Comics

Review: ‘The Victories’ #1

Published

11 years ago

May 2, 2013

With a world gone dark, would you keep doing the same thing? Would heroes keep defending the helpless? Would villains continue robbing banks when water and food are more valuable? Life on Earth is redefined for everyone in this HBO-esque superhero series The Victories #1.

WRITTEN BY: Michael Avon Oeming
ART BY: Michael Avon Oeming
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 1 May 2013

There are no lights, no internet, and no global communications so the world created by Michael Avon Oeming is dark and lonely. One hero called The Strike, has fallen to deforming injuries and has to re-evaluate his place in this new world. His journey is more introspective than the other Victories who are still trying to keep the peace. The Strike’s journey looks like it will bring him back into focus down the line. The main part of the action focuses on a battle with one villain who still thinks currency holds value so Bacchus pulls the clichéd bank heist scheme. Another plot line shows an escaped villain plots may intertwine with our myriad heroes in the near future.

Readers are treated to a showcase of the Victories: Sai, Faustus, Lady Dragon, Sleeper, Metatron, and the focal point character D.D. Mau. Oeming’s distinct visual style and heavy use of black really gives this world its own tone. Having not read the mini-series before this, I felt completely immersed and up to speed on who, what, where, when, why, and how. This is always a hard task to accomplish but Oeming pulls it off nicely here.

During the battle, we are shown how D.D. Mau thinks, where she comes from and how she sees herself. It’s a fascinating origin and power set for a character I’ve read in some time. An adrenaline / fame junkie upped to the super-human level is a refreshing take on why someone would become a superhero. The transitions from one area to another of the city, histories between teammates, and motivations are executed masterfully. All this screamed a mature-series cable TV approach if and when this soon-to-be-hit series starts getting interest from Hollywood. You read it here first, folks. “The Victories #1” shows us how no one is perfect, even our revered heroes.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady

Lonnie Nadler

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Comics

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

Published

6 days 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.