Comics
5 Skull Review: Clive Barker’s “Next Testament Vol.1”
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
An epic masterpiece in the making, every page of “Next Testament Vol.1” contains vibrant imagery, snappy dialogue, and two engaging protagonists. “Next Testament” could only come from the mind of a true horror master. Clive Barker proves himself once again. Collecting the first four issues, check out why this horror series landed #1 on my Bloody-Disgusting’s Best Of 2013 List.
WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Mark Miller
ART BY: Haemi Jang
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $12.99
RELEASE: May 21, 2013
In the desert wasteland, eccentric billionaire Julian Demond is searching for something hidden and locked away underneath the layers of sand. Waiting to be set free, the powerful entity, known as ‘The Father’ from the Old Testament, wakes up finally from his prison. Julian thinks he has found God but he has actually found a sadistic power-hungry supreme being, nicknaming himself Wick. Julian’s son, Tristan, and his fiancée, Elspeth, are about be the first ones to witness the coming of the apocalypse. No one is safe, not even the socialites and big-wigs of Hollywood, as Wick steps out into the world.
Clive Barker and co-writer, Mark Miller, have done something unique and fresh with religious horror. Standing out, Wick acknowledges there is a higher power above him and everything about the New Testament is true. Though the Devil, referred to as The Son by Wick, makes a cameo appearance, he is actually the good guy here. We see Wick at first intrigued by humanity’s accomplishments, then slowly getting tired of mankind. As an antagonist, Wick is an intellectual like Pinhead but he’s also a deadly killing machine like Jason Voorhees.
The highlight of the writing comes from Miller’s quirky dialogue between Tristan and Elspeth. When these two lovebirds are in a panel together, you’re rooting for them to make it through. The snappy banter between them is reminiscent of Nick and Nora Charles, from Dashiell Hammet’s “The Thin Man.” Among Barker’s creations, Elspeth has the innate goodness of Anne Bobby, from “Nightbreed,” and the strong will of Kirsty Cotton, from “Hellraiser.” And yet, there is still something more about Elspeth that makes her such a badass character.
If you have read Brandon Seifert’s “Hellraiser: The Road Below,” then you know artist Haemi Jang is the perfect choice for this series. Jang just lets loose on the gore and kill scenes during the dinner. In a two-pager, notice how elegant and terrifying the imagery is when Wick shatters the stained glass window. When the police arrive, Jang uses the rack-focus technique to blur the background, so that we only see the sirens.
The plane crash sequence is my favorite part of this collection. Jang captures the bumpy ride, the passengers screaming, and the lovebirds in turmoil throughout the suspenseful illustrations. I honestly haven’t been this impressed with a plane crash since I first saw the opening scene in the “Lost” pilot. I hope after this series concludes, Barker, Miller, and the good people at BOOM! Studios, keep using Jang for other projects.
I absolutely loved “Next Testament” since the first issue. The first half of “Next Testament Vol. 1” is a great jumping-on point for newcomers and something awesome to have in your comic book collection.
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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