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‘Silent Hill: Downpour’ Lives On With “Anne’s Story”

Published

10 years ago

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In March 2012, Silent Hill: Downpour became the latest entry in one of gaming’s most beloved survival horror franchises — so long as you don’t count Book of Memories, which was more of an experiment than anything else. It may have been flawed, but there’s no denying that Downpour had ambition.

Vatra Games definitely stumbled in the enemy department, but they excelled at something that I think is just as important, and that’s the difficult feat of blending elements that made the early games so appealing, like their dark narratives and old school design, with a more open world that rewarded players for straying off the beaten path with stuff like optional side quests.

I’m afraid Downpour will be remembered for leading to the eventual closure of its developer, which shuttered following its lukewarm reception and very poor sales. This means whatever plans Vatra may have had for a potential follow-up to Downpour were almost definitely lost with them. However, if you consider yourself to be a fan of their unique take on the series, there is some good news: the story will continue in the form of a comic titled “Silent Hill Downpour: Anne’s Story”.

I missed the comic’s initial re-unveiling at WonderCon 2014 last month — in fact, I only learned of it now because I follow the blog of comic book writer and artist T-Rex Jones, where he recently posted the comic’s fantastic cover art (see below).

Anne’s Story is being written by Tom Waltz, who you may recognize from his work on “Silent Hill: Sinner’s Reward”, “Silent Hill: Past Life”, and Silent Hill: Downpour, with art by Tristan “T-Rex” Jones (“Ghostbusters”, “Hoax Hunters”). It will follow Anne Marie Cunningham, the tenacious police officer who refused to give up in her endless pursuit of escaped convict and Downpour lead, Murphy Pendleton. It’s due for a release sometime this summer.

Anne_2

Pretty cool, huh? In related news, back in January we held a week-long celebration of all things Silent Hill in our first ever Silent Hill Week. It was a good time and may even inspire me to do something similar for Resident Evil, if that’s something you think you could be in to.

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Gamer, writer, terrible dancer, longtime toast enthusiast. Legend has it Adam was born with a controller in one hand and the Kraken's left eye in the other. Legends are often wrong.

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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

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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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