Comics

Review: ‘East of West’ # 2

Published

11 years ago

April 25, 2013

Jonathan Hickman’s East of West # 2 continues to set the table with an impressive blend of genres. “East of West” is never truly sure of what type of story it is. Which may be its greatest strength, or its biggest weakness. The story here remains massive and as much more of the plot unravels, it manages to stay completely engrossing, but still mildly confusing.

WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Hickman
ART BY: Nick Dragotta
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: April 24th, 2013

The slow boil continues, and this issue manages to be just as densely packed with information as the first issue was. Yet, here some of this information is beginning to make sense. The world is coming together, and we finally are beginning to understand the role Hickman’s characters play within it.

Don’t get too excited. Things still don’t make a whole lot of sense, not from what I could put together given the information on the pages. Yet, the issue still operates with breakneck pace and manages to keep things interesting. The action is dialed back from what we had seen in the first issue. World building takes center stage in the second issue. We are beginning to understand how and why our characters are in this world, and just how the apocalypse may come about.

It still feels amazing to have Hickman and Dragotta reunited on a new book. Dragotta’s art doesn’t slack whatsoever. Often issues that feature a lot of dialogue tend to slump in the art department. Dragotta begins the issue with a wonderful symphony of death that will wash any fears away. A beautiful mixture of thoughtful closeups and more emotionally distant medium shots allow the dialogue scenes to feel varied. Dragotta certainly has a strong talent in facial expressions; as such the art often speaks more than the dialogue accompanying it.

Again this issue is densely packed with information. Information that is beginning to make sense, but still makes for an inherently flawed issue. Hickman’s motivation is clear, which is the key to any good story. Yet, the story is shrouded in a thick fog of mystery. Which again, results in the reader asking themselves a multitude of questions. The answers have been slowly rolling out, but the fear of ultimate clarity remains Hickman’s biggest weakness. Hickman seems to love having the reader ask questions. Just, for the love of God, give us good answers.

The dystopian future has never looked more appealing. Hickman’s characters and story remain just as engrossing despite a slower pace for issue two. Hopefully Hickman can kick the action into high gear soon. “East of West” is wildly inventive, original, and a story that embraces the comic book medium. We very well may be on the ground floor of a new masterpiece here.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jimbus_Christ

Related Topics:East of West Image Comics Jonathan Hickman

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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.