Rapture by Matt Kindt is comic book publisher Valiant’s latest event featuring a mix of fantasy, horror, and adventure as a group of heroes travels to a dimension known as the ‘Deadside.’ There are several high points and placing the story in another dimension allows Kindt and Cafu, the artist, to bring their imaginations out to play. Guided by the Geomancer, a young girl drawing power from the Earth, Ninjak the super spy, and Shadowman, a tortured soul tethered to a demon, along with others attempt to prevent Babel, the big bad, from entering heaven and bringing ruin to the world. At first glance, the group of heroes resembles a Dungeons and Dragons adventuring party - a druid, a barbarian, a rogue assassin, a wizard, and so on, and other than Shadowman, none undergoes a character arc. One character reasons the story itself is to rehabilitate Shadowman, thereby allowing him to enter the mainstream Valiant universe again. Which is fine, and Rapture is a great crossover event. If anything, I wanted more. Much of the exposition is told through flashback, which worked to a certain extent, even as the book itself is rapidly paced. While the pacing is quick and no panel is wasted, a deeper back story for the antagonist or additional ways to illustrate the high stakes would give a deeper sense of urgency. Overall, fans of fantasy or supernatural horror laced with humor and action, and fans of Valiant’s characters will enjoy Rapture. I look forward to watching Matt Kindt further explore the deadside with these great characters.

Review provided in exchange for copy provided by NetGalley. ( )