When I reviewed Spire #6, I was a little lost and realized a short time after it was because I hadn’t read Issue #5 yet . . . it makes a difference. Now that I’m officially all caught up, Issue #6 . . . is awesome.

Racism rears its head in unexpected place. The perversion of authority supplants the wisdom of power: religion versus a city whose foundation is crumbling under its own authoritative weight; secret forces creating havoc; and a villain still to be revealed as the head of the city guards. Sha, a one-woman imperfect fighting machine who happens to be one of those unclean monsters that’s looked down on, is ready to force a conclusion to the underhanded machinations of power-hungry douchebags. If you’re following politics right now, there’s this great sense of living vicariously through her actions. To bring down a corrupt and unjust system is a thrilling conceit. To take a stand and put those douchebags in their place is on my bucket list.

The complexities of this story are so intriguing – the politics, the racial issues, the cultural aspects – and are all held together with strong character writing and world building. For Game of Thrones fans, this series will be heaven. Simon Spurrier is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. Does it excite the heck out of me that he’s now a writer on the Doctor Who comic series? Yes, it does. Jeff Stokely’s artwork is beautiful, and André May’s colors are sumptuous. This fantasy world rife with corruption is both beautiful and ugly all at the same time.

One issue left. I’ll check back in in a month with my final review . . . when a review will really matter.