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Review: ‘Ghosted’ #1

Published

11 years ago

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In “Ghosted” #1, writer, Joshua Williamson, engineers a brazenly creative take on the crime genre, wherein the infusion of supernatural-horror themes attributes to what might possibly be the most ambitious operation in heist history: stealing a ghost from an infamous haunted house of horrors.

WRITTEN BY: Joshua Williamson
ART BY: Goran Sudzuka
PUBLISHER: Image Comics / Skybound Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: July 10, 2013

Described as Ocean’s Eleven in a haunted mansion, Williamson, almost placidly, commands this medium in a way that seems effortless and uncomplicated. With a focus on character introductions and mission objectives presented with colourful immediacy on paper, the author produces something so reminiscent of Steven Soderbergh’s film in parts, yet so vastly different.

The story follows lead protagonist, Jackson T. Winters, an incarcerated thief extraordinaire, who welcomes thoughts of his own death to get him through the pitfalls of prison life. Readers are quickly introduced to weapon-toting, Anderson Lake, who breaks him out of jail at the request of Markus Schrecken, a rich supernatural artifacts collector. Schrecken is looking for a special piece to complete his collection; a real ghost from the haunted Trask Mansion.

In exchange for his freedom and a life of luxury, Jackson begrudgingly accepts Schrecken’s offer, but on the condition that he assembles his own team for the job. Besides Anderson Lake, he recruits a bullshit detecting cultist, two ghost trappers, a black market occult artifacts specialist, and a medium that seems like nothing but deliciously intriguing trouble, if the final panel of issue #1 is any indication.

So far Williamson doesn’t give too much away about the Trask Mansion, but from what little history is provided in this issue, and his comparative references to The Shining, it’s safe to assume that Jackson and his crew are in for a rude awakening in the coming installments. Especially considering Goran Sudzuka’s telling artwork on the last page which will definitely hook readers into the series.

From the very first, single-panel page boldly depicting prison rape, to the fantastic last scene revealing the potential mole of the group, Sudzuka does a great job bringing Williamson’s writing to life. Colourist, Miroslav Mrva also does commendable work, though perhaps using a darker colour palette in the future would be more fitting given the subject matter.

Not sure where the creative team is going to take the series at this point, but “Ghosted” #1 leans more towards a psychological, supernatural-crime series than it does the horror genre, though some elements are still present. Hopefully there’ll be some gnarly blood and guts to look forward to in future issues. Just personal preference!

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – ShadowJayd

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‘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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