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Review: ‘Pariah’ #1

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10 years ago

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An interesting new story comes out of Dark Horse this week. The tale infuses some subtle mystery with a large dose of science fiction to produce “Pariah”. There is a ton of space-related material already in circulation, but rarely in recent years is humanity the primary scope of the story. I’m not surprised to see the market flooding with material like this after Gravity, and I’m sure we’ll see even more grounded-in-reality sci-fi stories in the near future. “Pariah” #1 offers a decent start, but it offers little in the way of story or character development.

WRITTEN BY: Aron Warner and Philip Gelatt
ART BY: Brett Weldele
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
RELEASE DATE: February 26
PRICE: 3.99

The book follows a group of people in Earth’s future who have volunteered to live on a space station. The individuals call themselves Vitros and each have certain skills or knowledge that give them a role within the team. Already things are going wrong with the mission. What exactly is wrong isn’t clear, and by the end book the situation isn’t completely hopeless, but not much has changed.

I have to admit at the onset of this book there is so much information thrown in your face in an effort to world build it took me more than one read of the first few pages to get the facts straight. Essentially all of the questions that popped up throughout the book remained unanswered by its end. I get that the mystery should entice the reader, but some more clear direction would have helped to bring me into the story. This left me a tad disgruntled, but the the book does pique my interest enough to find out just who these group of Vitros are and why exactly they find themselves on an out of date space station that’s not as safe as it seems.

The script is clever, with a lot a whit infused in the narrative that adds both comedic relief and insight some into the other characters, though not enough. As the story rolls on however, the plot draws me in and the events at the end of the book help to solidify my interest in the book.

The art is a bit of a miss, but, like the writing, it grew on me towards the end. It has a very cartoony look that lacks significant details. With a story that’s meant to reflect a futuristic time I would have liked the art to have more clean crisp lines and the colour pallet more vibrant than the softness that is offered. When the story takes place on the exterior of the station, it’s the only time I find myself satisfied. Unfortunately, there are a lot more panels inside the station than out.

“Pariah” has a lot of potential and even though the first issue leaves some to be desired. There’s something about the book that makes me want more, I’m just not sure what it is yet.

3/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – GreenBasterd

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

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1 day 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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