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Review: ‘Baltimore: Chapel of Bones’ #1

Published

10 years ago

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Systematically killing all the allies of his nemesis, Baltimore seems to be on the cusp of his final confrontation, “Baltimore: Chapel of Bones” has been a long time coming and with the taste of revenge on his lips, Baltimore will stop at nothing to finally rid the world of ancient undead evil. Mignola and Chris Golden have been building up this series over the last year, with the artistic aid of Ben Stenbeck and Dave Stewart,and all is coming to fruition.

WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
ART BY: Ben Stenbeck
PUBLISER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: January 1, 2014

The first half of the issue is rather slow as three former compatriots of Baltimore discuss the man over drink in a seedy tavern. While sluggish, it is interesting, but alternatively the panels that follow the protagonist on his journey to meet the men gives the book a boost in pacing. The second half of this issue is anything but slow as the forces of darkness inevitably confront the 3 men in an epic battle setting up for the concluding issue of the two-parter.

Throughout the “Baltimore” series, the arcs have always been cleverly named, this book in particular seems random until the story really opens twisting the plot ontop of its head. I guess it was silly to think that this book would be any different as the story picks up in intensity when the Chapel of Bones is revealed. As is customary with most Mignola work, this book ends with quite the cliff hanger gearing up the next issue to be potentially one of the most impactful to date.

Ben Stenbeck and Dave Stewart do an amazing job with the art, though this book lacks oomph at the onset, the artistic tandems skills are put to the test in the latter portion of the issue. As always Stewart showcases his skills in some key panels that are filled with vibrant hues of red, yellow, and orange.

Though the pace is deliberate, fans of the series will dig the reveal of the Chapel of Bones. 2014 is shaping up to be an intense year for Baltimore.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – GreenBasterd

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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

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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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