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[Comic Book Review] “Clive Barker’s Nightbreed” #5 Delivers A Surreal Nightmare

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An impressive installment, “Clive Barker’s Nightbreed” #5 delivers a surreal nightmare where readers cannot tell the difference between monsters and humans. Based on Clive Barker’s “Cabal” novella, this spinoff explores the underground inhabitants living in the secluded city of Midian. Just like with the “Hellraiser” series, there is tons of potential here to explore new territory within the “Nightbreed” mythology.

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WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Marc Andreyko
ART BY: Piotr Kowalski, Emmanuel Xerx Javier
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: September 24, 2014

Reviewed By Jorge Solis

Boone is about to meet two interesting characters living in Midian. The first persona is Luda, a trickster who looks like a demon. The second is a celebrity from Hollywood’s past lifetime. Boone recognizes this starlet from when he watched movies with his grandmother. He realizes Annastasjia has not aged a bit since the ’20s. Boone is about to learn what makes her different from the others. Though they have diverse backgrounds, with special circumstances, Boone is about to learn that all roads lead to Midian.

What will really draw in newcomers and longtime followers are these two new and fresh characters, Lude and Annastasjia. The duo revolves around Barker’s themes about people being persecuted for the color of their skin, their race, and their gender. Co-writer Marc Andreyko delivers some laugh-out-loud humor through Lude. Because Lude has the face of a demon, you forget he’s really this fun clown you’d really have a drink with at the bar.

The highlight of Andreyko’s storytelling is how he is able to split and connect the two origin stories. The narrative jumps back and forth between two timelines at a quick pace. At first, you don’t know what makes Annastasjia special until her surprising twist. I can’t wait to see if Lude will become more prominent role in the upcoming issues.

Artist Piotr Kowalski Javier plays around with Lude’s comical facial expressions. Though he is supposed to be demon-looking, he really is the comic relief. Kowlaski plays with that comedy aspect, especially when Lude is a little demon baby. His face and eyes are round, almost cartoon-like, which adds to the humor.

Emmanuel Xerx Javier has done a great job referencing the 1920s time period. In her character design, Annatasjia has clothes from the her Hollywood days, as if she’s still stuck there. This is a washed-up actress who couldn’t move on with the rest of the world. Though her body hasn’t aged, she is a living replica from the forgotten days of her youth.

“Clive Barker’s Nightbreed” #5 will definitely shock readers with the clever twist at the climax. Just reading the “Nightbreed” comic makes me want to preorder “The Cabal Cut.”

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‘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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