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The Tithe (single issues) #1-4
The Tithe, Vol. 1
A heist story unlike any before! Mega-churches are being robbed for millions of dollars by a crusader hacker group known as Samaritan who is giving the money to causes they deem more worthy. This modern day “Robin Hood” is being pursued by two FBI agents who actually admire their quarry, but want to stop the theft before it escalates.
Collects #001-#004
Collects #001-#004
112 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2015
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132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 15, 2015
Samaritan are a hacktivist group that also get physically involved in their attacks. Their targets: Christian megachurches and their hypocritical pastors. While successfully “liberating” these megachurches’ funds, diverting them to charities instead of lining the pastors’ pockets, the FBI are closing in on Samaritan - how long can the group stay ahead of their hunters?
Matt Hawkins and Rahsan Ekedal’s The Tithe is essentially a heist series, or at least this first volume is, and it does that fairly well. The first couple heists are a lot of fun and who doesn’t like seeing hypocrites punished, particularly megachurch pastors who are more often than not extremely corrupt?
But the rest of the story isn’t as exciting as the heists. The FBI agents on the case are fairly archetypical, while Samaritan themselves prove less than interesting. Sam, the leader, is quite bland while her three partners are very unconvincing as to their overall value to the group. I mean, why would you hire two junkies to pull off these complex raids AND outwit the FBI? And the third guy is the usual tough guy character trying (unsuccessfully) to get into Sam’s pants.
The Tithe becomes your run-of-the-mill cat and mouse story and not a very compelling one either. Ekedal’s art is very plain though I liked Mike Spicer’s colours and the series covers have been exemplary. Hawkins’ characters though are dull, their dialogue and discussions on faith are dreary and predictable, and, while it started strongly, The Tithe ended up as a tedious action story wishing it were a thriller, and failing. It’s not a great first volume and I doubt I’ll be coming back for the second.
Matt Hawkins and Rahsan Ekedal’s The Tithe is essentially a heist series, or at least this first volume is, and it does that fairly well. The first couple heists are a lot of fun and who doesn’t like seeing hypocrites punished, particularly megachurch pastors who are more often than not extremely corrupt?
But the rest of the story isn’t as exciting as the heists. The FBI agents on the case are fairly archetypical, while Samaritan themselves prove less than interesting. Sam, the leader, is quite bland while her three partners are very unconvincing as to their overall value to the group. I mean, why would you hire two junkies to pull off these complex raids AND outwit the FBI? And the third guy is the usual tough guy character trying (unsuccessfully) to get into Sam’s pants.
The Tithe becomes your run-of-the-mill cat and mouse story and not a very compelling one either. Ekedal’s art is very plain though I liked Mike Spicer’s colours and the series covers have been exemplary. Hawkins’ characters though are dull, their dialogue and discussions on faith are dreary and predictable, and, while it started strongly, The Tithe ended up as a tedious action story wishing it were a thriller, and failing. It’s not a great first volume and I doubt I’ll be coming back for the second.
January 31, 2020
Juuust shy of 5 stars for me because the characters hew too closely to stereotypes to be truly engaging, but the rest of this is rock solid.
On the hackers-who-rob-megachurches side we have a heist story, while on the FBI-trying-to-catch-thieves side we have a police procedural. Two great tastes that taste great together, not unlike Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake. Hawkins is great at plot and dialogue, so why none of his books have become TV series yet is beyond me. His stuff is better than most of the junk on TV.
I was reared Catholic (and we all know how painful *that* can be — bah-dah-bump *tish*) and when I went in for my conference with the priest during the run-up to my confirmation I confessed I’d been having real doubts about my faith and, frankly, whether god even existed. The father listened to me and replied, “Can you make up your mind by Wednesday? We need to print the programs.” It took me a few more years and a religious walkabout visiting synagogues, mosques, Buddhist temples, etc., to finally make the break from the horseshit that is organized religion, but that interview was definitely a clearly-marked sign on my path.
So I freely admit my anti-religion bias and why this book appeals to me. I think megachurches are especially egregious when it comes to fleecing their flock, but I’ve also done a deep dive into religion, including 16 years of Bible study. I don’t come by my position blindly.
If you like Robin Hood stories and dislike those showy anti-Christian megachurches, this is the book for you.
