The issue is the conclusion of the three-part storyline that began in April. Picking up from the end of the previous issue, Tarot has tracked down the Cursed Swordsman and is so filled with anger over his brutal attack on Raven that she wants to kill him. But she can’t shake the feeling that her Goddess is responsible for the Swordsman’s curse and wonders if she’s really doing the right thing.

So, after assuring us that Thornwic has survived, what follows is a long and brutal fight between Tarot and the Swordsman, where Tarot finds that her magic is mostly ineffective against him, but he has a magical blade that can cut her, and when it does it makes her lose energy. At one point the Swordsman has grabbed Tarot and slams her face into the ground. Much credit goes to Jim Balent for this sequence, as not only is it beautifully drawn, by from the dialog and Tarot’s desperate thought captions, you can feel Tarot’s desperation as the fight continues. I was actually getting scared for her survival for a minute there!

But Raven shows up, with the Golem she created, as well as her dress demons, to help turn the tide of the fight. But will that be enough to kill this incredibly powerful being? In the end, Tarot makes a choice that could have a dramatic effect on her role as the Swordmaiden going forward.

Also, the subplot of Jon fighting the masked corpse thief and his henchman concludes, as Jon returns from Hell delivers a sound beating to the bad guy, and then drops I’m off at the police headquarters, like a true superhero. It’s a satisfying enough conclusion to that storyline, but still, ultimately it felt a bit pointless, other than to give Jon something to do in the comic. Also, this issue could have used some nudity. But Tarot and Raven’s skimpy outfits were still a delight to view.

But overall, this is another good issue of this long-running but underappreciated comic book series. Chacebook rating: FOUR STARS

Available at AMAZON.COM and via JIMBALENTSTUDIOS.COM