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Review: “Afterlife With Archie” #5

Published

10 years ago

on

Review by Jorge Solis

Prepare to be shocked and thrilled as “Afterlife With Archie” #5 delivers a knockout punch as the series comes to its first concluding chapter. The zombie apocalypse has burnt the innocent and wholesome town of Riverdale to the ground. Since its first issue, the “Afterlife With Archie” series has been one of the best reads for horror fans.
alwarchie5

WRITTEN BY: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
ART BY: Francesco Francavilla
PUBLISHER: Archie Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 14, 2013

Zombie Jughead spread the flesh-eating disease when he crashed the Halloween Dance at Riverdale High. Archie Andrews was able to rescue a few of his classmates, including the drama queen Veronica and the do-gooder Betty, from danger. Rather than be in the threesome arms of Veronica and Betty, Archie went through the dark woods in search of his parents. Archie was only able to save his mother as his zombie father viciously attacked them. How long does Archie have before he becomes one of the undead?

What’s really interesting about Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s writing is how he develops the character growth for Archie Andrews. In the first installment, Archie is too shy to get involved, becoming a supporting character in his own story. At the Halloween Dance, Archie slowly becomes the reluctant hero cornered in an extraordinary situation. In this installment, Aguirre-Sacasa continues Archie’s development in his own coming-of-age tale. Archie isn’t a full-fledged hero yet, but we are seeing the makings of a confident leader.

Aguirre-Sacasa makes excellent use of flashbacks though the viewpoint of butler Hubert H. Smithers. Aguirre-Sacasa provides a touching and heartfelt back-story between Smithers and Veronica that I didn’t even know was there. As the reader, we root for Smithers to survive as he never falters being the father figure for Veronica. Even though Veronica is too full of herself to realize the truth, Smithers treats her like his own daughter, even though they’re not related by blood.

The phenomenal imagery from Francesco Francavilla is a major highlight for me. I just want to study his color scheme all day, finding out how Francavilla makes the blue and orange tones work. Francavilla delivers such touching facial expressions when Smithers looks at Veronica. There is genuine emotion in Smithers’ eyes as he contemplates saying the right thing to her. You actually forget you’re reading a terrifying zombie book and lose yourself in this emotional family drama.

Francavilla does something truly impressive with the panel layouts during the climatic conclusion. In a single page, through 15 panels divided, Francavilla is able to connect each image together perfectly. The eye direction follows the panels one by one, never losing a beat. Everything feels so cohesive as Francavilla creates one spectacular image.

“Afterlife With Archie” #5 concludes on a riveting finale, making readers anxious for the next story arc. I can’ wait to see what happens next in the “Afterlife With Archie” series as Sabrina The Teenage Witch returns.

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Comics

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

Published

17 hours ago

on

April 17, 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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