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5 Skull Review: “POP” #1

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10 years ago

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“POP” #1 is a cultural satire that points an un-shaking finger at the modern music industry and implicates the rest of us along the way.  “POP” imagines a world where artists are grown in a lab and kept under control by the record label execs that created them.  If you have even an ounce of curmudgeon, you will really appreciate this book.

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WRITTEN BY: Curt Pires
ART BY: Jason Copland
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: August 27, 2014

Reviewed By Epic Switzer

“POP” is a cynical book, and I mean that in the best way possible.  On the surface it is a relatively simple story: a newly incubated pop singer escapes and crosses paths with a typical, down-on-his-luck kind of guy who takes her in.  The two are being pursued by a real life pop star (I dare not say who though as that reveal is one of the most enjoyable parts of the book).  It is a welcoming enough premise, but what is really so engaging about the book is how dense it is with complex themes about modern culture.

Curt Pires presents many opportunities to reflect on the everyday things that we just accept as normal in this first issue.  With this book he is calling us out: We, the sound-bite generation, the culture of mass consumption, blindly perpetuate a cycle of meaningless consumerism.  Curt invites us to break our programming and recode; the escape the cycle before we consume ourselves.  It’s a profound book, and one that I hope one day can reach a mainstream audience with a film or HBO show because, like Curt, I think the message is important.

I would be remiss not to tell you that Jason Copland’s work is incredible are serves both theme are story better than you can imagine.  These archetypes are some of the most human looking characters in comics.  When you get to the store just look at the first page.  I dare you to not be impressed.

“POP” is uniquely enjoyable and critically important.  Even if you think Pires is overly cynical you have to appreciate the initiative.  Anyone that tries to wake people up and make them think is a hero to me.  No matter how the rest of it plays out, this book won’t soon be forgotten.

 

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Epic Switzer AKA Eric is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles.  His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality.  He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.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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9 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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