Comics

Advance Review: “Five Ghosts” # 9

Published

10 years ago

February 2, 2014

This month Barbiere further diversifies his main character through a flashback to Fabian’s origins as a treasure hunter. Fabian Grey is a hero plagued by the demons of his past and we witness the birth of his outstanding moral compass that time and again carries him to higher means amongst a cavalcade of questionable characters. “Five Ghosts” # 9 offers a sharp and revealing chapter with character driven thrills.

WRITTEN BY: Frank J Barbiere
ART BY: Chris Mooneyham
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: February 5th, 2014

“Lost Coastlines” peels through the layers of Fabian’s history with every chapter. His past is as complicated as his present. He hasn’t afforded the best life, but among his scummy and villainous associates he still proves to have a moral compass. Yet, Barbiere reminds us that there is no honor among thieves.

The chapter begins with Fabian as a prisoner. His captor is angered about the past and is determined to destroy our hero. This creates a wonderful backdrop for a trip into Fabian’s origins as a treasure hunter. We get to see the birth of the dashing rogue we know today.

Mooneyham embraces the flashback with a parchment scrawl approach to the story. You feel as if you’re looking at first hand accounts in wild energetic pencil lines of the past as it’s happening. The origin feels organic and brought to life effortlessly by his work. Mooneyham brings his all to the action, showcasing muzzle flashes with a certain ferocity that owns a panel along with an impromptu sword fight that ends in one of the best deaths in “Five Ghosts.”

So we take a step foreword by taking a step backward. The momentum of the “Lost Coastlines” story does momentarily hit a bump because of it. This short sideline manages to add further depth to a protagonist already dripping with allure. For me this chapter was an incredible journey to the origins of what makes Fabian a true hero. There is something special here that has come to define the character amongst everyone else we have encountered in the book.

It may have been something we’ve known already, but it is nice to see the birth of the trait. In doing so Barbiere reminds us just who Fabian is, and why we are rooting for him. It also shows that he is brash and sometimes careless. Which makes him all the more fun to share an adventure with.

Barbiere and Mooneyham don’t let up for a moment, and “Lost Coastlines” manages to keep up the thrills while telling us more about the characters we’ve come to love. This is a delicate balancing act that most comics don’t seem to understand or care about, but everything about “Five Ghosts” screams that the men behind it are the biggest fans of the story they’re telling. Which tells me we’re in good hands.

“Five Ghosts” blazes a trail through what I like to call a pulp revival. There are so few comics out there that take us to beautiful locales, treat us to engaging complicated characters, and have thrilling adventures with larger than life supernatural elements. If you’re not reading it, well shit, I really don’t know what you’re waiting for.

Rating: 3.5/5 Skulls.

Zac Thompson

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Comics

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

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.