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[Comic Book Review] “Predator: Fire & Stone” #1 Is The Predator Comic You’ve Craved Since ’87

Published

10 years ago

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We’ve had Aliens, Prometheus and AVP, but now it’s time for Joshua Williamson to put them all to shame with the glorious “Predator” #1. This debut issue pulls no punches. No one is safe and death lies in wait around every corner. The tension is palpable and the action is visceral; this is the Predator comic we’ve been waiting for since ’87.

STK653013

WRITTEN BY: Joshua Williamson

ART BY: Chris Mooneyham

PUBLISHER: Dark Horse

PRICE: $3.50

RELEASE: October 22, 2014

Reviewed By Torin Chambers

Williamson quickly sidesteps one of past Predator comics largest potholes, introducing the Predator. We don’t spend issue upon issue following bumbling protagonists trying to figure out what mysterious creature is hunting them. Predator is in the title. There’s no need to treat each one like it’s the first time, and that’s exactly what Williamson avoids.

The protagonists here are smart and crafty, they know there’s something onboard with them and they’re going to find it. Our ‘hero’ Galgo is one slippery, slimy, greasy son of a bitch. He’s beyond cocky and looks out for himself above all else. You’d never want to be his friend (or even in his proximity) but he’s insanely fun to read. It’s an absolute joy to watch him work people, pushing the right buttons and conning others into early graves. He’s an incredibly strong protagonist in his own right, he could carry a story sans-predator — easy.

But this isn’t Galgo: Fire & Stone, it’s a god damn Predator story. More specifically it’s the story of Ahab, an old Predator who’s on his last great hunt. I won’t spoil what he’s hunting here, although if you were at Dark Horse’s NYCC panel, like me, then you know where things are going. Trust me though this, Ahab is definitely hunting his own white whale and when it comes to pass, it’ll be a spectacle.

It’d be a crime if I didn’t praise the hell out of Christopher Mooneyham’s gritty and detailed art. He was born to draw a Predator comic. The way Mooneyham works with Ahab’s heat vision is brilliant, I’ve never seen it used in such creative ways. This creative attention to detail extends to all of Ahab’s arsenal and I have no doubts it’ll just get more and more fun as the series continues.

The days of calling an okay Predator comic a blessing are over. Once this 4 issue series has concluded it will become what all Predator comics are compared to, I can feel it in my bones. Williamson and Mooneyham expertly sow the seeds for the Predator epic we’ve all wanted, and Predator has deserved, for years.

—

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

 

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Comics

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

Published

6 days ago

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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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