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Review: ‘R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned’ #3

Published

11 years ago

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Dark Horse Comics’ R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned #3 reaches critical peak in the story’s action, as Peter Lenkov and Jeremy Barlow set the stage for the epic finale. And with only one more issue ready for release next month, the dramatic tension is layered on thick with the introduction of a new villainous character, whose blasphemous intentions will surely make for a riveting conclusion that’s not to be missed.

WRITTEN BY: Peter Lenkov, Jeremy Barlow
ART BY: Tony Parker
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: January 30th

The third installment sees the anachronistic old west adventure continue for R.I.P.D. officer Roy Pulsipher and his Puritan partner Crispin Mather, as their investigation into Black Pool reveals the vile culprit behind the missing souls both men are seeking. Lucifuge, a lord of Hell whose raison d’être is to torture “souls so corrupt their very presence fouls the already putrid air,” explains that the worst of them, David Sterling, escaped from his torture sentence and is collecting stray souls via Death train.

A choice needs to be made; sneaking onto said train seems to be their only hope of saving Creation, but by doing so they’d be joining forces with a dark enemy and forsaking their beliefs.

To the casual reader, “R.I.P.D.” is merely a horror-western comedy on its surface, but the strong religious themes and symbols presented by Lenkov, Barlow, and Parker lend themselves to a formidable intensity that the series fantastically projects. Crispin Mather comes off as the more interesting character in this issue, as the writers showcase how far Mather is willing to go to fulfill God’s will. It’s a series that can probably be interpreted as a critique of religious fundamentalism, and it’s blatantly obvious that it’s a subject Barlow loves writing about.

As expected, Tony Parker’s artistic contribution is a definite highlight. Not only does he remain consistent in terms of quality, but he’s definitely upped his game for issue #3 as he showcases more impressive artwork and panels. There’s a fluidity in the action scenes depicted on the pages that’s worth noting, and Michelle Madsen’s colours only add to his fantastic renderings.

The creative team delivers a thrilling issue that’s jam-packed with elements of humor, horror, action and plot development; but the accelerated speed in which the narrative is told will almost make readers feel as though the issue is abridged. On the other hand, this could be the impatience for next month’s installment talking.

4.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – ShadowJayd

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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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