I normally rant and rave about how each issue The Sword is great and this is no different. What is differnet is that this issue really changes things up and break away from the normal story formula.  Normally Dara and her friends are on the run from authorities and search for one of the gods that killed her family. Then a gory battle takes place and finishes with Dara delivering the coup de grace.

After Malia reveals her true intentions to the world via broadcast TV, Dara becomes the "hero" or at least the lesser of two evils in the publics eye.  Dara mounts an assault on Malia with aid from the U.S. military.  The epic battle ensues and Dara kills Malia by running the sword through Malia's skull. However, during the fight Malia struck down the helicopter with Dara's friend Justin and the Military personnel inside. After the battle Dara weeps for her friend and he is seen climbing the top of mountain unharmed.  Then justin surprises Dara and the reader with one hell of an announcement. He is the fourth god Phaistos, the god her father supposedly killed thousands of years earlier.

The last "oh shit" moment reall, really took me by surprise.  I always thought that Justin would end up the love interest of Dara.  I really can't wait to see how the final issue wraps this up next month.