Shadow of Maul: 1 : Broken Law
What is it ? : So this is the comic prequel to the Maul: Shadow Lord animated series.
We begin with Brander Lawson being interrogated in a police holding cell, he demands that they use his rank rather than just his name, complaining he's missing his sons game.
2 Weeks before, Brander goes into a nightclub, he orders a drink, and the barman recognises that Brander is here for an exotic animal auction, serving him a poisoned glass of whiskey and calling him by name. The Barman attacks him with a hammer, and Lawson's gun goes flying, but he calls for reinforcements from Two Boots who is waiting outside. The animals in the auction get released, and Two Boots and Lawson fight them, even as Lawson becomes more and more groggy from the poison, until he collapses.
Later he is in his chief's office being told off, the animal smuggling was broken, but evidence destroyed, those responsible got away and even though they think Nico Deemis was responsible, there was no evidence to link him with it. Lawson argues that the department has a mole in it, as Deemis was warned they were coming, but she assigns him a team to work with as he isn't a bounty hunter any more.
Back in the interrogation cell, Two Boots brings the interrogator and Lawson a drink, but Lawson gets him to take away the interrogators, telling Two Boots that he isn't thirsty.
Before, Lawson briefs his team, a family wedding party was dosed with poison from one of the animals, and they've got the survivor in a safe house being watched by Two Boots, and he presents three of the leaders of the criminal underworld as possibly behind it, because one of the party worked for Nico Deemis so was presumably the target.
One of the team can be seen arriving at the safe house, and he opens fire hitting another team member before Two Boots disarms him, but before he can take him outside to be returned to the police station a sniper takes them out.
Back in interrogation, the interrogator wants more information, but Lawson has had enough and walks out telling him that Janix is a dangerous place and you have to break a few laws, and bones, to get things done.
In the Cina System a smuggler opens their shielded compartments, and is killed by Maul who takes their ship so he can travel to Janix. . . .
High Points : First of all I must pay credit to them getting the characterisation down perfect, Lawson and Two Boots come across exactly the same as they did in the TV series, and that makes it readable. Lawson perhaps comes across as more of a rule breaker than he does in the animated show, but Two Boots is absolutely perfect, I read their lines in the actors voices and was really immersed from the beginning.
The fight in the nightclub gets us straight into action, and as Lawson becomes more and more under the effect of the poison the fight becomes more desperate, but his overconfidence doesn't waver, so he relies on Two Boots saving the day more and more, while the danger ramps. An action packed and fun way to start the story.
Low Points : The interrogation makes little sense, it's an okay framing device, but Lawson disrespecting the interrogator when they're just doing their job just makes him look like a bit of an asshole, and when he walks out, it made me feel like he should be instantly suspended from duty, I know if I walked out of any official meeting at any workplace I've been it'd probably end my employment there.
And a very slight criticism, the way Lawson frames Janix doesn't really represent what we've seen, he makes out that it's a dangerous world, where you break laws or you break bones, but from the series we see it's a normally safe world, while there's criminals and the underworld can be dangerous, it's normally safe, where his son goes to sports games in arenas and people raise law abiding families.
So what do you really think ? : Obviously it's the first issue, so we're meeting new characters and setting up the storyline so not too much happens, but we've got a decent fight in the nightclub, and although it happens very quickly, the set up of there being a mole in the department and the trap Lawson sets to catch that mole is done well, although I hope that's not the end of it, and there's another mole who is in deeper for later in the story.
All in all a good start if a bit shallow.
Final Words : The art style is spot on, they've got the cyberpunk'ish stylings of Janix quite right, neon nightclubs over a high tech city which is half way between current day and Coruscant of the prequels. This is a fairly short series, but I'm looking forward to seeing where they take it, even if Maul and Lawson can never meet.
Score : 8/10
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