Publisher: Top Cow
Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Nelson Blake II
Cover: Ryan Sook
“Magdalena”: For a thousand years a woman who shares the bloodline of Christ has been chosen to serve the church to protect the world from supernatural threats, and that woman is known as the Magdalena. The position is currently filled by Patience, who has been able to wield the Magdalena’s weapon, the Spear of Destiny, like no other who served in the role before her. The only problem is that after a “miscommunication,” she left the direct service of the church, but still continues to fight the good fight, and the church isn’t too happy that their weapon is running around without a leash so to speak.
Now things are getting desperate (end of the world type desperate), and the church has decided to train another Magdalena; but like the Highlander, there can be only one! So in order not to have Patience “replaced,” her old mentor volunteers to go and see if he can plead their case and get her back into the fold, knowing that if he fails his life may be forfeit as well.
Since I’m only vaguely familiar with the character, I felt that Ron Marz made this introduction to Magdalena a comfortable one, as you’re not slammed with a lot of past baggage for the character. He’s picked out exactly what’s necessary to set up the main plot, and maybe several future plot lines, giving us an exciting story so far. Marz also begins (at least for us newer readers) to establish Patience as a character more so than her alter ego the Magdalena, and I feel like that kind of direction will help define the series when balanced with the demon hunting and supernatural fights.
I have to say that the art in the book by Nelson Blake II was on point, and with Sal Regla and Dave McCaig on inks and colors it was just the trifecta of visual goodness the book needed. Their two-page spread showing the evolution of the Magdalena and the different women to carry the title through the years was one of the best scenes in the book. The Magdalena’s design is great here as well, as she’s not just another comic woman with an exaggerated cup size in a tight costume that fights demons, with a look more normal and balanced without the emphasis on her physical attributes.
So if you have never read Magdalena, then this would be the perfect jumping on point for you to get started. When the art and story is this good, it always makes for a worth while read; and for those that may not know, the Magdalena’s Spear of Destiny is also one of the 13 Artifacts of power, so I’m definitely sure she will come into play during Top Cow’s thirteen issue event this summer!
For more Top Cow news and our interview with Ron Marz take a look here!
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
O.o Is she fully CLOTHED? I’m impressed.
ooooo… so mean, Kristin.
mean but understandable, I suppose. I’ve avoided Top Cow because of the T&A rep for a while now, but I’ve been looking forward to this and the whole artifact story line for some time now. I’m beginning to see Top Cow as more than the “T&A publisher” I had originally perceived them to be.
lol yeah Patience’s costume is a lot more tame than the previous women who had the title of Magdalena back in the late 90s. I actually first noticed that when I picked up the Magdalena/Daredevil book a while back and it actually shocked me.
J.K. thats the reason I had stopped collecting those books as well but when Marz came on and I noticed that Witchblade wasn’t half naked through 20 pages of every book I figured the change I was waiting for had finally come. I was actually glad he backed that up in the interview with us
Oh, no, I wasn’t trying to be mean! I meant that in all seriousness. So many times, even when the female is a strong character, she’s still presented in a drastically sexual manner. I mean, take Motoko Kasunagi from Ghost in the Shell. She kicks ass. But she still walks around in a high-cut swim suit looking thing all the time. On the opposite end is Balsa from Moribito, who kicks equal amounts of ass, but keeps her clothes on.
The thought that I was taking a jab at Top Cow hadn’t crossed my mind at all until you said something. 🙂
I’m really interested in this series. I like the “look” of it. Maybe I’ll have to order it from here on out.
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