Marian is on a mission from the church to eradicate the witches from the holy City of Vespers.  But it’s hard to tell if they view her any differently than her prey.  Your Major Spoilers review of Marian Heretic #1 awaits!

MARIAN HERETIC #1

Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Joe Jaro
Publisher BOOM! Studios
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 8th, 2025

Previously in Marian Heretic: Marian belongs to a convent of women who believe in the holiness of the mother of God, which has put her in the crosshairs of the organized church higher-ups, in order to save her sisters and seek forgiveness, Marian becomes their hunter.

CONVENT OR COVEN?

Marian Heretic opens with a deformed woman breastfeeding an imp.  She’s then attacked by Marian.  The two battle for some time, with Marian coming out on top, but not without being injured.  Marian returns to the church to report.  The three heads of the church receive her report and administer communion.  She then recounts when she and her sisters were discovered by the church and how, rather than killing them all for worshipping something other than what they said should be worshipped, she was given the option to hunt down witches.  The next night, she sets out to track down rumors that a group of covens is gathering together at a park.  Upon confronting them, Marian is presented with a different option than simply killing them.

NEEDS SOMETHING MORE

The plot of Marian Heretic #1 is a straightforward affair, with the action going from beat to beat, without a lot of time spent considering what is going on.  This gives this comic the same feel as a run-of-the-mill action movie, which makes for an awkward reading experience when the story does try to speak to something deeper and complex, like the tendency for established institutions to pit women against each other, or the monopolization of faith by organized religions.  These moments don’t come off as natural to the world created here.  Also, the central character of Marian isn’t given a lot of attention when it comes to developing a unique personality, which is odd because a lot of the other characters are given something unique.  For example, the three heads of the church all have a personality that is expressed effectively, even though they’re one-note; those notes are all something easily identifiable.  Also, the woman that Marian meets later is also written with a lot of charisma that Marian simply lacks.  The rest of the world is a nice take on a Catholic-inspired fantasy world, akin to something like Castlevania, and there’s enough here to make me curious about more of the inner workings of this world.

EVOCATIVE, COLORFUL, A LITTLE CHEESY

The first thing to notice about the art in Mirian Heretic #1 is how much the colors pop.  Most of the backgrounds are dark and filled with shadows, but when things are presented in light, the colors are deep and stand out.  It’s a striking look that allows it to maintain a gothic darkness while having the action remain visceral.  What I really appreciated about the art, though, is its usage in saying some unspoken things.  By using some evocative poses, mixed with some spot-on character designs, it gives the impression that this comic is saying more than what the narration and dialogue are saying, and in a more natural and fitting way.  That’s not to say there isn’t a healthy dose of cheesiness in the visuals.  Apparently, in this world, the appropriate way to hunt down witches is with an ample amount of cleavage, and the best way to run a pagan ceremony is with an open robe hanging loose, around a bunch of open flame, not saying this is either good or bad, just a little silly.

BOTTOM LINE:  A BASIC STORY IN AN INTERESTING WORLD

Marian Heretic #1 has a few things along the edges of this book that are interesting, like the design of the world, some of the side characters, and the subtextual messaging. The action is decent, but there’s not a lot of it.  It’s the story of Marian itself that just isn’t grabbing me.  This is in part due to her being lifeless and being dominated by a single emotion that isn’t very expressive.  3 out of 5 stars.

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Marian Heretic #1

63%

63%

Lifeless in the Important Places

Marian Heretic #1 has a solid setting and some interesting ideas that could serve the series well down the road, but the story being told here, focuses on an uninteresting character and lacks hooks to pull attention in.

• Writing

  5
• Art

  6
• Coloring

  8
• User Ratings (0 Votes)
  0