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Advance Review: “Black Market” #1

Published

10 years ago

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Since Alan Moore’s “Watchmen,” the super hero has been deconstructed and examined from a variety of angles. Whether it is a superheroes as-celebrity-culture in the Luna Brother’s Ultra, the fallen super hero as jaded villain from Mark Waid’s “Irredeemable” or the who-watches-the-watchmen examinations of Garth Ennis’s “The Boys” (or the Watchmen, for that matter), the genre has been broken down to the point where you would be forgiven for thinking that it’s all been done, Frank J Barbiere’s “Black Market” begs to differ.

blackmarket1

WRITTEN BY: Frank J Barbiere

ART BY: Victor Santos

PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: July 16, 2014

Review By: Ooknabah

The concept for the series is not a new one but the perspective used is. There’s a group stealing the organs of super heroes to be used on the black market. We follow the story of Raymond, our put upon protagonist. He ‘s a beat-down man struggling to support his sick wife while enduring a dreary day to day existence brought about by his own poor choices and bad luck. This first issue of a four part series sets up the stage to show how his brother pulls him into a life of crime and leads us wondering how a man convinced to join with the promise that “no one will be hurt” can be blind to what promises to be a grim business indeed.

Of course, he cannot stay blind to the gruesome implications forever, and how he discovers the depths of his situation and what he will do to get out of it promises to fill the rest of this mini series with tension and suspense. Barbiere has done a fantastic job of setting up the initial circumstances, with Raymond’s narration setting this story apart from similar fare. You really get the feeling of the reluctance and regret in his voice, along with the acceptance of what his bad decisions have wrought. It’s also a smart choice as far as the narrative is concerned, allowing this first issue to really introduce Raymond and establish him as a relate-able and sympathetic character who is difficult not to root for.

Victor Santos’ art does a fine job setting up the tone for the story, with moody evocative shadows playing across the faces of his cartoonish and expressive characters. It is reminiscent of Michael Avon Oeming’s Powers or the work of Darwyn Cooke, both stylized and approachable while capable of supporting the darkness of the material. Adam Metcalfe’s colours are also worthy of mention, balancing the bright and bold colours of super heroes with a muted, dreary tone that underlines the mundane world that our protagonist lives in. In short, it looks great.

I’m not familiar with Frank J. Barbiere’s work, but this issue has made me an instant fan. A well crafted story that finds compelling material in well traveled territory, “Black Market” is the real deal. Buy it now.

Ooknabah AKA Brent Hirose is a writer, actor and gigantic nerd from Vancouver B.C. You can listen to his podcast about that at HugeNerds.Podomatic.Com or check out his many other projects at BrentHirose.com

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Comics

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

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1 day ago

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April 18, 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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