Artifacts #33 Review


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The man who wrote this title since its inception has moved on, so should fans still bother picking it up?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

“THE TEACHER AND THE PREACHER”

Top Cow publishes its first team of winners from the 2012 Talent Hunt! Rapture bearer and defrocked priest Tom Judge and the nueromancer Tilly Grimes are hot on the heels of a prolific serial killer. But even if Tom is able to save the next intended victim, is he already too late to save her soul?

Artifacts 33_CThere’s a lot to enjoy here, as we witness the first steps of some decidedly strong candidates.  They take two familiar players and deliver a one and done story that goes from being a potent supernatural thriller to simply a proverbial kick in the gut.  Trust me, when you crack it open and reach its inevitable conclusion you’ll understand why.

The text offered up by Kenny Porter is brisk and to the point, as the scribe wastes little time on attempting to deliver additional elements that could hinder forward momentum.  It’s through that action that we see a plethora of potential as the author struts his stuff by wrapping up a villain and showing the toll of his actions.  There are limitations to our heroes and on occasion it serves them well to be reminded that they can only do the best they can, but there are things even they can’t overcome.

ROM does an equally good job on the illustrations, as his chaotic and highly stylized work left me reminded of the illustrator that brought Tom Judge to life in the first place.  He has a knack for horror and the supernatural, while also delivering some devilishly realized requirements of the written word.  In particular I found myself enamored with a few key sequences that are sure to garner attention and praise.  To sum up: the pictures were functional and fluent.

Artifacts #33 suffers from a few minor hiccups, but for the most part both of these talents should be commended as this work for Top Cow earns a recommendation.

3.5/5

threehalfstar

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