SUMMARY: Artifacts #22 is a fan-pleaser, full of gorgeous, rich art and witty dialogue. As well, judging from some of the variant covers and promotional images, issue #23 will see a welcome return from a Top Cow mainstay who should play an interesting part in the Artifacts series.

Overall, this is a real highlight of the Artifacts series and one of my personal favourites that Marz and Sejic have produced together. Between them they created a thrilling fight scene, a tense and uneasy exorcism, and they put some real focus on the relationship between Judge and Tilly, therefore giving the characters a chance to flourish in what was already a great issue.

I really really don't want to spoil the last few pages of this book. There is the appearance of another Artifacts regular and a gorgeous final page, featuring many of the big hitters from the series. Personally, I would love to see the last page on the Top Cow store as a poster. The art in this issue is that level of geek-tastic. Without spoiling anything, I do have a little complaint in that the last two pages are the kind that leave you desperate for the next issue. I guess that's a good thing, but I think issues like this are the kind that benefit as being chapters in graphic novels rather than single issues. That way you can instantly flick to the next chapter and keep reading. So, while the ending of Artifacts #24 is a fanboy/girl's dream, it's a bit of a tease. Especially when you have another month to wait for the next part. It's going to be great, but it's still nothing short of cruel. Or maybe it's just very, very clever writing.

Jackie Estacado, bearer of the Darkness, dreams of a time long ago when the Darkness and the Magdelena met once before.

Talent Hunt winners make a reasonable first outing in "The First Darkness".

There are great things in store with this series and I applaud Silvestri and the rest of the Top Cow team for handing it to us for free. A lot of work has gone into this series and it deserves a lot of love in return.

Stryker and the team take on the SHOCs.

If this book had been published while Buffy was still on the air and I was still sixteen, I'd have the pages ripped out and stuck in my school folders. It has that early 2000s goth-metal thing going on for it. I feel that the following months will see the fan base growing. I smell the scent of a cult classic in the making.

Death Vigil #2 initiates both newbie Clara and the readers into the vigil and we see how Sam came to join its ranks.

Stjepan Sejic pulls another fantastic issue of Death Vigil out of the bag. This month, Clara gets to grips with her veilripper.

A well-paced instalment which gives equal weighting to character development and crowd-pleasing action sequences.

All in all, reading Emily and the Strangers made me feel like being a teenaged goth again. It was ridiculous fun and filled my head with the possibilities of the following issues. It may be a done-to-death plot, but Emily makes it awesome.

Issue #1 of Pilot Season winner Genius. A gritty look at an up-and-coming Queen of the streets of LA.

Genius #2 takes things up a notch as Destiny takes the battle beyond the streets of her neighbourhood.

A slight lull in the middle of the series but still a high-quality outing for Destiny as she reveals more of the politics of her neighbourhood.

After a group of undercover cops wreak havoc right on Destiny's front door, she resorts to desperate measures to regain control of the situation.

Blood, gore and family drama galore in Image's Goners #4

Hellboy in Hell is a stunning series and it's great to see Mike Mignola back in the driving seat. A great deal of work has gone into this book and if you are a fan of well-constructed art and a really clever comic book, this is the title that should be at the top of your “to-read” bundle.

Anything else I could say about the plot beyond this would be incredibly spoileriffic, so I'll keep my mouth shut. Instead, what I will say is this: the Injustice tie-in comic certainly feels like a tie-in. It doesn't have the majesty of the current DC titles. Instead, it feels a little like a Justice League animated movie. Lots of action and fun, but lacking in substance. It's sad because the book almost feels rushed, as if DC and NetherRealms had agreed on this book before anyone actually thought through the logistics. As I've said, it's fun and worth a read, especially if you're looking forward to the game. However, if you're looking for something with a little more love and care, just wait for the game itself.

All in all, this is a stunning book with characters that you are bound (see what I did there?!) to fall in love with. Yes, its content may be suited to those with particular interests and acquired tastes but what this has at its very heart is a relationship you can genuinely believe in. And that is something special. If you haven't preordered Sunstone yet and you're up for trying something new, get it ordered now. It's a beautiful book and the extras are fantastic. Ally and Lisa are waiting.

All in all, The Darkness #109 is an important chapter in the “Breaking Dark” story. It sees Jackie having to pay for his earlier choices and it ends on a really sweet cliffhanger. Hine's short story is a real winner and worth collecting the previous three issues in order to read them all together. A very good comic and another success in Top Cow's continuing Rebirth. Can't wait for the conclusion in The Darkness #110.

But, overall, it's a real let-down. There is no way Jackie would back down that easily. I've had this rant before, so I won't repeat myself. What I will say is that the Jackie Estacado I know and think is awesome is not this Jackie. Top Cow, please hurry up and get him back to the way he should be.

A slow build to a worthy pay-off

Plenty of action but missing something at its heart.