Posted - July 2, 2013 | Updated : August 24, 2015

Previous: Annihilation Aftermath

Artifacts brings home to me that Top Cow is dead serious about creating a Top Cow Universe, and that is just wonderful news for us comics lovers. Add to that Stjepan Sejic's lush art and this series is really worth checking out.

The concept at the heart of this series is very simple : Thirteen artifacts of power were brought together to make reality; the thirteen objects. when brought together again, can unmake reality, and remake it in the form desired by the wielder of the objects. And so with that, let the story begin . . .

Here are the thirteen artifacts.

Let's start with the most famous : The Witchblade

The Darkness.

The Angelus.

The Rapture.

The Spear of Destiny.

The Glacier Stone.

The Ember Stone.

Pandora's Box

The Blood Sword.

The Wheel of Shadows.

The Heartstone.

The Coin of Solomon.

And the mysterious 13th Artifact

Then we have the recruitment of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite is described as a fourth generation cyborg assassin. She is being setup as the nemesis of the artifact wielders, whoever they may be.

I'm really most familiar with the Marvel and DC Universes so I'm going around Artifacts and looking at all these new things; it's a great experience to see a new universe. Here we have a double page spread showing the Magdelena.

The Magdalena is a title inherited by a woman through the generations. The holder of the title is also the wielder of the Artifact known as the Spear of Destiny. Each Magdelena is the Church's instrument of justice and vengeance.

We join the most famous wielder of an Artifact. Sara Pezzini, wielder of the Witchblade.

This is Tom Judge, wielder of the Rapture.

This is what he can do.

Here's a huge panel of all, or nearly all, the wielders. Wow.

Here's something curious. Here is Sara Pezzini's daughter

This child has supernatural bodyguards. Two kinds. A guard provided by the Angelus and the other provided by the Darkness.

I'm surprised by the angelic guardian. The Darkness is expected since the child's father is Jackie Estacado, wielder of the Darkness.

Those bodyguards are of no avail as the child is kidnapped by Aphrodite.

Here is Jackie Estacado, wielder of the Darkness - in action.

Here is another shot of Jackie, this time in 'costume'.

Here is the Angelus.

Here's more of the Rapture.

Great shot of Aphrodite talking to Nottingham, a newly escaped convict and former wielder of the Blood Sword.

Here's a great shot of the Angelus, the Witchblade and the Darkness.

While Tom Judge tries to organize one group of wielders (Rapture, Angelus, Witchblade and the Darkness). Aphrodite attempts to form a rival group. Here she is talking to Alina Enstrom wielder of Pandora's Box.

She also approaches Sabine, the unhappily transformed wielder of the Wheel of Shadows.

Stranges of all is the demon Mali. rumored wielder of the Heartstone.

Glorianna Silver wielder of the Ember Stone

This is Michael Finnegan, wielder of both the Glacier Stone and the Blood Sword.

And here is Nottingham, out to 'recover' the Blood Sword from Michael.

Finnegan falls into the water, uses the Glacier Stone, and turns into an ice giant.

He is thrown right back in to the water by the combined forces of Nottingham and Aphrodite.

For all you math lovers out there, we have a math-based psychic.

Ah, here is the arrival of the Magdalena. Tom Judge's group.

Magdalena and the Angelus, both supposedly on the side of the Angels, make unlikely foes.

This collection, being a part of a larger arc, ends abruptly, but it has given me a taste of the Top Cow Universe and I'm definitely coming back for more.

Next: Avengers 35 & 36 Multiversal Avengers