The Tithe #4 - A Review

Samaritan's final heist went badly for all parties involved. The raid on a corrupt mega-church resulted in a successful theft but also the death of Mike. And the civilian casualties caught in the crossfire of a shoot-out between The FBI and the mega-church's private security have resulted in Agents Campbell and Miller being taken off their case pending an investigation.

What follows next will forever change the lives of those involved. Those who survive, at any rate.


Perhaps the most miraculous aspect of this issue is that creators Matt Hawkins and Rahsan Ekedal had to change things at the last moment  in order to accommodate The Tithe expanding into a monthly series from a mini-series. You'd never know it from the artwork, which looks as fine as ever.


Matt Hawkins' script for this issue is a thing of wonder. With the exception of the corrupt preachers, the series doesn't have any real villains and the story avoids being preachy in regards to matters of religion. The friendship between the two agents is perhaps the best example of this, with both men finding common ground in their belief in helping others despite their disagreements on politics and religion.

All in all, this has been a rocking roller coaster of a story. I'm not quite sure how the series will progress from here but I can't wait to find out!

The Tithe #2 & #3 - A Review

Through my own fault I missed the second issue of The Tithe after greatly enjoying the first issue. Now that I'm caught up, I can happily say that I'm still enjoying this series and am quite happy to hear it has been extended past its original four-issue order. That, and I sincerely want Matt Hawkins to take over writing Green Arrow, as this whole series tackles moral complexity and current events with far greater skill than anything I've seen in recent memory that tried to uphold the Dennis O'Neil ideal of the outlaw hero.


The second issue delves into the background of the four members of the hacktivist group Samaritan. Samantha the hacker is a true idealist, out to expose those who use organized religion as a means to power and wealth. Kyle is in it to pay the debts his brother Mike owes to Mexican gangsters. And Mike and Rachel? Well, they're just in it for the kicks.

This dynamic adds another level to the drama unfolding between the forces of law and outlaw in the third issue. And the question of who is right and who is wrong has never been muddier. However murky their motives, Samaritan are doing good work but in a bad way. By contrast, the lawmen chasing after them seem to be indirectly covering-up crimes they should be exposing.


The artwork by Rahsan Ekedal remains brilliant.  The action of the story flows well from panel to panel. And everything looks a little stronger in these two issues thanks to a more vibrant palette provided by Mike Spicer.