On the hackers-who-rob-megachurches side we have a heist story, while on the FBI-trying-to-catch-thieves side we have a police procedural. Two great tastes that taste great together, not unlike Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake. Hawkins is great at plot and dialogue, so why none of his books have become TV series yet is beyond me. His stuff is better than most of the junk on TV.
I was reared Catholic (and we all know how painful *that* can be — bah-dah-bump *tish*) and when I went in for my conference with the priest during the run-up to my confirmation I confessed I’d been having real doubts about my faith and, frankly, whether god even existed. The father listened to me and replied, “Can you make up your mind by Wednesday? We need to print the programs.” It took me a few more years and a religious walkabout visiting synagogues, mosques, Buddhist temples, etc., to finally make the break from the horseshit that is organized religion, but that interview was definitely a clearly-marked sign on my path.
So I freely admit my anti-religion bias and why this book appeals to me. I think megachurches are especially egregious when it comes to fleecing their flock, but I’ve also done a deep dive into religion, including 16 years of Bible study. I don’t come by my position blindly.
If you like Robin Hood stories and dislike those showy anti-Christian megachurches, this is the book for you.
December 18, 2019
Fun, but I doubt if this book is memorable. It was an interesting twist to combine the heist aspect of this story with megaschurches though. Although I think the concept of megachurches could be explored more. Most of the book was characters talking to each other and the why of attacking churches was not really explored.
May 25, 2019
There are enough IT references in here to keep geeks like me interested. There is also a good amount of believable violence and some almost-Ocean's Eleven-level planning. The story progresses to a 'live by the sword, die by the sword' type setup which breaks up the hackers from the inside. Quite a fun trip.
Dwayne Campbell and Jimmy Miller are FBI agents investigating Samaritan, a hacker group of four that are exposing televangelists that have appropriated the donations their churches have received. Jimmy is suspected of rooting for the hackers and not doing his job properly because of it.
Dwayne Campbell and Jimmy Miller are FBI agents investigating Samaritan, a hacker group of four that are exposing televangelists that have appropriated the donations their churches have received. Jimmy is suspected of rooting for the hackers and not doing his job properly because of it.
October 3, 2015
My fav at this moment. Robin Hood hacker robs the robber churches whilst FBI remains three steps behind.
Matt Hawkins scores again with co-creator Rahsan Ekedal.
Matt Hawkins scores again with co-creator Rahsan Ekedal.
December 23, 2021
This was pretty good!
Basically have a group who wants to rob the money from those churches and give back to the people. It's pretty great to see, since I hate fucking places like that. But even better you have some pretty interesting characters on both sides, the one stealing the money and the detectives on the case, leading to some really fucked up situations.
While it feels it wraps too quickly at times, and other times people's faces look really weird with the art, the overall story was fun to read and reminded me very much of a TV show or movie. I can get behind these fun type hacking stories and helping the poor.
A 3.5 out of 5.
Basically have a group who wants to rob the money from those churches and give back to the people. It's pretty great to see, since I hate fucking places like that. But even better you have some pretty interesting characters on both sides, the one stealing the money and the detectives on the case, leading to some really fucked up situations.
While it feels it wraps too quickly at times, and other times people's faces look really weird with the art, the overall story was fun to read and reminded me very much of a TV show or movie. I can get behind these fun type hacking stories and helping the poor.
A 3.5 out of 5.
October 14, 2015
It is kind of a modern Robin Hood story. We've got a group of activists called Samaritans who discovered some nasty money business going on in some way-too-rich churches and they want to put an end to this. They even sent some proofs to FBI, so the "good guys" could handle it, but since the bureau wasn't working efficiently enough Sam and her team decided to get the millions from those churches and give them to charity.
At the beginning everything works fine. Plans are well thought through and everything works out, but this can't last forever.
Samantha is an interesting person and I admit I'd like to know a bit more about her past. In this story we just find out she's a great hacker and that she wants to bring down those corrupted churches, but there's no more back story for her and I'm curious how she came to be a part of this group, why she's doing what she's doing, etc.
Tithe charactersThe rest of the group, although not accidental, seems rather random. One of the guys - Kyle is clearly hitting on Sam and it seems these two have a past together. Kyle's brother, Mike together with Rachel - Mike's girlfriend are more interested in each other and in drugs than in what Sam tries to achieve.
