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Review: Pilot Season ‘Murderer’

Published

14 years ago

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MURDERER marks the beginning of Top Cows’ very interesting ‘Pilot Season’ campaign that allows readers to vote which of 4 titles will go from being a one shot to getting its own mini-series (Think ‘American Idol’ for comics). Luckily, the task of writing these stories has been left in the ever-capable hands of Robert Kirkman (“The Walking Dead”). (Spoilers Follow)

MURDERER follows Jason, a completely normal middleclass guy who leads a seemingly equally normal and boring life. Fortunately for the reader though, things aren’t as they seem for Jason. Jason hears voices, and not in the same way that Voorhees guy hears his mommy telling him to kill horny teens. Everywhere Jason goes he hears (and sees) people’s thoughts, their plans, their dirty little secrets, and the only way to quell the assault on his mind is to kill someone.

The entire idea seems a bit clichéd, and we have all seen things similar to it in almost all forms of media. What makes MURDERER stand out though is Kirkman’s unique spin on the power. Jason doesn’t enjoy what he does like Dexter Morgan. And he doesn’t use his power to get in good with the ladies like Mel Gibson in ‘What Women Want’. (What, to early?) instead he kills in order to set his mind at ease. Near the end of the story, in a very emotionally detached fashion that only Kirkman and Silvestri could give such weight, Jason tells the woman he has just saved from her abusive spouse that he only kills for the few hours of peace that murder gives him.

It is for this reason that Jason avoids being the same type of character that we have seen before. There is always a look of emotional distress on his face. A detachment from a man who is being forced into attachment to everyone around him. In 32 pages Kirkman is able to build an emotional connection between the audience to his tragic antihero.

That being said some much needed credit must be given to Marc Silvestri for his part in this story. Every scene is given a realistic and detailed touch and sympathetic tone. Through every line on every characters face you seem to be able to draw some conclusion on even the most miniscule characters back-story. It is obvious that this was done purposely, but when you can go from having absolutely no care for the life of a wife beating psychopath, to wanting Jason to let go of the mans throat as he chokes the life from him, then you know you are at the will of a gifted artist.

All in all Top Cow’s Pilot Season: MURDERER is a triumph in its own right. It will be very interesting to see what the rest of the series will bring to the table with the first issue setting the bar so high. If MURDERER never goes anywhere it would be a shame, because what the team has created is something equal parts intriguing, sympathetic, and tragic.

Rating: 4.5 Skulls out of 5

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

11 hours ago

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April 17, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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