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Review: “Red City” #2

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10 years ago

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Diving head first into the fray after last month’s debut issue, “Red City” #2 wastes little time before adding more complications into it’s heavily Noir influenced tale. More characters, more twists, and more of our hapless ex-cop hero getting beat up and shot at. Readers unfamiliar with the genre may need a flow-chart, but fans will eat up another installment of this tech-noir mystery.RedCity_02-1

WRITTEN BY: Daniel Corey

ART BY: Mark Dos Santos

PUBLISHER: Image

PRICE: $2.99

RELEASE: July 9 2014

Review By: Ooknabah

First things first: If you have not read the first issue of Red City, there is a lot that will go over your head in the second issue. There is no real attempt to catch new readers up to the story thus far and while dialog does reference a few points from previous issues, ever readers of the first issue, myself included, will find themselves a little lost as to how all the pieces are supposed to fit together. Double crosses and various other intrigues are to be expected with this kind of story, and already the kid gloves are off.

This issue picks up directly from the events of the first one and thrusts our protagonist Cal through some well worn genre cliches: Being told off by a stern policeman, having a threatening meeting with one of the leaders of the various factions telling our hero to cease his investigations and even a couple of chases. How all of these things will eventually pay off remains to be seen, although they accomplish the bare bones of what is set out to be done. Sadly, while the noir elements of the story chug along, there is very little use of the Mars setting or futuristic technology in this issue: Sure, people are shooting lasers instead of bullets, but otherwise each of the beats play out pretty rote and one might like to see a few twists given the setting.

Dos Santos’ art remains perfectly serviceable, although the action feels pretty flat, with no real sense of danger or impact. This causes a couple of attempts at humor to fizzle out miserably, and overall makes the chases feel like filler, a feeling made worse by the flashback nature of the story: We know the main characters make it alive to later down the road, so why care when people attack them? In fact, that in medias res opening may prove to be a real liability to Corey’s story, and one hopes that the current storyline will catch up soon to put some real stakes into the action.

If you read the first issue, this one is more of the same with much of the same virtues and faults. So again, it is recommended for the fans of the tech noir, although patience is all ready wearing thin. The mysteries are currently either confusing or boring (The character Angel manages to reveal just enough about herself that I immediately lost interest in her) and while future issues may rectify those issues, there is still work to be done.

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

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10 hours ago

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April 17, 2024

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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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