Artifacts #22 begins a new arc with a teaser: a mystic and horrifying tragedy takes place between a priest and a parishioner in a confessional booth. Even though this is a dream in the mind of Tom Judge, can the return of the Magdalena be far behind?

The meat of the story begins with Tom Judge (the Rapture) and Tilly Grimes investigating a ritualistic killing in Washington D.C. Along the way, Tom confronts the workings of hell as the fully enabled Rapture. A lot of action is blended with the mystery here.

This issue has everything that Top Cow does best these days. Well written stories filled with the supernatural, touching on horror, and firmly rooted in the mystery of how this universe came to be. Mix in Stjepan Sejic's gorgeously painted panels, and you have a book worth reading and re-reading.