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[Comic Book Review] Grant Morrison’s “Annihilator” #1 is Legendary, Epic, and Inviting

Published

10 years ago

on

A lot has been said about the work of Grant Morrison, sweeping, epic, and metafictional. His newest comic “Annihilator” #1 is none of those things. Yet, still manages to be some of  his most prolific work.

STK648950

WRITTEN BY: Grant Morrison

ART BY: Frazer Irving

PUBLISHER: Legendary

PRICE: $3.99

RELEASE: September 10, 2014

Anyone whose ever written anything and got a laundry list of notes knows what “Annihilator’s” Ray Spass is going through. He’s a man lost in the gigantic mechanism of Hollywood forced to finish a script he can’t even remember how to write. He’s lost in the surreal sun drenched mess of California laboring between detaching from his script and being lost inside the mess it has created.

It’s something any writer has dealt with at one time or another, but Morrison adds his own brilliant spin on the whole affair. This isn’t a Ray’s own grand idea, this is a story he’s interpreting, making sense of, serving as a conduit between himself and something so much bigger.

This is a love story between a man and his creation. The thin line between the creator, the created, and reality, which I suppose is vague, but it’s the best way to describe what’s happening on these pages.

It’s a surrealist look at the world of Hollywood, and what it takes to write a script when millions of dollars are backing your ideas. The tentpole film as held up by one man, the writer, who must do everything to balance the needs and wants of everyone with some cash at stake in the project.

Frazer Irving splits his duties between a surreal and sun drenched Hollywood and the grounded reality of a space station from Ray’s script. I know that sounds funny, but Irving’s work goes the extra mile to make the “real” world of Hollywood a more psychedelic experience by playing with light and perspective in beautiful ways. Whereas his work in space feels a lot more grounded and clearly communicated. Creating an incredible juxtaposition that most comics would opt to tackle in the opposite way.

The finished product is a labor of love about love. It’s hard to fathom why anyone would put themselves through the hell of writing films if it wasn’t for love, and Morrison’s script really makes a compelling argument as to why the pursuit is worth it. The characterization of Ray, and his creation Max Nomax show a great duality to the themes on the pages that creates an engaging and intoxicating narrative.

This may just be the best Grant Morrison comic in years. It’s not bound by archetypal superheroes, metatextual meanings, and incomprehensible truths, but instead straddles the weird disillusionment that sometimes comes with the act of creation. It’s inviting and beautifully realized without being challenging. It’s the beginning of a new age of Morrison stories, and is quite possibly one of his finest works yet.

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Comics

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

Published

5 days ago

on

April 18, 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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