THE TITHE #1
Written by Matt Hawkins
Art by Rahsan Ekedal
Published by Image Comics
Release Date: April 15, 2015
The collection plate is on it’s way around…time to give generously, everyone…
The Think Tank team, Matt Hawkins and Rahsan Ekedal are back and this time they have their sites on Megachurches, more specifically corruption in Megachurches. Their approach to this story is excellent, and The Tithe #1 is an entertaining heist book that had me hooked from the first page to the last.
Hawkins writes this one very well, nailing the pacing of high octane heist like this. He writes some great dialogue to go with this intriguing plot, and having the heist centered around a Megachurch gives him some fantastic angles to utilize in his script. This is much more than just a bunch of thugs robbing a casino, and the religious corruption angle makes this very fresh ground that Hawkins is treading upon. He is approaching this story from an interesting background, as described in his letter at the end, and I think the story struck home for me because many of my thoughts on organized religion mirror his. While this story is not bashing or mocking religion, it is highlighting some of the seedier angles of the institutions and for that reason alone, The Tithe has some edge.
I have to point out Hawkins’ excellent writing of the F.B.I. agents in this issue. I was blown away by how organic and natural their dialogue was, and how perfect it fit the situation. When watching crime shows on TV it is easy to forget that F.B.I. agents are actually human beings, but Hawkins finds that balance of showing them as agents and people and it works very well.
Rahsan Ekedal’s artwork is fantastic, and he is a skilled storyteller, that is for sure. He and Hawkins are definitely on the same page with this one, and their working relationship has yielded a rock solid, cohesive story here. Ekedal’s pencils are expressive and sharp, with characters popping from the page even if they are not up to anything all that interesting. There is a visual charm to his artwork and he sucked me in with the detail and clean lines he utilizes. The Tithe looks a lot like Ocean’s Eleven in comic book form – and I mean that completely as a compliment – with Ekedal capturing the pacing of a heist very well. He keeps the story flowing at a great pace and I am excited to see what he’s got coming as this story drives forward.
Hawkins and Ekedal have crafted a winner with The Tithe #1. Their unique take on a heist book definitely has me intrigued and I will be back for more issues, without a doubt. This is some great writing paired with some excellent art and definitely worth a look.
The Verdict: 9.0/10
