The Avenging of Magic Series is a captivating collection of fantasy novels that takes readers on a thrilling journey through an enchanting world filled with magic, adventure, and danger. The series is written by the talented author, Jennifer Smith, who expertly weaves together a complex and gripping story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. At the heart of the series lies a powerful and ancient magic that has been hidden away for centuries. As the story unfolds, we are introduced to a group of unlikely heroes who are tasked with the responsibility of avenging this lost magic and restoring balance to the world. Each character brings a unique set of skills and strengths to the table, and as they work together, they discover the true power and potential that lies within them. One of the strengths of the series is the rich and vivid world-building.
TAROT WITCH of the Black Rose #142 Studio Variant, NM, Jim Balent, 2023
Condition: See more info in our description area. TAROT WITCH of the Black Rose #142 Studio Variant, NM, Jim Balent, 2023, more in our store TAROT: WITCH of the Black Rose #142 Studio Edition. Name of Comic(s)/Title?: TAROT: WITCH of the Black Rose . Read More
Item Specifics
Main Character Tarot WitchItem Description
Condition: See more info in our description area.
TAROT WITCH of the Black Rose #142 Studio Variant, NM, Jim Balent, 2023, more in our store TAROT: WITCH of the Black Rose #142 Studio Edition. Name of Comic(s)/Title?: TAROT: WITCH of the Black Rose #142 Studio Edition. . Publisher: BroadSword Comics. Art by/Featuring/Stories?: Featuring an issue of TAROT comic. Artist(s): Jim Balent. Writer(s): Jim Balent. Front Cover: Jim Balent. Rated PG13+ to Mature Readers. Story(s) : "?". Grade of item? : This issue is in NEAR MINT (unread) condition. Created when? : 2023. Front Cover description : As new, with very slight handling wear. Back Cover description : As new. Page quality description : Like new. Tape or writing?: No. How are staples?: Staples are secure. Flat & supple : Yes. Don't get caught napping. Will come bagged & boarded. 1st Printing. See more TAROT, Jim Balent, GOOD GIRL / FEMME FATALE, VARIANT, & INDEPENDENTS items in our store. Be sure to check out all of our current on-going auctions! Lots of great product at affordable prices! Bookmark our listings with (control + D). Lots more coming in the next few weeks. Check out the scan(s). If you like this? Our store name is HighQualityComics. aka HQComics. We have been doing mail-order since 1988. We guarantee Absolute Satisfaction on All Orders! Shipping in a box. Combine auctions to save on postage. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS : Email us for international shipping rates & acceptable ways to pay. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS : Email us for acceptable ways to pay and shipping options, before you place an order. Thanks!
Tag: Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose
One of the strengths of the series is the rich and vivid world-building. Smith has created a detailed and immersive world that is filled with all kinds of magical beings and creatures. From majestic dragons to mischievous fairies, each element of the world feels well-developed and captures the reader's imagination.
A look at Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose for the Halloween season
Halloween is right around the corner, so I’m casting my glance at the supernatural adventure series Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose. I was originally going to try to also include the actual upcoming Halloween story on Tarot and post this on October 31st but, owing to the fact that I’m swamped with work at my job, I’m just going to focus on the three most recent issues, #139-141.
10/25/2023 Update: Issue #142 was released today, and I picked it up on Midtown Comics on my lunch break. I just read it, so now I’m adding a few thoughts on the Halloween story, as well 🎃
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose is written, drawn & colored by Jim Balent and lettered & colored by Holly Golightly, published through their company Broadsword Comics. I recently put together a spotlight on Jim Balent’s artwork & career for his 60th birthday, but I really wanted to take a closer look at Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose itself. I really feel it’s a noteworthy accomplishment that Jim & Holly have been doing a bi-monthly creator-owned comic book series for almost a quarter of a century now.
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose is the story of Rowan aka Tarot, a young warrior witch who serves as Swordmaiden to the Goddess. “The Cursed Swordsman” storyline in issues #139-141 sees Tarot having to face an extremely dangerous foe. “Eons ago” the Goddess and her companion the God came into conflict with another deity, the Horned God, and his own mortal champion. The Goddess and her mate eventually defeated the Horned God and consigned his champion, the Swordsman, into the Great Abyss.
Now, in the present day, this champion has at long last broken free, and returned to the mortal realm. Transformed into a black-clad skeletal figure known as the Cursed Swordsman, he seeks long-delayed vengeance for the destruction of the Horned God. The Swordsman is hunting Tarot, and in order to locate her, he is cutting a brutal, bloody swathe through her friends & allies, beginning with Tarot’s older sister, the dark witch Raven Hex. The goddess bids Tarot to defeat the Swordsman in order to protect the mystical balance.
