My first exposure to the title character of this book was in the recently released The Magdalena/Vampirella book. I didn't care for the Harris Comics heroine from Draculon, but the Magdalena really piqued my interest. The character's a little more sexed up here, as the cover attests, but the potential I found so intriguing in the team-up story is still to be found here. The art style isn't exactly my cup o' tea, and the script omits a couple of nuggets of information that would have been helpful, but overall, the premise is a strong one.
Since the time of Christ, the Knights of Malta have trained women to fulfill a special role, to stand as the Catholic Church's warrior, to become the Magdalena. The latest in the line has fallen, and the timing couldn't be worse. Still, agents seek out Patience, a young woman at a convent in Canada, a woman destined to become the next Magdalena. Unfortunately, she's nowhere to be found. She's quietly run away to seek out a different kind of adventure.
In the afore-mentioned team-up book, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the character bucked the Top Cow trend of T&A. She was clad in black from head to toe, and it instilled a sense of mystery in the character. There's far more skin to be found in the costume design here, unfortunately. Still, those images are of previous heroines to carry the Magdalena name; perhaps Patience will opt for something different and more sensible when she finally dons a costume in this series.
The art is appropriately gritty and energetic. Marc Silvestri is listed as the penciller's "personal assistant;" it makes sense, given how much his work reminds me of Silvestri's work and the Top Cow house style in general. The use of several inkers shows, though the storytelling is clear. I was disappointed that just about every character in the Magdalena's world is implausibly beautiful. There are no real forms to be found here.
What makes this story worth reading is the main character. Patience's innocence and curiosity is infectious. She represents everything that's worth saving in the world, and it's ironic that she'll probably have to sacrifice that purity and kindness in order for that to happen.
The script really paints a lovely picture of the young woman; unfortunately, Holguin's narration leaves out a key piece of information that makes for an awkward scene transition. We're told some characters are headed for Nova Scotia to seek Patience out, but we're never told where she's gotten off to. It takes a while for some visual cues to point to New York City, but I kept looking for a reference in the script that wasn't to be found.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
