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Review: ‘To Hell You Ride’ #4

Published

11 years ago

on

With such unforgettable imagery and expressive prose, To Hell You Ride #4 delivers another knockout installment. Since the first issue, I have truly enjoyed the “To Hell You Ride” series because of its epic storytelling and vibrant artwork. I can’t recommend this book enough.

WRITTEN BY: Lance Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey
ART BY: Tom Mandrake
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 15th, 2013

No one is spared, neither the guilty nor innocent, when a deadly curse is put into motion on the small town of Telluride. Because of the contaminated snow, the town itself is divided by the wrath of angry spirits. Frightened by the snow, the Insiders hide themselves behind locked rooms. Afraid of the heat, the Outsiders sit in the cold and stay far from the fire. A civil war is brewing between the Insiders and Outsiders, while military forces are keeping the town quarantined. Haunted by his past, Two-Dogs must rise and become the hero the forgotten town desperately needs.

Lance Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey do a wonderful job of exploring their themes in an allegorical sense. All of the Outsiders happen to be Native Americans in the narrative. After years of racism and hatred, people have reached their boiling point. Instead of uniting after a tragedy, the worst of human nature overtakes the townspeople. There is no turning back when both sides reach for their guns. As the town of Telluride crumbles into chaos, the theme of abandonment harkens back to Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans.

Since the first issue, Henriksen and Maddrey have been building the emotional growth of Two-Dogs. The guy who hated everybody suddenly has to save those who despised him. Even if he accomplishes his mission, Two-Dogs also knows he isn’t going to make it out alive. He takes one last look at his home before burning all his belongings to ashes.

Tom Mandrake’s artwork is unbelievably eye-catching. The Watchers are the angry spirits that are causing the townspeople to spontaneously combust. Only Two-Dogs is able to see where the Watchers are and what they are doing. Aided by the colors of Cris Peter and Matt Lopes, Mandrake perfectly illustrates the Watchers as they are described in the text, as “two fireflies swirling in a vortex.”

In a splash page, Mandrake portrays Two-Dogs’ long history of loneliness. Covered in shadows, Two-Dogs walks away from his burning home. He leaves behind a horse and his rusted jeep as he heads towards his final destination. Nothing is holding Two-Dogs back as he moves forward. In the background, the mountain range is lighted from the blazing fire and there is a shooting star in the sky.

With the body horror and suspense ramped up to full effect, readers should definitely pick up “To Hell You Ride” #4. With one more issue to go, the final chapter is close upon readers. I can’t wait to see how it all ends.

4.5/5 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

Published

5 days 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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