In this review of Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #2, the mid-rim world of Janix is especially busy as officer Brander Lawson and his droid partner Two-Boots pursue a dangerous suspect, a local crime boss makes a big move and Maul himself finally arrives and is ready to shake things up.
STAR WARS: SHADOW OF MAUL #2
Writer: BENJAMIN PERCY
Artist: MADIBEK MUSABEKOV
Main Cover: DERRICK CHEW
Variant Covers: AKA, ERIK M. GIST, KEN LASHLEY
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 4/8/2026
This review contains spoilers
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #2 begins as officer Brander Lawson and his partner Two-Boots track a messenger droid across the city. This is not the standard droid as it has the ear of a local crime boss, Nico Deemis. The duo’s covert surveillance uncovers a stolen cache of Imperial credits (in the millions).
Lawson was pursuing this case without department approval (much to Two-Boots’ dismay), and without knowing exactly what they were getting into, but Lawson knows that news of the cache will not only bring the Empire’s unwanted presence to Janix, but if Deemis gets his hands on the cache it will disrupt the current balance of power between the various crime syndicates.
Lawson tracks the droid onto a train but is ambushed and nearly killed if not for the timely intervention of Two-Boots. The duo downloads the droid’s databanks. Later at the spaceport, Nico Deemis is shown the credit cache by a nameless smuggler who requests Deemis return his droid. The misunderstanding almost turns violent but is interrupted by another of the Janix crime bosses (Varos) asking for a cut.
The smuggler flees with the cache, while Lawson muses over the strategies used in his son’s sporting event (which he is currently missing) hinting that he covertly tipped off Varos to the meet up.
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #2 ends as Maul secretly arrives at Janix, telling his clan that no one can know of his presence until his plan is already in motion.
Analysis
(Please note: this review was written before the author watched the two-part series premiere of the “Maul: Shadow Lord” animated series).
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #2 explores the rampant corruption that both infests Janix and also helps sustain it. Writer Ben Percy continues crafting the story as crime noir, deploying familiar tropes but with droids, aliens and spaceships added to the mix. Brander Lawson and Two-Boots are featured in the all-new Maul: Shadow Lord animated series as well, so this prequel takes on more significance as the plot unfolds.
The fact that Maul casts a shadow over the proceedings with such little screentime, (and few aware of his arrival on Janix) illustrates how iconic and well-rounded a character Maul has become during his time on the various Star Wars animated series. The dialogue is sharp, Lawson’s voice over works fits the noir archetype. The plot twist of the droid turning the tables and attacking Lawson is surprising and thrilling.
In this prequel series, Maul has become even more ruthless as a crime lord than he was as a Sith lord. Whatever he is planning is so secret that almost no trace of his presence is left to find (including melting his stolen ship). Lawson comes off as a strategist who finds unorthodox methods to foil certain crimes on the crime ridden world (with more to come).
Madibek Musabekov’s art continues to impress, using sequential storytelling to mimic camera moves as it zooms in and tracks its subjects during the surveillance scenes. Lawson’s trek through the seedier parts of Janix are well-crafted, providing enough establishing details as well as that classic “lived-in” feel Star Wars established in the original film. Musabekov’s figure work, panel composition, ship design and facial expressions are remarkable and distinct.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #2 ramps up the tension, gives more insight into Brander Lawson’s motivations and further explores the seedy world of Janix, all with a crime noir twist. The script is taut and the art remains stunning.
