Connect with us

Comics

Review: ‘The Spider’ #5

Published

12 years ago

on

The first story arc of The Spider concludes in issue #5, as the pulpy anti-hero attempts to save the girl and the city from the zombie gas of the villainess Anput. Yes, you read that right. Zombie gas. For those of you who have not been following “The Spider,” it follows Richard Wentworth, ex-soldier, as he wages a one-man war on crime in New York City. Surrounded by a colorful cast of characters, his alter-ego – basically, Rorschach meets Spider-Man – now faces an Egyptian terrorist who may have ties to his father, who manufactures chemical weapons and other nasty things. It’s another excellent issue of one of the many pleasant surprises to come from Dynamite this year.

WRITER: David Liss
ARTIST: Colton Worley
PUBLISHER: Dynamite Entertainment
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Sept. 26th, 2012

David Liss’ writing for this series has been, by and large, a joy to read. The Spider is locked up in a room slowly filling with the aforementioned zombie gas, and our hero barely raises an eyebrow. Snarky, sardonic, and generally mean-spirited, The Spider sounds like Peter Parker on a whiskey bender. It’s usually as entertaining as you’d imagine it to be, but unfortunately Spider’s ex-girlfriend (and wife of his current best friend/the police commissioner… yeah, shit’s complicated) Nita gets zombified early on, and we get Serious Spider for the most part of this issue. It’s not quite as fun, but it’s necessary to raise the tension.

This issue holds some quality art by Colton Worley. Worley’s art has been remarkably consistent throughout this series. His characters emote very well, and he is quite good at creating a sense of physical impact. He has his flaws, though. There is a lot of fade effect in his panels and some characters seem a little too digital for my tastes. That said, he definitely possesses a unique style and he’s able to nail the most important panels.

As a villain, Anput feels all to generic. While her motivation isn’t ridiculous and her identity isn’t rooted in Western Islamophobia (on the contrary, Liss’ political commentary within this series has leaned decidedly to the left), she still is just another one-dimensional bad girl with an over-the-top, if amusing, scheme to zombify New York City. There are also one or two lines that seem a little too self-conscious, even if they do elicit a chuckle. But none of it takes that much away from the quality of the book, thanks to the superb writing and solid artwork. I’m looking forward to where this series goes from here.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – George Shunick

Related Topics:
Advertisement
1 Comment

Comics

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

Published

5 days ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

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

Continue Reading