Today, I read Modern Testament, a comic made up of three tales.  The premise of the comic is taking biblical critters and inserting them into modern times, in essence continuing the latest bible stories with some new ones.  The good news is that the comic isn’t 100% preachy; it has some darkness, and it tackles some stuff that I think the bible might have missed.  The bad news is that this reviewer is pretty much an atheist, so this review may miss some points of the author (at best).  I guess we’ll see.

First thing’s first.  The comic is written by Frank Martin,  but he’s got a different team on each story . . . and each story takes on a different issue.  The first focuses on an angel who questions his beliefs, the second is “the Bad Guy,” and the third checks in on one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. 

Bottom line?  The biblical side of the tales wasn’t for me.  I don’t like angels, demons, and Apocalypse Horsemen, primarily because I’m not a fan of religion.  That said, Martin does a nice job of taking some complex issues and distilling them down into easily digested parables.  Also, he does a nice job of not forcing beliefs of ethics, morals, etc. down my throat.  Instead, he take the three tales and “fractures” them – that is, each tale shows a unique and surprising perspective from the hero.

The angel doubts his faith, and a surprising partnership may restore it.

The “Bad Guy” might is critical to the world, otherwise, we wouldn’t have “good guys.”

The Horsemen of this story is feeling a little slighted by a world that no longer fears his product.

Overall, interesting tales, well written, and with good art.  If you’re into these types of things, this comic is for you.  If you’re not into these types of things (comics that reference the bible), this might still be worth a look, as the different perspective, lack of preachiness, and perspective taking give this comic a dramatically different feel than the average story about the bible!

Check it out?