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Review: “Veil” #2

Published

10 years ago

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Rats. Rats are very important. These vile little creatures skitter through life unknowingly breeding disease and disgust. Yet, Veil embraces them entirely. The mystery of “Veil” is deepened, the world is fleshed out, and the stakes are raised even higher in this second issue of Greg Rucka’s mystery about the objectification of beauty.


WRITTEN BY: Greg Rucka
ART BY: Toni Fejzula
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: April 2, 2014

Rucka said himself that the story of “Veil” would become much clearer with issue two. Bullshit. Not that I’m calling him a liar, because it does, but only somewhat. I mean the larger world of the comic comes into play, and now we know nefarious people are after Veil. That’s it though. We don’t know much else.

Which is part of the charm. Dante is our conduit for this beautiful and haunting journey. He’s a bad dude caught between his reputation and trying to do the right thing. He can’t understand Veil for the life of him, and the harder he tries the harder she pulls away.

The real magic in this issue comes with well… literal magic. We’re treated to some nefarious dudes who have performed sacrifices seemingly in their quest for Veil. One dude in particular harnesses power much like Veil’s. Rucka does a fantastic job at expanding his world and deepening the mystery of how this beautiful and lost girl relates to it.

There is a moment here that shows even the most “upstanding” of people find something magnetic about Veil. It stands to reason that most people lose control around her, and cannot resist her otherworldly charm. Although its not clear why Dante seems immune. In any event Rucka manages to make it all compelling by never answering these things. It’s not important to the story, at least not yet.

Toni Fejzula’s art has apparently gone through some progression before reaching the look that has come to define this book. Everything feels like a neon soaked fever dream that is captured in stained glass. It’s absolutely gorgeous and hard to shy away from. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it, but the style imbues the adventure with a distinct otherworldliness that only deepens the mystery. I can’t sing the art’s praises enough. You’ve never seen anything quite like it.

“Veil” is this unique concoction of ideas that might seem a little cliché at first. The amnesiac with great powers has been done before, but never like this. The thematic implications within the narrative tell a story about objectification. Dante is an exciting and almost tragic character who is about more than likely about to enter what Walter Sobchak called “a world of pain.”

Dark things are brewing on the horizon, but the charm of this book far outweighs its grim implications. The mystery still runs rampant through the pages, but the pieces are moving across the board. We know more than we did before, but we still don’t know much.

Rating: 4/5 Skulls.

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Comics

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

Published

5 days ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

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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