M.I.T.H.: Operation Smoking Jaguar

    (Top Cow, 2005)
™ and © Top Cow Productions, Inc.

Magic is real, although the general populace has no idea. Mystical hostiles have stolen a nuke. This happens with alarming frequency—so much so, that there’s an entire taskforce that deals with this kind of thing. A government agency that gathers mystical weapons conjures images of Indiana Jones, but no worries. The new guy on the team makes the obligatory Raiders reference, both putting it on the table and getting it out of the way.

The story is cliché-ridden. The team consists of Strong Leader Woman, Brash New Guy (romance alert!), and Cannon Fodder. The mission is a quest that parallels an ancient myth. At least there aren’t any Nazis.

There are bright spots of originality. Humor is provided by the president of the United States, who misuses magical artifacts as personal playthings. And don’t miss the appendix, in which we see how the government covers up magical goings-on. Most characters’ faces could use more definition. The bad guys are way more visually engaging than the heroes. But the colors, by Mike Kelleher, are excellent.

— Jack Abramowitz
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