Elsewhere, Tarot’s husband Jon Webb, aka the vigilante Skeleton Man, is tracking down a black market organ smuggling operation in New York City. This leads Jon afoul of an old adversary, in the ensuing ambush he finds his soul catapulted into an infernal realm.
Now, I’m going to address the elephant in the room head-on: there is T&A and female nudity in Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose. A lot of it. It is a VERY sexy, kinky, fetishistic series featuring extremely beautiful, buxom women. In fact, I didn’t think it was possible, but somehow Balent managed to give Tarot even skimpier armor than she previously had. Same for Raven Hex who, her shadow realm dress shredded in her fight with the Cursed Swordsman, sews it back together as a much more revealing outfit.
Balent clearly enjoys drawing beautiful women in various states of undress, and he does a very good job of it. I definitely understand that nudity is going to be a huge turn-off for some people. All I can say is that it’s something you need to decide for yourself.
For me, I find Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose to be a fun, exciting, well-produced series, so the nudity is not a stumbling block. It’s honestly not much more ridiculous than a lot of what you see in mainstream superhero comic books, which frequently feature sexy ladies in revealing skintight outfits.
And, from my perspective, when you have Balent showing characters like Tarot and Raven Hex getting their clothes shredded in fights, revealing their private parts, it’s honestly less-ridiculous than a lot of what you see in other series featuring sexy protagonists.
A couple of months ago I saw the below panels from a Lady Death story. Her entire top got shredded, except for a couple of strategically placed strands of fabric that just so happened to cover her nipples. I didn’t find it sexy; instead I thought it looked ridiculous. Honestly, showing bare breasts would been better. I feel you should either just commit fully, or keep her covered up with one of the spiky leather bikini tops she usually wears, instead of half-assing things like this.
As I understand it, Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose has a fairly significant female readership. My partner Michele and I were at Garden State Comics Fest at the end of June, and we met Jim & Holly, who were guests at the show. I asked Michele what she thought about Balent’s artwork, and how he drew women with such large breasts. Michele responded that it didn’t bother her, she thought Balent was a really good artist, and she was much more bothered by other creators who write women poorly and are blatantly misogynistic.
I’m a man, so my perspective on this might not be so accurate, but I feel like Balent does a good job scripting Tarot and Raven Hex and the other female characters in this series. They feel like people, adults who have healthy sex lives, and not one-dimensional sex objects.
And I also feel that, huge breasts aside, Balent’s women are fairly realistically rendered. In other words, he gives them wide hips & waists and legs that are realistically proportioned. Comparing Balent’s females to a lot of the characters you see in “bad girl” titles, his grasp of anatomy feels much more solid.
Getting back to the actual “The Cursed Swordsman” story, the artwork is top notch. As always, Balent does a superb job laying out the action sequences. His storytelling, the flow from one panel to the next, really is dynamic.
One of my favorite characters from Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose appears in it. Mor-Meb-Dred, the Dragon Witch, who, depending on the circumstances, has been both an adversary and an ally to Tarot. I absolutely love Balent’s incredible designs for Mor-Meb-Dred, both in her dragon and humanoid forms. She’s a really good example of how beautifully detailed his work is on this series. I got a sketch of the Dragon Witch from Balent at Garden State Comic Fest. It was great to see her again in these issues, however briefly.
Having seen some of Balent’s work in progress for this series on his Instagram account, it’s clear that a lot of the detail of the finished artwork is the result of the rich, vivid coloring by himself and Golightly. They do really good work. I also like the lettering font that Golightly uses for the series.
Plotwise, I appreciated that Balent added an element of moral ambiguity to “The Cursed Swordsman” story. In spite of his brutality, the Swordsman does have a certain legitimate grievance, having basically become a pawn in the conflict between deities. And that leads Tarot to ponder if she’s now finding herself in similar circumstances, tasked with cleaning up a mess that the goddess is either unable or unwilling to deal with. Hopefully Balent will return to this theme in the future.
So… Halloween. Tarot Witch of the Black Rose typically comes out at the very end of the month. New Comics Day is on Wednesdays, which meant that if issue #142 had shipped next week, it actually would have been on sale on November 1st, the day after Halloween. Fortunately, Balent & Golightly were able to get this issue out slightly earlier.
