Comics
Review: ‘Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde’ #1
Oddly entertaining, “Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde” #1 basks in its weirdness and makes no apologies whatsoever. Enter a world where men in black agents, crash-landed extraterrestrials, and corrupt politicians are all prime suspects in a murder mystery. If you haven’t read the “Resident Alien” series, this is certainly the right place to start.
WRITTEN BY: Peter Hogan
ART BY: Steve Parkhouse
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: September 11th, 2013
After his spaceship unexpectedly crashed into Earth, a stranded alien attempts to make a new life for himself. While living in the small and quiet town of Patience, the abandoned creature assumes the identity of presumed missing Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle. With his real identity known only by a few, Harry has to masquerade as the doctor while secret government agents are searching for him. Harry now needs to keep his time occupied as his waits for his brethren to pick him up. Unintentionally throwing himself into danger, Harry has to solve the case of a suicide that is actually a murder.
Writer Peter Hogan has a clever way of mixing the plotline up with genre elements. At first, you think this is about a manhunt for a lost extraterrestrial. Then, the story turns around and becomes a police procedural as Harry attempts to solve the mysterious case. Part Sherlock Holmes mystery, Harry is intelligent and resourceful as he studies the crime scene. Harry even walks around with a limp and uses a cane like Dr. Gregory House. Harry makes his deductions very quickly with the evidence to support his accusations.
In an interesting note, Harry is the one who looks at humans as aliens, not the other way around. Because everything seems so weird to Harry, Hogan is able to fill the narrative with quirky characters. In one particular scene, Harry isn’t trying to make enemies with humanity, but actually joining in on the humor with his companions. Because of the dynamic relationship between Harry and Asta, you’re rooting for them as their investigation takes an unexpected twist.
What I really like is how artist Steve Parkhouse slowly builds up the odd imagery. In the opening pages, Harry and the Sheriff discover the dead woman in the seedy motel room. We have seen these investigations take place in many TV shows, such as the “CSI” series and “The Killing.” But what makes this typical scene seem so weird is Harry. You have an alien, with his beady eyes and pointy ears, standing in the middle of the crime scene. Notice how Parkhouse paces out the panels, illustrating Harry’s physical movements as he has to sit down because his leg is hurting.
Readers get a glimpse of the social class living in Patience. As Harry and the Sheriff investigate the seedy part of town, you have the working class living in these trashy trailer parks. Afterwards, the investigation leads Harry and the Sheriff to the wealthy part of town. With the secret agents, Parkhouse continues the shadowy look with a heavily fortified room and hi-tech gadgets. I’m interested in seeing what Parkhouse does as the scenery changes to Seattle in the next issue.
A sci-fi murder mystery, “Resident Alien: The Suicide Blonde” #1 engages its readers with a supporting cast of quirky characters and a weird-looking protagonist. Geared for newcomers, this installment is a quick introduction to the inhabitants of Patience, USA.
3.5/5 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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