Comics
[Comic Book Review] “Spread” # 4 Blurs The Line Between Hero and Villain
Deeper and deeper we go into the gore-filled rabbit hole that is Justin Jordan’s “Spread.” Lines are blurred as the trials increase for our heroes No, Molly, and baby Hope. Issue #4 picks up as super-babe Ravello intervenes in Jack’s hack-and-slash way of justice, seemingly rescuing No from a Crock-Pot style ending. As our trio is separated, their connections with the villains of the series come together.
WRITTEN BY: Justin Jordan
ART BY: Kyle Strahm
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: November 5, 2014
Reviewed by Nick Brehmer
Turns out, Molly’s been exposed to Ravello before and I suspect that there’s some detail regarding infanticide that has yet to be revealed. What has been revealed though is that the Preacher and his minions consider baby Hope to be the anti-Christ and an end to their spread-infested perfect world. Given the power her tears hold over the infection, it makes sense that her extermination would be paramount for this Spread-centered religious movement.
The plane from issue #1 makes a return in this latest issue as referenced by Ravello. Jack, who insists that the outside world and all things from it have ceased to exist, however, quickly refutes its existence. This echoes my statement from my previous review that Revello’s villainous role may not be as obvious as it seems. I get the impression from “Spread” that that Jordan likes to play with expectations.
The narrative structure that Jordan continues in each issue is pretty seamless. He has the narrator Hope position each past situation within a context of gritty, painful realism. With that said, her narration itself provides the chaos of “Spread” with a significant amount of her namesake, hope. The only problem is that we as reader have yet to actually see much of it within in panels. We can cheer for No and Molly, be suspicious of Ravello, and we can cringe at Preacher all we want, but the world of “Spread” remains a very, very nasty place.
There’s heaps of violent anticipation thrown our way in this issue. Looking forward to what bloody mess Jordan has in store for us next time.
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A product of the harsh lands of Northern Ontario, Nick Brehmer is in fact a sensitive flower currently blooming in the GTA. He spends his downtime wishing he was British. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @nicholasbrehmer
Comics
‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics
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.
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Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)
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Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover
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Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)
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Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)
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Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)
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Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)
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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.
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