Star Wars Tales #9

Dark Horse's publication, Star Wars Tales, was an anthology title that ran for 5 years.  Each 64 page, quarterly issue contained several stories from various eras and with various themes.  Stories ranged from serious to humorous and most of the tales were considered non-canon at the time of publication.  Star Wars Tales #9 contained 3 stories, but it is the lead yarn which received the cover treatment and makes that issue desirable.

Star Wars Tales #9a - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (October 2001)
art cover

Resurrection is a 50 page story which pits Darth Vader against Darth Maul.  Published a little over 2 years after The Phantom Menace, it was inevitable that the original trilogy's greatest villain would square off against arguably the newest trilogy's greatest villain.  Darth Vader, following a lead on the stolen Death Star plans, is brought to Kalakar Six, a planet which bears an uncanny resemblance to Mustafar.  We learn that Darth Vader was led to the planet by 3 dark side users who have resurrected Darth Maul.  They believe Darth Vader's Jedi background makes him an unsuitable apprentice for Vader's master, Palpatine, and that Darth Maul is the superior apprentice.  Darth Vader agrees to battle Darth Maul who he defeats.  Before Maul's death, he exclaims "What... what could you hate enough... to destroy me?" Vader briefly replies "Myself." Vader is joined by Palpatine who quickly dispatches the 3 dark side users and hints are dropped that Palpatine knew of the deception all along and he orchestrated the confrontation.

Star Wars Tales #9b - Dark Horse Comics, U.S. (October 2001)
photo cover

Starting with issue #5, each Star Wars Tales issue features an art cover and a photo cover.  Star Wars Tales #9 commands a premium over most other Star Wars Tales issues, selling for $10 - 25 in NM condition, solely on the strength of the Darth Vader versus Darth Maul story.  The photo cover will fetch slightly more than the art cover.

Resurrection, was the first of several narratives that saw Darth Maul brought back from the dead.  Darth Maul would be revived again in Star Wars: Visionaries in 2005, a Dark Horse graphic novel which contains a story that shows a resurrected Darth Maul with cybernetic legs battle Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine.  Both these Darth Maul tales laid the groundwork for the return of Darth Maul into official canon in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series season four.