Comics
Review: Hack/Slash #29
As I walked the aisles of my local shop this week, my eyes gleefully bouncing from cover to cover of all the new issues, I realized something: that just 1 of the titles on my pull and holds came out this week. Worse yet, no matter how hard I looked at each and every title, I couldn’t find anything of interest for you loyal readers. I was at a loss. I was down right downtrodden. But thankfully though that 1 title so happened to be Hack/Slash #29, and like an IV pumping coffee straight into the veins of Dave Attel, I was rejuvenated. Read on for the review.
“Hack/Slash” #29 marks the kickoff of the “Super Sidekick Sleepover Slaughter” story arc, aka the countdown to the arrival of new series artist Daniel Leister (“Wonderland”) in issue #30. This month Seeley ups the anti pretty hard, which is tough to do given the track record of the series. The story starts out with a nerdy high-schooler named Ronnie, the a-typical walked on comic book geek, calling in to Late Knight rambling on about real life super-heroes. The story progresses from here, introducing us to the first 2 generations of Nightmare & Sleepy, a supposedly real super duo back in the day.
If this all sounds a little like “Watchmen”, then you’re not the alone. In fact the entire rant that Ronnie goes off into is pretty much torn straight from the lore of an Alan Moore novel. And though it is an unoriginal, borrowed idea, it still poses an interesting dilema when both generations of the hero Nightmare wind up dead at the hands of The Jack O’Lantern. A serial killer ripped straight from the comics within a serial killer comic you say? A serial killer ripped straight from the comics within a serial killer comic is right.
Issue #29 is as good as ever, not missing a beat from the glory of the previous months issue. Seeley seemed to have hit his stride some time ago, and he doesn’t look to be slowing down. Each page is leaves you wanting the next, never seeming to give you enough before you’re scouring the internet looking for the preview for next months issue. If ever there were a writer perfect for his role in a series it is Seeley. To imagine ‘Hack/Slash’ without his penmanship attached is nearly unfathomable at this point.
The artwork this month is still quite impressive as we wave farewell to the myriad of artists that have been lending their lead to the series the past few issues in preparation for Leister. Chris Burnham, Ross Campbell, and Jason Millet all bring their own touches to the issue this month, giving Ronnie’s old-school comic books a vintage feel that almost feels genuinely authentic.
That being said ‘Hack/Slash’ continues to stand head and shoulders above the rest of the pack as far as slasher comics go. Next month threatens to be a huge step for the series as it fully brings together its new creative team for the first time, but for a series that has done so much right it is hard to imagine them doing any wrong.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Skulls
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
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.
4 New Horror Movies Releasing This Week Including ‘Late Night with the Devil’ at Home
‘Ready or Not’: Radio Silence Filmmakers Tease the “Absolute Banger” of a Sequel That’s Taking Shape
‘Sting’ Review – Throwback Creature Feature Entertains With an Impressive Practical Monster
“We Built Every Creature” – ‘Alien: Romulus’ Goes Heavy on the Old School Practical Effects!
‘Terrifier 3’: Filming Has Wrapped on Damien Leone’s Christmas Slasher Sequel!
You must be logged in to post a comment.