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Review: ‘Revival’ #9

Published

11 years ago

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Revival is beginning to feel the effects of trying to juggle so many characters and plotlines in its first few issues. It’s a difficult task, and the way “Revival” has gone about it – cramming at least three stories per issue, then leaving them alone for at least the next – has made it difficult to keep up with the myriad plot lines or significantly invest ourselves in any of the characters. What should have been a significant issue concerning the main characters instead becomes just another issue, where moments that should matter just get lost in the shuffle.

WRITTEN BY: Tim Seeley
ART BY: Mike Norton
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE DATE: April 17th, 2013

At its heart, “Revival” is centered on the relationship between Officer Dana Cypress and her recently-revived sister Em. If you’ve recently read the past few issues, you could be forgiven for not realizing that. Both characters, but particularly Em, have been put on the backburner recently. As a result, their storyline has lost whatever momentum it had and their emotional argument in this issue, its centerpiece, rings hollow. It simply seemed as if both went through the motions of hashing out their complicated family history for the sake of the plot, which is what happens when you don’t really care about either character much. Of course, some other stuff happened involving their father, Dana’s son, Dana’s ex-husband’s girlfriend, the brothers who butcher revivers, the mysterious ghost, the creepy church lady, some old couple, etc.

See the problem? Tim Seeley is spreading his characters way too thin thus far into the series. No single plotline manages to really hold its intrigue over the course of several issues, in large part due to the fact that no character in this story is compelling. “Revival” needs to begin streamlining its focus, not to “dumb down” its content, but to actually advance the plot and characters in a manner that readers can connect with instead of merely keep track of. If part of the problem is excess characters… well, this is a zombie comic. What better way to raise the stakes and trim the fat than to brutally dismember some people?

All this said, “Revival” #9 is not a bad comic. It’s just an unfulfilled one. Right now, it’s bowed under the weight of its ambitions. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but at a certain point things need to change. And that change should probably happen sooner rather than later. Because, as this issue shows, when you fail to build something up right, the payoff just doesn’t materialize.

2/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – GeorgeShunick

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

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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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