Comics
Possessed Treasure Hunting In ‘Five Ghosts: The Haunting Of Fabian Gray’
Once in a while a shockingly original ghost story will pop up that makes me tingle inside. Image Comics’ new Five Ghosts: The Haunting Of Fabian Gray, looks like it may be one of those stories. Following Fabian Gray, a treasure hunter who is possessed by five different archetyal ghosts. Each ghost gives Fabian a different skill to help him on his quests. Unfortunately, he’s not in full control and he’s losing himself more and more every day.
The series debuted at NYCC 2012 from writer newcomer writer Barbiere and artist Chris Mooneyham. Image Comics subsequently picked up the series and is now set to push it out beginning in March, 2013.
Official Press Release:
Frank J. Barbiere and Chris Mooneyham debuted the first issue of the miniseries FIVE GHOSTS: THE HAUNTING OF FABIAN GRAY at New York Comic Con 2012 as a self-published, limited edition that caught the eye many comics readers and critics. It also caught the eye of Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson, and, starting in March, the miniseries is now being released by the largest independent comics publisher in the United States.
The story of Fabian Gray, a treasure hunter (some say thief) possessed by five ghosts, each an archetypical literary character, who imbue him with their unique talents and skills. The Wizard gives Gray the ability to wield magic. The Archer gives him lightning-quick reflexes and deadly accuracy. The Detective lends powers of intuition and deduction. From The Samurai, Gray borrows discipline and self-mastery – as well as mastery of a razor-sharp katana. The Vampire’s subtlety, allure, and deadliness are the most dangerous powers of all for Gray to wield – both to his enemies and himself.
Gray will need the powers of all his ghosts to save the woman who was lost in the same incident that resulted in his possession – his twin sister Silvia, whose absence haunts him even more than the five spirits. But he’s finding it harder to control them, so he must hurry – before Fabian Gray is subsumed by the personalities of the FIVE GHOSTS.
“Five Ghosts is the culmination of a lot of different ideas and influences that have been storming around in my head since I started creating comics,” said writer Barbiere. “I’m excited to be working with Image and can’t wait for readers to see what we have in store for them.”
Artist Mooneyham renders Fabian Gray’s adventures in deep shadows and intense, panel-packed pages, interspersed with splash pages that perfectly pace the narrative. His art has a definite classic horror comic influence apparent but a style all its own.
“I’m a big fan of comics from the 60s, 70s, and 80’s, not to mention pulp adventures from the 30s-50s,” said Mooneyham. “My mission with Five Ghosts is to bring back that sense of fun and adventure that I feel is missing in today’s comics. I’m very excited to have found a home for it at Image Comics.”
Interviews with creators Barbiere and Mooneyham have appeared at Comic Book Resources’ Robot6 and PreviewsWorld. The first, 40-page issue of FIVE GHOSTS: THE HAUNTING OF FABIAN GRAY will be in stores and available digitally on March 20.
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
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.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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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.
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