UNTAGGED SPOILERS FOR SHADOW LORD ARE PRESENT IN SHOW/CHARACTER TAGS
Do NOT go into the Maul: Shadow Lord tags (or tags for characters in the show) if you do not want to see spoilers.
There has been a leak of several character posters by disney, some of which were not supposed to be made public until May 4th at the earliest, that spoil which characters will make an appearance in season one of Shadow Lord.
DO NOT go in the tags if you do not want to see HEAVY SPOILERS for Shadow Lord!
UPDATE: Spoiler posts have been either tagged or taken down but it’s probably a good idea to start avoiding the tags if you want to remain entirely spoiler-free!
Thanks to Penguin Random House we now have the (very probable) names of two more Maul: Shadow Lord characters!
Everyone say hello to…
Deemis and Vario
Artwork by Derrick Chew from the covers of issues 2 and 3 of Shadow of Maul
Links below!
WARNING: There are SPOILERS for the future plot points/events of Maul: Shadow Lord in the publisher’s summaries of these comic issues! DO NOT read the summaries if you want to stay spoiler-free!!!
Link to the Shadow of Maul series on Penguin Random House
With the first issue of the comic series Shadow of Maul coming out tomorrow, I wanted to get a few thoughts and predictions written down about it.
We know that this first issue, if not the entire series, is a prequel. Based on the publisher’s summaries of the 2nd and 3rd issues, it’s possible the 2-5th issues cover events that occur during Shadow Lord rather than preceding it, but time will tell.
Issue #1 will introduce us to the world of Janix, and several of the new faces we’ve already seen in the trailers for Shadow Lord. Going through and talking about each one seems like as good a way to structure this post as any, so let’s get going. I’ll start with the characters we’ll definitely see, and go down the list from there.
100%: Captain Brander Lawson and his partner, Two-Boots (2B0T). We’ve already gotten a seven-page preview that features these two. I wouldn’t be surprised if SoM #1 is mostly about Lawson, introducing us efficiently to the world of Janix through his eyes and experience.
It is my belief that Lawson is going to end up being the through-line that connects all the different parts of Shadow Lord together, beginning with his knowledge of the underworld, to his investigation of Maul, his meeting Devon Izara, all leading to him coming into contact with and eventually defying the Empire (and possibly even his own department, if they choose to bow to Imperial pressure), to pursue what he thinks is right. That all starts with his intro in Shadow of Maul issue #1. I’m hoping we get a sense of his personality and morals, and learn more about his relationships with Two-Boots, Rylee, and the local criminal elements.
100%: Maul. Either we’re going to get a good bit of Maul, or not much. It depends on if they want to be mysterious and safe with him— erring on the side of allowing him to loom in the shadows while building up the plot up around him— or if they want to go all-in and really give us a solid primer on where he’s at, who’s with him, and why/how they’re planning on screwing with the Pykes on Janix. I’d really like to know about Maul’s larger plans to bring the galaxy’s major syndicates under his control, but that may not be in the scope of this specific comic issue, it already has a lot of other things to do.
Good Odds: Rook Kast, Icarus, and the other members of Maul’s crew. If they want to hit the ground running with Shadow Lord, then Shadow of Maul should be introducing the key players on Maul’s team (or reintroducing, in some cases). I can’t say how much depth we’ll get there, but I hope we’ll at least see the new Nightbrother characters and maybe learn some more names.
Good odds: Janix’s underworld players. Deemis, Vario, and the Pykes in particular. I’d really like to get a better sense of whether Deemis and Vario are strictly local, or if they have larger connections to the Big Five (Black Sun, the Hutt clans, Crymorah, the Pykes, and Crimson Dawn).
Decent odds: Devon Izara and Master Eeko-Dio Daki. I feel like we’ll probably see these two, since they’ll be so important in the upcoming show. However, they’re most likely new to Janix, and won’t be nearly as effective audience-proxies as Brander Lawson, who can give us a lot of information quickly. We might see Devon and Master Eeko just enough to get some non-critical info about their personal backstories, and how they’re fitting in on Janix. I doubt they’ll influence the plot, unless Shadow Lord opens with them already knowing Captain Lawson, in which case we might learn how they met him in SoM #1.
