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Review: Undertow #3

Published

10 years ago

on

Steve Orlando shifts into a steadier pacing current this month as the land mission makes a huge development, and the crew aboard The Deliverer become even more uneasy. The machinations of a political thriller with the makings of an action book, told through the eyes of an impressionable and idealistic youth make for another must have chapter of “Undertow.”

WRITTEN BY: Steve Orlando
ART BY: Artyom Trakhanov
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: April 23rd 2014

Steve Orlando has crafted a story around larger than life characters. Redum has opened up Ukinnu’s world and he’s out being intrepid on the surface. He has a rosy idealism that we start to see chip away. He’s in over his head. So enter The Amphibian.

The Amphibian is a unique beast. He is vile and assertive. He has taken control and keeps rule with an iron fist of insanity. It’s hard to tell what his ultimate role in the story will be. His introduction took me by complete surprise, as I didn’t expect him to be such an unruly figure. He’s a creature who thrives on death and destruction. Not exactly the best fit for the team right now.

In any event, he’s now part of the story, and will only make the predicament on The Deliverer more complicated. There is a lot of talk about whether or not Redum is fit to lead the excursion anymore, but this is a lot of idealistic bullshit that doesn’t understand the true perils of standing up to Atlantis. The new leadership will fall to error, and it will be as quickly as its risen here.

Artyom Trakhanov has something about his style that comics really haven’t seen before. It’s so beautifully unique and expressive. The pastel colors evoke a sense of otherworldly warmth that is contrasted with a murky sea of death on the ground. Which, is honestly some of the best work this comic has ever produced. There is something brutally appealing about these Atlantians ripping through humans. Trakhanov even reminds us how fragile our warriors are in a single panel. The sharp stone clinking against the glass dome helmet actually sent shivers down my spine. Way to close to total destruction…

There is a panel near the end of The Amphibian’s introduction that labels him as “The God of Death.” It’s a roundabout way of telling us we’ve entered a whole new world here. The surface is relatively under control, but the new ally might be too volatile to control. Orlando and Trakhanov deal with many complicated themes in “Undertow.” They spend this month slowly developing them through their characters and the book becomes all the better for it. This is another stellar chapter of the best new series of the year.

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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

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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