Magdalena #2 picks up right where the first issue left off with Patience fighting the demon sent to kill her.

The Star of the Forthcoming Feature Film Gets Her Own Series!
Patience, the current Magdalena, and her mentor Kristof fight for their lives against a demonic horde.  Even if she survives the encounter, Patience must decide if the Church is merely luring her back like a lamb to the slaughter…

Writer Ron Marz then does something pretty impressive.  He slows the pace of the story, letting it play out at exactly the speed it should.  Post battle Patience heads to church to deal with those who want her to return to work for them.  The majority of the issue deals with this or the Antichrist picking his next victim to help him summon a new demon.  While a child is predictable for that role, its a pick that makes me smile and giggle a bit (what can I say, I’m twisted).

The last few pages will leave you hanging as to whether Patience will pick up her mantle and charge head first to take on evil and I definitely thought the series was going to go in one direction, but I was surprised it spun and went another.

I told you to pick up the first issue, and you definitely should if you haven’t.  While you’re out make sure to grab this second one while you’re at it.  You won’t be disappointed.

Read on for my extended take including it’s ratings.

Plot: Ron Marz can write.  I can’t praise him enough having called him the man behind the Top Cow curtain and the maestro directing this universe’s orchestra.  He manages to do the high octane as well as the slow paced banter.  This issue starts with one and then shifts right into the other seamlessly.  A pretty impressive move and for a series like this I’d expect action all the time.  The fact the second issue has shattered that notion makes me wonder what I can expect out of Marz in upcoming issues.  Rating: 8.75

Art: I enjoyed Nelson Blake II’s art a lot more with this second issue.  The inconsistencies I notice in the first issue are gone and it’s the solid art I’d expect in a Top Cow comic.  The thing that stuck out the most to me was the use of some of the panels.  There’s some interesting page layouts that made me look twice at the page as a whole.  Very solid work.  Rating: 8.25

Overall: The series is going to be a feature film.  Don’t you want to be the cool one in your friends and say you knew about Magdalena when it was just a comic book?  You know you want to.  But beside how “with it” and ahead of Hollywood you’d be, the story is cool, the art solid and overall the first two issues are entertaining.  You’re doing yourself a disservice by not picking this one up.  You won’t be disappointed.  Overall rating: 8.5

Recommendation: Buy

Page count: 32 pages    Price: $3.99     Release: Wednesday 6/16/2010

Top Cow provided Graphic Policy with an advance copy of this issue for FREE for review.