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Review: ‘The Crow: Pestilence’ #1

Published

10 years ago

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“The Crow: Pestilence” #1 satisfies the reader’s taste for a good old fashioned revenge thriller. From the mind of creator James O’Barr, readers get another vengeance-driven tale from beyond the grave. Hardcore fans of the “The Crow” series will still get a kick out of the gun-toting action and stylized artwork.

WRITTEN BY: Frank Bill
ART BY: Drew Moss
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: March 12, 2013

Raw Dog is part of a criminal organization, named Saint Death Cult, that has been making millions off of drugs and prostitution. In Juarez, Raw Dog has been illegally transporting women from another country to the US border to serve as drug mules and call girls. Years ago, Raw Dog and his associates murdered the wrong innocent man. The mystical crow has brought back Salvador, an ex-boxer, from the grave. Nothing will stop Salvador as he plans on bringing pain and misery to the men who murdered him.

Writer Frank Bill lays down the groundwork for Salvador’s revenge plan. In this installment, Bill introduces one member of the gang that killed Salvador in cold blood. Following the mythology of “The Crow” series, we know why Salvador is back from the grave and who he’s going after. There’s not much room for Bill to play around with because this is a standard origin tale. Hopefully, in the next installments, Bill is able to move away from formula and bring something his own to the franchise. The reason I enjoyed “The Crow: Curare” miniseries was because there was an interesting twist. It’s not the dead little girl seeking revenge; it’s the retired cop.

What Bill does add in this installment is some fresh dialogue and social commentary. Bill uses the Juarez setting to tell a gritty crime tale about illegal immigration and the drug cartel. When Salvador speaks, his dialogue is meant to be expressive and poetic. Bill has an easy-to-follow rhyming scheme to the pulpy dialogue. I hope Bill is able to explore more of these aspects in the upcoming issues.

Artists Drew Moss illustrates a dirty and violent atmosphere to the Juarez setting. It’s not a pretty lifestyle in Juarez as Moss depicts his characters as junkies and sleazy hit-men. In a fantastic extreme wide shot, Oliver Lee Arce uses muted colors for Juarez’s nighttime setting, highlighting the dirt roads and trash-filled backyards. The flashy purple tone of the rooftop from Raw Dog’s hideout stands out from the rest of the buildings.

My favorite of Moss’ illustrations is when he uses a splash page to capture Salvador’s character design. Making great use of little details, Salvador has the sides of his head shaved, with just a mohawk on top. Salvador tilts his neck up, so you can see how his throat was slit. Because Salvador was a boxer in his previous life, Moss emphasizes the muscles around the chest area. I really like how Moss added black wings to the larger-than-life image.

“The Crow: Pestilence” #1 starts off solidly but needs more to deliver the bloody goods. I’m hoping now that the origin story has been told, we can get to the core elements of the narrative.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jorge Solis

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Comics

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

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16 hours ago

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April 17, 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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