Could go either way: The Empire. Palpatine, Vader, and the Inquisition. I don’t think SoM #1 needs to waste any pages telling us what’s going on with the Empire at the moment. They can use other characters’ dialogue or background news broadcasts etc to tell us everything we need to know about the state of things there. Sure, we might get a page or two showing Marrok and the Eleventh Brother, just to introduce the characters and create hype, but they don’t really need to give it much focus, imo… unless it pertains directly to the future plot of Shadow Lord in a specific way. What I mean by that is Chekhov’s Vader.
If the Emperor is shown in SoM, I won’t think much of it. He’s a permanent fixture of Maul’s brain and Maul’s story. If Vader shows up in SoM— speaking to Palpatine, commanding his Inquisitors, pretty much doing anything— that’s Chekhov’s Gun. Chekhov’s Dark Lord of the Sith. Anakin and Maul never crossed blades during TCW, but in Rebels we see Maul admit, without hesitation, “I cannot defeat Vader alone.” How does he know that? Canon has not yet given us an answer, but how does Maul learn all of his lessons? The hard way.
(dis)Honorable Mention: GAR SAXON. Where is this man. There has been a prominent lack of him in the trailers. Those who saw Rebels know what he ends up doing but we don’t know when. Maybe Shadow Lord will at least mention him, but I very much doubt SoM #1 will unless it’s just… passing dialogue from Rook. If he does show up in either media though…. I’ll have a new theory on how Shadow Lord will end.
🖤 HAPPY ALMOST SHADOW OF MAUL DAY THANKS FOR READING 🖤
Penguin Random House has posted the cover art, cover variants, and publisher’s summaries of issues 1-3 of the upcoming comic Shadow of Maul. These publisher’s summaries contain information about future plot points and events that will transpire during Maul: Shadow Lord.
SPOILERS BELOW!
(and links)
Issue #1 variant cover art by Aka
Issue #1 Publisher’s Summary:
A PULPY, EXCITING PREQUEL SERIES SET BEFORE THE EVENTS OF THE UPCOMING DISNEY+ SHOW! Welcome to Janix, a neon-lit, shadow-soaked maze of a planet that lies beyond the reach of the Empire. Captain Brander Lawson is doing his best to navigate the law in a lawless territory. He's joined by his partner, a droid nicknamed Two Boots, as they face off against scheming crime bosses...and as the looming threat of the shadow lord, Maul, nears.
Okay, this one has been out for a while and is not spoilers! We knew all this.
FINAL WARNING: the next two contain spoilers for Shadow Lord.
Issue #2 variant cover by Aka
Issue #2 Publisher’s Summary:
THE UNDERWORLD EXPLODES WITH SCUM AND VILLAINY AS MAUL LOOMS IN THE SHADOWS! Ruthless mercenaries are looking to unload IMPERIAL treasure! Crime lord DEEMIS will stop at nothing to get it! Will CAPTAIN LAWSON be able to thwart the exchange of the smuggled fortune?
For context: Deemis appears to be the gran crime boss with the excellent sense of style that we’ve seen in both Shadow Lord trailers, given his appearance on the (non-variant) cover artwork of issue 2. This is an assumption on my part, but it seems like a reasonable enough one based on the context we have so far.
Issue #3 variant cover by Aka
Issue #3 Publisher’s Summary:
BETRAYAL ON JANIX! LAWSON is hunted by an assassin and an officer from his own department!
Help comes from an unlikely ally - a crime lord named VARIO, who has his own hidden agenda. And MAUL begins his preparation for a job in Janix by kidnapping a member of the police force!
It seems reasonable to assume that Vario is the individual pictured in the artwork above. We’ve seen him in both Shadow Lord trailers, speaking with Deemis.
Link to Penguin Random House where you can view all the artwork and summaries for yourself!
Welcome back to the speculation series! In part one, I talked about what seems to have brought Maul to Janix in the first place: the opportunity to steal something important from the Pykes. Part two got into some of my theories on how Maul, Devon, and Brander Lawson might come together, how they might begin affecting each other’s stories before they ever meet face-to-face, and how and why the Empire could come into play too.
For part three, I’d like to dig further into this implied initial heist event and get into all the clues that the trailers and the Shadow of Maul comic previews have provided us.
If you consider this sort of analysis, or information from the Shadow of Maul issue #2 publisher summary to be spoilers, do not continue reading past the break!
