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Review: ‘Billy The Kid’s Old Timey Oddities And The Orm Of Loch Ness’ #1

Published

12 years ago

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Billy The Kid’s Old Timey Oddities continues with the first issue of “The Orm of Loch Ness”. It’s a new arc that sees Billy and company hot on the trail of their captured associate Callahan, who’s being taken to – you guessed it – Loch Ness. It’s a largely uneventful issue, but it manages to engage in some brief exposition, moves along at a brisk pace, and is enjoyable throughout. The end has a delightfully absurd twist that will ensure readers will be nothing if not curious to see where the story goes from here.

WRITTEN BY: Eric Powell
ART BY: Kyle Hotz
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE DATE: October 17th, 2012

I must confess that I have just begun this book, and so am unfamiliar with most of the characters and backstory. That said, while I don’t know how the characters got in the positions that they’re in, it was a fairly easy issue for a new reader to begin with. Callahan, a half-lizard half-man creature, has been captured by a villain who makes Two-Face look positively handsome by comparison, and has been take to Loch Ness for… well, who knows why. It’s not important. What is important is Billy the Kid and his motley crew are right on their trail. They get a history lesson on the origins of the Loch Ness monster, which they presume they will encounter, and this all pretty much sets up things for the arc.

Eric Powell’s script isn’t exactly a tour de force of character moments, or a particularly compelling narrative. But it is an enjoyable one. It doesn’t aspire to be anything beyond entertaining, and to that end it succeeds. The story moves along quickly, and the dialogue is effective, if not particularly memorable. The most important parts are exposition, regarding the history of the monster. As for the monster itself, I was a bit surprised by the end reveal, and it fits in with the absurd tone of the book.

Speaking of absurd, Kyle Hotz’ artwork is appropriately bizarre, demented, and a bit grotesque. That isn’t to say that it’s full of gore. Rather, his objects are distorted and his bodies are misshapen. You won’t find any Jim Lee-esque Hercules look-alikes with the posture of Marines here. His backgrounds are dark and his shadows are deep, fitting the horror elements of the story. Hotz is also capable of setting the mood and telling the story well; it’s impossible to misunderstand any of his scenes.

“Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities” #1 is a solid comic book that shows promise for a larger arc. While this issue is good and not great, it is a highly enjoyably twisted read with some talented moody artwork.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – George Shunick

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

Published

17 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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