Comics

Advance Review: “The White Suits” # 1

Published

10 years ago

February 15, 2014

“All you get are pieces – -a puzzle… And not a single fucking clue how it fits together.”

The mysterious protagonist of “The White Suits” mutters these words early on, and they perfectly describe what writer Frank Barbiere (Five Ghosts) offers you in this debut issue: a thrilling conundrum steeped in the tenants of the genre’s that inspired it. The White Suits are a lethal force threatening to take out the criminal underworld and the protagonist is lost in the middle of it all. Toby Cypress brings a distinct visual flair that feels like a fever dream brought to life with wildly imaginative panels that continually break the mold, which may first seem unkempt but actually manage to be as tight as the story.This book is pure pulp crime fiction of the best kind.

WRITTEN BY: Frank J Barbiere
ART BY: Toby Cypress
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: February 19th, 2014

There is mystery to spare in this book. There are no certain terms being offered to you on these pages. Within this mystery is a captivating look into an ultra-pulpy criminal underworld. The violence is over the top, the protagonist’s voice is weathered and familiar, and the there is visual flair to spare.

“The White Suits” are an enigmatic force that are cutting through their opponents with relative ease. They are chaotic. They don’t seek anything, save for bloodlust, at least not yet. Lost within the shuffle is a strange nameless protagonist. He is weathered and adrift. He can’t make sense of his own memories. All he can remember for sure is his past was once of violence.

Barbiere manages to captivate at every opportunity. His script capitalizes on the use of questions rather than answers. The whole issue feels seemly disconnected and disjointed before all the plot points dovetail beautifully and take the story in a new direction.

Cypress’ art is reason alone to pick this book up. The man has the uncommon talent of being able to balance a raw and visceral style with a perfect sense when it comes to his layouts. At first glance what may seem messy is actually meticulous. The hand drawn sound effects, and thing uneven lines are balances beautifully by thick brush strokes. The result is a alluring give and take that creates a distinct visual style emanating and elevating the noir pulp that inspired it.

When the action hits. Cypress’ incredible character work really shows off. Long limbs and frantic faces dominate you. His attention to The White Suits makes them stand out among all of this. They stand amidst the chaos more imperious than those they vanquish, but they never are overbearing, instead they are just the right mix of threatening and mysterious.

I’ve managed to read this issue three times now, and with each successive read I gain something new from the story. It is ripe with detail, steeped in tribute and manages to elevate the genres that inspired it. “The White Suits” will blow you away on every level.

Rating: 4.5/5 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.