The Dark Angels continue their journey after the battle with the Iron Warriors
Creative Staff:
Writer: George Mann
Art: Tazio Bettin
Colors: Enrica Eren Angiolini
What They Say:
The mighty ongoing series returns with a brand new arc! By superstar writer George Mann (Warhammer 40,000 novels, Dark Souls, Doctor Who) and illustrated by Tazio Bettin (Independence Day)! Featuring Eldar Harlequins and a Necron Tomb! Plus ritual and sacrifice for the space marines…
Content🙁 Warning, Content sections may contain spoilers)
After their trials fighting the Chaos forces in the Will of Iron arc, The Dark Angels return again to face even greater threats. We start off by being in quite a darkened area with Inquisitor Sabbathiel (who still wants to expose dark secrets about these space marines). She is awoken by someone on her ship telling her the demonic thing in her hold keeps calling her name. The demon seems to have something in store for the Inquisito, but the scene soon changes to the Stronghold of the Dark Angels. Altheous speaks with another Dark Angel, Master Seraphus. The two watch Marine Baltus as he immerse in ritual, and the two observers agree that he will be a strong asset. Back with the Inquisitor, she demands to know what the demon knows about the Dark Angels and he somehow convinces her to open her mind to his knowledge (probably not a good idea there). We are shown a planet called Quintus, about which the demon gives more vague information. The Dark Angels recieve information about this planet as well, namely that Xenos have arrived there. The Inquisitor and the Dark Angels forces seem to be in each others way again, Altheous leads a group to this area, Baltus included, and the Inquisitor readies herself to discover secrets on Quintus as well. As the issue ends, we see the alien forces that the space marines had detected earlier: Eldar Harlequins!
In Summary:
Well, that’s definitely new. The Eldar are an ancient race, and one that the space marines have fought many times before. If they’re on Quintus, something else must be there as well, which the cover would imply was Necrons. Time will tell on that front, and we’re left with the possibility of a three way battle about to erupt. The Dark Angels will find the Eldar and immediately move to exterminate them, but if Sabbathiel finds them there, she’ll attack them in an effort to find their secrets and stop them from getting in her way. It is a rare occurence that Imperial forces fight other Imperial forces, but Sabbathiel seems to be offering no choice. In her burning need to expose the Dark Angels, she has opened herself to a demon’s influence and can now be considered corrupted by Chaos.
The demon will probably use Sabbathiel against the space marines and to spread corruption on Quintus. Quintus itself may hold more secrets then we know now, though. The characters have transitioned to the new story arc well, and the dialogue and writing are still very well done. The characters of Altheous and Baltus still stand out over others like Seraphus and Sabbathiel though, likely because of how much more import they are given. The art is dark and fits the property it is based on well, so fans won’t be disappointed there. The tone is grim, as all forces involved here seem to be headed for a massive battle that they cannot or will not avoid. What secrets does Quintus hide? We’ll hopefully have answers next time, as action begins!
Grade: A
Released By: Titan Comics
Release Date: March 15, 2017
MSRP: $3.99