In this review of Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5, the heist story comes to a shocking conclusion as it sets the stage for the recent Disney+ animated series. And finally, Maul gets to take center stage in an epic battle.
STAR WARS: SHADOW OF MAUL #5
Writer: BENJAMIN PERCY
Artist: MADIBEK MUSABEKOV
Main Cover: DERRICK CHEW
Variant Cover: AKA
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: July 8, 2026
This review contains spoilers
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5 begins with a flashback as Captain Brander Lawson recalls his early bounty hunting days where he was constantly alone and, on the move, where only the job mattered. Back in the present, Lawson realizes what and who he is fighting for as he and droid Two-Boots trail Internal Investigator Ruhl whom Lawson suspects is dirty. Lawson’s hunch proves correct as Ruhl makes stops at three of Janix’s top crime bosses.
Ruhl is in deep with the first two familiar faces, but he is put on the spot when a mercenary group demands that Ruhl join their raid. The mercs spot Lawson’s surveillance droid and blast it out of the sky. Their target is none other than Maul, who breaks from his solitude to dispatch the intruders with help from his henchmen. Ruhl gets an up close and fatal introduction from Maul.
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5 ends as Lawson and Two-Boots arrive in the aftermath of Maul’s carnage. Lawson finds the gravely injured Ruhl barely clinging to life. Ruhl makes a final confession to Lawson…against himself. And the stage is set for the next chapter.
Analysis
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5 provides a conclusion (of sorts) to the series, which is mainly backstory and setup, with the title character skulking the shadows, scheming. This is not to say Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5 isn’t a thrilling final chapter to a wholly entertaining miniseries, but very little closure is provided as season one of Maul: Shadow Lord continues the story.
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul racks up the body count of characters introduced during the series. Writer Ben Percy sets the mood for this intergalactic underworld meets film noir tale and Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5 impresses with a fast-paced and unrelenting finale. Maul being the merc’s target is no surprise, nor is Maul’s vicious reprisal but it is still awesome.
The Maul: Shadow Lord animated series is just as hard-hitting as its comic prequel and like Star Wars: Shadow of Maul, the story feels equal parts Blade Runner and Dashiel Hammett. With lightsabers. Brander Lawson is a troubled hero, but his bounty hunting past doesn’t seem to have as many dark revelations as one might expect. His change from an aimless wanderer to putting down roots explains a lot about his actions in both the comic and animated series.
Darth Maul finally gets his due in Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5, with a brief but telling exchange with his ally Rook before unleashing his full might against Benejin Bloor’s mercenaries. Inspector Ruhl is fleshed out before his unsurprising but slightly tragic death. Watching Ruhl find himself in deep with three Janix crime lords, one plotting against the next, we begin to understand how he went astray before meeting his end.
Artist Madibek Musabekov and colorist Luis Gurrero complete the ensemble with dazzling art and color. Musabekov’s depiction of the much younger Brander Lawson is stark, while both Musabekov and Gurrero sell Lawson’s inner conflict with a single panel of Lawson gazing out the viewport as he reminisces.
Musabekov and Gurrero also bring the seedier parts of Janix to life, depicting dark towers that pierce the sky, filled with intermittent colored lights, creeping shadows and extreme panel angles. The Maul battle is an impressive and extended set piece that allows both artists to flex their creativity as Maul’s double-bladed, crimson colored lightsaber becomes its own character for a brief time.
Final Thoughts
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul #5 wraps up the miniseries with a fast-paced finale that sets the stage for the next chapter. Fans of Maul’s appearances in the various animated series, and especially in Maul: Shadow Lord, won’t want to miss this enjoyable prequel.
