Judas #1 Review: The Original Villain

By Nolan P. Smith

When it comes to villains, one’s name ranks above the rest. Judas Iscariot. The traitor to Jesus in the Bible. His name alone is so synonymous with traitor now, so much that his name is almost interchangeable. Boom! Studios looks to shed some light on one of the world’s original villains in their new miniseries, Judas.

Written by Jeff Loveness with art by Jakub Rebelka and Colin Bell, this biblical inspired story gives a human side to the traitor of all traitors, Judas. As many of us have done in the past, Judas struggles with the thought that, if turning his back on Jesus was indeed his destiny, why does one exist simply to turn on the son of God? Not only that, but we see what turned Judas to make the call he did, and where he ended up. Spoiler alter, it isn’t Heaven.

Loveness crafts a story within the threads of the sacred texts in the Bible, creating an intriguing first issue. To create a story based around Judas in the way this issue does, it is simply amazing. Many questions are poised, questions many of us might have thought from time to time as well, which makes this book easy to connect to. If Jesus can heal, why is there death? Questions that someone might pose when they are at the edge of giving up their beliefs, exactly where Judas was. Rebelka’s artwork is the perfect fit for this book, as it adds a very stained-glass, unique feel to the story. His take on some of the afterlife we see here is extremely well done and designed, as is his designs of the regular world Judas inhabited.

I felt like this was a great, somber kick off for this miniseries. I highly recommend you pick up Judas, and let’s see what happens next to the betrayer of the savior.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10.