On the other hand we've got the FBI agents. Two partners who seem to be complete opposites in some cases, like religion, and yet they seem to work well together. One is calm, religious and has a family that he loves. The other is single, easy going, impulsive and a non believer.
Since everything revolves around churches and Christians authors also made this part of characters' personality important.
Since it's a graphic novel I should probably write few words about the graphic itself? Well, I'm not really got at this. I liked it, but I'd say it wasn't perfect. In few panels I had a feeling like characters eyes were looking in the wrong direction, profiles weren't very proportional, etc. But generally I liked it. Plus I rarely read graphic novels, I'm more into manga, so the colors were a nice change ;).
As the story goes, I likes the heists. There were nicely planned and well shown, so I enjoyed these parts. The main plot was fine, but nothing special. The ending kind of surprised me, but I can't seem to find the right words to tell you why without giving it up.
Would I recommend it to you? Maybe if you really like heist stories with a Robin Hood like thieves then yes. But if you're not into that, there are probably more interesting novels out there.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
At the beginning everything works fine. Plans are well thought through and everything works out, but this can't last forever.
Samantha is an interesting person and I admit I'd like to know a bit more about her past. In this story we just find out she's a great hacker and that she wants to bring down those corrupted churches, but there's no more back story for her and I'm curious how she came to be a part of this group, why she's doing what she's doing, etc.
Tithe charactersThe rest of the group, although not accidental, seems rather random. One of the guys - Kyle is clearly hitting on Sam and it seems these two have a past together. Kyle's brother, Mike together with Rachel - Mike's girlfriend are more interested in each other and in drugs than in what Sam tries to achieve.
On the other hand we've got the FBI agents. Two partners who seem to be complete opposites in some cases, like religion, and yet they seem to work well together. One is calm, religious and has a family that he loves. The other is single, easy going, impulsive and a non believer.
Since everything revolves around churches and Christians authors also made this part of characters' personality important.
Since it's a graphic novel I should probably write few words about the graphic itself? Well, I'm not really got at this. I liked it, but I'd say it wasn't perfect. In few panels I had a feeling like characters eyes were looking in the wrong direction, profiles weren't very proportional, etc. But generally I liked it. Plus I rarely read graphic novels, I'm more into manga, so the colors were a nice change ;).
As the story goes, I likes the heists. There were nicely planned and well shown, so I enjoyed these parts. The main plot was fine, but nothing special. The ending kind of surprised me, but I can't seem to find the right words to tell you why without giving it up.
Would I recommend it to you? Maybe if you really like heist stories with a Robin Hood like thieves then yes. But if you're not into that, there are probably more interesting novels out there.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2015
(Read in issues)
I really enjoyed this first arc of The Tithe (although I didn't love the art, but it's pretty good), not in the least because of the content at the end of each issue. Although this first arc is about a group lead by a hacker known as Samaritan pulling off heists of mega-churches suspected in fraud and unethical conduct, Matt Hawkins never comes off as anti-church or anti-religion, despite admitting that he, himself, is an atheist. The researched information at the back of each issue about topics broached in the issues (e.g. tithing, church scandals, etc), as well as the letters printed at the end of each issue are respectful, and represent complimentary and non-complimentary Christian and non-Christian/atheist opinions about the story.
Religious politics aside, I enjoyed this first story arc of Tithe not only because I love heist stories, but because the characters and character relationships are intriguing. I'm glad that this initial run was successful enough for another story arc to be commissioned. The relationship between the two FBI partners is an interesting one, for several reasons. The most obvious is that Dwayne is a devout Christian, while Jimmy is an atheist, so their different approaches and reactions to tracking down a group taking down mega-Churches produce interesting results. Additionally, the fact that Dwayne is both a partner/father figure to Jimmy adds a dimension to the story.
Interesting relationship dynamics also exist between Jimmy and Sam(aritan), since Jimmy is a hacker, but an older one than Sam, and part of him envies/respects her skills, and also sympathizes with her desire to bring down fraudulent mega-churches.
Although I doubt that it will be the case, I'd like to learn more about Sam's past and her crew. Sam is motivated both by the rush of being the "best" hacker and evading the FBI, but also because of her ideology, but she's forced to work with her old boyfriend, her old boyfriend's brother, and the brother's girlfriend, all of whom are more "criminal." The conflict between the extremely clever Sam, who is planning the heists (supposedly) because of her Robin Hood-esque beliefs, but utilizing a criminal crew whose main motivations are money (to get out of trouble, and fun), also gives the story additional texture.
