JUDAS review - Judas priest
(Reviewed by Melody Werner)
Judas is a 2017-2018 4 issue comic written by Jeff Loveness and illustrated by Jakub Rebelka. Published by BOOM! Studios, it was met with critical and audience acclaim. What drew me in was the creative team (I'm particularly in love with Rebelka's artistic prowess) and the subject matter. As a deist, I view Christian theology in the same way I view Greek mythology--cool stories to be woven into our cultural tapestry; to be remixed, reinterpreted as is a creator or a few creators' wont. So a comic posing Judas Iscariot, the great betrayer, as the hero of his story? Right up my alley. And god, you know what? This comic is *giggles to myself* divine.
Jakub Rebelka, in due time, will be known as a watermark artiste. His gorgeous visuals bring the same sort of air to it as you might find in an ornate book. To say he fits this title perfectly is to state a profoundly obvious fact. I cannot perceive another living artist I know of doing this story in his stead. But his one of a kind visuals wouldn't mean so much if the book failed to provide thoughtful visual storytelling--and luckily, it doesn't. The panel structure is unafraid to be inventive, yet always remains easy to read and comprehend. And wrapping the whole thing up with regards to what we are able to see directly in the finished product (since it's not like you can read the writer's scripts or plot outlines in the comic), is some really classy lettering from Colin Bell.
Loveness is a writer I've known of through his work on World Reader and Nova, but had never experienced firsthand until Judas. The writing here is superb, delivering a believable, nuanced retelling of Judas which the torch and pitchfork crowd really ought to wait out and see. Judas hits so hard, and so heavy at times, you really empathize with the title character. It's easy to get caught up in the complex characters and intriguing way in which this story is presented. Judas is the kind of book that you can read in one sitting, if you're feeling frisky, but will keep thinking of long after you've put it down...
... I know this as I actually read this some time last year (2018 for y'all time travelers), and yet I haven't stopped thinking about it. Not completely, at any rate. It's always in there, looking for a moment to peek back into my conscience. Judas gets a 9/10. There aren't many glaring drawbacks to it, it's just one of those comics that's solidly fantastic all around but not "transcendent" or the best in its field necessarily.
Excellent
Summary:
Be sure to take this to church. I don't mean "destroy it," I mean someone should literally take this to church one day. And not to, like, trigger them or whatever bullshit. I genuinely think some of those folks would get a lot out of Judas, depending on the person.
Judas is a 2017-2018 4 issue comic written by Jeff Loveness and illustrated by Jakub Rebelka. Published by BOOM! Studios, it was met with critical and audience acclaim. What drew me in was the creative team (I'm particularly in love with Rebelka's artistic prowess) and the subject matter. As a deist, I view Christian theology in the same way I view Greek mythology--cool stories to be woven into our cultural tapestry; to be remixed, reinterpreted as is a creator or a few creators' wont. So a comic posing Judas Iscariot, the great betrayer, as the hero of his story? Right up my alley. And god, you know what? This comic is *giggles to myself* divine.
Jakub Rebelka, in due time, will be known as a watermark artiste. His gorgeous visuals bring the same sort of air to it as you might find in an ornate book. To say he fits this title perfectly is to state a profoundly obvious fact. I cannot perceive another living artist I know of doing this story in his stead. But his one of a kind visuals wouldn't mean so much if the book failed to provide thoughtful visual storytelling--and luckily, it doesn't. The panel structure is unafraid to be inventive, yet always remains easy to read and comprehend. And wrapping the whole thing up with regards to what we are able to see directly in the finished product (since it's not like you can read the writer's scripts or plot outlines in the comic), is some really classy lettering from Colin Bell.
Loveness is a writer I've known of through his work on World Reader and Nova, but had never experienced firsthand until Judas. The writing here is superb, delivering a believable, nuanced retelling of Judas which the torch and pitchfork crowd really ought to wait out and see. Judas hits so hard, and so heavy at times, you really empathize with the title character. It's easy to get caught up in the complex characters and intriguing way in which this story is presented. Judas is the kind of book that you can read in one sitting, if you're feeling frisky, but will keep thinking of long after you've put it down...
... I know this as I actually read this some time last year (2018 for y'all time travelers), and yet I haven't stopped thinking about it. Not completely, at any rate. It's always in there, looking for a moment to peek back into my conscience. Judas gets a 9/10. There aren't many glaring drawbacks to it, it's just one of those comics that's solidly fantastic all around but not "transcendent" or the best in its field necessarily.
Excellent
Summary:
Be sure to take this to church. I don't mean "destroy it," I mean someone should literally take this to church one day. And not to, like, trigger them or whatever bullshit. I genuinely think some of those folks would get a lot out of Judas, depending on the person.
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