Advent Comics 2016
Written by Tony Kittrell
Illustrated by Allan Goldman
Ink Assists by Preston Shuttlesworth
Coloured by Bryan Magnaye
Lettered by Oren Kramek
Heaven and Hell two forces who are always at odds with one another it’s something that’s been ingrained in us for a very long time. This is the story of Heaven’s Angels coming to Earth to protect mankind from Satan and his forces. It’s always interesting to see how someone will interpret how the Angels will behave and Tony’s take is no different. We’ve seen them as soldiers, as aloof creatures who take no direct action, as these literal beings with little to no free will so to see them each with a unique personality is a nice change of pace.
The angels are concerned for mankind’s future and have decided it’s time they came to help out and possibly spread the word of God and help them believe once again in his gospel. Now being raised as a nice Jewish boy i’m okay with that provided it doesn’t get overly preachy then i’m out but from what i’m seeing here it’s really just something about them that fuels their beliefs and mission.
This world is also inhabited by beings of power, aside those from heaven it would appear. A young woman with amnesia but knowing her powers saves a young girl and becomes something of an ally. A nice introduction to the character they’ve named Ministry for her compassion and desire to put herself in harm’s way to save a life. Now i’m not altogether too sure but i’d say Fire and Brimstone whom we also meet on the opposite side of the coin sound more like agents of the down below.
I like that we see them interacting with people in the here and now and are trying effect change not just with those who have powers. It is a nice way to showcase how wide ranged their thoughts and priorities are so that even lowlife gangster wannabe’s get the same treatment as those who we’d consider of a higher priority. That kind of shows that every person matters to them now matter how great or small their transgression might be and it sets things up nicely for future stories. After all, all too often people with powers only concentrate on those who also have powers instead of trying to help the average person.
I really like the interior artwork here. The attention to detail is incredible and the work on the wings demonstrate. That not everyone dresses the same is a bonus as we see how they see themselves as comfortable individuals. The page layouts with the use of angles and perspective and the nice of backgrounds control the flow of the story very well. I like that people are represented with a broad range of body types, well the two humans and kids we see anyway and this gives me hope for that to continue. After all not everyone is superhero gym body type.
I’m intrigued by what they want to do and how they plan to go about helping mankind. Not a lot is given in the latter regard so hopefully with what we’ve seen of their characterisation that’s an ongoing part that will evolve over time and through their interactions. While I don’t have to believe in their god the message of helping one another and doing what you can is a nice one to see.