Comics
Review: Clive Barker’s “Next Testament” #10
As the tension mounts and the suspense builds to a crashing halt, “Next Testament” #10 is a thrilling read that will leave you breathless by the end page. So much heart and passion has been put into the characters to make them feel alive. With its mix of shocking scares and twisted black humor, each issue of “Next Testament” continues the can’t miss event.
WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Mark Miller
ART BY: Haemi Jang
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: June 18, 2014
Reviewed by Jorge Solis
The final battle between good and evil will take place inside the Roman Colosseum, a place where gladiators fought to the death. While the rest of the world his falling into Hell, Tristan and fiancée, Elspeth, have finally reached their destination in Providence. Surrounded by ancient books written in different languages, Tristan and Elspeth have to find the right words that can put a stop to Wick’s reign of terror. With the clock ticking, do the lovebirds have any hope left in defeating Wick?
Clive Barker and co-writer, Mark Miller, focus on the themes of love, spirituality, and faith in the character arcs. Because his father abandoned him, Tristan has never had anything to believe in until he met the love of his life. Though he doesn’t believe in a higher power, Tristan has faith in his unconditional love for Elspeth. With doomsday quickly approaching, the lovebirds hold each other’s hands while searching desperately for help against Wick.
Even when the tone is at its bleakest, Barker and Miller throw in some laugh-out-loud comic relief to ease in the suspense. The world is coming to an end and yet there are characters who still have time to deliver the most hilarious one-liners. On their previous road trip, The lovers have met the best and worst in humanity. The way Tristan feels for Elspeth is exactly how a loving mother cares for her young daughter.
Artist Haemi Jang captures Wick recreating the entire universe in these surreal shots. The entire world is spinning around, as if being sucked into the abyss, and the floor below Wick’s feet is shattering into pieces. It’s interesting how the smoke coming off of Wick’s supreme body is shaped to look like a hand. To imitate the camera shaking, Jang uses motion blur to capture that earthquake feeling in the climatic pages.
These those moments of genuine emotion between the characters are irresistable. Jang illustrates the lovelorn looks on Tristan’s face when he stares directly at his fiancée. It’s adorable how Jang drew a little girl coloring the Bible with a crayon. With the story is at its darkest, Jang throws in something visually uplifting.
“Next Testament” #10 ends on a shocking cliff-hanger that will get the reader hyped up for the last two issues. I cannot wait to be there for the exciting conclusion.
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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