Comics
5 Skull Review: “Deadly Class” #6
As Marcus comes down from his gorgeously destructive acid trip so too does “Deadly Class” wind down its first arc. Issue #6 is horrifically intimate. The confrontation that Marcus was literally running away from last issue comes to a spectacular head with his life hanging in the balance.
WRITTEN BY: Rick Remender
ART BY: Wes Craig
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: June 25, 2014
Reviewed By: Torbin Chimners
Rick Remender never ceases to please and this is no exception. His razor sharp writing cuts deep. These boys are not having a minor dispute here, they’re having an exceptionally violent altercation. Remender practically throws the dialogue at us. It makes the tension palpable, every moment could be anyone’s last.
The end of this issue functionally locks down the core group of kids that Deadly Class will continue to follow down the line, giving us some really interesting dynamics for the future. All the major players get stand out moments here. In previous issues, a couple of them felt like borderline throwaway characters, but this time they’re solidified as constants. The one notable exception is Saya, who gets a paltry two lines that don’t contribute anything to the overall plot. This is forgivable, however, because she has already been solidly established as a character.
Wes Craig is out of this world. As much as I love Remender’s writing, I would pick up this book just for the art. Craig’s drop dead gorgeous visuals stand tall on their own. The visual storytelling is brilliant. I’ve read quite a few comics that rely on word boxes like a crutch, stringing together nonsensical panels, but that simply isn’t the case here. Take away the words, and I’d make the argument that “Deadly Class” could work beautifully as a solely visual story.
I’d like to take a moment to talk about how Deadly Class handles the aesthetics of exposition in a comic. Instead of cluttering up the art with endless world boxes letterer Rus Wooton’s are off to the side, in an almost margin like space. There’s something that feels oh-so-natural about it, I find it strange that this is the first time I’ve really seen it.
Steve Orlando and Artyom Trakhanov’s superb series “Undertow” comes the closest. Their letterer, Thomas Mauer, is doing something similar by putting the words directly on the art and forgoing boxes altogether. I’m really digging how creative and bold both of these books are getting with their lettering.
“Deadly Class” #6 has everything you want in a comic: original and captivating writing seamlessly mixed with breathtaking art peppered with some truly creative lettering. Remender and Craig deliver on all fronts, backs, sides, tops and power bottoms.
Torbin Chimners AKA Torin Chambers is a rad dude from the nineties who does film stuff or something. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite transformer. Find him on Twitter@Vulgar_Rhombus
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.