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Review: ‘Mars Attacks’ #4

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12 years ago

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I can’t say was a big fan of Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks movie when I saw it so many years ago. Nor was I even alive when the trading card were going around. Suffice it to say, I held reserves about the new “Mars Attacks” series from IDW, but what I found is a dashingly fun, furious ride packed with stellar artwork from John McCrea. John Laymon does an excellent job developing the wild Martian universe through the use of flash backs and a strong narrative arc, while John McCrea’s art brings it all to life.

WRITTEN BY: John Laymon
ART BY: John McCrea
PUBLISHER: IDW
PRICE: 3.99
RELEASE: September 26th, 2012

The story follows the Martian warlord, Zar, who is organizing a mass invasion of Earth from his flagship. The issue shows his family history, who at one point have come and made contact with Earth. These past visits always resulted in death and war which is why Zar has assembled a massive invasion team to wipe the planet clean. Layman brilliantly places two human men on the ship who come from different time periods. one is a South American aboriginal and the other is from colonial America, this is a cool take on the alien abduction paranoia inherent to our culture. The story is perpetuated by the use of quirky flashbacks, which reveal essential background details of the invasion and the humans involved in the story.

As Layman and McCrea bring the reader through the historical context of the invasion, it culminates with a skirmish and leads into what will be a massive conflict on Earth. John Laymon’s story is much deeper than I would have thought possible, giving testament to his skills as a writer.

Despite how good Layman’s script is, John McCrea steals the show. He brings incredible depictions of the alien life forms, and all the death and destruction that comes with them. This book is laced with bloodshed from spear wounds to the Martian ray guns. One of McCrea’s panels is a clinic in over-the-top gore, where a Martian unloads a ray beam into a human leaving the head and legs intact while nothing but his skeleton remains of his torso. Stylish, hilarious, and bloody.

From the first issue, the writing and illustrations have been top notch, with no shortage of comical violence.

3.5/5

Reviewed by –GreenBasterd

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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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19 hours 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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