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[Comic Book Review] “Birthright” #4 Is All About Payoff

Published

9 years ago

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I hope you’re along for the ride on this one. Williamson is feeding “Birthright” in pieces, not so small you get bored, but not big enough that you can really taste what’s coming.

STK661150

 

WRITTEN BY: Joshua Williamson

ART BY: Andrei Bressan

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $2.99

RELEASE: January 7, 2015

Reviewed By Katy Rex

Joshua Williamson is a great storyteller, and the pieces that have been woven together, little by little, are finally starting to shape something tangible. The lead up has been intriguing if not fast-paced, but I promise, this is the issue where your focus will finally pay off. That said, if it’s been a minute since you read #1-3, you’ll thank yourself for rereading them so you can jump right back in without all the “oh yeah” and “wait, when did that happen” stuff.

The previous issues, while taking place in the present, have been very focused on catching the reader up on Mikey’s journey and his family’s heartache. This is the first issue that looks forward at what will really happen; not what Mikey or Brennan or their parents want to happen, not what Mikey was sent back for, but what will actually really happen in this narrative. Mikey, Brennan, and their dad Aaron are still on the run, their poor mom Wendy is still trying to be a rational and mature adult who belongs firmly in the only world that can reasonably exist, and Mikey’s still trying to adjust to his multidimensional/speed-aging supernatural PTSD. But the more we get accustomed to this story, the less surreal it seems, and the more we become aware of how drastic the stakes are. Aaron’s in a similar boat; now that he’s on the run, he’s realizing how big this is. He’s realizing that, in his surreal-feeling hasty dash, he’s forgotten logical things like to ditch his cell phone. He’s coming to the realization that even though he’s accepted that Mikey’s the same kid that went missing, a lot has changed, and not just physically; this kid might require a lot more help than he was aware.

The art is, as always, a great mixture between realistic and cartoonish. Which is a great way to visually span the modern and the fairy-tale worlds that both occur in this book. The lines and character designs are consistent, and the palette shifts slightly to reflect supernatural and otherworldly elements, a synergy between Andrei Bressan and Adriano Lucas that fleshes out the book and makes it great. The first page was a little iffy, and Wendy very briefly looked cross-eyed in the bottom panel, but by the end the art has regained its feeling of movement and transformation. And the last page– I don’t want to spoil it, but it’s the coolest splash that has happened yet in this series, and the most exciting and suspenseful moment.

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yoyos2Katy Rex writes comics analysis at endoftheuniversecomics.com, comicsbulletin.com, and bloody-disgusting.com. She also writes scholarly articles for various academic journals. She really likes butt jokes, dinosaurs, and killing psychos and midgets in Borderlands 2. She has a great sense of humor if you’re not an asshole.
Twitter: @eotucomics
Instagram: @katy_rex
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Comics

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

Published

6 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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