Comics A/V Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #1-4

GrandAdmiralJello is disappointed in you.

 

Seems to be a running theme with Grievous and witches:

Spoiler

"Ding dong the wicked witch is dead."

 

So according to current canon, does Maul know his master's real identity? If he knew, I don't think Sidious would spare him at all.

 

Spoiler

I agree, I have no clue why he would let him live, though I know why they let him live for out of universe reasons. xD But maybe once Talzin died Maul reverted back into his crazy self? And has to be tamed once more?
On a side note I am very happy Maul survived.

 

It would surprise me if he didn't - given that he is "The Apprentice" and in TCW it's hinted that he knew that The Clone Wars were part of Sidious's long-term plan: "So it started without me".

 

When it comes to bad guys, you pretty much have to kill them in order to end their story. Maul is a bad guy and in-universe it makes no sense for him to just suddenly decide to buy a farm on a backwater planet and start breeding chicken.

The problem is that they are simply too afraid to end a very profitable character. Maul is the Boba Fett of the PT - few lines, shallow character - for whatever reason some people liked him -> milk the character until its dry.
I personally found this comic series to be very disappointing. There is little closure except for

Spoiler

Talzin's death

and these 4 issues were there just because they had Maul on the cover -> certain profit for the creators.
I admit, I probably expected too much depth from a comic book series, but that still doesn't change my opinion that they could have done the same thing (with the same ending) in less than 4 issues.

 

Where did this "Talzin Ghost" come from? Did I miss something? It never says anywhere that I remember that she was "dead". Her physical nature was altered through her practice of "magic" but I don't see how that makes her a ghost. The comic says "take physical form again" - all that means is that she took some form other than carbon-based biological. The Force has a "will" but isn't the ghost of some dead organism. Also, as far as we know, there are no traditional "ghosts" in SW only a few beings who learned to retain their consciousness as part of the Force after death. PS: Has a histrionic teenager declared this miniseries a "mess" yet . . . ? I love it when that happens

 

If you remember correctly, Jacob's brother's body was killed when he entered the Heart of the Island and became the Smoke Monster. So, "ghost" is actually an accurate term.

 

Ghost is one of those words that means different things to different people. To me, Talzin is a ghost, because that's what I consider a ghost.

With no EU sourcebooks canon anymore to explain the differences between this ghost, and that ghost, and another ghost, then if it looks like a ghost, quacks like a ghost, and floats like a ghost, then as far as I care, it's a ghost. If there's one thing I hope for from the EU reboot, it's for Star Wars to quit getting so hung up on defining Every. Single. Little. Thing and to let people see this stuff the way they want to, rather than giving us some precise metaphysical spiel for everything.

 

Maybe he knew a little of the plan, but not who SIdious really is. Or Sidious would have to make sure he's dead.

 

I thought it was a neat little storyline. A little bit of a clusterfrick at times, but it definitely pulled some things off right.

1) Talzin being Maul's mother. My God, that was so BLARINGLY OBVIOUS yet it pretty much completely flew over everyone's head. Everyone overthought what Talzin's motivation was. "Feminist empire! Scorned lover of Palpatine!" etc. Its a nice, simple motivation that works perfectly well with what we already knew.
2) Maul's involvement in The Clone Wars was given a conclusion yet he's open to return. Conclusion does NOT equate to character death. Look at The Infinity Gauntlet, a classic Marvel storyline: Thanos literally kills HALF THE UNIVERSE, then is humbled by his failure to attain that power and just becomes a farmer on some backwater planet. That worked perfectly well. I think it could do Maul good.
3) Grievous having some cool moments.
4) Holy [frick] Palpatine.

 

Disappointing finish.

Talzin can still come back through some force magic or whatever.
Darth Maul story isn't resolved, they can still milk the character for more comics.
Dooku as pointless a character as ever.

 

One of Sidious's lines was fairly interesting, when he's dueling the Talzin-possessed Dooku.

"You control Dooku's body but you have none of his skill."

The one time that Dooku can't hear, Sidious actually gives him some props and acknowledges that the Count is in fact a lightsaber master. Nice touch.

 

That line seemed out of place to me. Talzin is good enough with the sword to hold her own against Mace Windu, I'd have thought she'd have done fine with Dooku's blade.

 

Dooku is known to be second only to Yoda, though.

 

I've never held Dooku up that high, but he's still beastly.

Anyway, definitely a bittersweet ending, and still no end for Maul in sight, sigh.

 

You lost me.

I do not like telling stories during this period with Grievous or Dooku. We know what happens to them, so them fighting, and getting out for sure everytime seems boring to me. That is another reason I like Maul and Talzin, their stories are good because you cannot know how it ends. I like Maul a lot, I loved him in the old EU and now TCW has made a great character out of him, canon-wise. I can't wait to see Maul again, working a farm or fighting Vos.

Spoiler

 

Talzin may be good with a regular sword, as we saw in the Disappeared. But a lightsaber is a very unique weapon. The blade has literally no weight at all, so you have to use the Force to sense it and anticipate it. So Talzin was able to wield it against Sidious for a short time, but she had no experience using that type of weapon. Which is why Sidious was able to disarm her so easily, and tells her that she has none of Dooku's skill. She would have had a better chance with that magic sword she used against Mace .

 

I chalk it up to Sidious being Sidious and talking smack. He likes to taunt, mock, and condescend and boy does he do a lot of it in this issue.

 

He's also the best sword-fighter there is.

 

I think he does. In The Phantom Menace, aren't they walking on Palpatine's balcony before Maul departs for Tatooine?

Although it's not clear in the film, I believe that balcony was the same set as Palpatine's office.

 

I take your point but I wouldn't exactly call that sword "regular"...

 

My hope is that with this ending, it leads back to the Marvel Comics telling of Mandalore subjugated into slavery by the Emipre. Kinda makes sense if you think about all the pieces of the puzzle put together, Sidious just beat-down several groups that could potentially cause him issues once he becomes Emperor. Also creates a potentially good back-story for Sabine's character in "Rebels", AND keeps some Legends continuity. Anyhow that's my .02 about it.