I really enjoyed this first arc of The Tithe (although I didn't love the art, but it's pretty good), not in the least because of the content at the end of each issue. Although this first arc is about a group lead by a hacker known as Samaritan pulling off heists of mega-churches suspected in fraud and unethical conduct, Matt Hawkins never comes off as anti-church or anti-religion, despite admitting that he, himself, is an atheist. The researched information at the back of each issue about topics broached in the issues (e.g. tithing, church scandals, etc), as well as the letters printed at the end of each issue are respectful, and represent complimentary and non-complimentary Christian and non-Christian/atheist opinions about the story.
Religious politics aside, I enjoyed this first story arc of Tithe not only because I love heist stories, but because the characters and character relationships are intriguing. I'm glad that this initial run was successful enough for another story arc to be commissioned. The relationship between the two FBI partners is an interesting one, for several reasons. The most obvious is that Dwayne is a devout Christian, while Jimmy is an atheist, so their different approaches and reactions to tracking down a group taking down mega-Churches produce interesting results. Additionally, the fact that Dwayne is both a partner/father figure to Jimmy adds a dimension to the story.
Interesting relationship dynamics also exist between Jimmy and Sam(aritan), since Jimmy is a hacker, but an older one than Sam, and part of him envies/respects her skills, and also sympathizes with her desire to bring down fraudulent mega-churches.
Although I doubt that it will be the case, I'd like to learn more about Sam's past and her crew. Sam is motivated both by the rush of being the "best" hacker and evading the FBI, but also because of her ideology, but she's forced to work with her old boyfriend, her old boyfriend's brother, and the brother's girlfriend, all of whom are more "criminal." The conflict between the extremely clever Sam, who is planning the heists (supposedly) because of her Robin Hood-esque beliefs, but utilizing a criminal crew whose main motivations are money (to get out of trouble, and fun), also gives the story additional texture.
December 8, 2017
I need to start this review by stating that I was an atheist before having a personal encounter with God, reforming me to a devout Christian. I was a church elder, teach Sunday school, am involved in children's ministry & youth spiritual mentoring, the whole package . However with this being said my favorite christian books include 'I am fine with God, it's Christians I can't stand' & 'Jesus wants to save Christians'. Having worked in a Christian bookshop & been involved other churches I have seen that when money & Christianity mix it is an explosive reaction of hypocrisy. Hence my favorite rant is against prosperity preaching.
That is why I loved this story, the characters are intriguing and the story exposes the abuse of 'Christianity' by people meant to lead others, but does so with respect to true Christians. The anti heroes are a group who want to expose corruption in the church & use the tithes for their actual purpose; which is not enriching the pastor/prophet/apostle leading the church (who would have thought).
This serves to prove my statement that the problem with modern Christianity is that Christians are being blamed for what the church is doing.
That is why I loved this story, the characters are intriguing and the story exposes the abuse of 'Christianity' by people meant to lead others, but does so with respect to true Christians. The anti heroes are a group who want to expose corruption in the church & use the tithes for their actual purpose; which is not enriching the pastor/prophet/apostle leading the church (who would have thought).
This serves to prove my statement that the problem with modern Christianity is that Christians are being blamed for what the church is doing.
August 16, 2020
4
The Tithe is a book I picked up after learning of the crossover between 3 of the Matt Hawkins books. The book appealed to me as it had the markings of a fun heist plot set against the churches. If you've lived under a rock you might not know the money people hand over at church masses. This book takes a group of modern Robin Hoods and gives them a technological advantage to planning their heists. Hawkins has crafted something of relevance here and it's a shame it didn't connect better with fans.
Why the 4?
I liked the storyline. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked that connection required for the finale. The heists were clever and the overall concept was intriguing. The book can't overcome the lack of character interactions in the end and it leaves everything up in the air. The Tithe leaves us in a position that could be good for the series or destroys it. This feels like a closed off book by the finale so Hawkins must be planning something. Plus there's the massive crossover which I'll cover in Tithe volume 3.
The Tithe is a book I picked up after learning of the crossover between 3 of the Matt Hawkins books. The book appealed to me as it had the markings of a fun heist plot set against the churches. If you've lived under a rock you might not know the money people hand over at church masses. This book takes a group of modern Robin Hoods and gives them a technological advantage to planning their heists. Hawkins has crafted something of relevance here and it's a shame it didn't connect better with fans.
