For the first time in ten issues or so, Lazarus doesn’t sit well.

Oh, it’s fine–the script’s certainly stronger than the first arc of the series, but Rucka’s got a problem. He’s got an artist without time for the comic so what’s he going to do? A fill-in issue. But Lark does most of the art, just nothing exciting. Instead of exciting, there are these graphic design fill-in pages by Owen Freeman and Eric Trautmann. Diagrams, journal entries, all sorts of malarky.

And it is malarky. Rucka’s got his story–this secret agent nun trying to do something–and he tells it so Lark never has to get too involved with the art. Lots of night scenes, lots of black. Long shots with narration. No one actually talking for most of the comic.

Fill-in issues, done-in-one issues, they’re a necessary evil to modern comics.