Comics

Review: ‘The Spider’ #1

Published

12 years ago

May 4, 2012

What do you get when you cross Batman and Rorschach? If the answer isn’t obvious, reading the first 3 pages of Dynamites newest vigilante tale, The Spider, has your answer. It’s not often, as The Spider points out, that heroes in comics, tv, movies, etc, get their hands dirty, but when a highly trained military personnel decides enough is enough…well I won’t ruin the blood pumping surprise.

WRITTEN BY: David Liss
ART BY: Colton Worley
PUBLISHER: Dynamite
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Out Now

Richard Wentworth, a self-sacrificing, former military elite, tends to dip into the booze a bit too often, but as an outlet, Mr. Wentworth has an alter ego who happens to enjoy kicking ass while completely sauced. The Spider does not play place nice. Whether the street thug is shoring up a cash register or trying to get freaky with a fine young woman, they end up with a bullet in the face. Now that’s my kinda crime fighting! The final pages take a wicked turn down Horror Street, and not a moment too soon. Based on the way this issue ended, “The Spider” looks to be another promising series from Dynamite.

As soon as I began reading, I had a distinct feeling of déjà vu, haven’t I seen this style somewhere before? Oh yeah it’s called “Watchmen”. But then again “Spider” is originally a pulp story from the 1930s, which Rorschach was based on. It’s almost as if this hard boiled style of hero has come full circle in the literary world. Dynamite is bringing back the pulp, grit, and noir to their lineup, and so far it’s been a blast. The updated New York streets make the city more alive than ever, and the pulp hero fits oddly well outside of the Depression era.

The story builds up the protagonist’s background in a flash, allowing him to dive right in to the eerie action. While the storyline has a Watchmen/pulp feel to it, the art, on the other hand, does not chime with either of those styles. Colton Worley does an excellent job blending a real world feel with the comic style. The pages are dark and shadow-heavy, yet there’s still a vibrancy to is at times such as the scene in Chinatown. The layouts themselves are product of a J.H. Williams III influence, and it’s a pleasure to see a more experimental style.

All in all, this a very healthy dose of awesome. It’s a solid first installment and shows a lot of potential for future plotlines. Pulp is back, my friends, get it while it’s hot!

– Reviewed by: GreenBasterd

Related Topics:Dynamite Entertainment The Spider

Lonnie Nadler

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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.