And Then I Read: THE JUDAS COIN by Walter Simonson

Images © DC Comics, Inc.

I’ve long been a fan of artist Walt Simonson, and I like it even better when he writes as well, so as you can guess, I was very happy when this book showed up in my comp box. The plot is simple enough: one of the coins paid to Judas for his betrayal of Jesus goes down through the ages with a curse that affects everyone who finds it. The fun part is seeing where in the DC Universe Walt would want to go with that episodic idea, and it’s a mix of familiar places for him and some less so. The outskirts of the Roman Empire first with all new characters, then to the Viking Prince in 1000 AD, pirate Captain Fear in 1720, Bat Lash in 1881, Batman and Two-Face in the present, and Manhunter in 2087 (the one from the brief series Manhunter 2070). Each section gets a different style of sorts. I mean, it’s all Walt’s unique, energetic linework, but there are nice color and layout variations as well as some unusual character treatments to keep it interesting.

I also love the lettering by John Workman and the coloring by Lovern Kindzierski, who each add unique variations of mood and style as well, such as the ones for this page from the Viking Prince chapter. I imagine Walt had a strong hand in all the choices, but the execution is excellent all around.

A story of this length made up of episodic chapters doesn’t have room for a lot of emotional resonance because we’re not following characters throughout, but each story has its charms, including lots of action, energy and creativity. I highly recommend it!