Comics
[Comic Book Review] Lady Killer #4 Plays With Gender Conceptions
Lady Killer #4 continues to show that comic readers are capable of appreciating nuance, that this media is capable of a fun action-packed romp but is not limited—and is rather enhanced—by the brightly colored panels.
WRITTEN BY: Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich
ART BY: Joëlle Jones
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: April 1, 2015
The politics of this book are incredibly subtle, so subtle it’s literally (pardon the pun) an art. Lady Killer uses its seat in nostalgia and camp to discuss the very discussion of gender roles, of women as naturally maternal, of men as breadwinners and women as homemakers, of the gender slant inherent to most discussion of balancing work and home lives. Josie’s character embodies these discussions, her femininity is a source of vulnerability as often it is a weapon. The way Josie is written—and to an even greater extent, the way she is treated by the men in the book—reek of gender.
She’s afraid of guns, she is hit on nearly every time she meets a male, colleague or otherwise. But Josie effortlessly accesses the trappings of suburban housewifery to her advantage, using a nosy neighbor and a neighborhood watch as part of her own surveillance, playing damsel in distress when she has more important things to do than finish this fight, treating the twins to an ice cream cone before ballet as an eavesdropping tactic. She is equally weaker because of the way she is being gendered and in full ownership of it. By choosing not to write a character who is able to constantly rise above prejudices, by writing a character who is very much formed by the way performative gender balances are valued without equality in society, Lady Killer is holding a mirror disguised as a fun spy thriller up to each of us, asking us to see ourselves.
The art and design of this book combines to evoke commercials of the 1950’s, the nostalgic palette referencing the idyllic home life that only existed in advertisements. The way this book lives on the surface of aesthetic perfection, and in a media that is so dominantly visual, is just another way this book plays with being transgressive without appearing to. The art is striking, evocative, and dynamic, every panel its own mini-treatise on aesthetic, each character beautifully exaggerated to the point of grotesqueness. The settings are so familiar, so based in trope, that they border on the uncanny, too familiar to be completely comfortable.
This issue, too, introduces a character who may be the audience’s entry into the “real” Josie, beyond wife and mother, beyond spy; another woman who holds a similar position, who may have similar needs, but who first needs to trust and be trusted.
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
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.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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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.
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