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Review: “East of West” # 6

Published

11 years ago

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“East of West” takes a detour this month. Hickman scripts an effective issue designed to introduce us to a new antagonist. An intriguing and humanizing origin story with Dragotta’s fantastic art makes this another compelling but meandering chapter in the series.


WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Hickman
ART BY: Nick Dragotta
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: September 25, 2013

“East of West” began with an overwhelming air of intrigue. Slowly said intrigue turned to confusion, and confusion gave birth to complexity. When you step back from this series it’s clear that this ambition seemingly lacks direction. The world is compelling, the characters are fantastic, and the art is top notch. Yet, the series seems constantly in search of an overarching motivation for everyone.

What results is a fractured sense of a complete world. Hickman treats us to several different characters reacting to the crisis of what Death is doing, but we’re still not entirely sure of anyone’s motivations other than Death. It makes everyone else hard to root for. So, taking an entire issue away from him was an incredibly smart decision.

As they are introduced in this issue “The Rangers” provide an interesting side story among all of the chaos. The thematic implications of justice in this world penetrate deep. It is clear that Hickman wants almost everyone in this book to be morally ambiguous and he more or less succeeds. The Ranger’s introduction was nothing short of fantastic due to some insightful voiceover from Hickman and a little bit of world building to boot. Piled on top of all that is an excellent line about the nature of having a star on your chest, and what that does to a man. What many will consider a throwaway line is possibly the most telling in the book.

Dragotta really gets to shine in this issue. Previous installments have been pretty lax on the action. Not this month. Dragotta’s excellent paneling comes back. His ability to articulate action scenes with an overwhelming amount of panels makes for a dynamic and fast paced read. Bel’s escape is intense. Dragotta makes sure to use wide shots to articulate the hopelessness of his escape. Then cuts to intense close ups of the monster chasing Bel. The whole thing reads with such intensity, that when he does finally escape you an finally exhale.

The issue shines in a courtroom moment. Hickman takes time to develop the world, and Dragotta follows suit. We get to see a pompous, obese judge sit in a visually stunning courtroom. He makes crooked calls on a case. This doesn’t last long. Things erupt into a wonderfully drawn bloodbath that creates a character and shows you what he’s capable of.

By taking the focus off of Death, “East of West” somehow regained it’s footing. The inconsistency of the narrative seems to be a result of the monthly delivery system. As a whole the story remains more imaginative and interesting than most other series. Wild focus aside, the book is still great. It just has some issues finding it’s voice.

3.5/5 skulls

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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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