‘Angela: Asgard’s Assassin Vol. 1’ review
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
5/5
The character of Angela comes from the minds of Todd McFarlane and Neil Gaiman, the writers who originally brought us Spawn and the Sandman. As you would expect, there are heavy religious themes surrounding her in Angela: Asgard’s Assassin.
In this world, the concept of Heaven (or Heven, as it’s referred to in the book) is treated in the same way that Asgard is—gods and angels are actually really powerful aliens. Angela is an Angel, a warrior who goes around making deals that balance the scale of life and death.
This iteration is written by Kieron Gillen, and has a distinctly Xena feel to it. Angela has entered Purgatory in search of her friend Sera, which allows Sera to act as a plot device to explain Angela’s backstory. It works well, and at no point did I feel bogged down by text or that there was a lack of action.
The overall comic book, though short due to it being a single issue, is well-laid-out. The characters are introduced, and there is a conflict that is resolved by the end, as well as a new conflict that is introduced to entice readers towards buying the next issue.
The art, done by Marguerite Bennett, is as close to perfection as you could expect. It’s well-detailed with believable feminine anatomy and some incredibly imaginative creatures. I loved every page of it.
I actually had to read this comic twice because of details that are brought up in the end. There are elements present in the art that actually play a role in the plot, despite the fact they aren’t mentioned until near the end of the book.
I find the fact that the art and narrative are so well intertwined extremely promising for the series, and would recommend it to anyone.