ADVANCE REVIEW! The Magdalena: Seventh Sacrament #1

Should dedicated fans bother with this one-shot? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

Talent Hunt winning writer TINI HOWARD and artist AILEEN ORACION challenge the legend of the Spear of Destiny as sins of omission come to light in this one shot special! Detective Sara Pezzini reveals a lost manuscript that speaks of a bright young martyr and the dark acts she eclipses in this tale of an all-new Magdalena.

What he have here is a slice of history for the Top Cow universe. As their primary player delivers ancient materials that unearth an unexpected tale. The creative team, for the most part, hands in a comic book that should be readily described as compelling but there were some shaky moments along its narrative path.

Tini Howard pens the script, and the Talent Hunt winner proves her prowess with a script that effortlessly builds upon what we know while revealing details we don’t. The story centers on a long forgotten sister who happens to carry a familiar relic. Without spoiling anything I can say that the text lives within the religious realm known to those that have followed the various exploits of The Magdalena. We have monsters, sacrifice and of course an ending capped off with some wit from the one and only Detective Sara Pezzini.

Initially the illustrations by Aileen Oracion just didn’t sit well with me. The panels felt a bit empty as the artist employed renditions with a minimalist approach. But somewhere between the lines and pencil strokes I found a visual side that fit the written word more often then it did not. Now I didn’t agree with all the decisions but the body of work did enough, especially when the colors by Ross Campbell filled the various aspects of the intended negative spaces.

The Magdalena: Seventh Sacrament is a one-shot that understood the boundaries of its playground. Though when the dust settled there really was no explanation as to how the wielder of the Witchblade came into possession of the document that propels the narrative. Even so this earns a recommendation.