Why the 4?
I liked the storyline. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked that connection required for the finale. The heists were clever and the overall concept was intriguing. The book can't overcome the lack of character interactions in the end and it leaves everything up in the air. The Tithe leaves us in a position that could be good for the series or destroys it. This feels like a closed off book by the finale so Hawkins must be planning something. Plus there's the massive crossover which I'll cover in Tithe volume 3.
May 25, 2017
In "The Tithe" Matt Hawkins spins an entertaining heist story centered around a Robin Hood-esque band of vigilantes who target the corrupt "Cult of Personality" leaders of megachurches. It's fascinating and well paced and exactly the type of heist movie I personally would like to watch or write. The letters to and from the editor at the end provide a intriguing glimpse into Hawkins' motivations for developing this series without railing completely against religion. I found his perspective to match closely to my own and, naturally, enjoyed this one immensely.
August 21, 2017
I'm a sucker for a good heist. Give me a story with a well thought out plan and almost flawless execution and I'm hooked from the beginning.
The Samaritan are a group of hackers who have targeted mega churches in the US who have been dishonest with how they've been using the millions of dollars that their parishioners have given to the church. They are a modern day Robin Hood since all of the money they take from them gets donated to charities.
To be honest this story seems like something I'd actually see on the news. It doesn't seem to be far fetched at all.
The Samaritan are a group of hackers who have targeted mega churches in the US who have been dishonest with how they've been using the millions of dollars that their parishioners have given to the church. They are a modern day Robin Hood since all of the money they take from them gets donated to charities.
To be honest this story seems like something I'd actually see on the news. It doesn't seem to be far fetched at all.
February 25, 2017
What a fun, original twist on the heist genre - robbing corrupt megachurches and exposing their corruption. I enjoyed this; I only wish it had been longer. There was definitely more room for character development and a more intricate plot. This could have been a 12 issue run. It's clear they started with a 4-issue run in mind, and it got extended, but that's not the same thing: the next arc is more likely to feel like a sequel than a continuation of the story.
October 21, 2019
Rating is closer to 3.75.
Going into this book, I thought the premise of this volume was interesting. A group of criminals known as the "Samaritans" rob churches that are committing fraud and money laundering but then donating the robbed good to charities. Overall, it was a solid story with decent artwork but the ending was a little weird yet understanding. Would recommend for anyone looking for that something "different" in the graphic novel world.
Going into this book, I thought the premise of this volume was interesting. A group of criminals known as the "Samaritans" rob churches that are committing fraud and money laundering but then donating the robbed good to charities. Overall, it was a solid story with decent artwork but the ending was a little weird yet understanding. Would recommend for anyone looking for that something "different" in the graphic novel world.
March 19, 2023
Hackers, corrupt mega-churches, FBI agents, and drug addicts!! What's not to like? Top Cow mainstay, Matt Hawkins tells a Robin Hood tale for a new time. Its done extremely well. The characters are interesting but needed to be fleshed out a little more. The book was very fast paced and could have been better served by slowing the pace. I loved the plot and the dialogue was decent. The art by Rashan Ekedal was solid. Overall, an enjoyable heist book.
February 25, 2024
Basic premise is this activist group is stealing money from scummy, mega churches and pastors and it’s a cat and mouse game between this group and the FBI. The main thing that I found most interesting with this book is the word balloons are at a minimum majority of the story is just illustrated through the panels. The art is OK but not great. And the characters that make up the activist group aren’t that interesting. I don’t think I’m gonna read the second volume.
October 7, 2017
Really this should be three and a half stars because in this first volume I am really not a fan of the art. The backgrounds are beautiful, but the people look like wooden puppets and Sam specifically is massively Uncanny Valley territory for me personally. But I didn't want to let the fact that one aspect of the art didn't do it for me interfere with my enjoyment of the book, so four stars it is.
October 22, 2017
I'd seen Matt Hawkins post about this on Facebook a few months ago and when I found it in the bargain bin I had to give it a shot. Excellent decision.
This is a great book. Not the typical art style I tend to prefer in books, but the story more than made up for it. Now I'll have to be on the look out for the others in the series.
