Loaded Bible 2: Blood of Christ

Loaded Bible 2: Blood of Christ, May 2007, Image Comics
writer: Tim Seeley
penciller: Mike Norton
finisher: Mark Englert
colorist: Rex Justice
letterer: Brian Crowley

Frankly, I don't know why we don't see Jesus in comics more often.

Never mind that he may be the redeemer of all mankind. Consider Jesus simply as the star of the best selling book of all time. Consider what he, as a hero in the context of his story, is capable of: transforming matter, healing illness, conquering death, just to name a few. Why aren't more writers drawn to this potential? Why hasn't Jesus joined the likes of Frankenstein and Bigfoot as one of the most frequently used icons of mystery in all of comics?

The three have enough in common. Jesus and Frankenstein have both conquered death, and Jesus and Bigfoot are often "seen" by delusional mid-westerners, if not in the forest, than on a tortilla.

Well, Loaded Bible still doesn't technically star Jesus, but rather his clone, who endures a Bourne-like quest for his identity in the midst of an apocalyptic invasion of vampires. Walking on water, no problem, but holding his own against a blood-thirsty army growing their own purebreds Blade II-style? No so much. Still, Christ's sympathy for his fellow man is his greatest power, as he temporary cares for a vampire infant despite its status as atrocity-to-all-that-is-holy.

Norton and Englert's artwork is what propels this issue to greatness, as their crisp renditions of Jesus, vampires, and all things Vatican conspiracy make even the slowest talking head sequences compelling. A conspiracy brews behind the scenes of this perpetual battle, and with cowboy-like bounty hunters in the mix, Loaded Bible's next book is sure to rival a certain revelation of the apostle John.

This is why Jesus should be in comics more. He knows how to bring the pain! It's almost like he lives for it . . .