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Advance Review: “Five Ghosts” # 6

Published

11 years ago

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Frank Barbiere’s “Five Ghosts” returns this month as an ongoing series. After an incredible first run, Fabian returns in an isolated story that sees him searching for the fabled sword “masamune.” The result is an excellently paced pulp adventure that serves as the perfect jumping on point for the series. Garry Brown’s art will carry you through Fabian’s misadventures with a dropped jaw. There is nothing quite like this out there, it’s easily become one of the best books of the year.


WRITTEN BY: Frank J Barbiere
ART BY: Garry Brown
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: October 30, 2013

If you love Indiana Jones, but we’re pained to see his latest misadventures on screen “Five Ghosts” is the remedy. This is pure adrenaline pumping pulp adventure at its finest. Fabian is an irresistibly charming protagonist who is incredibly skilled at almost everything without ever feeling too unrelatable. It’s no easy task.

For the uninitiated Fabian Gray is a globe trotting treasure hunter who after an encounter with a mysterious artifact known as the dream stone has the ghosts of five literary characters trapped within him. The opening page will tell you everything, but it won’t give you the goods of all of his powers. (For that I suggest picking up the first trade)

Fabian finds himself in Japan. Like any good pulp hero he kicks ass almost immediately only to be reunited with a past lover. The opening fight scene is handled with incredible care by Brown’s art. The movements of the swordfighting feel dynamic and invoke an insane sense of action. The paneling here makes sure to pay special attention to the blades, which serves as an excellent motif that pushes toward the conclusion of the chapter.

Barbiere throws both the reader and Fabian head first into the adventure. It works wonderfully for the character, as it makes no task seem to insurmountable. The issue moves forward with an incredible balancing act of past history and the current pursuit.

You feel incredibly informed as Fabian pushes forward. You know exactly what is at stake, and you feel like Fabian is sure to fail. In the end Brown’s art takes full reign. The climax almost explodes off the page. I found myself in a state of constant awe as the power of the samurai was harnessed and Fabian took on an entire room.

The story feels like a separated one shot outside of the already established world, but in the end it all dovetails beautifully. Barbiere builds a self-referential narrative and in turn the world of Five Ghosts grows exponentially.

The final pages of the book offer an exciting tease about what’s to come in the future. After this issue you’ll be certain that “Five Ghosts” is capable of just about anything. For most books this would be worrisome. However, for this book it’s the most exciting thing possible. I have no idea what part of the world we’ll be traveling to next, but I’m certain it will be a thrilling ride. “Five Ghosts” is back and I couldn’t be happier. This series is a breath of fresh air, a real tour de force that provides adventures unlike any other. Get it on your pull list ASAP.

Rating 4.5/5 Skulls

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Comics

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

Published

6 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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