With the world around him entering some very dark times, our hero must muster up the gumption to take back his Artifact… but can he?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

“BREAKING DARK,” PART Three

Jackie Estacado’s world has been crumbling around him and he fears recent events may drive his wife, Jenny, to the brink of insanity. But will Jackie be able to hold it together when he receives even more tragic family news? DAVID HINE (THE DARKNESS: FOUR HORSEMEN, THE BULLETPROOF COFFIN) and JEREMY HAUN (ARTIFACTS, Detective Comics) follow up their horrific first arc with a four-part story that will make you question everything you think you know about the Top Cow universe.

If you thought you knew what was going on in the Top Cow Universe, think again.  Following the events of their line-wide rebirth and slight continuity shift we are bearing witness to the deliciously rotten fruit of their labors, as subtle connections between Artifacts, The Darkness and Witchblade are bubbling to the surface.

David Hine pens this script and the series writer handles it like a pro.  He steadily maneuvers all the pieces on his proverbial chessboard toward this issue’s spectacular climax.  The outstanding thing at this point is that the characters themselves and the subtle plot threads have each developed enough that every release from here on out will feel completely cosmetic as this tale marches toward its forthcoming finale, whenever that might be.

Jeremy Haun masterfully draws this issue as his bold and stylized panels give life to this depraved version of reality.  His characterizations of The Darkness and the foe it battles is top notch, as his unique take on this franchise gives birth to some of his most engaging work to date.  The end result is a visceral visual experience that will engage readers from start to finish.

The Darkness #108 is a splendidly realized issue that forges an interesting future for the Top Cow Universe while revealing some answers to the many questions still facing all the characters therein.  Highly recommended.

4.5/5