Posted in: Comics, Review | Tagged: boom studios, Colin Bell, Comics, jakub rebelka, Jeff Loveness, judas, Review

Judas #1 Review: A Gorgeous New Book that is Mysterious and Intriguing

Published Mon, 11 Dec 2017 21:00:44 -0600

Judas #1 from BOOM! Studios by Jeff Loveness, Jakub Rebelka and Colin Bell comes out this coming Wednesday, and tells the traditional tale of Judas Escariot, the Disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ, and expands upon it.

Following Judas after his suicide, he finds himself in the cold plains of Hell.

Immediately, the book draws the reader in. It's striking, beautiful artwork entices and pulls the eye to the page, demanding to be seen, Rebelka should be commended here. The words from Loveness add a liar of both intrigue, as it is at this point not entirely clear what is going on, but not in a bad way. There is a sense of mystery that tugs and nags at the reader, demanding to be explored.

Moreover, Loveness adds a humanising element to Judas, providing reasoning for his betrayal that is admittedly relatable. How can a man be blamed for doubts, doubts that build to anger, when he sees the miracles of Jesus Christ, in a world that is harsh and full of injustice? Judas is the nagging doubt that all humans are prone too, and Loveness plays with this well here.

Occasionally the narrative is broken up by excerpts from the Bible itself, which are clearly defined by Bell's lettering, which utilises few different styles, thus creating defined examples for each 'speaker' within the tale.

Despite using the Bible, using Judas and the classic tales of Christ's death, it is hard to say that Judas #1 is itself religious in any way at this time. Not that it tries to shed religion from it's story, but rather that the focus is much more on the human element, of Judas' own doubts and ultimate betrayal, and his continued doubts in his new situation.

As the story progresses, this may well change, but for now we have Judas #1, which is stunningly beautiful and effective, and has me intrigued to see where it goes next.

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