Comics

Monkeybrain Monday Review: “Copernicus Jones: Robot Detective” # 1

Published

10 years ago

February 3, 2014

While Monkeybrain comics may not specialize in horror, they do specialize in quality comic books. For those of you looking to expand your palette I’ll be running a new article called “Monkeybrain Monday.” The goal is to showcase some of the digital titles this small publisher has to offer. Hopefully getting people to try something different.

This week we have “Copernicus Jones: Robot Detective” from Matt Wilson and Kevin Warren. A brisk noir set in a shady city where criminals are connected to every bit of bad business you can imagine. Wilson offers a quick script that introduces our titular hero as a snack-loving rogue whose word isn’t worth much but has a drive that’ll solve any case. Warren’s black and white art revels in the 1940’s atmosphere where futurism is king.

WRITTEN BY: Matt Wilson
ART BY: Kevin Warren
PUBLISHER: Monkeybrain Comics
PRICE: $0.99
GET IT HERE: http://www.monkeybraincomics.com/

“Copernicus Jones: Robot Detective” opens with a fantastically by showcasing the world of pain Jones’ is about to enter. The voiceover narration gives a comedic blend of 1940’s noir with robot culture. From here the script somewhat stumbles into standard fare. A gorgeous girl walks into an office suspicious of her husband. He’s a bigwig in town, and our hero reluctantly takes the case for the desperate beauty.

Surely enough double crosses are to follow, but before any of that can happen Jones’ past comes ringing. A phone call reminds him of a tremendous sum of money owed. Jones’ isn’t exactly on the up and up himself. It’s a good device to make the hero a little more questionable in a sea of already dodgy characters.

Warren’s art strikes a great balance between his shady noir panels and his more action-oriented pieces. His artistic style is reminiscent of Dean Motter’s work on “Mister X.” The characters have this great pseudo 1940’s futurism look. Copernicus Jones looks like the antiquated ideal of a robot from decades past. While the atmosphere is shaded in darkness, we’re only treated to a view of the city once in the whole book but when we are the beautiful skyline has buildings that with a little more attention to detail could look less modern and more in line with the pseudo future being established here.

First issues are a difficult task to pull off. They require the right balance of world building, plot progression, and character development. While the world is beginning to be developed I couldn’t help but want to know more about robot culture, and the inner workings of the city. Copernicus is well developed but only because he borders on a character archetype we already know so well. With a few more issues to find solid footing this robo-noir could really become something special. Yet, for $0.99 you’d be silly not to give it a chance, because if you want it to continue it’s going to need that dollar of yours.

Rating: 3/5 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

6 days 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.