This is a great book. Not the typical art style I tend to prefer in books, but the story more than made up for it. Now I'll have to be on the look out for the others in the series.
May 17, 2021
a third of the way through I wasnt sure that i was into the story but then suddenly I was at the end and realised I had got sucked in. not the most amazing art work and a slow start but enough to read the next vol.
July 18, 2017
not a bad read, but man, make me care about a character before a sacrifice happens, otherwise there's no emotional payoff.
Want to read
April 17, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
February 1, 2017
I have been on an Image graphic novel kick lately so whenever I am at the library I tend to grab whatever Image books I can find. This happened to be one of my blind picks, the cover having caught my attention. I had no idea what this story was about until I opened the first page.
The story opens with a group of Jesus-masked people robbing a megachurch in Irvine, California. The satire is brilliant and something that everyone; believers and nonbelievers should read. From there, the plot follows a group called Samaritan, a small group of 'terrorists' who steal from megachurches while the FBI agents pursue their tails. The group is led by someone who has strong convictions against wrongdoing in the church, but her skills are something out of this world. These churches take from the poor to fuel their own misdeeds and sins (lavish vacations instead of missions as promised, for example), so she wishes to bring them down. There's a lot of gray areas amidst the black and white. Even though she leads a group that steals, she is seen to have a bigger moral compass than Samaritan's victims. A female that is a total bad ass, modern day Robin Hood. What's not to like??
The two FBI agents are also likable characters, despite their shortcomings with faith. There's an older one and a younger one. The older one is a bonafide church-goer while the younger is more sympathetic to those who don't believe. The artwork was good but the story is what makes this graphic novel worth the pick-up and read.
The interesting part is that everyone can enjoy such a plot. Those who believe and are tired of being misrepresented by fakes and liars will enjoy sitting shotgun with Samaritan teaches them a lesson. Those who don't believe will get a kick out of Samaritan refusing to let such things occur in God's house, despite not caring for the higher being themselves. Those of an older generation will enjoy watching the FBI chase their tails while dealing with their own convictions and faith. Those of a young generation will become enthralled in the banter between traditionalist versus revolutionary.
It is truly a remarkable piece that Matt Hawkins should be entirely proud of. As someone who's gone back and forth between believing and non-believing, this is a story about battling demons and wrestling with angels and equipping yourself with the knowledge to figure out which one wins.
December 14, 2015
'The Tithe, Vol. 1' by Matt Hawkins with art by Rahsan Ekedal takes a stab at organized religion, but I appreciate that it's approach has some balance to it for those of us who believe.
A hacker group, not unlike Anonymous, called Samaritan is going after corrupt megachurches. They don't wear Guy Fawkes masks but those of a Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. The FBI wants to stop them, but seems to be a few steps behind. The book opens with their latest target which features a vault full of money and an expose video of the pastor shown to church members during a Sunday sermon. They seem to be modern day Robin Hoods, but there are problems among the group. Can they finish the latest group of churches on their target list before they are caught?
There is much that is wrong with some megachurches in whatever way the abuse of power takes it's form. With some, it's greed, others it's sexual sin, still others it's just a power hunger, all of which are counter to biblical teaching and sinful. Rather than just make a mockery of all religion with the broad stereotyping that I've seen in other mediums, I appreciate that one of the FBI agents on the case is a man of faith that balances the stereotypes. I especially appreciate this based on the after material in the book which states the authors belief system. I like the storyline and it seems like something that could definitely happen in our day and age. The art is quite good, and I enjoyed reading this.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
A hacker group, not unlike Anonymous, called Samaritan is going after corrupt megachurches. They don't wear Guy Fawkes masks but those of a Jesus wearing a crown of thorns. The FBI wants to stop them, but seems to be a few steps behind. The book opens with their latest target which features a vault full of money and an expose video of the pastor shown to church members during a Sunday sermon. They seem to be modern day Robin Hoods, but there are problems among the group. Can they finish the latest group of churches on their target list before they are caught?
There is much that is wrong with some megachurches in whatever way the abuse of power takes it's form. With some, it's greed, others it's sexual sin, still others it's just a power hunger, all of which are counter to biblical teaching and sinful. Rather than just make a mockery of all religion with the broad stereotyping that I've seen in other mediums, I appreciate that one of the FBI agents on the case is a man of faith that balances the stereotypes. I especially appreciate this based on the after material in the book which states the authors belief system. I like the storyline and it seems like something that could definitely happen in our day and age. The art is quite good, and I enjoyed reading this.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors, Image Comics, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
April 2, 2016
This story opens in a megachurch in Irvine, so I’m already liking the blasphemy. . . er, satire.
From there the plot follows a small group of “terrorists” who steal from the gigantic churches, and the FBI agents after them. The supposed bad guys are led by a fantastic character, someone we can identify with as far as her convictions, though definitely not her skills. She wants to bring down the churches because they steal from the poor, and are often committing crimes as well, but at the same time she’s got a much bigger moral compass than those she’s stealing from, those self-proclaimed bastions of righteousness; Robin Hood indeed. Of course there’s always a point where things go south, and though I kinda saw the last twist coming, it still provided an excellent closing, even with more to come someday.
It’s interesting to see the two FBI guys with such different viewpoints, especially toward religion. Not exactly Mulder and Scully, though; the highly religious older black man makes no concessions, while his younger partner, who has a history as a hacker, is much more sympathetic. One of those cases where both sides have points, but not enough to change a mind.
The artwork was good enough, but it’s really the story that’s the big thing here. I’d certainly want to be on Samaritan’s side, for more than one reason.
Almost a third is taken up by extras: some character sketches and alternate covers, but mostly where the author got the idea, with plenty of link to religious scandals. There’s even some letters from the public, followed by a 20-page preview of another series that annoyed me a bit.
From there the plot follows a small group of “terrorists” who steal from the gigantic churches, and the FBI agents after them. The supposed bad guys are led by a fantastic character, someone we can identify with as far as her convictions, though definitely not her skills. She wants to bring down the churches because they steal from the poor, and are often committing crimes as well, but at the same time she’s got a much bigger moral compass than those she’s stealing from, those self-proclaimed bastions of righteousness; Robin Hood indeed. Of course there’s always a point where things go south, and though I kinda saw the last twist coming, it still provided an excellent closing, even with more to come someday.
It’s interesting to see the two FBI guys with such different viewpoints, especially toward religion. Not exactly Mulder and Scully, though; the highly religious older black man makes no concessions, while his younger partner, who has a history as a hacker, is much more sympathetic. One of those cases where both sides have points, but not enough to change a mind.
The artwork was good enough, but it’s really the story that’s the big thing here. I’d certainly want to be on Samaritan’s side, for more than one reason.
Almost a third is taken up by extras: some character sketches and alternate covers, but mostly where the author got the idea, with plenty of link to religious scandals. There’s even some letters from the public, followed by a 20-page preview of another series that annoyed me a bit.
October 13, 2015
Matt Hawkins es super bueno a la hora de salir con premisas interesantes. En este caso, la historia de un grupo de Robin Hoods modernos, que le roban a las megaiglesias y dan a organizaciones de caridad, y de los policias que deben atraparlos. Desgraciadamente falla a la hora de hacer una ejecución que este a esa altura.
En este caso la ejecución no es particularmente mala, pero no está a la altura de todo lo que prometía la premisa.
Parte bastante bien, los primeros números son el punto alto de este comic. Nos presenta a todos nuestros heroes en su punto más alto y con un verdadero conflicto entre ellos. Los siguientes números mandan todo a la B agregando una debilidad a los ladrones la cual obviamente estalla y manda todo a la mierda.
El arte no es malo, pero tampoco destaca. Los paneles son demasiado básicos y las escenas de acción y tensión no logran transmitir pizca de ese sentimiento.
En conclusión, una gran premisa que se ejecutó en muy poco espacio. Se siente demasiado acelerado y el final no me dejó del todo satisfecho.
En este caso la ejecución no es particularmente mala, pero no está a la altura de todo lo que prometía la premisa.
Parte bastante bien, los primeros números son el punto alto de este comic. Nos presenta a todos nuestros heroes en su punto más alto y con un verdadero conflicto entre ellos. Los siguientes números mandan todo a la B agregando una debilidad a los ladrones la cual obviamente estalla y manda todo a la mierda.
El arte no es malo, pero tampoco destaca. Los paneles son demasiado básicos y las escenas de acción y tensión no logran transmitir pizca de ese sentimiento.
En conclusión, una gran premisa que se ejecutó en muy poco espacio. Se siente demasiado acelerado y el final no me dejó del todo satisfecho.
