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Review: It Ends Here ‘Valen the Outcast’ #8

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12 years ago

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As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, the same applies to Valen the Outcast. The folks at Boom! deliver a non-stop, action-packed thrill ride in this 8th, and final installment of the Valen Brands’ undead journey to retrieve is soul. It’s not often that one empathizes with an undead monster but Valen is something special. While the conclusion is a bit dry, I wish there were more books like “Valen” on the market.

WRITTEN BY: Michael Alan Nelson
ART BY: Matteo Scalera
PUBLISHER: Boom!
RELEASE DATE: August 29th, 2012

At the end of issue 7, it appeared as though all was lost for the forces of good. Zjanna was resurrected to join Valen as an undead minion of the lich Korrus Null. Turns out, this is too good to be true for the millennia old lich, and Zjanna is able to sever Valen’s connection to the lich. Swords have already touched tips, but issue #8 delivers the epic battle that we’ve been waiting for. Valen makes a final attempt to regain his humanity, Zjanna seeks to obliterate the undead spirit of Darlenna, and Cordovan runs into the boy he saved. This issue is designed to get the blood pumping. Battles are raging continuously and the plot twists actually had me dropping my jaw.

At the artistic helm, Matteo Scalera does a fantastic job of bringing Mr. Nelsons ideas to life. This is the kind of great artwork we’ve come too expect since issue #1. The panels are full of detail, clean lines, and involving panel layouts that help to carry out the battle scenes. The transition between drama and fight is seamless. Archie Van Buren’s coloring brings this book to life. The color spotting used for the eyes of the undead creatures is particularly chilling.

The resolution is a bit unsatisfying simply because the series could easily run a few more issues to deliver a real punchy ending. Nelson takes a path that has been tread upon before, diminishing the otherwise unique feel to the series. Perhaps it was inevitable from the get go.

The question remain: will there be more “Valen”? Unfortunately, Michael Alan Nelson told us that this is the end. “Valen the Outcast” is a solid of modern fantasy comics, and it should not be missed by genre fans.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Green Basterd

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Comics

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

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2 days ago

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April 18, 2024

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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 (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.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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