Comics

[Comic Book Review] “Roche Limit” #1 Is Astounding

Published

10 years ago

September 24, 2014

Zac Thompson

Space noir, noir in space. What more could you ever want?

WRITTEN BY: Michael Moreci

ART BY: Vic Malhotra

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $2.99

RELEASE: September 24, 2014

Reviewed By: Torin Chambers

Roche Limit is a crime noir set in, you guessed it, space. In space and in a manmade colony (The Roche Limit Colony) within the planet Dispater, on the edge of an energy anomaly in the Andromeda Galaxy. This anomaly was spotted from Earth and has some very strange properties. It operates like a black hole but with none of the immense gravitational effects of gravity. This has led humanity to set up the colony on Dispater because of its proximity. None of the wonders of this anomaly play into anything directly in this first issue, but I can see it gradually unfolding its secrets to us.

The Roche Limit Colony has an absolutely magnificent ‘Blade Runner’ feel about it. Even in this first issue the colony comes alive with numerous varied locals. It’s got cramped and noisy places, walls that are riddled with rivets from countless repairs and covered in a thick grime. It’s also got spacious apartments, ritzy high end clubs and notably seedy bars. The Roche Limit Colony is a character in and of itself, teeming with personality and interest.

Two paragraphs in and I suppose I should briefly touch on our protagonists. We’re first introduced to Sonya Torin (her last name is my first name, that’s super neat to me and no one else) a hard as nails woman looking for her sister Bekkah. Besides her justifiably anger over her sister and a past as a cop, we only get ever-so-tiny peaks at who Sonya really is. For now she comes off as pretty flat and uninteresting but with the promise of future development.

On the very next page we meet the unquestionably dubious but also infinitely cool Alex Ford. Alex Ford is a young Harrison Ford, there no other way about it. He’s a smart-assed, cocky son of a bitch who seems to be on everyone’s bad-side. Finding a sense of comradery or compassion or possibly an angle he could work in his favor, Alex steps in and helps Sonya out. He lost an older brother in the past and her plight has “triggered” something in him that make him want to help her.

“Roche Limit” is an astounding introduction to a rich and intricate world. It’s not perfect, but it’s got heart. The only real stumble is with the characterization of Sonya, who as of this first issue I couldn’t care less about. Especially when compared to Alex Ford she might as well have been a cardboard cutout. I can only hope she’s fleshed out in the coming issues. Roche Limit has got all of its building blocks spread out on the table now, I have nothing but the utmost confidence that Michael Moreci will build greatness.

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Torin Chambers is a rad dude from the nineties who does film stuff or something. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite transformer. Find him on Twitter @TorinsChambers

Zac Thompson

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Comics

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

Published

7 days 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.