Shadow of Maul #3 is the third issue of the miniseries that ties in with the now-concluded animated Season 1 of the Maul – Shadow Lord series. Here are my thoughts!
If you have missed any of the previous issue reviews, catch up:
A strange feeling after finishing the TV series
I’m of the idea that this comics series should have been released earlier. That way, the fifth and final issue would lead immediately into the first two episodes of the TV series. This third issue helps build up both Lawson and Vario, which is great.
Out of all the characters from this series that also appear in Maul – Shadow Lord, these two are the most important/interesting ones. I have no problem when a character’s story isn’t told in a linear way. After decades of being a fan of the franchise, I have gotten used to it.
My problem here is that stories of both characters were being told with this comic series and simultaneously in the animated show. Since the series (which happens later in the timeline) ended first, it’s hard for me to get excited about Lawson’s character building here when I already know what happens to him in Episode 10.
I don’t know the reason behind this strange overlap, but it’s something that I’m not a fan of. Thankfully, this isn’t something that happens often in Star Wars.
Allies, enemies, colleagues. It’s all the same on Janix
Star Wars tends to show conflicts with lenses that push the audience to think in black and white terms. Recent media like Andor, The High Republic, and Maul – Shadow Lord don’t fall into this category and actually give us multiple perspectives to fully understand the complex relationships between many parties during times of war.
This issue also does a great job at showing how thin the line is between friends and enemies. It doesn’t matter if these people are law enforcers or work for a criminal syndicate; they will undermine or even help him whenever it benefits them.
As an officer of the law, Lawson has dozens of enemies who want him out of the streets, permanently. Unsurprisingly, some of these people are his own colleagues, paid by one of the top criminal syndicates on Janix.
I don’t believe that Lawson is a saint, but having so many people after you is almost impressive. To be fair, I think it’s incredible that he survived as long as he did with so many people knowing where to find him or his son.
Easter eggs
Dirty Cop
The comic doesn’t make it clear, but the guy who was going to shoot Lawson is one of the three men assigned to him at the beginning of the first issue.
It’s easy to miss because he only appears once. Fraxmoor, just like Hendrix, was a dirty cop paid by criminal syndicates.
The Scream
The vendor who is right in front of Lawson during the attack scene is a clear reference to The Scream, the iconic painting by Edvard Munch.
Final Thoughts
My favorite thing about this issue is that we finally got to see Lawson be a badass cop who is ready for anything. It doesn’t matter if it’s a known criminal or a shady figure in a dark alley, he’s ready to take on anyone.
The plot twist near the end of it revealed how someone who’s your enemy can be a valuable ally on a different day, at least in Janix. I love it when characters and factions are complex rather than falling into the category of “good and bad guys”.
I can’t deny that with the first season of Maul – Shadow Lord being over, my enjoyment of this series decreased a bit, but not enough that it prevents me from continuing to read the upcoming issues.
Star Wars: Shadow of Maul (2026) #3
| PUBLISHER: | Marvel |
| RELEASED: | May 13, 2026 |
| ISSUE: | #3 of 5 |
| PAGES: | 32 |
| WRITER: | Benjamin Percy |
| PENCILER: | Madibek Musabekov |
| INKER: | Madibek Musabekov |
| COLORIST: | Luis Guerrero |
| LETTERER: | VC’s Joe Caramagna |
| COVER: | Derrick Chew |
Strengths
Action-packed
Interesting plot twist
Lawson and Vario’s odd relationship
Weaknesses
One scene can be quite confusing
Released after Maul – Shadow Lord ended
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Plot summary (spoilers)
Lawson is on his way home when he notices that someone is following. Before this shady character is able to shoot Lawson, he throws a big fruit at his attacker and hits him with his heavy bag.
The attacker happens to be Fraxmoor, one of his own colleagues. He tries to escape after the failed assassination attempt, but he’s run over and dies on the scene.
Lawson is delayed due to this incident and gets home. To his surprise, Rylee isn’t home. Which ends up being a good thing because the head of Internal Affairs arrives shortly after to “question” Lawson. Before things get ugly, Ruhl, his goons, and Lawson are incapacitated by Vario.
When Lawson wakes up, Vario makes sure to know that this was his way of repaying an “old favor”. The crime boss would not hesitate to order a hit on Lawson, but this goes against his interests, for now.
