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Review: “The Last Fall” # 1

Published

10 years ago

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Kevin Eastman’s variant cover for “The Last Fall” #1 promises a gritty, action-packed story in a sci fi setting, steeped in the horrors of war. That was probably the intent. Sadly, it is not the execution.

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WRITTEN BY: Tom Waltz

ART BY: Casey Maloney

PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: July 16, 2014

Review By: Ooknabah

“The Last Fall” is a five issue mini series that details a war between two planets, Krovin and Merkonia. Urged on by their needing the precious fuel resources of the planet and spurred on by religious justifications, the Krovinites have commenced a war of conquest against the more primitive Merkonians, which has now stretched out years with no seeming end in sight. Sergeant Marcus Fall is our protagonist, a man fighting for revenge after experiencing personal losses yet to be fully explained. And so, we follow Fall as he pushes forward in his quest for vengeance.

The allusions here are not difficult to see, and come across rather heavy handed. (While it is only implied in the issue for instance, solicitations openly state that Fall’s family were murdered in a retaliatory suicide bombing) This sets up a rather humorless and dark tone, with a flat protagonist to boot. Other than his tragedy and rage, over the course of the issue there is little learned about Fall, and less still that isn’t rote cliche. Obviously the intent is to set up the changing of circumstances to come, but there is little to entice readers to continue onwards.

Casey Maloney’s art is unhelpful to that end. His round, cartoonish characters make the battles and wars at large feel like a child’s pantomime with action figures, rather than a life-or-death struggle, let alone a deadly blood feud. While Fell is supposed to be a battle-hardened veteran, he often looks as if he is a fresh-faced teenager. This may be commentary, but seems at odds with the story that is trying to be told. The bright, primary colours by Dusty Yee don’t help either,making the designs look as if they are from a rejected version of the Power Rangers.

Maybe future issues will add additional appear to this title: There are successful moments, like the beautiful skyscapes or the varied and highly cinematic layouts. But on the whole, The Last Fall is boring, cliche and and otherwise a disappointment.

Recommended to avoid.

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

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14 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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