Elena Divinity Rising the complete files issues 1-4

Published by Alienapple Comics

Written by Darren Pearce

Artwork by Stuart Jennett 

Elena is a Russian who escaped Russia and Russia’s policy of enslaving it’s divinely gifted population. She now works for an agency in the United States and uses her gift of seeing any electronic communications to help keep the public safe. A new unfamiliar acting foe steps on stage and starts to cause havoc for New York City. It is up to Elena and her partner to solve the mystery of who this is and how to stop them. 

The story is immersive and very interesting. It reminds me of the Bourne movies but with superpowers. You find yourself rooting for Elena as you start to uncover how she got from Russia to America and why. There are some nefarious family matters at play, which makes you have even more empathy and feelings for Elena’s situation. The pacing of the story is well done. You get some detailed dialog that sets everything up very well. The action that happens around this dialog is very well done and exciting. I may not know a lot about the world in which this story lives, but I understand the stakes and danger that is presented by the actions of the villain. 

The artwork is great! It’s colorful, it pops and it’s straight forward without being complicated or overshadowed. The detail is great, and it is easy to understand what is happening even in the action panels. The flashbacks are done in black and white which is a great way to know that you are experiencing a flash back. 

Overall the story is relatable, and the hardship of the main character are displayed well without data dumping on you. I enjoyed the artwork very much, because it is simple yet effective. I will say that sometimes there is too much dialog in relation to the action, so sometimes I found myself trying to just plow through some of the less action-oriented pages. Overall, I give this comic 9 capes out of 10. It’s interesting yet easy to understand.