Connect with us

Comics

Review: ‘The Colonized’ #1

Published

on

Aliens vs. Zombies vs. Miltiamen? This sounds like a drinking game for writers or movie fanatics. It reminds me of the urban legend about how those “heroes in the half shell” came to be. As wacky a premise as I can recall hearing, The Colonized #1 comes up a little tame but shows signs of promise out of the gate.

WRITTEN BY: Chris Ryall
ART BY: Drew Moss
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 10 April 2013

Carbon Falls: a tree-hugging hillbilly commune. Flying saucers with ape-like aliens wearing NASA uniforms. Hicks with guns. Different hicks talking politics. When I read all that on one zpage, it seems more like someone fell asleep on their remote and the channels keep changing after they’ve dozed off on top of it.

Writer Chris Ryall’s new mashup of genres is funny in certain scenes, but it’s also confusing in spots. There’s a bit too much politics talk early on in this first issue for my tastes. It seems that the inner turmoil of this commune could be addressed later on in the series. Maybe Ryall was going for a Game of Thrones feel with all the behind-the-scenes backstabbing. However, these characters aren’t established well enough yet for me to care.

The aliens are pretty comical. The fact that these ‘advanced’ visitors freak out and run away from zombies they made (as the Monty Python rules state) keeps me intrigued to see what these green clowns will do next. Drew Moss’ art is crisp in making all the players have unique looks. I only wish the aliens could look more distinct as, not to sound racist, but they all look the same to me. This issue feels like a soft open but I’m keen to see how all these ingredients mix together next month.

3/5 Skulls

Reviewed by: Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady

Comics

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

Published

on

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 (AnimosityBatwomanDC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide SquadPower RangersRed 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

Continue Reading