Artifacts #34 Review

Is there enough meat to this tale to get fans to love these guest contributors? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

TOP COW’S SECOND 2012 TALENT HUNT-WINNING TEAM!

Ian Nottingham possesses the Blood Sword – so why isn’t he using it? He wants to know if he can take down three of the major Tokyo Yakuza clans in a single night without the demonic weapon.

It’s a rough and tumble release that sees a largely downplayed character get some deserved screen time. For Witchblade fans, we’re all familiar with the man that was once Kenneth Irons’ lapdog and even a former love interested for Sara Pezzini, but now we’re seeing him in a slightly different light. Our brooding assassin is in a new world where he holds an ancient artifact all his own while still attempting showmanship.

The text by Eugene Ward may not elevate what we know of this protagonist, but the author nails his unique traits well enough to sell a story as outlandish as this. One man versus several clans, all in an effort to prove that even without his weapon of choice he’s still a force to be reckoned with. The scribe offers up a descent amount of dialogue and narration that keep the pace moving briskly but never to the point that the events feel underdeveloped. There are lingering questions about what Ian Nottingham has been up to but for the most part, in the context of this comic, it doesn’t matter.

Martin Gimenez offers a varied display that’s chock-full of depth and sensory realism. He brings a lot to the table as his renditions of all the players stand out. But there were times where facial expressions just did not match tempo of the tale. Despite that fact I found several of the renditions to be wholly impressive, especially an early shot that was slightly reminiscent of a piece first delivered by the late great Michael Turner.

Artifacts #34 is a good one and done story that doesn’t change the climate of this universe but rather reinforces its key elements. Recommended.

3.5/5