The Sword of Azrael.....3 Stars

 The Sword Of Azrael # 3


               


 

A lot of times a series will start of good, and than sort of sputter and lose momentum, particularly when they becomes wrapped up in long drawn out origin stories, which seems to be where were headed with this series, though it is still more than readable.  

We know that Azrael has been endowed with some sort of genetic enhancement as a result of being a test tube baby raised to be an angel of vengeance by the order of St. Dumas, but what hasn't been explored yet (at least to my knowledge) is just how it happened, and how he was psychologically programmed to be a killer, this is what writer Dan Watters attempts to do. 

If your into conspiracy theories like the Knights of Templar and the Vatican Deception you might like the tone of this comic, though it deals with the roots of Azrael's Christian theology from a strictly materialist perspective, which is good, because introducing magic into the equation would fundamentally change Azrael's character, which would be sure to upset fans. 

So kudos to Dan Watters for respecting the lore and roots of this character, something that is all too often thrown out the window by creative at DC comics. 

That being said, psychological dream sequences, and the unlocking of suppressed memories can make for some pretty dry reading unless your given an intriguing detailed explanation based on neuroscience....which of course I don't expect in a comic.  

This mini series as a whole is therefore written for the initiated Azrael fan, a casual fan, or someone picking it up out of curiosity, might prefer something that is more of a straight up action comic with an intriguing plotline that doesn't involve an origins story.  

3 stars out of 5

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