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Review: ‘The Legend of Luther Strode’ #6

Published

11 years ago

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Luther Strode chases Jack as he tears a hole through the city. Justin Jordan’s action packed series comes to a blood soaked conclusion this month, and its one hell of a ride. This issue is “Strode” at its best.

WRITTEN BY: Justin Jordan
ART BY: Tradd Moore
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: Aug 7, 2013

Justin Jordan loves gore, that much is clear. The sheer amount of blood in this issue would put most horror movie to shame. Jordan uses the gore as a flourish in a world built around hyper violence. The deep reds of the issue control almost every page, making Luther’s plight more dire and engaging. The miniseries wraps up with breakneck pace that also manages to have some tender character moments.

Luther is tracking his most formidable opponent, Jack The Ripper. Petra travels with Strode and perhaps wants vengeance just as much as our hero. Jordan makes an incredible decision in this issue and decides to focus a lot of the script on Petra. Her relationship with Strode is deepened, as is her strength.

In a world where superhuman muscle maniacs are seemingly a dime a dozen, Petra is as close to human as we’re going to get. She is feisty, and determined. She fights for Luther, and wants to destroy Jack.

Luther’s trail leads him into a sea of blood. Tradd Moore’s art is unbelievable. The sea of red when Strode and Petra finally reach Jack’s resting point is haunting. The arrangement of the bodies, the placement of the blood, it’s a work of art. Moore’s sensibilities are in full effect here.

The confrontation between Jack and Luther is magnificently brought to life by Moore’s insanely nimble pencils. Limbs are used like stabbing weapons to great effect. A two-page splash of Luther diving at Jack brings the point home with incredible force. Every panel has a diving attacker and a nimble defender.

Jordan’s script favours gore, and Moore’s pencils are able to keep up. Together the two create a symphony of bodily harm that the series has credited itself on. Luther using the shards of glass that were impaled through his hands to cut Jack’s Achilles tendon is so visually impressive and of the series that it makes the entire issue.

The final battle bounces back and forth with tremendous fury. Petra gets her own story to pursue throughout the building. These moments strengthen the script. Petra’s moments are built on a solid foundation of character development.

This issue takes the best elements of “Strode” and combines them into one smooth mixture. The final panels show a new direction for our heroes, but most impressive is the final one.

Justin Jordan has built an expertly paced series that prides itself on big moments. Yet, when it comes right down to it, he chooses to end it on something small. The result is impactful and memorable.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jimbus_Christ

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Comics

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

Published

2 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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