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Review: “Skinned” #2

Published

10 years ago

on

“Skinned” deals with perception and reality in such a fun and engaging way that it can’t help but be captivating. Truly this is a book worthy of your attention for its ambition alone. I’ve never experienced a story so imaginatively aware of the conventions of it’s medium. It’s a challenging and fun read from cover to cover.

skinned2WRITTEN BY: Jeremy Holt & Tim Daniel

ART BY: Joshua Gowdy

PUBLISHER: Monkeybrain Comics

PRICE: $0.99

RELEASE: June 18, 2014

The world that Tim Daniel and Jeremy Holt have created here should be filled with wonder and whimsy. Yet, seeing reality as a projection isn’t enough for Aldair and Buoy. Because of this, these two characters push through the boundaries of their own world and upbringing in pursuit of something more than the “utopia” they’re given.

This is a world of subservience and order. It’s the world we’re headed towards, being shepherded by our smartphones into a herd that is consumed by the screen in front of their face. Holt and Daniel take it a step further plant the screen inside the head, which creates a whole host of solutions to reality, or problems hiding in the guise of reality if you’re Aldair and Buoy.

Joshua Gowdy should be commended for his work on this book for any number of reasons. Not the least of which is his perfect reimagining of the main characters into a seamless rendition of pop culture icons, or how he somehow can keep likenesses in check with changing everything the characters are wearing from panel to panel. Somehow this constant evolution isn’t distracting but totally holds the attention and keeps flow from page to page. In the hands of a lesser artist this would be one of the most confusing comics on the stands, but Gowdy’s work makes it easy to follow.

“Skinned” may not have been conceived as a metaphor for our obsession with technology and how it’s shaped our relationship to reality, but it certainly feels that way. It’s a beautiful deconstruction of what people have come to value as ideal and why that idealism is an inherently flawed version of reality. Reality is finite and unalterable or is it? Is the OccupEye any better or worse than our own interpretation of reality? I have a knee jerk reaction to say yes, but I could be persuaded the other way.

The narrative continues forward from the threads left dangling in issue one and the two characters align in their pursuits. We’re given horrifying glimpses of the power they’re up against and pushed forward with a fantastic pace that ends the issue with a fantastic cliffhanger that will leave you dying for issue #3.

“Skinned” is an intelligent look at perception and reality that challenges you as you read it. The themes on these pages are heavy but the art is colorful and light. It’s the perfect mixture that is a cause for celebration, it’s a comic that pushes the medium and forces you to think. What more could you ask for?

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

Published

20 hours 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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