Connect with us

Comics

GRAPHIC CONTENT PICK OF THE WEEK: Johnny_Trouble – ‘Butcher Baker, The Righteous Maker’ Issue #3

Published

on

Last week I was tempted to post a crudely drawn hand turkey for my pick of the week. However, THEoDEAD advised against it. Now most of the time that doesn’t really affect what I do, but I listened to my editor for a change. Why a hand turkey? I have no idea, but the thought amused me. Which is probably why I do most of the things I do, despite knowing it goes against my better judgment. However, this week I picked an actual comic book, “BUTCHER BAKER, THE RIGHTEOUS MAKER” Issue #3. Now, if you are willing to take the plunge down the rabbit hole, I will explain myself.

WARNING: I Have A Potty Mouth. Deal With It.

WRITTEN BY: Joe Casey
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Mike Huddleston

“Car chases and coimcbooks are like oil and water – until now! You’ll feel the motion of the ocean when you open this issue! You’ll feel the wind in your hair as Butcher Baker races for his life! Plus, as more enemies conspire, Arnie B. Willard has a cosmic epiphany! Don’t miss it!”

There is a hell of a lot of horror comics that I am going to be spending my money on this week, and I know that you guys would probably expect me to choose one of those for my pick of the week. However, by now those of you that have read my work have noticed that I am not one to really do what most people would consider logical, and I am not about to start.

I have said it before and I will say it again, I know that this is a horror website, but I don’t care, I love horror comics but I love a lot of other types of comics too. For example, “TRANSMETROPOLITAN” was the first complete comic series I have ever owned. I loved immersing myself in the world Warren Ellis created in that comic series, and I still do. What does this have to do with Joe Casey’s “BUTCHER BAKER, THE RIGHTEOUS MAKER” you ask? Well hold your fucking horses, I am about to get to that.

You see, just like Spider Jerusalem, Butcher Baker is a character that I have grown to truly enjoy. I always admire a character that tends to go rogue, and Butcher Baker definitely meets that definition. I love characters that are chaotic, nonconforming, and do not care for authority figures, which would explain my love for Rorschach and Skinner Sweet as well.

In addition to a great main character and some really interesting villains at the forefront of the comic, the creative minds behind the project, Joe Casey and Mike Huddleston are also why this comic appeals to me. You see, both of them are fucking insane, and I mean that in the best way possible. What is my proof of this? You know the cliché “it takes one to know one”? Well, just because it is a cliché doesn’t mean it isn’t true. For instance, the arm wrestling competition story Mike told when I interviewed him a few weeks ago, (which can be found here) and Joe Casey’s interview with himself, which can be found in the back of Issue #2 are both proof of that. 

In summary, I love “BUTCHER BAKER, THE RIGHTEOUS MAKER” because of the story as well as the creative minds behind it. This is why I have chosen Issue #3 to be my staff pick of the week, despite all of the wonderful horror titles I could have gone with. It is an unapologetically great comic, and I look forward to owning the third installment of the series. Now that I have given you my reasons, I guess all I have left to say is…

THE END



Comics

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

Published

on

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 (AnimosityBatwomanDC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide SquadPower RangersRed 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

Continue Reading