Reviews
REVIEW: Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny
Book Title: Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny
Book Description: In movies we have seen the archaeologist Indiana Jones track down some of the most coveted relics of all of history. Most notably the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant.
In Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny we see Dr. Jones is back at it. He and his father, Henry, are in search of the Spear of Longinus. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Spear of Longinus, it is the spear that pierced Christ’s side at the time of his crucifixion.
According to legend, Joseph of Arimathaea left the holy land shortly after Christ’s resurrection and came to Britain as a missionary circa A.D. 37. He brought the tip of the spear with him. If the legend is to be believed, Joseph thrust his staff into a hill. There it rooted, bloomed, and grew into a tree. There is speculation that the staff he thrust into the hill was actually the shaft of the Spear of Longinus.
That’s where our story picks up. Henry and Indiana are at the tree the legend refers to when the land’s caretaker, Edwina Cheltingham, confronts them after some deliberation she realizes that the Jones boys are not vandals.
We learn that what was believed to be the Spear of Longinus was in a museum in Austria. Which means the Nazis have probably already won the race to the tip of the spear.
If they were to discover which tree the staff grew into it could spell doom for the world. According to the legends he who claims the spear and solves its mystery holds the fate of the world in his hands… for good or evil.
A former pupil of Henry’s claims to have insight on where the spear tip is. The young man believes himself to be a visionary and wants the best for everyone. When they meet him Indiana believes that the young man knows where the spear tip is. He also believes that the young man is working for the Nazis. In fact he’s so thoroughly convinced that he resorts to violence to get answers.
That’s when Indiana learns he is wrong. The young man is truly innocent. His father, the man holding a gun to Indiana’s head, has possession of the tip. He believes that with the spear his son can return Germany to its rightful place atop the world, despite how the war effort is going.
About this time Edwina Cheltingham appears on the scene with her class of school girls. She tells Indiana to meet her in the old abbey and creates a distraction.
During the distraction the spear tip is shot and split in half. The Jones boys escape with half of it. In the abbey we learn that the real thorn tree was destroyed by pilgrims years ago. It was replaced with a regular tree then. A clipping from the real tree was planted in the abbey.
Shortly after that the Nazis locate the Jones boys and the issue wraps up with an exciting chase.
Book Author: Elaine Lee
Book Format: Paperback
Publisher - Orgnization: Dark Horse Comics
Publisher Logo:
Illustrator: Dan Spiegle
- Story(3.75)
- Interior Art(3.25)
- Cover Art(3.25)
- Dialogue(3.5)
- Mechanics(3.75)
- Editing(3)
Summary
Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny #2 was a fun discovery in an online auction. I didn’t know that the title existed until that moment. Growing a fan of the original trilogy I instantly snatched it up.
The book is 25 years old and this story can go toe to toe with its contemporaries. Frankly I liked this story more than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which aside from a couple fun moments wasn’t exactly what many Indiana Jones fans had hoped for.
I loved the history lesson in this one. That’s always been one of my favorite things about Indiana Jones: you get to learn some obscure facts and legends along the way.
The detail on the cover is great. The depictions of Henry and Indiana look just like the actors that filled those roles. Well done!
The interior artwork is spot on. With the attention to detail it really pulls the reader into the story. I really liked how the abbey was drawn.
As a geek on a budget Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny is a tough call. I LOVED the story. The rub is trying to find it at your local comic book store. It’s not a newer title so it’s a question mark if they will have it in the back issues. You can find the individual issues on eBay for about $7.00 each. That’s close to $30 for a four book run. I would recommend using your own judgment. If you’re a huge Indiana Jones fan, it’s money well spent!
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