Back from the dead, Darth Maul joins his brother, Savage Opress, in a quest to spread terror throughout the galaxy in “Star Wars: Darth Maul — Death Sentence” #1. Naturally, it draws the attention of the Jedi.

Tom Taylor, who has become something of a go-to guy for the further adventures of Star Wars characters, opens up the story with events already set in motion. Maul and Opress re-familiarize themselves with the galaxy and hope the galaxy takes note. Taylor characterizes both brothers as confident to the point of recklessness and gives Maul a more righteous tone.

The plot is fairly straight forward and true to the title of the series. Maul and Opress set out to discover who put a bounty on their heads, which frames the Sith brothers as protagonists. Taylor plays the angle to near perfection, allowing the duo to cut their way through recognizable species as Falleen, Ubese and Wookies, while exploring the greater Star Wars universe.

In response, Bruno Redondo draws recognizable established species and characters. His work isn’t as finely detailed or painterly as some other Star Wars comic book art of late, but it delivers solid storytelling and respectable levels of detail. Many of the scenes have simplistic backgrounds which Redondo balances nicely with strong character work. The artist’s best work in the issue comes when Savage Opress and Darth Maul cut loose — literally — showing why they should be feared.

“Star Wars: Darth Maul — Death Sentence” #1 is another strong debut from Dark Horse, showcasing yet another fan favorite character. As is the case for Boba Fett in the original trilogy, Darth Maul didn’t have a great deal of screentime, but he caught the imagination of Star Wars fans and expanded universe creators. Now, returned to the battlefields during the height of the Clone Wars, Darth Maul has a chance to shine under the reddish glow of his lightsaber and the creative endeavors of Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo.