Sword of Azrael

Sword of Azrael (2022-)

by Dan Watters (Writer), Nikola Cizmesija (Illustrator), Pablo M. Collar (Illustrator)

THE WARRIOR ANGEL OF ST. DUMAS RETURNS!

Jean-Paul Valley does not want to be Azrael ever again. All it has brought him is pain, violence, and misery. He has sequestered himself away at a monastery in Europe to find peace. But when a young woman who claims to have the same System programming that made Jean-Paul into Azrael arrives at the monastery, he won’t have a choice but to don his violent mantle of Azrael once more to protect her from the deadly assassins who wish her harm.

From the rising star creative team of Dan Watters (Arkham City: The Order of the World, Lucifer) and Nikola Cižmešija (Batman: Urban Legends, Future State: Gotham) this collection redefines one of the Batman world’s most iconic and fierce characters!

Full run collection.

Genres: Comics, Dc Comics, Graphic Novels, Batman

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 4, 2023

About the author

Dan Watters is a UK based comic book writer. His first book, LIMBO, was released through Image Comics in 2016. He has since written THE SHADOW at Dynamite Comics, and ASSASSIN’S CREED and WOLFENSTEIN for Titan Comics.

Currently he is writing the relaunch of LUCIFER for Vertigo’s Sandman Universe, as well as DEEP ROOTS for Vault Comics. Deeply rooted in London Town, and firmly of the Devil's party.

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

A different book to what I thought it would be. Not as action-packed as I was expecting, but a good story. It's not my favourite interior artwork (great artwork on the covers).

Jean-Paul Valley has been fighting the System/Azrael, causing him to lose himself and everything. Now in he is trying to rekindle his faith with what he believes it true religion, but no matter how far he travels, his past will find him in the form of a kindred spirit.

I like the story of self-discovery, and I am interested to see what happens with a couple of the other characters in this book as well. One of the things that does annoy me is the heroes being more punching bags than actual heroes. In this book, Jean-Paul takes at least 4 fatal shots. However, I think there is interesting stuff ahead for the characters here. The book finishes with a varient cover gallery.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little rushed and heavy on the philosophical, but I enjoyed the pacing and the art.
I do wonder if anyone that's not at all familiar with everything that's going on with the character and in the world of Batman/DC right now would understand who some of the characters and situations mentioned are.

[William Bainbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
A brilliant read that far exceeded my expectations. The art style wasn't really doing it for me to start but by the third issue it had really grown on me and I ended the comic liking it a lot. Azraels suit was perfect and looked outstanding. The thing that both impresses me and inspires me as a writer is the way the story blends religion with a superhero in such an effortless and effective manner, it really is such a unique and yet astounding both character as a whole and stand alone comic. Jean Paul's Journey from sworn Saint to accepted sinner was beautifully poetic, and the way it ends with him being referred to as Azrael angel of mercy instead of angel of vengeance was a perfect ending.

[Casey Millington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though Jean-Paul Valley is not my preferred incarnation of Azrael (that being Michael Lane), this has been a good read into the dark secrets behind the Order of St. Dumas and the role this Azrael must play in defeating the sect's dangerous legacy.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vou ser sincero. Comprei esse gibi por causa do roteirista, Dan Watters, que comecei a curtir por causa da série do Lúcifer em O Universo de Sandman. Depois o segui para a minissérie Asilo Arkham: A Ordem do Mundo, com a DaNi. Este A Espada De Azrael é uma continuação direta do que acontece com o Anjo da Justiça da Ordem São Dumas em A Ordem do Mundo. Não me importo com o personagem Azrael e nem sou grande fã de A Queda do Morcego, tão aclamada pelos noventistas saudosos. Então estou aqui pela trama. E a trama é muito bem feita e sugere que os anjos seriam um produto da Caixa Materna de Apokolips que instala um Sistema em seus hospedeiros. Achei bem bolado e bem traduzido o conceito dentro da trama da história que também envolve uma templária chamada Pobre Cavaleira e a filha de Bane, Vingança. Só uma coisa não me agradou no todo: os desenhos de Nikola Sobrenome-dificil-de-soletrar porque tem muita influência do mangá, inclusive na narrativa. E este não é um mangá, mas um comic. De toda forma, gostei bastante apesar dos pesares.

[Alex Sarll]

Nincompoops sometimes describe Moon Knight as Marvel's Batman, despite the obvious objection that Batman, being a silly little rich boy, never has the sense even to kill Gotham's psychopaths, much less slice their faces off. No, clearly DC's Moon Knight is erstwhile Bat-stand-in Azrael, who is obviously less good, because monotheism, but has some of the same fractured personality/ultraviolent avenger vibe going on. As this opens*, Jean-Paul Valley is hiding out in an Aegean monastery, trying to keep his murderously righteous co-pilot under control...but then a woman comes to the island, saying she's being pursued, and soon Azrael must be unleashed. From which point things soon descend into the sort of ingenious carnage Watters writes so well. I didn't love everything here: Bane being paternal with Scandal in Secret Six was lovely, but Bane's actual daughter turns out to be even duller a plot function than her dad in his early days; the art is far less evocative than in the other Watters Azrael mini, Arkham City; and Biblically accurate angels and 'be not afraid' feel a bit too memed out for their deployment here to come off. Not to mention that stories digging into the dark secrets of the Templars remain exponentially less cool than they were before Dan Brown. Still, there are some nice ideas for rendering the headfuck of Jean-Paul's sundered, subverted experience on the page, and the core idea of how easy it is to manipulate righteous fury is certainly not getting any less topical.

*Well, assuming we ignore the initial one-shot and skip straight to the miniseries, which I think is best for all concerned.

[Dylan DeVita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The entire Knightfall era of Batman was my introduction to the character as a kid. I have all 3 omnibus of that run and always thought Azrael was such an interesting character. Not to mention his armor and his Batsuit are extremely badass. So when I heard DC announced a mini series starring the character I had to check it out and it did not disappoint.
Seeing the internal conflict Jean Paul endures is compelling stuff on its own. Watching his journey of acceptance that the programming from the System is just as much a part of him as the rest of his personality is really interesting. Azrael (or the system programming that THINKS he’s Azrael) is his own entity but only together can they break the hold that the order of st dumas placed on them. Only then can they find new purpose and become something greater which is what they BOTH want. Juxtaposing their journey with Brielle and even Vengeances highlights the improtsnce of Jean Paul’s struggle. This story has so much meat to it I loved it. Aside from the art at times looking a bit wonky, specifically during the action scenes, this book is perfect. Highly recommend for Bat fans or anybody who wants to see more of this character.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Watters, you beautiful bastard. Taking a character that's been written and rewritten so many times and coming up with something new is a tall order, but this interpretation of Azrael, off the back of Justice League Odyssey, is neat.

Watters really digs into Jean Paul's psyche, and the battles he faces, both inside his head and out, are thematically appropriate and push him to some new and unexpected places. I also approved of the inclusion of the Father Valley character introduced over in Catwoman, in an almost organic meeting between two characters that would probably never have met otherwise.

The artwork's also a great fit. Nikola Cismesija's sketchy flow reminds me of a more restrained Riley Rossmo (I feel like I've said that somewhere else but whatever), and when things get really tripping in Jean Paul's head, he really kicks into high gear. It's not the most refined style, but it does the job and it does it well.

I hope we get to see Azrael again sooner rather than later; between JL:O, Arkham City: The Order Of The World (another great Watters book) and now here, he's having a little resurgence, and I hope that continues.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Azrael has always been a unique character in the Batman world. Originally set to be a replacement for Batman after Bane broke his back in the 90's, Azrael has come a long way.
With this story, we see that Jean-Paul has tried to give up his Azrael persona. Seeing it less as an avenging angel, and more as violent programming, he has relegated himself to a monastery to help keep the mental peace. Of course it wouldn't be a story unless that was flipped on its head, and soon Azrael is fighting against another "angel" created by "The System", as well as a huge monster who calls itself "The Satan".
Overall, it was a good read, but I don't feel very connected to the character of Azrael, so I'm not super vested in the future of the character. Was well written, and the art style made sense for it.
Recommend.... though obviously stronger for those who love the character.

[Diego Diz · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡Hola a todos! Espero tengan un buen inicio de semana. A mí me gustaría compartirles mi opinión sobre: "La espada de Azrael" es una colección de 6 cómics y una publicación independiente de DC Comics escrita por Dan Watters e ilustrada por Nikola Cizmesija. En esta mini-serie seguimos a Jean-Paul Valley, quien ha estado luchando contra System/Azrael. Esta lucha le ocasionó perder todo. La historia se me hizo buena, entretenida y no solo acción. Es una historia de autodescubrimiento y aceptación. Por otro lado, las ilustraciones siento que pudieron ser mejores. En lo particular, desconocía la existencia de este personaje del universo de DC, pero al descubrirlo se me hizo muy interesante y me quedé con ganas de conocer más sobre él.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

DC has harmed this character irrevocably by trying to change what he is so many times. Like in that Justice League Odyssey series where he gained powers in space. Now they want to revert back to the 90's Azrael but then insert some nonsense with motherboxes. Let's just stick with a straight forward Azrael from the 90's, he was brainwashed by the order of St. Dumas and trying to overcome his programming. For a 6 issue series this thing meanders with some side quests instead of sticking to a single story about a new assassin like Azrael. The art can be really sloppy too, especially action sequences.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did the impossible happen? Did they fix the whole idea of Azrael and not just write the character into (yet another) corner?

YES!

All Azrael stories have been about Jean Paul Valley's fight against the programming that was forced on him. It's gotten old and tired...and extremely difficult to come up with something fresh. We get a look at the origin of the Order. (Why does it always have to be New Gods?)

This is that fix. I would possibly read another miniseries of Azrael's hunt for the others of the Order.
----
Bonus: Vengeance cameo? Possible fresh direction for the character? YES and YES
Bonus Bonus: This whole concept still reeks of a very religious Bourne Identity...

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't entirely what I expected it to be, but also wasn't dreck. The art ranges from a few incoherent panels to some very clever panel work over the several issues. Azrael himself is constantly torn between his morals and his holy crusade sides, and there's a lot of theology and psychologal dialogue, I swear for a while ever word balloon had some kind of biblical or christian word or phrase used. It doesn't even really read like a super hero coming, except for some loose ties to the DC verse. It's a interesting small book, one that does question wether one truely serves the god they perceive or are using it for justification.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m surprised to enjoy the faith and philosophy lens of this cape comic; Azrael has never been my favorite of the BatFamily, but Watters writes a more nuanced take on Azreal’s martial zealot persona and his struggle against past indoctrination (while still trying to practice an authentic current day faith). I wasn’t previously familiar with Father Valley, but he has a cool design and I was glad to see him show up, along with lady Bane. Cizmesija’s art is heavily stylized and cartoonish, but its dynamism worked for me, and I especially enjoyed his biblically accurate (and horrifying) depiction of angels as an otherworldly cluster of wings and eyes.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

funniest two moments for me were brother karl being obsessed with watering those plants and azrael screwing off the second he realised he was actually scared of angel satan lol. jean-paul was very quick to forgive the dude who killed one of his last remaining connections to the monastery and even referred to him as "brother". not much of a character development for brielle and wish we could've seen more backstory on her before she died, also would've appreciated her thinking more about becoming sariel. poor fellow and vengeance seemed cool too, again would've wanted more backstory. still okay to read, liked reading jean-paul slowly come to terms with himself and making peace with azrael.

[Just_An_E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Azrael is such an interesting character that is tied up in so much religious commentary that I sincerely doubt we will ever see him adapted beyond the comics in any meaningful way. Most people remember him for the one time he filled in for Batman and completely screwed it up. I think this new run really deals with him in a way that is genuinely interesting, and sort of makes him similar in ways to Daredevil and Moon Knight in my mind. The contrast of the flawed man, Jean Paul Valley, against the unforgiving Angel of Azrael, is truly engaging. Loved this more than I thought I would.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Waters is the first writer in a long while to write Azrael in a way that feels consistent with Denny O’Neil. This story brings the character back to his roots as a tortured man battling what he was brainwashed in to being. It also gives a nice reminder of his lengthy history from the original series, which is something no one has referenced as canon in years. I sincerely hope that there will be more stories to follow from this writer/artist team.

[Niche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Azrael confronts his origins

I thought this was pretty cool. It's your standard chaotic "good" character trying to make peace/amends that goes... poorly but with some Jekyll and Hyde schizophrenia with Warhammer 40k Mother Box shenanigans thrown in. I'd say I probably liked the style more than the story. It was a fun non-canon (I hope) one-off, but I probably wouldn't read it as a series.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Azrael since the 90s but DC has never really been able to make the character. This doesn't change that. It's not as bad as Curse of the White Knight, but it's not really great. It gets bogged down too much in all the religious stuff and doesn't really focus on Jean-Paul Valley as a person.

Also, the art isn't very good. It's so crude that often it's hard to even tell what's happening. That certainly doesn't do this any favors.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Azrael Reaches His Peak

I thought I knew what I was getting into when I saw Azrael before all the stuff with the Gotham War. Turns out I got more dynamic, action-packed art released after visuals when looking at the effects of the system. And trying to find directions and faith rather than let violence and suffering be what's on your mind. Plus, I got to see Father Valley and Vengeance complete their own arcs perfectly.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would probably have enjoyed the story more if it had different art. The art just didn’t do it for me and I don’t think it really meshed well with the story. I feel like the art would fit something with a lighter tone than this and it made it hard to really get into it. Also, it didn’t help that the story was kind’ve a mess and all over the place.

[Ross Cudmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun expansion of Azrael's world, as he has to deal with the legacy of St Dumas and the guilt of his actions. I enjoyed the new characters introduced in the book like The Poor Fellow and Sariel, I hope they reappear in the future.

The retcon of St Dumas using New God technology to create "The System" was pretty cool in my opinion.

[Spiffycomics · Rating 3 out of 5]

Azrael is one of the my favorite DC characters. However the idea of making the Angel Maker alien technology and what I assume is a mother box seems odd to me. I always preferred the idea that Azrael didn’t really exist and was just an idea brainwashed into the current Azraels mind. However I do still enjoy this story a lot. Jean Paul is still just as bad ass and loveable as always.

[RewindReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the most gorgeous artwork you’ll find in a contemporary western comic. When it was first coming out I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next issue. The last issue stumbles at the finish line a little bit, but all of the buildup to get there is fantastic.

[Eric Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the ending to not be so much a victory of azrael or the system that made him but to be an admittance of his own failings- admitting that he is not the victim he thought he was and becoming the angel of mercy. AUGH.

[Andres Pasten · Rating 3 out of 5]

El arte es fabuloso para este personaje. La historia trata de hacer mucho en solo 6 números, con personajes que salen de la manga del mago. Era para 10 o 12 números.

[Tetiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the art and the story. I first met Azrael as a character in JL: Odyssey, and liked him, now I will patiently wait and hope for more ...

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was all right, though nothing too special. The art is mostly good, but does get a bit messy and hard to follow at times.

[RJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Souls the comic. This is an art team that I'll be sure to watch for in the future.

[Eva B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my sweet, precious angel Jean-Paul...