I sent Balent a message on Instagram letting him know I was happy that this year’s Halloween issue came out ahead of October 31st and he responded:
“Yes. I worked hard to meet that printing deadline.”
As I’ve previously observed, Balent really does have an amazing work ethic.
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #142 Cover A is a great Halloween-themed image by Balent. Within, “Belle of the Halloween Ball” is set in a parallel universe, a spooky supernatural reality. We meet four horrific versions of iconic fairy tale princesses from the House of the Mouse: Belle crossed with the Bride of Frankenstein, a vampire Snow White, an undead Rapunzel, and a Little Mermaid from the Black Lagoon.
Belle, seeking to resurrect her fallen Beast, snatches Tarot from her own reality, hoping to steal the mystical tattooed Black Rose that is the witch’s birthright in order to revive her brutish paramour.
“Belle of the Halloween Ball” is a humorous aside by Balent, a playfully sexy tale for the Halloween season after the intense events of the previous three issues. However, as he closes out the story, Balent sets the stage for consequences from “The Cursed Swordsman” to play out in the next issue. Definitely leaves me wondering what’s going to happen next!
Balent then announces the forthcoming Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #143 will be a special 24th anniversary story, with a Kickstarter campaign launching in January 2024.
Speaking of Kickstarter, Holly Golightly currently has a campaign for her Faeries, IMPS & Pixies: A Magickal Deck of Cards for Inspiration, Affirmation & Divinations featuring her adorable artwork, with a lot of great add-ons available. Definitely check it out.
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose #139-142 can be purchased thru the Broadsword Comics website along with a large number of back issues, and several other great books by Balent & Golightly.
One of the reasons why I do this blog (as well as why I write for the First Comics News website) is to try to spotlight series & creators outside of the Big Two. Marvel and DC get a lot of press, so it’s important to try to bring attention to the smaller companies.
I hope everyone has a happy Halloween 🎃
Another standout feature of The Avenging of Magic Series is the fast-paced and action-packed plot. There is a constant sense of urgency and danger as the heroes face off against formidable foes and navigate treacherous landscapes. The plot twists and turns, keeping readers guessing and eager to see what happens next. It is this thrilling and suspenseful nature of the story that keeps readers hooked from beginning to end. However, it is the exploration of themes such as friendship, loyalty, and bravery that ultimately elevate The Avenging of Magic Series beyond a mere adventure tale. Through the characters' personal journeys, readers are reminded of the power of unity and the importance of fighting for what is right. The series beautifully showcases the resilience of the human spirit and the potential for greatness that can be unlocked when individuals work together. In summary, The Avenging of Magic Series is a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure. Jennifer Smith has created a captivating world filled with magic, danger, and unforgettable characters. The series hooks readers with its fast-paced plot and keeps them engaged with its exploration of important themes. Once you start reading The Avenging of Magic, you won't be able to put it down..
Reviews for "An Epic Quest: The Avenging of Magic Series Prides Itself"
1. Stephanie - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with "The Avenging of Magic" series. The characters felt one-dimensional and the plot was predictable. The magic system in the story was also poorly explained, leaving me feeling confused and frustrated. I was hoping for a thrilling and immersive fantasy read, but this series just didn't deliver.
2. Michael - 1/5 - I couldn't get into "The Avenging of Magic" series at all. The writing style was dry and lacked any sort of excitement. The pacing was incredibly slow, with long stretches of nothing happening. The dialogue was awkward and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Overall, this series was a huge letdown and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
3. Emma - 2/5 - I found "The Avenging of Magic" series to be quite formulaic and unoriginal. It felt like a generic fantasy story with no real standout elements. The world-building was lacking, and the plot twists were predictable. The protagonist was supposed to be a powerful magic user, but their powers were underwhelming and often conveniently forgotten. I was hoping for a fresh and captivating fantasy series, but unfortunately, this wasn't it.
4. David - 3/5 - While "The Avenging of Magic" series had its moments, overall, I found it to be underwhelming. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging on and others rushed through. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult to care about their fates. There were also several plot holes and inconsistencies that detracted from the overall story. The potential for a great fantasy series was there, but it fell short in execution.
5. Jennifer - 2/5 - "The Avenging of Magic" series had a promising premise, but it failed to deliver on its potential. The story lacked originality and felt like a rehash of other fantasy novels I've read. The writing style was bland, and I struggled to stay engaged. The character relationships felt forced, and the romance subplot was poorly developed. Overall, I was left unimpressed with this series.