Comics

Review: ‘No Place Like Home’ #1

Published

12 years ago

February 23, 2012

Lions, and tigers, and bears? Not quite. Image Comics has just released the debut issue of No Place Like Home, a new spin on the classic tale of Oz. Written by Angelo Tirotto and illustrated by Richard Jordan, No Place Like Home replaces the gingham dresses and rural simplicity with short skirts, piercings, and impending chaos. Not to mention a badass best friend! Read on for the skinny…

WRITTEN BY: Angelo Tirotto
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Richard Jordan
PUBLISHER: Image
RELEASE: Out now

No Place Like Home begins with an opening scene that could not be more appropriate: a severe, menacing tornado. When not everybody survives the disaster, “Dee” is forced to come back home to say her last goodbyes. Dee is definitely not the innocent, pigtailed “Dorothy” of The Wizard of Oz; she is a rebellious twenty-something, complete with leather jacket, nose stud, and cigarette. Here, we are also introduced to her best friend, Elizabeth, or “Lizzie.” After a sinister warning from the town drunkard, Lizzie and Dee must uncover their elders’ secrets, and prepare for the adventure that inevitably lies ahead.

I absolutely have to mention how uncanny the similarities are between Lizzie and, well, me. Lizzie has black hair, and one side of her head is shaved; my hairstyle is the same. Lizzie has a nose stud, as do I. I drive an old red car, and Lizzie drives an old red truck. I cuss like a f*cking sailor, as does Lizzie; I also flip the bird at people that get too “up in my business.” We also both grew up in small farm towns. What really got me was when Lizzie said “shee-it”. Definitely not your run-of-the-mill “shit.” I probably say “shee-it” on a daily basis.
Regardless of whether or not Tirotto and/or Jordan are stalking me, I am honored to relate myself to such a dynamic, genuine character. Lizzie is direct, to-the-point, no-nonsense. She’s blunt, but caring. Tough, but protective. And she definitely establishes herself as an integral piece of the cast from the get-go. But enough about me and Lizzie.

So far, No Place Like Home has all of the elements of a classic. There’s a vibrant cast of characters, a rural setting, suspense, mystery, a decent amount of gore, and even a prophetic drunkard to ice the cake. Richard Jordan’s art, paired with Paul Little’s more neutrally based color palette, the prairies and farmlands of Kansas are captured perfectly. The tornado scene especially has some awesome green tones. The characters are attractive and full of life; their faces are classically drawn, with thicker lines reminiscent of a “pop art” style. Also, there are visual and verbal references to The Wizard of Oz throughout the issue. It’s pretty fun to see if you can catch them all.

In the back of the issue, Tirotto introduces the “mail” section, where he says, “I couldn’t be prouder. I really hope you enjoy every page.” In short, I do. This first issue was a great introduction to the cast of characters, the twisted version of Kansas, and left an intriguing mystery that will keep me drooling for more. A great start to what looks like another stellar horror series from Image
.

Related Topics:1 Image Comics Issue 1 No Place Like Home Comic review Wizard of Oz

Bloody Disgusting Staff

Click to comment

Comics

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

Published

6 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.