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Review: ‘Sheltered’ #5

Published

10 years ago

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As each installment becomes even more unsettling than the last, “Sheltered” #5 kicks up the excitement another notch. The “Sheltered” series has become a creepy and moody thriller about angst-ridden teens trapped in their self-made prison.

WRITTEN BY: Ed Brisson
ART BY: Johnnie Christmas
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Nov. 20, 2013

Safe Haven once belonged to the “Preppers,” survivalists who have trained themselves for the impending doomsday scenario. What the parents didn’t know is that their children were secretly planning to murder them. Led by their psychotic leader, Lucas, the teenagers gunned down their parents in cold blood. Though she wants revenge for the murder of the father, Victoria has to hide with the injured and innocent Hailey. After killing one of his cult members, Lucas has framed Victoria and Hailey for a heinous act they didn’t commit. With these murderous savages on the loose, how will Victoria and Hailey last on the run?

Writer Ed Brisson delivers a suspenseful turn of events as Lucas orders his cult to bring him the heads of Victoria and Hailey. Brisson mixes the jealous rage lurking inside Lucas, along with his cunning leadership skills. Lucas does care about the survival of his teammates, but he wants everything done his way. But, not everyone in the camp intends on following Lucas’ orders and worshipping his feet. Every time Lucas tells a long fabricated lie, the camps seems to be divided as to whether to believe him or not.

More of a side character in the beginning, Mitch, Hailey’s brother, has developed nicely into the forefront. Mitch questions Lucas’ decisions and sees the plot holes in his stories. Never for a second, Mitch will not believe Hailey is capable of committing murder. Just because Mitch killed his parents, that does not mean Hailey would also do something like that. Even though his innocence is lost, Mitch will do anything to save his sister.

Johnnie Christmas brings out the eeriness and coldness of the winter setting. In the opening pages, Christmas demonstrates how there is no hope for these unbalanced teens when the sun rises. What should be a ordinary campfire scene slowly turns into a gruesome cover-up. Lucas has gathered the entire camp to watch as he burns the murdered dead body. He is actually getting rid of the evidence, right in front of them.

Pay close attention to how Christmas illustrates Lucas’s scarred cheek. Even when half his face is covered in shadows, Christmas highlights the stitches on Lucas’s face. Using the stitches as a metaphor, Christmas wants you to visually see how Lucas is barely able to keep it together. Mid-way through the narrative, there’s something really disturbing how Christmas captures the teens running around with locked and loaded shotguns.

“Sheltered” #5 is a terrifying and gripping look at teen rebellion gone horribly gone. With the conclusion of the first story arc, the “Sheltered” series closes the suspenseful ride with a frightening plot twist.

4/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

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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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