story from Marvel comics.
'Darth Maul' Miniseries
Simply titled Darth Maul, the five-issue miniseries from writer Cullenn Bunn and artist Luke Ross will take place prior to the events of The Phantom Menace, when Darth Maul is still being trained by Darth Sidious. Here's how USA Today summarizes the upcoming series:
"The comic finds Maul an untested warrior under the training of Darth Sidious, who would later become the Galactic Emperor. Told to stand down from engaging with Jedi yet, Maul hunts down the worst of the worst in the cosmic underworld to vent his frustration.
"After learning a young Jedi Padawan named Eldra Kaitis has fallen into the hands of a crime lord, Maul seizes an opportunity to test his skills against a real Jedi but also maybe turn someone else to the dark side."
Bunn goes on to say that he the padawan Edra will have a major impact on Maul's life going forward, and that the comic will also explore the relationship between Maul and Sidious.
Darth Maul's Quest For Vengeance
Of course, this won't be the first appearance of Darth Maul in the new Star Wars canon. Dedicated Star Wars fans know that Maul doesn't actually die in The Phantom Menace. Rather, as revealed in the events of the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, he builds himself robotic legs and sets out on a quest for vengeance against Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Darth Maul recently appeared in Star Wars: Rebels as well, where his quest for revenge looks to be continuing. No word yet on when exactly this prequel comic will be arriving, but it sadly won't be until next year.
