Artifacts, Vol. 2

Superior art is the main attraction of this collection, gathering the middle installments of a team-up miniseries. All of the Top Cow fictional universe’s super characters are involved in gathering or preventing the gathering of 13 magical objects that could destroy that universe. Actually, at this point in the action, the morally ambiguous superfolk aren’t quite sure what’s happening or which side they’re on. The issue is simpler for Sara Pezzini, NYPD detective and bearer of the Witchblade, and for Jackie Estacado, mobster and bearer of the Darkness, who just want to protect their daughter, Hope, from the carnage. The script sets up fight scenes and cliffhanger climaxes efficiently in the confusing plot, and readers can enjoy the art while waiting for a point to surface. Portacio’s pencils lay out the physical action well enough, which is beautifully developed in the exuberant inking by Joe Weems (sometimes helped by Marco Gall) and in the layered, muted coloring by Sunny Cho. The result is as lovely as it is tantalizing. (Oct.)