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The Bard Is Back In New ‘Kill Shakespeare’ Series!

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One of the most interesting literary mashup comics around returns this June with “Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night”. This chapter will focus on a new character in the series based on Viola from Twelfth Night, and it will see a returning cast from previous arcs including Hamlet, Juliet, and Othello. For those not versed in “Kill Shakespeare”, it’s a fantasy tale that combines all the major players from Shakespeare’s timeless plays, and works to combine the best of his comedies and tragedies. There is also a board game coming out. More on that below.

From the press release:

San Diego, CA (March 10, 2014) – In May, Kill Shakespeare will make the leap from comic series to board game to the delight of fans of both mediums. This June, fans will have even more to rejoice about as the award-winning comic series returns with Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night.

“We’re excited to announce The Mask of Night, our pirate adventure,” says series co-creator, Anthony Del Col, “Not only does it include characters from our previous books but incorporates one of Shakespeare’s most famous heroines, Viola, who we have refashioned into one of the coolest female pirates ever. I think fans – both new and old – are going to find this homage to classic pirate tales a real treat.”

In The Mask of Night, we will see Hamlet, Juliet, Othello, and Shakespeare become pawns in a deadly game of survival between legendary masked pirate Captain Cesario, his first mate Viola, and the new terror on the water, Titus Andronicus’ forbidding war ship, the Lavinia.

Fans familiar with the Kill Shakespeare board game will recognize that this cast of characters is tied directly into the playable character list for the tabletop adventure. To further the excitement for both the game and this new series, IDW Games is announcing that everyone who backs the Kill Shakespeare Kickstarter at the game level or higher will receive all four issues of The Mask Of Night free from comiXology as they are released. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/idwgames/kill-shakespeare)

Andy Belanger, the series artists says, “Shari Chankhamma (colorist) and I have sharpened our pencils, made black our brushes and are ready to paint the high seas red in this next chapter of Kill Shakespeare! Get ready for BLOOD!”

The series’ return will be chock-full of pirate battles, vengeance, and lost love (pretty much everything you could ever want!) so don’t miss out on the high seas tales featuring your favorite Shakespearean characters!

Comics

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

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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 (AnimosityBatwomanDC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide SquadPower RangersRed 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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