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Review: ‘Ballistic’ # 3

Published

10 years ago

on

Adam Egypt Mortimer and Darick Robertson’s ‘Ballistic’ is unlike anything out there. Butch is the type of protagonist that would be considered scum in any other book. Yet, his insight into a life of crime makes him relatable and sympathetic. His unique perspective allows for the world around him to flourish just as it falls into disarray. Mortimer and Robertson continue to churn out the years most compelling and haunting comic.


WRITTEN BY: Adam Egypt Mortimer
ART BY: Darick Robertson
PUBLISHER: Black Mask Studios
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: Nov 6, 2013

I look forward to ‘Ballistic’ more than anything every month. It’s been consistently deep and amazing with every issue. The concepts Mortimer mines for his story are ripe with social commentary and serve to create a future unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The result is the epitome of body horror under the guise of science fiction.

Last issue saw Butch lose his hand, and if you believed things we’re going to get better, well then you’re a damn fool. Turns out Bang-Bang had been carrying a lethal virus that has now been unleashed. ATM machines are biting off people’s fingers and Repo City State has fallen into absolute chaos.

All the while Mortimer ensures Butch has this casual attitude to the entire thing. The city has fallen. Yet, he still can’t get his mind off becoming a criminal. His devotion is admirable. His motivations are clear, and his ideology is beautifully articulated. Butch may not be the best man to solve this crisis, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that he’s the only one suited to do so.

Mortimer has created an alternate future where our technology has come to define us. Crime has become a new type of fame, and our technological creations are now more human than we are. Humanity as we know it is effectively dead, there doesn’t seem to be much worth fighting for.

Unless of course you’re following a selfish protagonist like Butch, then you fight for yourself. In a brilliant narrative turn Mortimer even make Gennie seem sympathetic to Butch’s dreams. It seems out of the chaos everything may get better for our heroes, and then Robertson has to go and ruin it.

Darick Robertson’s artwork is beyond anything. He is truly a master of his craft and his work here is nothing short of science fiction legend. The kiss that Butch and Gennie share has a certain visceral beauty to it. I found myself triple taking, trying to fully absorb what had just happened. Robertson has an amazing slight of hand. Almost every panel is better than the last. His bright facial expressions amongst the bright colors of Repo City State add so much depth to what seems like a bleak reality. His design of Bang-Bang only gets better and he still finds new ways to play with the living gun.

It’s so incredibly difficult to talk about this book and not discuss the plot. There is so much that goes into creating a world like this that most people wouldn’t be up to the task. Instead Mortimer and Robertson make it look easy. ‘Ballistic’ is an achievement on every level, and continues to be the most compelling series of the year. You can’t miss this book.

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

5 days ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

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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