Every piece of art has something that catches your attention. It might be Darth Vader in “Star Wars” or the tugboat in JMW Turner’s painting “The Fighting Temeraire” and in the case of “Artemis” and the Assassin” it’s that incredible, enigmatic cover.
One panel later we find ourselves in France just before D-Day and smack in the middle of Virginia Hall (code name Artemis) kicking butt and taking names. She might not be French but she sure fights for them. An important D-Day related assignment arrives just moments before Maya shows up ready to spill some blood. Whereas Maya is a fictional character, Virginia Hall is a very real, very infamous World War 2 spy. It’s this intersection of fantasy and history that makes the book all the more enticing.
Published by Aftershock Comics and written by Stephanie Phillips, the opening salvo of “Artemis and the Assassin” offers a terrific hook once you look inside. Its first scene reminded me of the Civil War robbery from the Jean-Claude Van Damme classic “Timecop.” Instead of the Civil War though, we find ourselves in the frozen tundra of 1916 Russia. Maya, a futuristic, time-traveling assassin, handles some swift action before killing the legendary Rasputin. She returns to her time only to have a heated argument with, Isak, her boss. They berate each other over when Rasputin was killed. According to Isak, their job is all about when.
The writing is crisp and clean. Phillips is a terrific author focusing on empowered women and this book is no exception. Maya and Virginia are two very different people but I have a feeling it won’t take long for them to have a begrudging friendship. These two leads both get introduced from a position of power showing off their skills and dominating the action. There is no time wasted and despite plenty of questions you never feel lost.
There’s a fun B-story featuring Maya’s first mission but Maya and Aretmis’ first encounter is the only climatic ending we need to pull us back in for the next issue.
The art though is never used to communicate what time period we’re in leaving us to fend for ourselves. For instance, some books create a clear difference between worlds using various artistic approaches while utilizing the same artists. This book offers no such convenience. I was also a little confused why we needed the B-story. It’s entertaining and offers its own big finish but I would have rather spent more time in the A-story learning about the characters especially Virginia.
The artwork by Meghan Hetrick and Francesca Fantini is another strong element of the book. The central characters have distinct looks that help define who they are while the color palette from artist Lauren Affe ensures that everything pops off the page. The action itself comes in big sweeping gestures and easy to follow layouts that never leave you confused.
Despite a few bumps “Artemis and the Assassin” is off to a great start and definitely worth your time especially if you love pulpy, time-traveling stories featuring strong female characters.
(“Artemis and the Assassin” is available for digital purchase here or at your local comic book store)