But! Before I turn anyone away unnecessarily, I’d like to point out that the spoilers given in the publisher’s summary for Shadow of Maul issue #2 are very light. I’m calling them that to be safe. It confirms the details of what Maul and co are (probably) stealing, and gives us the name of the gran crime lord we see arguing with a different guy over dinner in a warehouse.
If you want to be extra safe, abandon ship now, if you like tasty crumbs, hit the readmore!
Okay, the aforementioned summary states the following: “Ruthless mercenaries are looking to unload IMPERIAL treasure! Crime lord DEEMIS will stop at nothing to get it! Will CAPTAIN LAWSON be able to thwart the exchange of the smuggled fortune?”
In the Celebration Japan trailer, we see what could be the stolen goods being referred to, guarded by the Pykes and then loaded onto a transport.
This transport, specifically. We see the same vehicle a number of times in the second trailer— involved in at least one chase sequence (with a group of mandos and nightbrothers riding in the back), and again in the scene where Maul makes his dramatic appearance to cut down a squad of Janix riot police.
So Maul’s team intercept and hijack this transport at some point. Probably a very early point. I wouldn’t be surprised if this event is used to kick off Shadow Lord’s pilot. In the shot above, it looks like they were in the process of unloading it, most likely to move the goods to the ship Maul comes out of, when the cops caught up.
So: Maul steals this Imperial fortune that the Pykes stole from the Empire. Many people are now unhappy about this. The Pykes, for one. Deemis, for another, who it seems to be implied was the intended recipient of the credits from the Pykes, or maybe he just wants them too. Captain Lawson is now very unhappy, because who the hell is this new player that can waltz into the middle of this sort of handoff and slaughter anyone who tries to stop them, a police riot squad included?
Also, I’m pretty sure the Empire wants their money back.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if the thing that brings them to Janix in the first place is an attempt to track down their stolen credits, and not anything at all to do with possible jedi fugitives? And then Maul blows his “the Empire thinks I’m dead” cover because he can’t keep his mouth shut and his face off drone footage. It would be nice if he blows his cover to protect his people when two Inquisitors show up, but also… I’ll have a great time pointing and laughing at him if it’s as simple as his chronic case of can’t-shut-up-and-sit-still-itis.
Getting back to the heist, it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what Deemis and Vario are talking about over their meal in the warehouse. In the Japan trailer, their conversation goes like this:
Vario: "Man... Any idea who pulled that one?"
Deemis: "None of them have the nerve to pull something like this off."
Vario: "Well.. one person— maybe."
Deemis: "He's long gone."
It’s implied that they’re talking about Maul. That may not be true; the people who designed the reveal trailer could have just used this back-and-forth out of context to make it seem like it’s about Maul. But presuming it is has some interesting implications.
It sounds like Deemis and Vario are talking about two different jobs. “Any idea who pulled that one?” past-tense, followed by, “None of them have the nerve to pull something like this off,” present-tense.
Vario implies that he knows of Maul, “well, one person— maybe,” but also acts like he doesn’t know who is responsible for whatever the past-tense incident was. If it was the theft of the Pykes’ imperial haul— the stuff that was (maybe) supposed to go to Deemis— then either Maul covered his tracks while still somehow being locally infamous enough that these two don’t even have to say his name to be clear to each other who they’re talking about, or Vario is lying and he totally knows Maul did it. It could be telling that the next thing out of his mouth is to bring Maul up.
Another possibility is that Maul’s theft of the stolen Imp credits is the present-tense incident, which again begs the question of what Maul has done previously to be known in such a way to Janix’s local crime lords.
These guys could know Maul by reputation from his time shaking up the underworld during the Clone Wars, especially if they’re involved with the big syndicates like Crymorah, the Hutts, or Black Sun. Even smaller crime lords probably know of Maul, but assuming that Maul himself might be responsible for a random hit on Janix if he wasn’t already known to be operating in the area… seems like too big a leap. If the imperial fortune was truly so massive, or the Pykes’ reputation so formidable, that no one but the biggest of the biggest players would even make a try for it… then maybe it becomes more plausible to pull Maul’s name out of thin air? This would also explain what Deemis means when he says, “he’s long gone.” Unsure without more context here.
Perhaps we’ll get some clues in a few days with the release of Shadow of Maul issue #1!
