The Good
All good things must come to an end. Writer Tom Taylor didn't exactly wow me with the first issue of this short run, but man did that change once issue two dropped. Since then, this comic has ranked up there with the likes of BATMAN and UNCANNY X-FORCE for me. Thankfully, Taylor's conclusion to this brief series kept up the quality and wrapped things up exceptionally well.
I'm a huge fan of Maul's, but I must confess the verbal insults that are sent his way absolutely warrant an "Oh, snap!" His conflicted conversation with Master Judd was gripping and the blue Jedi Master's following sequence with Obi-Wan Kenobi takes a draw dropping emotional turn. Maul's twisted personality has truly been the highlight of this book, but I think it's fair to say Judd stole this spotlight in the conclusion -- especially when Maul can't even deliver a proper comeback to a Padawan.
Bruno Redondo's art has been consistently solid since the book's premiere issue. You'd expect a Maul oriented book to be partically dark and gritty, but Bruno manages to sketch some great panels which unleash a more than appropriate amount of detail, shading and disturbing facial features from the Zabrak. There's also a stunning panel of Judd as the natives realize he's the "demon in the light."
The Bad
It's terrible that this story is limited to only 4 issues. That's really the only major complaint from me.
The Verdict
Star Wars fans -- be it casual or expert -- should absolutely read this series. Taylor takes a brilliant look at Maul's deeply disturbing mind and crafts a standalone story that'll keep your intriuge the entire time. There's plenty of well written action to go around and more than a handful of dark moments that'll shock you.