BEN MORTARA AND THE THIEVES OF THE GOLDEN TABLE #1, from Source Point Press on March 22nd, 2023, begins a globetrotting adventure to find an ancient artifact with the power to feed the world.
The Details
- Written by: Arnon Z. Shorr
- Art by: Kat Baumann
- Colors by: Alex Zief
- Letters by: Dave Lentz
- Cover art by: Malia Ewart
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: March 22, 2023
Is It Good?
BEN MORTARA AND THE THIEVES OF THE GOLDEN TABLE #1 is Source Point Press’s inaugural title in its Maggid Comics imprint, specifically created to highlight Jewish comics from Jewish creators. Writer Arnon Shorr makes the most of the opportunity with an Indiana Jones-style adventure about an archaeological professor tasked with recovering an artifact belonging to legendary King Solomon.
On the whole, it’s a fun adventure. The locations and potential scale/scope of the artifact’s recovery make the story feel big. Shorr’s pacing is breezy, the dialog is solid, the scenes play out well, and the cliffhanger ends on a high note.
If you’re wondering if a comic released under an imprint specifically focused on Jewish creators and Jewish stories feels Jewish, it certainly does. Heavy emphasis is placed on Middle Eastern locations, organizations, and characters with direct ties to Jewish history and culture. On that point, this comic does exactly what Maggid Comics was created to accomplish.
To be fair, this issue has a few nagging flaws, namely in the names. With the exception of Ben Mortara, not one character in this issue is introduced. The man who brings Ben a map fragment simply shows up, and the two begin working together without Ben asking for his name. Later, Ben starts referring to the man as Salman, with no indication as to how they know each other or when Ben learned the man’s name. Salman isn’t the only character lacking a proper introduction, and it becomes difficult to follow along when you can only refer to characters as “the old lady” and “guy with a turban.”
Kat Baumann’s art is very good in this issue. Despite the mature themes (terrorist groups, murders, etc.), the art has a mildly YA feel that keeps the visuals bright and energetic for younger readers. To be clear, this isn’t a YA comic, but the art has a YA vibe that heightens the spirit of adventure.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a man wearing a turban running through the streets of Baku. A remote seer guides the man through the streets to help him escape with something he stole. Later, the man shows up at the office of Prof. Ben Mortara to explain he has a piece of an important map, and he needs Ben’s help to find the rest of the map.
Later, Ben figures out that the stolen piece belongs to an ancient map purported to show the location of the Table of Solomon, a magical artifact that can create endless supplies of food. Unfortunately, the map fragment in Salman’s possession was stolen from a terrorist group, putting their search in great danger.
We conclude the issue with a missing leg, hidden partners, and secret agents.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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BEN MORTARA AND THE THIEVES OF THE GOLDEN TABLE #1 is a solid start to an Indiana Jones-styled adventure under Source Point’s new Maggid Comics imprint, spotlighting Jewish stories from Jewish creators. The adventure feels Biblical (literally) and the pacing is brisk, but a few flaws in the character introductions and actions bring the score down.
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