Comics

Review: Crossed: Badlands #1

Published

12 years ago

March 19, 2012

In 2008 writer Garth Ennis and artist Jacen Burrows redefined horror comics with the release of Crossed. The concept was simple; a virus begins infecting people worldwide and causes them to lose all inhibitions and act upon their most evil thoughts. The book became an instant success due to its violent, disgusting and often disturbing imagery, and fans loved it.

After a series of Crossed book written by David Lapham, Ennis and Burrows have finally returned to the sick and depraved world he created to write the initial story arc of Crossed: Badlands, a new bi-weekly ongoing series. In this incarnation of the book, we are introduced to group of Scottish survivors that have managed to survive the Crossed outbreak by heading to rural countryside. This misfit band of survivors, which includes a book store employee, a pregnant woman and a disfigured sharpshooter who claims to be who claims to be Prince Harry, are scavenging for supplies as the Crossed close in.

Crossed Badlands #1
Avatar Press
Written by: Garth Ennis
Art by: Jacen Burrows

Ennis and Burrows are masters at setting the tone for a book, and here they set it up perfectly by stressing the characters sense of desperation and sheer hopelessness. This is a world devoid of happiness and a world where every minute is a fight for survival and the creative team successfully convey that to their audience.

Jacen Burrows artwork has really evolved since that initial Crossed series in 2008. The double page spread in the middle of this issue depicting the carnage of Glasgow literally burning to the ground is simply awesome. A few panels later, a baby being is being thrown from a speeding vehicle exploding upon impact and somehow Borrows makes it look both disgusting and visually stunning at the same time.

Crossed: Badlands doesn’t pull any punches, it’s the most vile, disgusting and violent comic on the market today. Crossed is in fact, bloody disgusting (just the way we like it), and it doesn’t get any better than this.

Bloody Disgusting Staff

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Comics

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

Published

7 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.