By Star Wars: Maul- Shadow Lord has arrived and with it comes and new animated classic. I was given access to screen the first eight episodes of the new animated series and I was hooked from the start.
Set on Janix shortly after the end of the Clone Wars, the series follows up events from the great Clone Wars series and finds Maul (Sam Witwer) and his band of mercenaries carving a foothold in the galaxy.
Since Janix is free from the Empire, only the local police force provides any opposition to growing criminal factions.
Throw in a pair of Jedi trying to escape, a determined cop and his Droid partner, and some shady characters and you have the ingredients for drama.
The series is darker and grittier than Star Wars fans may be used to but combines with the spectacular animation, stories, and voice cast to make a deeply engaging and winning series.
Season 2 has already been confirmed and it will be interesting to see where it goes as Dave Filoni clearly has a love and grasp for the material and is able to create numerous new and engaging characters to interact with known ones.
Maul is given more depth than the typical brutish killer he has been portrayed as before. His duality as a dangerous individual who has been betrayed and wants revenge and a stability is compelling as is the solid supporting cast.
Fans will not want to miss the new series available on Disney+.
