Comics
Review: “Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night” # 2
“Kill Shakespeare: The Mask Of Night” #2 continues its new story arc with even more action, suspense, and plot twists. The classic Shakespearean characters feel more modernized as they become part of the pirate and swashbuckling genre. Giving the “Kill Shakespeare” series a fresh and new direction, which will appeal to both newcomers and longtime readers.
Written By: Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col
Art By: Andy Belanger
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $3.99
Release: July 23, 2014
Reviewed By Jorge Solis
In the aftermath of “Vol. 3: Tide of Blood,” Juliet, Hamlet, and Othello find themselves captured on the pirate ship, The Boreas. Othello is still weak from the sick mind-games and hallucinates about Desdemona. Hamlet cannot put his trust in Juliet, because she may be carrying Romeo’s child. Though they are held captive, pirates Cesario and Viola are about to learn there is no honor amongst thieves. There is no rest for the wicked as a traitor is on board, waiting to strike at the perfect moment.
Writers Conor McCreery and Anthony Del Col have done something spectacular with the female Shakespearean characters. This reviewer believes they have added more complexity to their nature because they have steered away from the romanticism. Juliet, the lovelorn teen, is a hearted broken but strong warrior. In this latest re-imagination “Twelfth Night,” Viola is indeed captain of the ship but needs a male figurehead to pretend to be the fighter, Cesario.
McCreery and Del Col drive the narrative with suspense as Ceasario searches for the traitor within his crew. It’s a clever whodunit tale, with tons of red herrings, that moves at a quick pace. The writers pull a clever Hitchcockian twist in the opening pages. As readers, we know the rope is going to break because it has been cut; we are anxiously waiting for it to happen.
The highlight of Andy Belanger’s artwork is what his illustrations can do with silence. For three pages, the characters stop talking but let their true emotions flow through their facial expressions. In a six panel layout, Belanger is able to say so much through close-ups and medium shot, without any help from thought captions or word balloons. Notice how Viola is getting a kick out of the Hamlet and Juliet’s problems.
In Belanger’s character design, Cesario’s mask has two facial expressions, one smiling and the other angry. This is the only facial expression we’re ever going to get from the captain. Belanger has to rely on body movement and poses to express what the character is thinking. You can tell Cesario is ready for action as he bends his knees forward, like a quarterback.
“Kill Shakespeare: The Mask of Night” #2 continues to be a riveting swashbuckling adventure. I can’t wait to see what happens in the third installment.
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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