Customer Reviews

Magdalena: Blood Divine

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Magdalena is very interesting graphic novel. Fist off, the artwork by Benitez is fantastic. Check out the recently released Batman Detective Comic # 823. His rendition of Batman, Poison Ivy and Robin is simply amazing. On to the book now...

A priest is apparently murdered in a church by Vampiri's (Vampires) and Magdalena is sent to investigate the brutal slaying. The investigation leads her to Paris whereby she confronts the Vampiri's and learns that the slaying was accidental and that they are not evil. She was killed by the soldiers of the Inquisition, the Garduna, for trying to prevent them from slaughtering the 'vampires'.

Through flahback's, we learn the lineage of the Magdalenes. They are descendants of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, who bore a daughter named Sarah. Each daughter born thereafter wields supernatural powers in order to fight the evils of the world.

We also learn that the church orders the slaughtering of innoncent people who do not conform to the church's beliefs (the inquisitions). We learn that the one of the Magdalene's attempts to intervene and try to save the wrongly accused from slaughter. We learn of the Spear of Destiny that was used to kill Jesus and is now wielded by the Magdalene's.

It is a very interesting read mixing religion, church politics, history and fiction. Having a good understanding of religion and history is very helpful when reading this book.

The story of BLOOD DIVINE is just a very nice twist in the Magdalena and vampires stories. I love the way it's told, and I was really surprised by what happens to the Magdalena in the end of the book. But I was in awe as she just grown from when she meet JAckie Estacado and his Darkness to the point in which she decides to trust more her instincts and heart than what she's been religiously instructed, and she stands up for it in the end.

The only thing that I don't like, and that's what's preventing me to give this review 5 stars, is the fact that ALL the Magdalenas look the same. Maybe this is the idea they want to show, that the new Magdalena is like a reincarnation of the old one, but it is confussing when you read stories of the Magdalena, as it is not easy to believe that this woman who looks exactly like the one who just died, or the one before her is just another one. The same eye and hair colour, the same dress... it looks lacking, on my humble opinion. I think it would be best to have a different looking Magdalena every time one arises.

Not the most original idea... we've all seen religious warriors and the vampires thing before, right? But let me tell you, The Magdalena herself is so bad@$$, and the treatment of Christianity is well handled (though I admit I'm a bit biased cos I'm a Catholic who has always been intrigued by Mary Magdalene). Besides that, this is worth it just cos the art is beautiful. Just my humble opinion...