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Review: ‘X-O Manowar’ #9

Published

11 years ago

on

X-O Manowar has consistently been at the top of my reading pile each and every month by maintaining a high level of quality. This issue marks the start of the “Planet Death” storyline that writer Robert Venditti has been building up to since issue #1, which is the showdown between Aric and The Vine.

WRITTEN BY: Robert Venditti
ART BY: Trevor Hairsine
PUBLISHER: Valiant
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: January 23rd, 2013

Everything has been leading to this. Vine Military leader Admiral Xylem wants the Manowar armor destroyed and is willing to let nothing stop him from achieving that goal. Admiral Xylem is also preparing for a Vine invasion of Earth to whipe out the humans and take back the sacred Shannara armor. Admiral Xylem dispatches his trained unit of X-O Commandos to kill Aric and readers get the bloody battle they’ve been anxiously awaiting.

Venditti has mastered the art of pacing and his work here is a prime example of how things should be done. Over the previous eight issues he has slowly peeled back the layers of this book like an onion, but the book has never slowed down even for a second.

This issue also marks the artistic debut of Trevor Hairsine who is filling in for two issues before regular artist Cary Nord returns to book. Hairsine brings a grittier style to the book than previous arcs, but his work compliments the fast paced action that Venditti is writing. Hairsine delivers some mind blowing action sequences here with his detailed line work of aliens getting cut in half looks simply awesome. The epic battle between Aric and the Vine was the best part of this issue and Hairsine’s artwork was a big part of the reason why.

It’s becoming more and more challenging to find new ways to rave about how good “X-0 Manowar” is every month. Writer Robert Venditti has plotted out a long-form road map for “X-O Manowar” and continues to execute his vision with deadly precision. Everyone should be on board with the direction Venditti is taking “X-O Manowar” and this “Planet Death” storyline is a great spot to join in on the action.

4/5 Skulls

Review by – Big J

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Comics

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

Published

1 day 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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