Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Magdalena Series Complete

The Magdalena is an American comic book heroine created by Top Cow Productions. She did not have her own on-going series for many years, but had two limited series and has been featured in comics with The Darkness, the Witchblade, Tomb Raider, The Angelus and Vampirella. She first appeared in The Darkness #15 (June 1998). Her ongoing series started April 2010.

After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, reputed to be his wife, gave birth to Christ's daughter, Sarah. From this child is descended the holy lineage of The Magdalena, a royal bloodline that passes great power and great honor from mother to daughter. The Magdalena serves as the warrior and protector of the Catholic Church.

The Magdalena has the inherent ability to see into the human heart, to show people the error of their ways and give them the choice to redeem their sins. There is only one in a generation, and she alone stands and takes arms against the evils of the world. Apart from the powers she is born with, The Magdalena wields the Spear of Destiny, the spear that pierced the side of Christ, as a holy and formidable weapon against the twisted and the evil.

Since the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church has been the Magdalena's employer. They raise her from childhood and train her until she is ready to take hold of her destiny. It is the Inquisition, a secretive and mystical but powerful council of cardinals, that oversees the Magdalena's activities and chooses her missions.

Incarnations
Three Magdalena have been depicted in detail in the Top Cow universe.

Sister Rosalia
When introduced Rosalia was 33 years old. Raped as a teenager by a masked assailant, she gave birth to a daughter who is assumed to have been taken from her and brought up in a convent somewhere.

She was sent to investigate possible vampire killings in France. She found the vampires and discovered they were humans infected with a virus and saw they were not evil. She was killed by the soldiers of the Inquisition, the Garduna, for trying to prevent them from slaughtering the 'vampires'.

Chronologically Rosalia was the first Magdalena readers encountered, although the Blood Divine mini series (#1 - 3) which she starred in was the Magdalena's second printed appearance. The mini-series was created by Marcia Chen and Joe Benitez.

Sister Mariella
Mariella was the above mentioned daughter of Rosalia and the mysterious masked assailant. She debuted in the first printed appearance of the Magdalena in The Darkness #15 - 18, and then appeared again in Magdalena/Angelus #1/2. Mariella must have been in her later teens/early twenties when called as the next Magdalena.

She was sent to kill Jackie Estacado with the Spear of Destiny but unbeknownst to her she was not yet fully trained. Even after the Sisters of the Order of Magdalene performed the ritual which gave her the ability of her blood to reveal a person's sins, she and the Sisters were still defeated by Jackie Estacado, who made an example of them by crucifying them in the church as a message to their superiors.

Having recovered from her combat with Jackie and her crucifixion, Mariella received word of where the Spear of Destiny was and set out to retrieve it. In the process she encountered The Angelus and Appolonia Francetti and was again left for dead.

It is not clear what has actually happened to Mariella after her encounter with The Angelus. She was clearly stated to be alive following her appearance in Magdalena/Angelus #1/2 but was never seen again. Since a new Magdalena was called to replace her, Mariella presumably died on a mission not yet depicted.

Mariella was sent on these two very dangerous missions by the devious Cardinal Innocent and then by an anonymous letter. The possibility was raised that someone within the Church, probably Cardinal Innocent, wanted an end to the Magdalena and her line because of their true origin as the heirs of both Christ and his female followers.

Mariella appeared in The Darkness #15 - 18 by Malachy Coney and Joe Benitez. She re-appeared in the Magdalena / Angelus one-shot, by Marcia Chen and Brian Ching.

Patience
The third Magdalena seen was named Patience. There is no information yet on her exact lineage or her relation to her two immediate predecessors, and she appears too old to be a daughter of Mariella though it is possible that she is her sister. Patience was in her novitiate but left her convent suddenly, forcing the Inquisition to send an agent, Kristof, to track her down when her time came to assume the mantle.

Kristof found her living on the streets of New York City with a newfound friend, a homeless girl called Rowan Barry. Kristof became Patience's mentor and gave her basic training in her new role. Patience was initially hesitant but gave in to her destiny when Rowan was abducted by agents of an evil force. The events of her first adventure in her new role led to a disagreement with Kristof and the Inquisition, prompting her to declare herself independent of their control but allied with them only when their goals did not conflict with her sense of ethics.

Patience was sighted again when Sara Pezzini, an officer of the New York City Police Department and wielder of the Witchblade, was attacked by a bloodthirsty demon, posing as a young woman. Sara found that this enigmatic Magdalena might prove a valuable ally against an unspeakable evil that roams the streets of New York City.

Patience appeared in Magdalena/Vampirella #1 by David Wohl and Joe Benitez, in Witchblade #62-65 by David Wohl and Francis Manapul and also in the new Magdalena mini-series by Brian Holguin and Eric Basaldua.

Download Link :

Download The Magdalena v1 01
Download The Magdalena v1 02
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Download The Magdalena v2 01
Download The Magdalena v2 02
Download The Magdalena v2 03
Download The Magdalena v2 04