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Review: ’68: Jungle Jim’ #2

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11 years ago

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With tons of zombie thrills and machete action, ’68: Jungle Jim #2 dives into the bloody goods and never looks back. The undead are about to meet their match in the sweltering heat of the jungle. In a confrontation you would never expect, a tiger takes on an army of zombies in the”’68” series.

WRITTEN BY: Mark Kidwell
ART BY: Jeff Zornow
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 1th, 2013

As the Vietnam War continue, the innocent are stuck in Hell trying to keep everyone else safe. A school teacher is trying to protect her students from the atrocities of war. But, how much time does she have left before the undead start attacking the children? In the heart of darkness, a lone figure named Jungle Jim walks across the jungle, waiting for the enemy to strike. Wearing a gas mask, Jungle Jim wanders in search of the remaining uninfected. Will he watch an innocent family get caught in the crossfire? Or, will he actually do something to save them? Did I also mention there is a tiger in this issue?

Writer Mark Kidwell does such a great job with dialogue and I find it interesting with how little he uses it during a suspenseful scene. After a little girl witnesses her family being slaughtered, Jungle Jim is trying his best to calm her down. The major problem between them is that Jungle Jim doesn’t speak a word of her language. Because they can’t communicate with each other, Jungle Jim has to resort to other means. Notice how the two are silently looking at each other when Jungle Jim offers her a bar of chocolate.

When the tiger makes his appearance, I was worried at first. This outrageous scene could have gone straight towards cheesiness. But, what I like is that Kidwell keeps the scene under his theme of miscommunication. Because there is no dialogue, the tiger and Jungle Jim don’t know what to do with each other until the zombies show up. Are they enemies or are they supposed to work together?

Jeff Zornow’s grungy artwork visually captures the unforgiving violence of war. When the schoolteacher is being attacked by a zombie, a student of hers picks up a rifle and starts shooting wildly. Because he is just a kid, his aim isn’t even perfect. Zornow illustrates the zombie’s ear being blasted off its head. In a close-up, we then see the rotten ear hanging from a tree branch.

The major highlight of this issue is when the tiger is hunting after the zombies. With Jay Fotos’ bright red colors, Zornow doesn’t hold back on the bloody rampage. The tiger slashes a slew of zombies with its own claws. Then, the tiger is trying to eat the zombies during the battle. In a panel you will never forget, the tiger has a zombie’s head stuck in its mouth.

A must-read for horror fans, “’68: Jungle Jim” #2 is such an incredible visual experience. It’s blood and guts galore in this installment, which is why the “’68” series never disappoints.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

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Comics

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

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13 hours 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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