Connect with us

Comics

Review: “Undertow” #6

Published

10 years ago

on

Such is the end of an incredible journey. “Undertow” # 6 serves as a beautiful conclusion that is grounded in character and offers a revealing reminder that sometimes our homes can be the worst parts of us.

undertow_06_A

WRITTEN BY: Steve Orlando

ART BY: Artyom Trakhanov

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $2.99

RELEASE: July 23, 2014

I’ve been in love with this series from the beginning. However, I wasn’t expecting a conclusion like this. It’s as thoughtful as they come and grounded in an ugly truth that I didn’t know I wanted to learn. It also has tons of action and confrontation that needed to happen for everything to get neatly wrapped up. In short this is a phenomenal conclusion.

After the events of last month the fates of the main trio of characters were lying in question. Orlando quickly answers this questions and moves his final script into high gear within moments. The finale plays with breakneck pace and despite never slowing down, doesn’t miss a single character beat. It’s an impressive feat.

Artyom Trakhanov handles the heavy script as if it’s a walk in the part. He makes the final confrontations in this issue into a dizzying ballet of death and never loses the reader in the process. His colors are at the absolute height and prove that he’s a force to be reckoned with in the comic book world. The pastel colors put an eerie glow over the death on display throughout the pages. And holy hell, the work on the final confrontation with Anshargal is just what dreams are made of. It’s executed so simply but still remains on the issue’s highpoints.

I struggle to think of how to cope in a world without “Undertow.” I feared that this final issue would lay on the conflict a little too heavily and forget about the characters, but I should have known better. Orlando makes it look easy and never visits character beats as an afterthought, instead their worked organically into the core narrative.

Anshargal is a compelling force that I could never quite get a fix on throughout this entire series, and here I was pleasantly surprised by his motivations. He makes everything clear and even evolves as a character. I was too quick to dismiss him, and was floored to see how Ukinnu’s relationship with the leader is about to evolve.

The epilogue of the issue shows the unsightly home of Atlantis we’ve heard so much about, and shows exactly what these characters have fought so hard against during these six issues. It’s a beautiful dessert after the main course that helped ground one of the main characters struggles in a horrifying way.

“Undertow” is a spectacle, it’s well written, beautifully drawn, and evokes incredible emotion. It’s a story of self-discovery, and new frontiers. I can’t recommend it enough, and encourage you to learn a thing or two by picking it up.

Related Topics:
Advertisement
Click to comment

Comics

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

Published

2 days 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

Continue Reading