Note: This review contains minor spoilers.

In a story set six months before the events of Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Darth Maul sets out to prevent Black Sun from interfering with the planned blockade and invasion of Naboo. At least, that's what we're lead to believe will be in the issues ahead; so far, he's had a workout, and has been issued a ship and a target.

In this first issue, the artwork dominates the story. The first eight pages, depicting Darth Maul battling against a variety of mechanized opponents, are the best part of the issue, distinguished by excellent likenesses of Maul, and the eerie atmosphere created for the Sith Sanctuary. And, of course, there is the debut of the much-talked-about total-tattoo Maul. (One curious detail about the depiction of the Dynamic Duo: Darth Sidious is portrayed as much shorter than Maul, contrary to both the Episode I and the Insider's Guide's statistics: Sidious' height is quoted as 1.78 meters; Maul's as 1.75.)

Only in the coda does the quality slip: The characters depicted could as easily be Neeson's and McGregor's stunt doubles as Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Even the Coruscant city-scape seems out of character, simplified, its air traffic decimated.

As to the cover art, Darth Maul is available with two cover options, a photo cover of Maul, and Drew Struzan's painting capturing the essence of Maul, an icon of menace. (But what's up with Maul's left eyeball? Is this merely a cool effect, or is this bright light shining from the windows of a very dark soul a portent?)

The Story

There really is no story in this issue: so far, it's eye candy. The same combat-trial that stands out as the finest feature of the artwork is also a major part of the problem with the book: It goes on for the first eight pages; the first text appears on page three, and that's a sound effect. The first dialog appears five pages later, and that belongs to Darth Sidious, the beginning of the first of his 44 lines in the book. The eponymous Darth Maul doesn't get a line until the next page, and gets only seven more in the entire issue. (If you're looking for insight into Darth Maul, this issue doesn't supply it. We never get inside Maul's head, never even get the sense that there's anything inside his head worth knowing.)

Darth Sidious, on the other hand, won't shut up. Assigning Maul to hit Black Sun is the only indispensable part of Sidious' dialog; but it doesn't end there. He's also given the task of giving his apprentice, and the reader, information on Black Sun's structure and operations. But, strangely, he leaves out one very important bit of information: he sends Maul on his way, without telling him where to go. Neither does he tell him he'll find the destination recorded on board the Sith Infiltrator. An odd move for Darth Exposition.

We also get to see him presenting the Infiltrator to Maul. Reading Sidious' description of the craft, I was reminded of the old poster of Richard Nixon that bore the caption, "Would you buy a used car from this man?" Perhaps Sidious/Palpatine put himself through Evil Overlord school working in a used spaceship lot? And, I can't help wondering, does the Infiltrator come with a rich Corinthian leather interior?

Then there's the matter of the Jedi who turn up in the last two pages: Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Their appearance is an intrusion, with no apparent connection to the (promised) story. Sensing something as the unseen Darth Maul passes overhead, Qui-Gon replies to Obi-Wan's query, "I thought I sensed something . . . ." Obi-Wan asks the meaning of this, and gets a short (midi-chlorian-free) version of Qui-Gon's landing-platform speech to Anakin from The Phantom Menace. Should Obi-Wan, at this stage in his training, six months before he makes Knight, require a talk about how "the living Force constantly whispers to us"? I don't think so. We, the readers, certainly shouldn't require it. Yet that is the substance of the final three panels. That's overkill: "I don't know...." would have been a better answer to Obi-Wan's question about the meaning of Qui-Gon's feeling, and reminded us less of the painful midi-chlorian explanation from TPM. This bit of ham-handed "foreshadowing" doesn't work at all.

The three distinct parts of the book, Maul's combat exercise, the large helping of exposition delivered by Darth Sidious, and the superfluous coda featuring Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, taken separately or together, do virtually nothing to develop the characters or move the story. We already know Maul is a master of the Jedi arts; we know he pilots the Sith Infiltrator on missions for his master -- this is filler; and, while it looks good, it doesn't advance the story. Maul is given a mission, which might produce a story, but not this issue.

The Prospects:

Will Black Sun present a challenge to Lord Maul? Will Darth Maul ever have a page of dialog of his own? Will Darth Sidious open a used spaceship lot on Coruscant? Will Prince Sleazor stink up the proceedings with his Falleen pheromones? Will anyone care?

This issue wastes a lot of time, but does little harm otherwise, and there are three issues to recover, if, after this coming attraction, Marz will get down to telling us a story. Meanwhile, for $2.95, can you really go wrong? The Sith interiors alone are worth the cover price, and there may yet be a story in the issues ahead.

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(Dexter's passion for Star Wars, still undiminished nearly a quarter-century later, began in May 1977, when a late-night showing of A New Hope set his young imagination ablaze. An avid action figure collector, he has been known to lurk about local toy shops at ungodly hours, in hopes of beating the competition to the latest wave of Hasbro goodies. When not tracking down the latest resculpt of Darth Maul or Qui-Gon Jinn, he devotes his free time to pondering the most efficient use of his dwindling free storage space. His other passions include his library, and writing.)