Comics
Review: ‘Sheltered’ #2
A riveting follow-up, “Sheltered” #2 continues to be a thrilling read that doesn’t know the meaning of “slow down.” Suspense hits its peak in this violent take on the war between parents and their angst-filled teenagers in the community of Safe Haven. In “Sheltered”, surviving the apocalypse means never trusting anyone over 20.
WRITTEN BY: Ed Brisson
ART BY: Johnnie Christmas
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: August 7, 2013
To protect their children from the dangers of the outside world, the parents took them to Safe Haven, a gated and isolated community. Safe Haven belongs to the like-minded “Preppers,” survivalists who are ready for the inevitable end of the world. Suddenly, the children changed and their minds snapped under pressure. The teenagers eventually turned against their parents, killing them one by one. After taking away the rest of the food, ammo, and guns, the teens have nothing else left to do but to get rid of the dead bodies. Who will Victoria ultimately choose to side with when a gun is pointed at her head?
Writer Ed Brisson explores a plausibly realistic and terrifying premise where children turn against their parents. The rebelliousness of youth is taken to the extreme as the adults are entirely wiped out from Safe Haven. Readers are slowly going to learn how the teens are going to get rid of evidence of their bloody massacre. In a world without adults, who is going to run the show from now on? Even though Lucas killed his parents, he’s forced to grow up and make even tougher decisions without them.
Brisson presents Victoria as a loner, someone who lived by her own rules and made her own decisions. But now, she is forced to conform to the will of a violent community. Victoria isn’t playing by Lucas’ rules and refuses to be a team player. But since the teens cold-heartedly murdered her father, what will the group do to an outsider like Victoria? Even though she is in the age range like everyone else, Victoria doesn’t want anything to do with them.
Co-creator and artist Johnnie Christmas captures a dreary atmosphere using the barren tress of the snowy setting. Trapped in the woods, Victoria has become stranded in a distant world that never felt like home. Because she is far away from the loud noises of the city, Victoria jumps when she hears the sounds of loud gunshots. Christmas then builds the suspense through the close-ups of the teen murderers, who are always on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Because the narrative takes place during a single night, Christmas plays around with shadows and the snowy surface. Because there is little electricity in the woods, the teens build a massive fire, which serves as their only light source. In the wide shot, the light from the fire bounces off the smooth surface of the snow. The teens recognize their loss of innocence when they see the blood of their parents on the snow.
“Sheltered” #2 picks up momentum and brings readers with a suspenseful thrill ride. As the story heads into “Lord of the Flies” territory, I can’t wait to see what happens in the third installment.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
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.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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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.
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