Marshal Minerva, a young investigator is abruptly interrupted in the middle of doing a crossword puzzle.

Her office door bursts open, and she is hired to locate two mysterious ancient items and the people who have them in their possession. Sounds pretty basic. But planes, trains, and motorcycles, and the ‘gates to unknown dimensions’ all play into the pursuit.

What’s with the golden face masks, the special key, the guns and ammo, and the Da Vinci Code-like fascination with cryptic texts?

Writer and artist Stefan Tosheff (Boom! Comics, Chapterhouse, Lev Gleason, Skybound, etc), from Vancouver BC gives us a rollicking adventure, with so many scenarios and conversations carrying on that we sometimes need to take a pause in the action. The narrative could use a few more explanations, but the dialogue is witty and there’s plenty of action. Kabamm!!

Tosheff has a flair for the dramatic, which goes a long way in comics, a visual storytelling medium. Colourful explosions, heated arguments, and mystifying mystery. All on the international stage, something that certainly is a breath of fresh air! After all, there’s a whole planet to explore, with loads of adventure in-store with the four issues of Minerva’s Map. Lettering by Andrew Thomas.

Four single issues are available, (Issue four is released in May), and a digest-sized trade collection of these four issues goes on sale in late June.

Lev Gleason, New Friday imprint, Minerva’s Map Chapters 1-4 $8.99 (each) for 27 pages of content. Digest sized trade of all 4 issues is to be released in June for $19.99

By Alan Spinney

After a career of graphic design, art direction and copywriting, I still have a passion for words and pictures. I love it when a comic book comes together; the story is tight, and the drawings lead me forward. Art with words... the toughest storytelling technique to get right. Was this comic book worth your money? Let's see!!