Comics

Review: ‘Black Beetle: No Way Out’ #1

Published

11 years ago

January 17, 2013

There was always something about pulp heroes I found intriguing growing up. For one thing, they were nearly impossible to find except for random magazine articles or movies on TV late at night. I think what I found most fascinating was that these heroes existed in another era, back when my grandparents were young. Also, I knew almost nothing about them. Now comes a new addition to this pulp pantheon in the form of The Black Beetle: No Way Out #1 and it is pure enjoyment.

WRITTEN BY: Francesco Francavilla
ART BY: Francesco Francavilla
PUBLISHED BY: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 16 January 2013

In the town of Colt City, two mob families are meeting to decide the fate of each other’s empires. Stalking on the rooftops is our super-heroic sleuth, The Black Beetle! He is geared up and ready to take them all down, but his plans are abruptly interrupted. The rest of the story is a treat for the eyes as Francesco Francavilla’s energy spills out of every panel. Black Beetle’s creator has put so much care and passion in this world. It feels secure in itself already. You can tell from all the details, colors, and designs that this must be his dream project, which got me excited to read the issue.

I regret not following his previous work on “Black Panther”, but I do remember his striking covers. His unique dark style and intimate details make everything from the buildings to Black Beetle’s toys look amazing. Francavilla’s selective color palette is another great tool used here to set the tone of the tale. Colt City’s red skies remind me the Batman: The Animated Series. It adds to what most readers think of when we think of “Noir”.

My favorite part about is that even though this character has been around for only two issues (counting the one-shot from December), readers know nothing about him! Our mystery man is literally that. We don’t see his face. It works here just like in “Judge Dredd”. His face isn’t the important part of the story, his adventures are!

I want to know more about our hero, his brilliant opposite of a nemesis, and how his beetle-winged cape works. I want this pulp hero and someone like The Rocketeer would team up! I want more gorgeous letter pages and postcards in the back of this issue. It all has an incredibly consistent look and feel. I want more. That is a great start to a new book. And this is only the first part of a four part story. You know it has an ending but I hope it is the start of something bigger we can all look forward to reading.

Rating: 4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by: Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady

Related Topics:Black Beetle: No Way Out #1 Dark Horse Dark Horse Comics Francesco Francavilla

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Comics

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

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.