Comics

5 Skull Review: “Clive Barker’s Next Testament” #12

Published

10 years ago

August 13, 2014

With the final issue, “Next Testament” #12 comes down to a nail-biting conclusion. This is the best original work from Clive Barker and I hope this isn’t the last time comic book fans get one. With its mix of shocking scares and twisted black humor, the “Next Testament” series leaves readers with a beautifully satisfying finale.

WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Mark Miller

ART BY: Haemi Jang

PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: August 13, 2013

Reviewed By: Jorge Solis

The final battle between good and evil takes place in the realms of outer-space. A meteorite once crash-landed on Earth, wiping out all the dinosaurs. Will history repeat itself as the human race is now just seconds away from extinction? The all-powerful Wick has transformed himself into a deadly fire-ball charged with the sun’s boiling intensity. Humanity now depends on the Devil himself to save the day. The lovebirds, Tristan and Elspeth, are counting down their last hours they have together.

Clive Barker and co-writer, Mark Miller, have carefully tied everything together in a perfect manner for their last issue. The themes about family, spirituality, and redemption have come full circle. Not only do we get the big blockbuster action sequences, we get the logic and character development behind it as well. In the battle for humanity’s soul itself, Wick is still fighting against the Devil and the Holy Ghost.

For 11 well-crafted issues, I have been seeing the character dynamics change, the emotional arcs grow, and the death count rising. Everyone acts how they should be in this final installment, especially Tristan and Elspeth. The dialogue from co-writer Miller is at its best when the last chapter steers towards its heartfelt and deep resolution.

Artist Haemi Jang continues to depict Wick, the Devil and the Holy Ghost as three giants in all their glory. In the climatic pages, Jang illustrates the character design of the Holy Ghost in a well-detailed close-up. With the long hair flying in the air, readers will soon realize the Holy Ghost has no eyes. The battle scenes are visually impressive as they captured in these riveting two-pagers.

The ending asks the artist to leave behind the action and focus on more on the emotions. Jang illustrates the sentimental facial expressions in tight close-ups, leading up to a painter-like splash page. I cannot tell you how many times I have been floored by Jang’s illustrations from each issue.

For me, the “Next Testament” series ranks up there with the best of Clive Barker’s works, such as “Hellraiser” and “Cabal.” This is a masterpiece that will gain prominent significance with comic book and horror fans as years go by. I personally cannot wait for BOOM! to put all these 12 issue into one trade.

—

Zac Thompson

1 Comment

Comics

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

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

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.