October 23, 2015
A very good first arc for an inventive and interesting crime piece. A hacker has nabbed a list of high-end, much-donated-to charismatic churches of interest for fraud reasons from the very FBI people charged with investigating them, and has got there first by stealing from them to give to charity. Two diverse FBI investigators are on their tail, and we can believe in their differences, even if they are manufactured for the sake of character and story, a lot more than we can accept the super-smart hacker being involved in low-life junky trash. That seems about the only hiccup towards being taken in by the four episodes here, which as the various bonus materials show are not designed to be against religion or any type of church per se, but simply intends to relocate the heist movie to a different milieu. The art could help us along with character a bit more easily now and again, and I wish I hadn't finished reading issue one having got the idea there were two different hits at the same time on the church involved, but I happily finished the book wanting more. Almost as clever and dynamic as its main 'baddie', it's well worth investigating.
May 26, 2016
While on the face of it this is a series about robbing Megachurches in an action heist style, there's actually a lot of depth to it, exploring faith, atheism, morals, and the relationships between them among both the criminals and the FBI agents on their trail. While the Megachurches that are the targets of the Samaritan hacker are definitely corrupt, the characters on both sides are respectful to faith in general, recognizing that these churches are the means to an end for some charismatic con artists, and not reflective of the larger body of faith.
That being said, the story here is definitely the highlight - in four issues you get multiple heists, each of which is unique and well presented. And the four main characters all get fleshed out pretty well, although a couple of secondary characters are bit more one dimensional than one would like.
And on top of the enjoyable story that is complete here even as it opens up for further volumes, there are references and letters at the end that make for an interesting postmortem. All told, I was very impressed with this series and will have to keep an eye on it going forward.
That being said, the story here is definitely the highlight - in four issues you get multiple heists, each of which is unique and well presented. And the four main characters all get fleshed out pretty well, although a couple of secondary characters are bit more one dimensional than one would like.
And on top of the enjoyable story that is complete here even as it opens up for further volumes, there are references and letters at the end that make for an interesting postmortem. All told, I was very impressed with this series and will have to keep an eye on it going forward.
December 19, 2016
A hacker and her crew decide to hit corrupt churches and expose them to the FBI all while the FBI is on their tail.
August 31, 2015
Well, before John Oliver exposed the hypocrisy of televangelists, Matt Hawkins wrote The Tithe.
Hence, Vol. 1 seemed timely.
All in all, this was decent...but nothing more than that. Very serviceable and easy to follow leaving some of more interesting themes out.
The inevitable meeting between hacker, Samaritan and FBI investigator was predictable and author played it hard, whereas I'd be more interested to see character development for his partner, other FBI investigator. Dwayne is devoted christian and very honest and nice guy who is seeing these so-called men of god, one after another being damasked, and yet his faith remains unwavering. Final escalation, though, was a good chance to explore whether it will push him and shake his beliefs- instead, author was focused on pulling "Catching Me if You Can" move. (-_-)
Rushed and, oh so, neatly wrapped ending didn't leave me wanting to know more... :\
This was just..nice, but not memorable.
October 3, 2015
A heist story unlike any before! Mega-churches are being robbed for millions of dollars by a crusader hacker group known as Samaritan who is giving the money to causes they deem more worthy. This modern day “Robin Hood” is being pursued by two FBI agents who actually admire their quarry but want to stop the theft before it escalates.
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel for a few reasons. The main one being that I love crime shows, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Bones etc, and this comic book felt like I was reading one of those shows. I was fully invested in the FBI investigation but also in the plan that Samaritan was trying to enact. The characters were interesting and fully fleshed out which considering there's about 100 pages in this volume is impressive, I've read 500 page books with less interesting and less complex characters. The art was stunning, I would buy a full size poster of the cover it's that gorgeous. I hope there's more to this series as I would love to read more of these characters.
I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel for a few reasons. The main one being that I love crime shows, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Bones etc, and this comic book felt like I was reading one of those shows. I was fully invested in the FBI investigation but also in the plan that Samaritan was trying to enact. The characters were interesting and fully fleshed out which considering there's about 100 pages in this volume is impressive, I've read 500 page books with less interesting and less complex characters. The art was stunning, I would buy a full size poster of the cover it's that gorgeous. I hope there's more to this series as I would love to read more of these characters.
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