A group of tattooed magic users launch a vital assault on a government facility in the final issue of the first season of The Marked. The first arc ends in suitably dramatic fashion in an issue written by David Hine with art and story by Brian Haberlin. Color comes to the page courtesy of Geirrod Van Dyke. The final chapter of the opening arc for the series is a bit of a rush. There’s a sprint to get to the final panel that does a disservice to the complexity of what Hine and Haberlin are trying to bring to the page, but it IS an entertaining sprint to the climax of the fifth issue, so it’s scarcely disappointing.

The Marked have invited a few allies to aid in the assault on a top-secret US Government facility. There are some very, very dark allies among them, but the Marked are going to need all the help they can get as they are up against a former student who is mixing magic with tech in a way that could prove to be very dangerous for everyone involved. Former student Liza is now buried under the influence of something dark that is keeping rather important information from her. When a revelation overcomes Liza, things are going to get very, very dangerous as she’s not entirely in control of her own power. 

Hine and Haberlin look to close the opening story arc of the series with a bang. They do a pretty good job of it, but the sudden introduction of a group of allies that haven’t appeared in the series up to this point feels more like a narrative lurch than a sudden explosion of power from the far corners of the world of The Marked. It’s just not all that interesting the way it comes across, but the central conflict with Liza feels remarkably vivid. The dramatic impact at issue’s end might not deliver the kind of punch Hine and Haberlin are looking for, but Liza’s fate at issue’s end DOES come really close to bringing the end of the first arc into some kind of satisfying conclusion. 

Haberlin’s continues to have more impact in drama than it does in action. The impact of physical aggression feels stiff. There’s no sense of sweeping movement as magic unfurls across the page. Thankfully Van Dyke’s colors DO give the magic a sense of combustion that makes for an enjoyable visual reality for the magic. Haberlin’s delivery of the drama IS quite vivid, though. Liza’s struggle at issue’s end wouldn’t be nearly as intense as it is, were it not for some heartbreakingly intense drama playing across her face.  

The right balance between drama and action might still be somewhat out of reach for Haberlin, but The Marked remains a series of great potential with some really interesting action. At its heart, the idea of magic etched into the flesh of those wielding it remains appealing. The visual reality of that as brought to the page with vivid appeal by Haberlin and Van Dyke.

Grade: B