Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #2

Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #2 (of 4)

Writer: Jeremy Barlow
Penciller: Juan Frigeri
Inker: Mauro Vargas
Colorist: Wes Dzioba
Letterer: Michael Heisler
Cover Artist: Chris Scalf

Sidious plans to lure out Mother Talzin with the unwitting aid of Darth Maul, but in turn falls into the trap of the Dathomiri witch. Maul’s syndicate of Pykes, Mandalorians, and Black Sun amass on Ord Mantell with Grievous and Dooku in pursuit. Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #2 cranks up the action with massive battles, gripping duels and some very nice storytelling. With the tables turned and Talzin in control, things aren’t looking so good for Sidious.

Adorning this issue is quite possibly one of the nicest covers I’ve seen from Chris Scalf. He captured Dooku in a great action pose, nailing his screen likeness, and tossing in a bunch of nightbrothers all writhing in pain. I also like the mix of colors. The gold and purple are a great contrast. Each element is done one: the lighting effects, the detail on the characters faces, the realistic poses, it’s a great combination.

The interior art is much the same as the first issue. It does a good job of setting up the scenes and portraying the action. However, the level of detail leans more to the stylistic, cartoonish side. It’s okay, but it’s not my personal preference of style. That said, it’s still pretty good artwork and I think it’s a bit better than what we saw in the previous issue.

Where Son of Dathomir #2 really shines is the story. I thought that the first issue dragged a little, but this one really cranked things up a notch. We get to see Mother Talzin actually presenting a credible threat to Sidious. She knows that he’s trying to lay a trap for her, and rather than going into hiding, she attempts to spin that trap around into her favor. This not only makes her a much more credible character, but reinforces Sidious’ motivation for going after her. She is living up to the threat that Sidious believed her to be.

Going hand-in-hand with Talzin’s power play is a massive battle on Ord Mantell. We get to see Darth Maul playing general with his criminal forces as he faces off against Dooku and Grievous. We even get to see Grievous fulfilling his title as general as he actually shows some tactical sense during the battle. Mandalorian fans will get a kick out of seeing Maul’s Death Watch troops go into battle alongside the Pykes and Black Sun enforcers. For Dathomir fans, the nightbrothers show up to do battle with Dooku. There’s a lot of action and the story makes sure to give each side their moments in the battle.

The first issue of this series had me worried. I just wasn’t sure this team was going to be able to handle a story of this magnitude that could very well tell us the fate of Maul. Yet Son of Dathomir #2 pulled things around with heaps of action, dynamic characters and an escalating plot that has truly captured my interest. Will Talzin give Sidious a run for his money? Hopefully the next couple issues can keep up the excitement. As is, I give Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir #2 a four out of five metal bikinis. This is one issue you won’t want to miss.

Reviewed By: Skuldren for Roqoo Depot.