Comics

Review: ‘X’ #5

Published

11 years ago

September 13, 2013

“You’re going to need a bike and a can of spray paint. Red.”

With the end of X’s first campaign of vigilante justice, there are some loose ends to tie off. “X” #5 goes to show readers how the power vacuum fills itself and how our anti-hero sets the trap. The violence in this issue is of a different variety than we’ve seen before.

WRITTEN BY: Dwayne Swierczynski
ART BY: Tony Parker
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: September 11th, 2013

The hideous Berkshire has put down like the insane animal he was. The criminal power structure in Arcadia is now in flux. The targets in X’s sights this issue are more realistic and non-threatening to look at: The Accountant and The Mothers. Just reading these characters name makes them sound boring and unassuming. The art change this issue to Tony Parker (I think) is a good touch to showcase the more realistic aspects of this story. The story credits confused me but I’m pretty sure it’s another artist on this one shot issue. None of these characters are meant to look over-the-top hideous or horrific. I feel that’s the point. Not every character in Arcadia looks like a mutated super villain and they don’t have to. Looking like regular people is the perfect camouflage.

Mother Nature, Mother Invention, and The Accountant are left alive to consider their next moves. Blackmailing their previous employers is an interesting way to go. Instead of going in to beat and kill these opponents up close and personal, X goes about eliminating them with guile and from a distance. It’s nice to see our protagonist realize his limitations (and injuries) and still manage to get his job of justice done. Using his new partner Ferguson and keeping her involved is good as the cast of this series seems to be small and mobile. X compromising her values will be noteworthy to see how that affects her down the road.

I do enjoy these types of issues between arcs. It lets readers and creators take a breath, and showcase another aspect of the character. Dwayne Swierczynski continues to paint a mosaic of ultra-violence with different brush strokes in each issue. This time, it’s more straight forward guns and bad guys instead of a horror gore show. I think the strength of this series will be measured by the creative team’s ability to demonstrate their versatility. I hope they a have an assortment of distinctive tales to come.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady

Lonnie Nadler

2 Comments

Comics

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

Published

6 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.