Battlemouth

I’m a sufferer of event fatigue. With some of the big name companies pumping out event series and spin-offs every year like rabbits popping out litters of kits, it is hard not to get jaded with the near-constant barrage. When I heard that Top Cow was entering this market with their own event series, it was with some trepidation that I approached the first issue. Thankfully, Artifacts #1 was quick to calm my fears and even left me excited with anticipation.

Top Cow’s first global event is truly epic. Five years in the making, the Artifacts limited series brings together a number of plot threads and concepts that have been swirling around the Top Cow Universe for a decade. Led by Top Cow architect Ron Marz, along with artist Michael Broussard, all the major characters meet new characters in an event that will surely change the Universe – maybe permanently.

From the official blurb:

Thirteen mystical Artifacts, including the Witchblade, the Darkness and others, guide the fate of the Top Cow Universe. For centuries, it’s been whispered that bringing together all 13 Artifacts would herald mankind’s destruction. But a mysterious figure has been manipulating events, laying plans to put Armageddon into motion. The final phase begins here, with the abduction of Hope, the daughter of Sara Pezzini and Jackie Estacado. What ensues will remake the entirety of the Top Cow Universe, from the Witchblade and the Darkness, to the Angelus, Magdalena, and countless others. Artifacts #1 is the perfect place for faithful readers to see their loyalty pay off, and for new readers to experience the Top Cow Universe.

This setup promises great things, and Ron Marz hits the ground running. In the first two pages, we are already hitting action with Sara Pezzini, the current wearer of the Witchblade, as she confronts and fights a mysterious figure. The story flows beautifully from there, leading from action into storyline building, and culminating in what must be one of the rare times that a comic actually shocks me. Truly, the ending of this issue is something that is beyond the pale. Marz has also managed to write this issue in a way that the reader doesn’t need to be fully familiar with the Top Cow Universe; it is likely one of the few event series out there that can act as a jumping-in point for new readers.

The art is excellent, with Michael Broussard holding to his usual high standards. It has a nice organic flow between panels, and the panel art itself uses the bare minimum lines to provide details while retaining a level of roughness, delivering grittiness. A rare treat is the cover, which is a jam between some of the high-flying Top Cow artists, including Marc Silvestri, Stjepan Sejic, Sheldon Mitchell, Nelson Blake II, and Broussard. Also included are samples of variant cover series featuring each of the 13 Artifact bearers by John Tyler Christopher (Witchblade), and a special first-issue cover by Dale Keown (The Darkness/Pitt).

Artifacts #1 is a well-crafted issue that will lead into what will be an intriguing limited series. At this early stage, it looks like this event series will break the formulaic mold set by other major comic companies, and deliver to the reader something quite unique and exciting. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how this series will play out.